Linden Lab to Sell Tilia

 

In a press release on Tuesday April 23, Thunes announced it was buying the Tilia virtual currency exchange service from Linden Lab. 

To accelerate its growth in the United States and its presence in the fast-expanding online gaming market, Thunes, a global cross-border payments company, is proud to announce that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Tilia LLC, an all-in-one payments platform. Tilia is licensed in 48 U.S. states and territories and offers payment solutions (acceptance and pay-outs) for online games, virtual worlds, creator economies, and in-app purchases.

Upon closing of the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, Thunes’ bespoke global network to accept and pay in real-time through four billion bank accounts, three billion digital wallets and 550 Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) will become available to merchants across the United States, including current Tilia customers. Using Tilia’s technology, Thunes will be able to offer Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB and UnionPay acceptance to Thunes’ customers.

As part of the transaction, Thunes and Linden Research, Inc. (“Linden Lab”), the current majority owner of Tilia, have agreed to an exclusive five-year partnership in which, post closing, Thunes will provide payment processing and pay-outs to Linden Lab, leveraging Thunes’ global network – allowing gamers to pay, and to receive money real-time, in a more cost-efficient way and with increased transparency.

The press release quoted Thunes' CEO  Flores de Kort, “The acquisition of Tilia demonstrates our ambition in the United States. This investment will enable us to leverage Tilia’s capabilities to provide merchants with direct money movement solutions in and out of the United States. Furthermore, Tilia’s deep expertise in online gaming, virtual worlds and token-based payments will greatly accelerate our growth into that fast-growing, exciting industry.”

Linden Lab's Executive Chairman, Brad Oberwager, was quoted as saying, “Thunes is an exceptional company that directly connects nearly every payment method and market worldwide. The combination of Tilia and Thunes will give Linden Lab’s customers more payment choices, and the ability to receive pay-outs in real time, anywhere, into the wallet or bank account of their choice. It will be business as usual for our people and our customers as we bring Tilia and Thunes together.”

 

Tilia was quietly bought by Linden Lab in 2015, but was quiet about it's purpose until 2019 when it was announced that it would be taking over currency exchanges, and people selling Lindens to buy real-life currency would have to register with it, saying this was necessary due to new Government regulations. It would also be used to buy and sell Sansar currency, which at the time was owned by Linden Lab. Eventually Sansar would be sold, but Tilia would continue to handle it's transactions, and make deals with other virtual platforms such as Upland to handle theirs. When Linden Lab was bought by the Oberwager Group in 2020, it was believed Tilia was part of what attracted them. In 2022, Linden Lab announced JP Morgan was making a "strategic investment" in Tilia. 

There is a thread in the Second Life forums about the sale it Tilia (here). Linden Lab would state, "This is good news for Second Life residents and creators. More options without additional costs. We are having an open meeting on May 20 and can discuss in detail."

 

Hat tip: Daniel Voyager

Bixyl Shuftan

Cartoon of The Day: Snail Mail

 

 

 Taken at Learning Virtualē. In the age of the Internet and e-mail, traditional mail isn't as popular as it used to be, sometimes getting called "snail mail." The designer of this mailbox decided have a little fun with it.

 

By Bixyl Shuftan 

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 

Saturday, February 11

 

    ~*~

    

    At 10 AM PST   

    Virtual Institutions from the Perspectives of a Geographer and Biologist

    By Stephen L. Gasior, PHD and Merrill Johnson PHD

    https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/a-geographer-and-biologist/

 

   The Science Circle (72,129,30)

      

    ~*~

 

    At 9 PM PST   

    Re-purposing Human Talent

    By Jes Stannard

   https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/re-purposing-human-talent/

 

   The Science Circle (72,129,30)

 

    ~*~

    

    NOTE: Non-members required to register once

    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

╚══════════════════════════════ The Science Circle (72,129,30) ═╝

 

SL Video: "Virtual Cultures in Pandemic Times - Official Trailer"

 *

From Draxtor Despres on March 26. "Since March 2020, Draxtor has been following UC Irvine Department of Anthropology researchers Tom Boellstorff, Evan Conaway, Chandra Middleton and Sandy Wenger around Animal Crossing and Second Life to find out how the COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping online interaction. 

