makes you cry while the milk still spills

Graphics in SL looking dated? Not according to Jon Rafman; check out his latest machinima on Rhizome (scroll down past the pictures, click the pink link--and witness full-screen immersion). Tip of the hat to Bettina Tizzy for finding that link.

Slz Linden, famed in song and story, releases !AMAZING! !NEWS!: the XStreetSL terminals are now obsolete.

That's not the important part from the blog entry. Linking XStreet and in-world accounts has been forefront in the minds of many residents of SL. I never got it, but I don't need to; in this case, the majority is getting what it wants.

This is the important part:

Existing XStreetSL terminals are now obsolete, although they will continue to function for the next few weeks as we begin to remove them. Many long-time XstreetSL patrons with terminals on their land have asked us if they can keep their terminals. We have created free, non-functional terminals available on XstreetSL which you are all welcome to place on your land as a signal of your support for the growing economy of small businesses who list goods in the marketplace.

I want to ensure I understand what she's (I'm assuming she's, though this is the general XSL accounting Linden) saying, here:

1. XStreetSL terminals are unnecessary after today.
2. We have been asked if people can keep the XStreet terminals on their land.
3. We think that's a marvelous idea, so we are going to let them buy primmy, absolutely useless XStreetSL terminal mock-ups.

Is that it? Is that really the lesson we're being handed by the Lindens, here?

"Thanks for still wanting to list terminals with us. We're more than happy for you to continue making space on your land for our prims. They won't work now, but they'll look just as wonderful as before. Thanks for supporting our economy!"

What there is left of it...

Seriously, think about what they're telling us. They're going to phase out the terminals because they won't work. But people who've had them for years--who are accustomed to going to these sims to access their XStreet accounts--want them to remain in service.

They won't remain in service; the Labs don't want them to remain in service; and okay, their world, their economy, they can do these things. We have no control over it, and really, it's not our business, is it? It's theirs.

But that's not the main point.

The Lindens seriously think--they seriously think, and seem to honestly think--that what the sim owners asking for the terminals want? Is the look, not the functionality. No, what they want is to do things in-world, to have the terminals work on the grid.

But what the Lindens are offering is--empty prims. Scriptless objects. Worthless but for the look of them. Some "heritage".

"Look, honey, remember when we used to have to come here and touch that terminal to put funds on XStreet?"

"Yeah...those were the days..."

Are they serious? