Comments on: Linden Lab Doesn’t Want Your Friends http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2009/07/25/linden-lab-doesnt-want-your-friends/ Virtual worlds and creativity, business, collaboration, and identity. Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:04:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: unsw http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2009/07/25/linden-lab-doesnt-want-your-friends/#comment-65079 unsw Sun, 26 Jul 2009 13:59:30 +0000 http://dusanwriter.com/?p=1297#comment-65079 linden's charging P500 for overnight wifi access, no way anybody's going to be an idiot! so they are blocking all wifi connections! grrr. linden’s charging P500 for overnight wifi access, no way anybody’s going to be an idiot! so they are blocking all wifi connections! grrr.

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By: Prokofy Neva http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2009/07/25/linden-lab-doesnt-want-your-friends/#comment-64950 Prokofy Neva Sun, 26 Jul 2009 06:32:56 +0000 http://dusanwriter.com/?p=1297#comment-64950 I think there are two reasons the Lindens retired or suspended this program: 1. There was a bug in the system, one I reported numerous times. Friends you'd made back in 2004 who had long since already delivered a bonus to you *kept* delivering the bonus at odd times in the following years, which should never have happened. 2. People gamed the system, harvesting "friends" in various ways or for various capers, not through actual general help or from knowing from real life. I'm not so sure that a website that informs people of new names whose owner manages to snag bunches of calling cards then through that every week isn't a form of gaming (I'd like to understand that better). So like every other bonus thing the Lindens have offered that got exploited, they had to retire it because it drained money from them. I think there are two reasons the Lindens retired or suspended this program:

1. There was a bug in the system, one I reported numerous times. Friends you’d made back in 2004 who had long since already delivered a bonus to you *kept* delivering the bonus at odd times in the following years, which should never have happened.

2. People gamed the system, harvesting “friends” in various ways or for various capers, not through actual general help or from knowing from real life. I’m not so sure that a website that informs people of new names whose owner manages to snag bunches of calling cards then through that every week isn’t a form of gaming (I’d like to understand that better). So like every other bonus thing the Lindens have offered that got exploited, they had to retire it because it drained money from them.

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By: Dusan http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2009/07/25/linden-lab-doesnt-want-your-friends/#comment-64785 Dusan Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:35:17 +0000 http://dusanwriter.com/?p=1297#comment-64785 HAHA Tateru - well, see, when they break something I guess they break it all kinds of ways. @Valiant - totally agree (although the referral system is based on people who DO pay, but your larger point is correct). I don't actually think this particular way of generating word of mouth and referrals is particularly effective. Maybe some kind of API system embedded in social media widgets or something, who knows. Plus, I'm not sure it should just be cash - some kind of status thing would be nice too. We need badges like in Metaplace! Um, OK, maybe not. But surely they should overhaul the whole mess. And P.S. I don't think it should just be on an account basis, there should be some kind of larger enterprise referral thing as well. HAHA Tateru - well, see, when they break something I guess they break it all kinds of ways.

@Valiant - totally agree (although the referral system is based on people who DO pay, but your larger point is correct). I don’t actually think this particular way of generating word of mouth and referrals is particularly effective. Maybe some kind of API system embedded in social media widgets or something, who knows. Plus, I’m not sure it should just be cash - some kind of status thing would be nice too.

We need badges like in Metaplace! Um, OK, maybe not. But surely they should overhaul the whole mess.

And P.S. I don’t think it should just be on an account basis, there should be some kind of larger enterprise referral thing as well.

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By: Tateru Nino http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2009/07/25/linden-lab-doesnt-want-your-friends/#comment-64780 Tateru Nino Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:10:52 +0000 http://dusanwriter.com/?p=1297#comment-64780 I still get referral payments at random for the same people from 2005/2006. Just every now and again, I get yet-another-referral bonus. One of them, I've probably been paid for 10 times now. I still get referral payments at random for the same people from 2005/2006. Just every now and again, I get yet-another-referral bonus.

One of them, I’ve probably been paid for 10 times now.

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By: Adz Childs http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2009/07/25/linden-lab-doesnt-want-your-friends/#comment-64664 Adz Childs Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:04:43 +0000 http://dusanwriter.com/?p=1297#comment-64664 @JeanRicard I have two explanations for why there is nonzero number in that report. I still get a small trickle of referral bonuses, always associated with accounts with join dates before july 23rd 2008. Sometimes people hang out as basic for a while before deciding to upgrade to premium. Also, it is possible that manually typing your referrer's name into your sign up form, may still work, while the urls don't. I haven't tested that. Postcards (slurls) and secondlife.com urls with u= referral codes no longer work. The "refer a friend form" doesn't work either, since all that does is send out emails with links to secondlife.com using your u= referral code. Therefore, information on this page https://secure-web12.secondlife.com/account/referral.php?lang=en is false. It leads SL customers to go believe they will receive 2000L if they follow the instructions. They won't. @JeanRicard I have two explanations for why there is nonzero number in that report.