In the film, protagonists from all over the world open up about their anxieties and everyday challenges during the last two years, and share what virtual worlds and social games mean to them in the context of a global health crisis. 

Many hours of mixed reality interviews, group discussions in Second Life and a comprehensive survey filled out by over 4000 players/residents provide the basis for a sprawling narrative. What emerges through participant observation is a mosaic of impressions, voices and worlds belonging to people from all walks of life, who are actively engaging in community building in the digital realm as they are trying to make sense of a new age dominated by uncertainty and physical isolation. 

The film premieres April 2nd right here on YouTube and in Second Life at Film Threat. More information = https://www.draxtor.com/virtualcultures 

(This film has been made possible with support of the National Science Foundation, award number 2028560, “RAPID: The Role of Emerging Virtual Cultures in the Prevention of COVID-19 Transmission”)"
 

Announcement: This Saturday at The Science Circle - "Fireside Chat Dating Dynamics," "SC Region Tour"

 

"Fireside Chat Dating Dynamics"

Saturday December 18, 

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM SL time

Following on from “Choking on Red Pills: A Biological Take on Modern Dating Dynamics,” Stephen Gasior holds a Fireside Chat.

Hosted by Dr. Stephen Gasior (Xootfly)

Fireside

For more information, Click Here. 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/161/99/24 

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"Science Circle Region Tour"

Saturday December 18, 

9:00 PM - 10:00 PM SL time

The Science Circle owns a region with more than fourteen beautiful locations. Today we visit them with you, answer your questions and listen to your ideas about regional development.

SC is an alliance of scientists and teachers, who in turn are given regional space to display their work. Some exhibitions are permanent, others are replaced by new acquisitions.

Recently Steven Van Hook, CEO of Educare, left his plot in the region to open a much needed “How to Educate in SL” region. We expect to have a tour in June 2022!

However, Steven’s departure offers his SC colleagues the chance to showcase their project.

During the regional tour we offer you the opportunity to share ideas or projects with us. So that our home base remains attractive, challenging and innovative.

By Jes Stannard & Chantal Jager

Science Circle region 

For more information, Click Here. 

(no SURL mentioned)
 

Announcement: This Saturday at The Science Circle - "Choking on Red Pills," "Virtual Teaching Tactics"

 

"Choking on Red Pills, A Biological Take on Modern Dating Dynamics"

Saturday November 20,

10 AM to 11 AM SL time

The basic tenet of biology is reproduction to continue the species. Evolution and genetics has programmed every species’ to follow behaviors to ensure the next generation. Sometimes this has resulted in seemingly contradictory behaviors like male spiders sacrificing themselves after mating.

Given this pattern of programming in sexually reproducing species, it is flabbergasting that some people are choosing to exit the mating pool consciously. These movements (Men Going Their Own Way, Involuntary Celibates, parts of The Manosphere, etc) espouse very different interactions in the mating game, primarily to exit it. Collectively using the term “Red Pill” (a reference to The Matrix) this philosophy claims to now be awakened to the truth of how society oppresses men.

This presentation will explore initially the biology of sexual reproduction in vertebrates and humans then look to reconcile or at least understand better the current society/cultural situation.

Presentation by Dr. Stephen Gasior (Xootfly)

Auditorium

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/125/132/22 

* * * * *

"Virtual Teaching Tactics to Help a Divided World"

Saturday November 20

9 PM to 10 PM SL time

Educators can be Covid-challenged to keep students and funds flowing, while promoting healthy and enriching academic options. Virtual World learning may provide immersive hands-on experience for engaging students and offering a sense of place and belonging, so important to student success and retention in online education.This presentation covers: evolution of virtual world learning, academic necessities for learning alternatives, socioeconomic drivers and gains, fulfilling student desires for immersive experience, benefits of experiential learning, providing dimensional sense of space, sample in-world learning centers, forming partnerships between academia and emerging technology, effective gamification of learning, bridging the digital divide, and self-guided field trips to Virtual World campuses.

