Protip: Freebies

Back in the stone age when I joined SL, there was 1 freebies place, run by the Lindens and sending out little outfits and things to get people started in their Second Life (and also to rip to bits and learn how to build). Stores also offered the occasional freebie, be it something the person had made for fun, for promotion of their product or just something they felt like sharing. These were fun things to find. Group owners would sometimes toss out a freebie in a group notice, perhaps one of the new hair style they’d made, or one colour of shirt, to thank the group for their support and to entice you in to see the other colours.

None of this is enough anymore, apparently. The “I am entitled to anything I want in my Second Life without spending a single Linden” mindset is become all too familiar to designers who are running around creating freebies, setting up hunts and handing out gifts left right and center in order to appease the grabby handed and keep up with the new way of doing things.

At this point, I’d like to share some notes a friend of mine got on releasing a new limited edition item. For the purpose of not making it all obvious, we’re going to say the new item was a Widget. Because it was.

I just wanted to let you know that I think you have let all of your group members down as you have not given away any free stuff last month.

And now you are asking $600 and $850 for a Widget?!

It is pretty, but I would not pay that much for just a widget.

Please consider giving something away soon to thank your group members for being in your group and consider keeping your prices low so that everyone can afford them.

Update groups, for the record, are just that – groups that store owners and designers use to let people know there’s new items, sales or whatever. Sometimes there might be a group gift from time to time, or special group rates on vendors. An Update Group does NOT in anyway imply you will get every release for free. And why should you? If you think about it, if every designer stopped charging for their stuff, they’d have no way to pay land tier or mall rentals and therefore they’d not be designing anything at all. Okay, note two:

I just wanted to let you know how sad I find it that you’ve become one of the greedy bitches SL seems to be full of these days, who keep raising their prices regardless of the fact the economy is bad and people have no money.

I have beloned to your group on my alt for a long time now and you used to give beutiful things away for free. Now this 850 widget is just ridiculous. you should think about how unfair it is to people like me who want to own nice widgets but can’t afford it anymore.

Thanks for nothing!!

“You used to give beautiful things away for free”. This designer spends DAYS on her widgets, she’s detail orientated and creates seriously some of the greatest widgets in SL, but she should give them away for nothing?

So let’s all try this: Designers, stop giving stuff away. What’s the point, honestly, if all you get is demands to make everything you sell available for nothing? Shoppers, being demanding and ungrateful for what the designer has GIVEN you for NOTHING is a really awesome way to make sure they never give you anything else.

Edit: Wow. Hi everyone. More from my brain on this issue can be found at my slightly less ranty blog