I still get a small trickle of referral bonuses, always associated with accounts with join dates before july 23rd 2008. Sometimes people hang out as basic for a while before deciding to upgrade to premium.

Also, it is possible that manually typing your referrer’s name into your sign up form, may still work, while the urls don’t. I haven’t tested that. Postcards (slurls) and secondlife.com urls with u= referral codes no longer work. The “refer a friend form” doesn’t work either, since all that does is send out emails with links to secondlife.com using your u= referral code.

Therefore, information on this page https://secure-web12.secondlife.com/account/referral.php?lang=en is false. It leads SL customers to go believe they will receive 2000L if they follow the instructions. They won’t.

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By: JeanRicard Broek http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2009/07/25/linden-lab-doesnt-want-your-friends/#comment-64653 JeanRicard Broek Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:44:55 +0000 http://dusanwriter.com/?p=1297#comment-64653 Curious: Then why does the LD_sources_and_sinks.xls for May 2009 show theses figures? Description April L$Sources May L$MTD Referral Bonus 0 852500 0 654500 Curious: Then why does the LD_sources_and_sinks.xls for May 2009 show theses figures?

Description April L$Sources May L$MTD
Referral Bonus 0 852500 0 654500

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By: Doubledown Tandino http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2009/07/25/linden-lab-doesnt-want-your-friends/#comment-64640 Doubledown Tandino Sat, 25 Jul 2009 16:05:48 +0000 http://dusanwriter.com/?p=1297#comment-64640 @Dusan , I get what ya mean :O) @Dusan , I get what ya mean :O)

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By: Valiant Westland http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2009/07/25/linden-lab-doesnt-want-your-friends/#comment-64638 Valiant Westland Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:47:30 +0000 http://dusanwriter.com/?p=1297#comment-64638 A properly constructed Affiliate / Refer-a-friend program can be one of the most powerful viral marketing tools a company can use to build web traffic and grow its customer base. I own a number of web properties that generate significant revenues, through a carefully chosen set of affiliate programs. A program like this must be tied to a subscription or up-front revenue model to work. It's not a good fit for the current "Free access" model, Linden Lab seems content to offer and is used by the majority of users. The Lab also seems content with the current rate of word-of-mouth-driven adoption. It obviously suits their growth goals and requires no further stimulation. For the Lab, not sharing revenue they don't have to makes perfect "bottom-line" sense. Unfortunately, in the long term, not offering ways for people to share in their success and share the excitement of that success with others will backfire. I believe the future of e-business and social networking will increasingly be one where customers are rewarded for helping build and grow brands. Companies that fail to acknowledge and reward the people who help them be successful will not survive this growing wave of grass-roots marketing and referral-driven sales for long. A properly constructed Affiliate / Refer-a-friend program can be one of the most powerful viral marketing tools a company can use to build web traffic and grow its customer base. I own a number of web properties that generate significant revenues, through a carefully chosen set of affiliate programs.

A program like this must be tied to a subscription or up-front revenue model to work. It’s not a good fit for the current “Free access” model, Linden Lab seems content to offer and is used by the majority of users. The Lab also seems content with the current rate of word-of-mouth-driven adoption. It obviously suits their growth goals and requires no further stimulation.

For the Lab, not sharing revenue they don’t have to makes perfect “bottom-line” sense. Unfortunately, in the long term, not offering ways for people to share in their success and share the excitement of that success with others will backfire. I believe the future of e-business and social networking will increasingly be one where customers are rewarded for helping build and grow brands. Companies that fail to acknowledge and reward the people who help them be successful will not survive this growing wave of grass-roots marketing and referral-driven sales for long.

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By: Dusan http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2009/07/25/linden-lab-doesnt-want-your-friends/#comment-64635 Dusan Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:36:10 +0000 http://dusanwriter.com/?p=1297#comment-64635 Doubledown - Um, concern about one doesn't exclude a high level of concern about the other. I guess I'm able to multi-task anxiety. :P Doubledown - Um, concern about one doesn’t exclude a high level of concern about the other. I guess I’m able to multi-task anxiety. :P

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By: Timothy Horrigan http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2009/07/25/linden-lab-doesnt-want-your-friends/#comment-64633 Timothy Horrigan Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:28:35 +0000 http://dusanwriter.com/?p=1297#comment-64633 What's weird about this rue change is that Linden Lab still advertises the refer a friend bonus (which amounts to L$2000, a little less than US$8.00.) What’s weird about this rue change is that Linden Lab still advertises the refer a friend bonus (which amounts to L$2000, a little less than US$8.00.)

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