Dr. Steven R. Van Hook

Auditorium

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/67/129/32
 

Announcement: This Saturday at The Science Circle - "Virtual Teaching Tactics to Help a Divided World", "Immunotherapy"

 

"Virtual Teaching Tactics to Help a Divided World"

Saturday November 13, 

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM SL time

Educators can be Covid-challenged to keep students and funds flowing, while promoting healthy and enriching academic options. Virtual World learning may provide immersive hands-on experience for engaging students and offering a sense of place and belonging, so important to student success and retention in online education. This presentation covers: evolution of virtual world learning, academic necessities for learning alternatives, socio-economic drivers and gains, fulfilling student desires for immersive experience, benefits of experiential learning, providing dimensional sense of space, sample in-world learning centers, forming partnerships between academia and emerging technology, effective gamification of learning, bridging the digital divide, and self-guided field trips to Virtual World campuses.

Auditorium

For more information, Click Here.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/125/132/22

*  *  *  *  *

"Immunotherapy: Harnessing the Weapon Within"

Saturday November 13,

9:00 PM - 10:00 PM SL time

In 1890, a bone surgeon by the name of William B. Coley was profoundly moved by the loss of a 17-year old patient (Bessie Dashiell) to bone cancer and endeavored to find an effective treatment for the disease. Amidst reviewing hospital records, Coley learned of a patient with a similar disease who recovered after (dramatic pause…) coming down with an infection.

“Say what now?”

Yes… Coley (after verifying that wasn’t a singular case) went on to treat malignant tumors with injections that induced infections. While he was successful in some cases, an explanation for the positive outcomes wasn’t available at the time. Today, we understand that components of the toxins Coley used tuned his patients’ immune systems, stimulating responses that lead to tumor regression. The understanding of our innate defense system’s potential in fighting cancer has instigated the development of a marvelous form of treatment – immunotherapy.

In this presentation I aim to introduce the principles that underlie immunotherapy, discuss various forms of the treatment like immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and dendritic cell vaccines, and explain the challenges involved in harnessing our immune systems in the war against cancer.

Auditorium 

For more information, Click Here.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/67/129/32
 

Scenes From the Texas Furry Fiesta

 

Last weekend, the Texas Furry Festival took place in Second Life. Moved here and a few other places online due to the Pandemic, it was a way people could still attend the usually real-life convention. The Newser was there, and took a few pictures.

See more in Events.

Texas Furry Fiesta Going Virtual

 

Last year in 2020 with the Coronovirus Pandemic in full swing, numerous conventions were canceled. One, Gen Con, would go virtual that year with much of the event taking place in Second Life. Today, while there are vaccines increasingly available, the Pandemic is still with us and conventions that would normally take place this time of year are having to make decisions. Some are canceling or postponing the decision on whether or not to have one this year. But one, the "Texas Furry Fiesta," is doing what Gen Con did last year and take the event virtual, including partially here in Second Life. 

It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that Furry Fiesta will not be having a physical event in 2021. ... This was not an easy decision. We considered the options, seeing if there were ways we could structure our event to improve safety. Vaccines are on the horizon, but the logistics of their distribution are daunting and CDC projections indicate that none will be widely available until after our event. Ultimately ...  we must accept the reality that an in-person event at this time would risk the health and safety of our community.

However, this will not be the end of Furry Fiesta for I am happy to announce that we are planning a virtual event! Details are still being determined and more information will be forthcoming in the upcoming weeks. We know how important TFF is to our community, so we are striving to ensure that we can provide the best possible virtual event.

