I think Ash is really brave to stick up for we who spend hours and hours putting together these posts and she makes some great points (see below). To point the mighty finger of blame at freebie bloggers, especially ones who feature full-priced items and make an effort to show off new designers, is just plain silly. This is a multi-faceted, complex issue that many feel strongly about, but FFS...if this blog were doing such a horrible disservice to designers and SL residents, it would be shamed and burned like a witch in Salem. Or designers that steal.
The cold hard fact is yes, unlike a year ago, your average SL resident can get by without spending Lindos and not look like Ruth from the Sims.
Is that a bad thing?
I have no idea. I'm not an economist. I don't have statistical information that could definitively point to a clear answer, but I can tell you that many virtual law experts and economists forecast long-term economic growth in SL with the rapidly expanding citizen population (IM me if you would like a copy of the law journal article I pulled that from). While one designer may suffer because of freebies, another may profit. Why? I'm not sure anyone knows. The concept of the virtual economy is so new and many think it will be as many as 15 years before it's fully realized and understood. Words words words.
There's also the culture of entitlement embraced by the rude, but let's face it. The RL world is full of a-holes - there's no reason why SL wouldn't be full of them too. Like I said and I think most would agree, it's a very, very complex issue. (And, its disappointing to see fingers pointed by those who hold themselves above getting a freebie, snubbing others who enjoy them...even if they never actually buy any of the clothes they blog.)
I'm in the camp that finds a well-crafted design offered for free or at a discount leading to subsequent purchases at the shop that offered it. I've often been completely horrified by how much I spend in SL on clothing and accessories, but it's hard to resist with so many talented designers on the grid.
But getting to my post, and hey...it actually relates to my ramblings above. The Keys to the VIP Gridwide Hunt is an interesting proposition and one I personally found rewarding. To participate, you have to buy a $200L VIP pass and wear it to receive gifts from 50 different designers in SL. After completing the hunt, you receive a VIP pass to the luxury lounge where many of these designers lavished even more freebies as congrats for finishing gifts.
And let me tell you...these aren't the kind of freebies the rude freebie hoars complain loudly about. I've been pleasantly surprised at the quality of the items I've snagged, making the $200L investment a steal now that I have several more pairs of quality shoes, great outfits, goregous skins, fun accessories...and the list goes on. Here's a picture of just a teeny bit of what you can score:
We're standing in the skybox prize from Liquid Candy that comes fully furnished and is mod-tastic. GG did with the hunt with me, but I exhausted him so badly by dragging him through all 50 stores, that he couldn't bear to put anything on or even contemplate looking at his inventory. Poor GG. I wanted to see that nice lingerie set on you!Stuff from The Keys to the VIP Hunt:
Goldfish outfit: The Sea Hole (Key #8)
VIP Skin: Atomic (Key #20)
Flutter Hair (Black A): Magika (Key #10)
Love Lock It Choker: Urban Dysfunction (VIP Luxury Lounge Gift)
Riders Boots (Color Change): Heart and Sole (VIP Luxury Lounge Gift)
Skybox: Liquid Candy (Key #14)
9 comments:
<3 you and 100% agree
i'm with you girl, and Ash too! you guys say it all! sorry if we like fashion and can find a killer bargain, either way we love your products and tell people such :) it's all out of love, so why all the hate?
and i tots agree with you that the hunt is worth 200L and so much more, the gifts are nothing less than amazing. thank you to all involved!
I would tend to agree, Adaire, Ash. Free does no harm whatsoever -- and I find that the shops from which I have gotten free items before, tend to be the ones I go back to and purchase from in the future, when I can actually *afford* to do so. (Sometimes, I'm actually stunned by how expensive things are in SL, but that's an argument for another day. =P Though I will admit that I wish LL would do away with upload charges for textures and sounds -- those charges make content creation somewhat pricey if you're uploading a lot of stuff. So it's kind of a little biased towards those who can afford it -- and not everyone CAN, let's face it. But yeah, ranting now. ^_~)
Anyway... keep doing what you're doing. Y'all are doing an awesome job, and I always look forward to seeing the items you guys come out with. : )
~Fiona
So many law students in SL! (I just finished my 1L exams so I sympathize with ya girl).
I'd love a copy of the law journal you mentioned. Law and SL... how awesomely/nerdily cool!
I'm not sure how common my experience is, but I can say without a doubt that if it weren't for blogs like this one I wouldn't be out tormenting the grid today. ^^
Freebies let me make a character and start exploring without looking like a total newb. Who wants to dump a bunch of money into a game they're just trying out?
I went from freebies to cheapies and now this week I've finally gone from spending like 50L on my girl to having dumped in like 3.5K (and it's already gone). That, sadly, is just the beginning I'm sure.
These blogs let me know what "high quality" looked like in SL (especially thanks to featuring the full price items with the free stuff) and where to find it.
Now that I'm past the "trial run" stage of playing I've got a full list of stores I can finally repay for their generosity.
Yay, freebie blogs :D
For my regular blog, I find a good 30% or more of the shops which are new to me thanks to you girls over here. I'm honored to guest post once in a while and constantly marvel at your creativity and the fun you have with sharing free/inexpensive/new items.
I refuse to let the haters ruin any of that.
I want to add a little thing as an economist :) http://lildaisyslillindens.blogspot.com/2009/05/inner-goddess.html
After reading your blog I couldn't stop writing about it.
I haven't heard any of this controversial anti-freebie stuff, only what I have read here and seen with some of the groups I am in. But I do find it sad that now some designers are taking this as an opportunity to "Reward" the people who shop in their stores by offering paid groups. Personally I don't feel rewarded, I don't feel honored. I feel kind of jipped. I'm a builder. I haven't built anything I think is really worthy of selling, and have considered giving it away. I don't care if some jerk who has nothing better to do with his time than bash on what others do doesn't like it. I'm stronger, smarter and better than he is.
I don't mind paying for things at all. (my partner hides the credit cards now though) I enjoy doing hunts for the hunt aspect of it. 90% of what I get in a hunt I toss out. I honestly think this is all GREED based and nothing more.
call me a bleeding heart liberal, but I think SL should back away from the have's and have not's mentality.
I am sad too about so many groups being paid groups now too...I will definately spend a lot of money in a lot of stores, but i definately can't make more than 25 group spaces :( Very sad.
I do, however, understand why people have to do this. Still sucks though haha. Let's make LL give us more group space!!
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