Is the ban of a Second Life landscaper by a major landscaping brand justified? It’s worth considering if there are any unspoken rules being broken. While no names need to be mentioned, it raises some interesting questions.
In the last four years, I’ve engaged several SL landscapers, which is a prevalent practice on Second Life for your parcel or region.
It may surprise you to learn that certain SL landscapers charge a high fee for their virtual landscaping services, and have established a reputation for themselves in the process.
In Second Life, landscaping is a business. And as with any business, there are challenges. Not all customers are pleasant, and not all business owners are kind. I have heard numerous horror stories.
Landscaping is a craft that anyone can learn, but some individuals are more naturally talented at it. While anyone can place a few trees and flowers, there are those who possess an innate ability to create stunning and breathtaking landscapes.
When it comes to hiring someone for Second Life landscaping, it’s a matter of personal choice. For many of us, it’s not a new concept. After all, we are willing to pay for services that we need or want, whether it’s in the virtual world or in the real world. It’s our money, and we have the right to decide how we want to spend it.
Some people enjoy landscaping and find it to be a fulfilling hobby, while others prefer to spend their time doing other things in Second Life. Personally, I fall into the latter category. As the owner of two regions, I have enough on my plate when I log into Second Life. Shopping, socializing, and exploring are more therapeutic for me than landscaping.
But for those who lack the time, desire, or skill to create their own virtual landscapes, hiring a professional landscaper is a viable option. It’s a skill that not everyone possesses, and there are many talented landscapers in Second Life who can bring your virtual environment to life in ways that you never thought possible.
So ultimately, it’s up to each individual to decide whether or not to hire a landscaper. As long as it’s within our budget and brings us joy, there’s nothing wrong with seeking outside help to create the virtual world of our dreams.
Are SL landscapers breaking unspoken rules?
In Second Life, hiring a landscaper means paying for their time and the supplies they use to beautify your land. The landscaper purchases plants, decor, and buildings to complete the project, while you provide input on your preferences. If you already have a house, the landscaper may use it, or they will purchase one. It’s a straightforward transaction.
Should suppliers for SL landscapers be concerned about their business?
In most cases when I have hired a landscaper for my Second Life regions, I already had the plants and trees they used. However, I have also asked some landscapers to purchase some additional items that I already owned so that they could be incorporated into the overall design.
Observing any region, you can easily recognize who created the palm tree or rock without editing. This acts as free advertising for suppliers. I’ve purchased items after seeing them in a region. If you like something, you’ll likely buy it.
I hired an SL landscaper who didn’t allow me to move the objects they placed on my land. This is a common rule among landscapers and interior designers. As a result, I had to purchase a certain type of tree that I didn’t already own in order to make adjustments to the landscaping design.
Similar to how marketers need to stay up-to-date with the latest sales strategies for their clients, landscapers must purchase the latest fatpacks of various items to remain competitive and meet their clients’ needs.
As far as I am aware, there are no written rules regarding this matter, and there shouldn’t be any. After all, this is Second Life – a virtual world where rules are mostly nonexistent.
In Second Life, anyone can easily view the creator of an object by clicking on it. There are no secrets when it comes to object ownership.
When I hire a landscaper on Second Life, it’s not to save money but to save time and effort, as they do a better job than me. Interestingly, I often end up buying the landscaping items they use, if I didn’t own them already. Therefore, I don’t believe any businesses are losing out on potential customers. In fact, it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.
If one landscaping business is banned for conducting their business in the same way as others, then it would be unfair not to ban all landscapers.
Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter how each landscaping business operates, because they are all using the same Second Life products that they rightfully purchased. As consumers in Second Life, we often find ourselves buying more landscaping products than we need simply because we were inspired by what we saw in a region or parcel.
A potential solution to the issue of landscapers using virtual products for commercial purposes could be to sell licenses that allow them to do so legally, similar to the sale of graphics and fonts. However, this could also lead to more problems and complications.
What are your thoughts on this solution? Do you believe it would be beneficial, or do you think it would create more issues?
I think it’s entirely unfair of a creator to ban a landscaper for using their products when providing their services. Copyable products are typically higher in cost for a reason. The creator takes it on the assumption the customer could be using it multiple times for various reasons so they take that into account when pricing the product; at least they should and many have from my experience. I have seen furniture creators price a set for copy and no copy differently for this very reason. If a creator wants to restrict the usage they can increase the price of a copyable version and make a package containing a number of non copyable items at a cheaper price. This would be different if the customer were reselling the product itself to their clients but they are allowing the usage of it under their ownership so they are well within their rights to do so. Once a customer buys something their relationship with the creator of that item is over unless their is an issue with the product and they should have no say in how it is used. If a creator doesn’t like it then they can change their own business model/practices and prices to suit their needs or fit what they feel it is worth. How would this be different if I were to buy landscaping items for several sims that I own and rent out to increase the value of the land I have and get money from that? I would use those items over and over again and get value from it because customers would pay more for the pleasure of a nicely decorated place to live. Simply put, there is no real difference. This is just a case of a creator with bad business practices. This is all based on the idea that the ban is because the SL landscaper was using the creator’s products (after buying them) for their business and not any other reason.