The event will be taking place on four places online (link). This includes here in Second Life. The Fiesta has a place in the Crimson sim on the mainland in two sections. The ground level section is a beach area with the sounds of waves lapping at the shore, with a pier and campfire. There's also a freebie store where one can pick up some dated but still useful furry avatars free of charge. By clicking on a crystal, one will be teleported to the upper area. This is an urban setting in a city park area with a couple games to play. There's also a building with a dance floor on the upper level.

It should be noted the sim is ranked moderate, and people attending are asked to abide by the rules, including keeping things PG-13 or cleaner. Residents are asked to keep drama and other issues outside. 

Besides Second Life, the event will also be taking place on VR Chat, Minecraft, and Discord.

The event officially runs from Friday March 26 to Sunday March 28. For a schedule of the event, Click Here.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Crimson/158/223/23

Bixyl Shuftan
 

A Look At The Peale

Last weekend, The Peale officially opened. It is a virtual representation of the real life Peal Center in Baltimore, the oldest museum in America. With the Pandemic keeping away from the museum in real life, the virtual wing allows it to show exhibitions otherwise not accessible. Among those at the official opening was the Newser's Gemma Cleanslate. So what did she see?

Read Gemma's story in Places.

Baltimore's Peale Museum Opening Virtual Wing in Second Life

Linden Lab has just announced that a real-life museum is opening a "virtual extension" in Second Life. This is the Peale Center in Baltimore, the oldest museum in the country.

*  *  *  *  *

The Peale in Baltimore, which is housed in the first purpose-built museum building in the United States, has extended its reach into the virtual world known as Second Life. While the current pandemic may prevent many people from visiting the Peale in person, this ambitious new project allows virtual visitors to explore the 1814 museum building online and attend curated exhibits and interactive events safely from the comfort of their homes.

“It has been thrilling to develop this new experience of the country’s oldest museum building in Second Life,” says Dr. Nancy Proctor, Executive Director of the Peale. “Thanks to the amazing work of Linden Lab and Virtual Ability, Inc., we are now able to welcome a huge new community to the Peale, and share its rich history as well as the authentic stories and creativity of Baltimore with the largest and oldest virtual world on the Internet.”

Current highlights of the virtual museum include the 3D interactive Peale Museum building and the virtual world exhibition, “Redefine/ABLE: Challenging Inaccessibility.” Exhibits and events will change regularly, and include playful and surprising elements inspired by the Peale’s and Baltimore’s history and stories – like a virtual mastodon, recalling the mastodons famously excavated in 1801 and exhibited by the Peale family in their museums in Philadelphia and Baltimore!

“This has been an excellent partnership opportunity for us,” says Virtual Ability, Inc. President Alice Krueger. “The staff of the Peale are strongly committed to accessibility, as you can see by their choice of a first exhibition in Second Life. Virtual Ability is happy to assist them to create an accessible experience in their virtual museum.”

The museum was developed in partnership with Linden Lab, maker of Second Life, who developed extensive interior spaces for a 3D model of the Peale Museum building that was originally created by the Imaging Research Center at UMBC for its online map of Baltimore ca. 1815. Over time the interior of the virtual Peale Museum building will grow to include more galleries, both extant in the physical world and inspired by the Peale’s programming and partners, making the Peale in Second Life a creative hybrid of the “real” and the imaginary. The Internet’s largest virtual world has recently experienced a resurgence in popularity as more people seek out safe and fun social interactions online during the pandemic.

“We are pleased to see The Peale bring an extension of its museum and exhibits to Second Life,” says Linden Lab CEO Ebbe Altberg. “The virtual world is the perfect home for museums that are seeking a way to extend their reach to a global audience.”

*  *  *  *  *



The museum will also be the focus of Strawberry Linden's "Lab Gab" today at 11 AM SL time, viewable on Youtube.  Strawberry will interview Nancy Proctor (NancyEProctor Resident) of the Peale Center and Eme Capalini of Virtual Ability.

The Peale Museum in Second Life will officially open tomorrow, Saturday August 15 at 8 AM SL time.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Peale%20Museum/128/100/22

Going About Gen Con

The Gen Con is in Second Life, or at least part of it. Described as "the largest tabletop-game convention in North America," it was canceled this year in real life due to the Pandemic. So the con went online. Part of it was here in Second Life. There was plenty to see. But as this was a gaming con, there were games to be done as well.

Read more in Events.

Gen Con Starts Today

Today marks the start of the Gen Con. This largest of board and tabletop gaming conventions is going virtual this year due to the Coronavirus, and part of it is taking place here in Second Life.

For more information, one can check out https://www.vrazethebar.com/,and https://www.gencon.com/. You can also check our the Discord channel (here). You can also check out the interview on "Lab Gab" Strawberry Linden had with Ron (RCArchitect) and Alesia (AlesiaPM).



http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Welworn/95/224/97

Real-Life Con Coming to Second Life : Gen Con July 30 to August 2

With conventions in real life being canceled due to the Coronavirus crisis, one alternative is for the events to go virtual. Gen Con, described by Wikipedia as " the largest tabletop-game convention in North America by both attendance and number of events," had to cancel in real life. But will be having events online, including here in Second Life, thanks to VRazeTheBar.

VRazeTheBar is going to go live providing an awesome social gaming experience for everyone wanting to attend Gen Con in Indianapolis this year but are unable to.

VRazeTheBar has partnered with Gen Con - the largest and longest running gaming convention in North America - to provide an awesome interactive social gaming experience built on Linden Lab's Enterprise/Education version of Second Life, the world's largest user-created virtual world of its kind enjoyed by millions of people around the globe.

 

The event will take place over the course of four days from Thursday July 30 to Sunday August 2. The entrance to the four sim inworld location is in Welworn (97/224/97). For more information, one can check out https://www.vrazethebar.com/, https://www.gencon.com/. and watch the Lab Gab tomorrow, Friday July 24,  at 11 AM SL time when Strawberry Linden interviews Alesia (AlesiaPM) and Ron (RCArchitect) about this ambitious effort to bring a large gaming convention to Second Life.




(Click Here if the video fails to play)

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Welworn/97/224/97/

Bixyl Shuftan

Hat tip: Inara Pey, Oldesoul Eldemar

SL Video: "Second Life's Prospering Virtual Economy Explained"

(Click here if the video fails to play)

From Luca on May 28, "Second Life is a virtual world with a prospering economy where not only content creators, but anyone can profit and possibly make a living from as long as people find value in what they do within the virtual world."

Announcement: This Saturday at The Science Circle - "Avatar Psychology"

"Avatar Psychology"

Saturday May 30
10 to 11 AM SL time

People experience a 3D virtual world through an avatar representation of their real world self. A virtual world avatar can be distinguished from a static social media thumbnail or handle in that a VW avatar is dynamic and 3-dimensional. Typically, the VW avatar form is either chosen from a menu of premade forms or is assembled from a library of components. In either case, the avatar can be customized with an almost limitless array of elements. The choices made in creating an avatar, the way others react to your avatar, and how you respond to other avatars is psychologically revealing and challenging. An avatar need not resemble the real person at all. It can be a non-human form or human but look different from the person’s “real life.” Indeed, an avatar can be a powerful modality to test a new identity such as transgender in a fully social virtual environment. This causes a distinct shift in one’s body awareness. How a person adapts to this shift has strong psychological implications.

Some people find the avatar experience so foreign that they either are very uncomfortable or decline the opportunity entirely, perhaps due to reduced visual cues inherent in in-person interaction or to how closely participants identify with their avatars and how much they recognize the people behind other avatars. This is a psychological clue about how deeply our perception of self is connected to the emotional investment we make in our avatar.

During the pandemic, educators and students alike have been introduced rather abruptly to the virtual environment. While grappling with how to teach and learn, they may not be aware of the impact of how they present themselves has on the way they interact with each other. Some educators and students adapt well to the virtual environment while others find it uncomfortable. Understanding these aspects of the virtual environment is a critical element in the success of online education. 


