Hi there. Me again.
So, you've probably heard the news that Linden Lab is changing a few things with basic and premium accounts.
LL Official Blog
Inara Pey's Living in a Modem World
There's a few more sites discussing the changes. Google 'em.
How many of you are on basic accounts? And when your friends join SL, they start as basic too, right?
Well, one change is the reduction of group slots for basic accounts. They will drop from 42 to 35. Basic accounts with more than 35 groups will be unable to join new ones until they drop to less than 35 groups.
This means that each group slot becomes more precious for basic accounts. And there's so much dance to enjoy, yes?
When a user joins Dance Queens, they get the daily digest of the day's dance events that troupe leaders have let us know about. The user also gets group IMs of shows that will start in the next hour. (And the opportunity for Beebs to yay them.)
This saves the user several group slots that they can then use on shopping events, stores, and other things. (But not facelight stores. Don't wear facelights to shows.)
Troupe owners, why fight over those few precious group slots when you can virtually share them with each other by having them join Dance Queens, where that newbie will see all of the member group announcements?
Now, of course, premium accounts will go from 60 group slots to 70 group slots. Does this toss my argument out the window? Maybe, but the wind will blow it back in! See, Dance Queens still offers efficiency, since you can use those ten new slots for... even more shopping events, stores, and other things. (But still not facelight stores. For God's sake, stop buying those things and ruining the lighting of the sets, please.)
But then, Premium account prices are going up a bit, too. And to some, that additional two or three dollars a month cuts into their budget (Hey, every dollar counts!) So, if someone drops from Premium to Basic... boom, that's a bunch of group slots lost. What better way to group-economize than coalesce your dance group budget into Dance Queens, right? (Yay)
Anyway, enough of my shameless plugging and flawed logic... there's more to the announcements, like Private Estate price drops, cashout fees rising, and other things. And there's more to come... there's always another shoe to drop.
But whatever happens. keep on dancing.
-R
(What do YOU think?)
UPDATE: Linden Lab backed down. No changes to Basic group slots.