Panel participants:

Dominique Meldau
Deepthinker Oh
Phil Youngblood

 To read  more, Click Here.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/67/129/32

Announcement: This Friday and Saturday at The Science Circle - "VWBPE 2020" "Jurassic Period of USA and Switzerland"

"VWBPE 2020"

Friday March 20
6:00 AM to 7:30 AM SL time

Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education 2020

Pre-conference Immersive Experiences

One of the amazing things about virtual environments is how easy it is to travel to interesting locations. Who else wishes they could teleport in the physical world? It is so easy to take a tour and play anywhere in virtual environments…

The Science Circle (SC) provides immersive experiences and focuses on Science & Education; Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Art, and current events like wildfires. Areas on and above the island are accessible via a teleport system and multi-lingual, explanatory signage.

Past Science Circle presentations are available via mini-theatres.

Includes a 30 minute “Question and Answer” about the Corona Virus in our auditorium at 7 AM PDT

Come play a game, solve a problem, and engage in hands-on learning with virtual world education leaders.

No need to sign up, simply come and learn!

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/67/129/32 

 

Read more Here 

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"Jurassic Period of USA and Switzerland"

Saturday March 21

10AM to 11AM SL time

A comparison of the Jurassic Period of USA and Switzerland: A case study in international collaboration

by Bill Schmachtenberg, Kass Lapidar, and Darien Bradley

Abstract: Schools are currently encouraging global collaborations. There are advantages to this collaboration, but there are issues that need to be addressed. In the presentation, Bill Schmachtenberg will present the collaborative research he has been conducting with Kass Lapidar in Switzerland on the geology and palaeontology of the Jurassic Period of Switzerland and Como Bluffs, Wyoming, USA. A high school senior, Darien Bradley also helped prepare this presentation.

 https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/67/129/32

 Read more Here.

Announcement: This Saturday in The Science Circle - "Northern Virginia Community College"

"Northern Virginia Community College"
Saturday December 14
10 AM to 11 AM

Since 2009, the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) has had a campus in Second Life. Currently, over 400 students a year complete one or more of the 23 activities there.  The tour on 14 December will highlight four of these activities that illustrate some of the different ways that professors use the virtual campus to enhance education in their classes.

Greg Perrier, Emeritus Professor, Biology

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/NOVA%20Community%20College/28/178/53

Commentary: Twelve Years of Reporting SL News

Twelve years ago, the leading newsletter in Second Life was the Second Life Newspaper. Around the time of it's first anniversary in early November 2007, it took on a fox whom had sent in a few reader submissions over the previous month. Over time, that fox would write numerous articles about the people, places, and events about the virtual world. Today, yours truly looks back to reflect on his time as a virtual journalist.

Read the commentary in People.

Tilia Needed For Second Life Accounts Starting August 1

While the Lindens gave some news of their upcoming plans during the "Meet the Lindens" events last week (many of which the Newser was hoping to describe in more detail in the next few days), there was one that wasn't mentioned: Tilia. On the Second Life blog yesterday, the Lab announced it would be part of "Important Changes to your Second Life Account."

Beginning on August 1, 2019, Tilia will take over certain aspects of the Second Life service. Tilia enables Linden Lab to continue the Second Life service in its current form through enhanced regulatory compliance protocols.  To achieve this, Tilia will assume responsibility for managing your USD denominated account, which will be referred to as your "Tilia Account."  After August 1, Tilia will handle process credit requests and payments made from your Tilia Account.

 

Effective August 1, in order to continue using Second Life you will have to agree to Tilia’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.  A Tilia Account associated with your Second Life Account will automatically be created for you and you will not need a separate username or password to access your Tilia Account.  

 

In order to stay in compliance with regulatory requirements, if you wish to process a credit, we will need certain personal information to verify your identity, including your name, address, date of birth, and social security number (or government-issued identification if you are not a U.S. Citizen).  You may be required to provide additional information to complete the transaction. Tilia will securely store this information so that you should only need to provide it once.

 

Additionally, please note that customers under 18 years of age will not be able to process credit after August 1, 2019 until they reach the age of 18. 

 

As always, Second Life remains free to access and enjoy!  However, if your Tilia Account is inactive for a period of 12 months we will charge your Tilia Account a fee to the extent permitted by applicable law.  If you have questions about the inactivity fee, please see Tilia’s Terms of Service.

What is Tilia? Linden Lab bought the company in late 2015. The name had been registered in 2002, but the business, whatever it's purpose, had shut down. When Inara Pey asked Linden Lab what it was for, the response by their Director of Global Communications was " a subsidiary of Linden Lab, focused on payments and the compliance work associated with operating virtual economies, and it will provide services for both Second Life and Project Sansar." It's also the genus name of about thirty species of trees that are sometimes called "linden trees," which may be why Linden Lab was interested in the name.

The response by the residents has been more than a little confusion, on both various Discord servers and the Second Life forums. The "Tilia Takes Over" thread has already reached 18 pages as of the writing of this article. There were a number of questions such as would people be hit with bills for not buying or selling Lindens? Was this Age Verification all over again? And there were no shortage of comments such as "Linden Labs, I am very disappointed in you. ... Some have accused you of a bait and switch over the Linden Homes and they were wrong. But inducing people to re-up for another year and then springing a change in the terms of service a week later is a true bait and switch."

While some expressed worry, others such as Becky Nosferatu stated there wasn't much for most residents to worry about. Some however would be paying more.

This took me nearly 20 minutes to figure this out. For those who are in the know, there is a new law and a new ISSUE now, involving the way Linden Lab works with real-world money.

When you buy or sell Lindens, you have a middle ground where the Lindens goes to. So think of that as your virtual wallet. This money just sits there until you cash out (send to Paypal) or your buy in (convert it to Lindens).

Now, what the above means is if you have 0.00 in that "wallet" let's call it, it will do nothing to you. You won't get any fees, you won't be charged, etc.

For people who DO cash out or in, if you have money IN that wallet, and you LEAVE IT THERE FOR A YEAR, they will count that as being inactive and start hitting you with fees. It will take from your "wallet" until you either cash it out or use it, or until your balance reaches 0.00.

Everyone, unless you are under 18, are required to pony up your valuable info IF you want to use the cash out/buy in feature to get Linden dollars. This is EXPECTED of you. As of August 1. this new system will take effect. They're already making a new account for everyone on SL.

What it also means though, if you are over 18 and want to cash out, you must offer up personal info, including your social. A ton of people are not cool with that concept, but trust me, they wouldn't ask for it if they didn't have to.

Why are they doing this? There is a new law in place that affects US and international citizens. This new law means that if you are working with crypto (virtual) currency, you CAN NOT hoard this currency for "better prices" before you cash out, because that is LAUNDERING and that is a big no-no. It's like if you get word fhe stock market is going to crash, you pullout all your funds from said stock and sell it. That, my friends, can net you prison time.

If you don't ever cash out or buy in? You don't have to worry about this at all. You are completely immune and nothing will come of it for you.

If you're like me, however, you are subject to fees when you cash out; Linden Lab's fees, and whatever Tilia's going to charge as well. Nothing we can really do about it.

Becky cited an article in Coindesk.com, referring to a statement from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

There's plenty of information and more than a little legalese to go through. But it seems Tilia being put into action isn't just for the Lab to put up more hoops for residents to jump through and another fee to pay (and maybe higher tier prices from landlords having to pass down feed imposed on them to break even). It appears Linden Lab is doing this due to wanting to avoid legal trouble from the US Government.

As Second Life has adapted technically to change to fit with the times over the past sixteen years, it seems it has to adapt to changes, or at least greater enforcement of, laws dealing with the Internet and commerce as well.

Source: Modem World, Wikipedia, Coindesk.com

Bixyl Shuftan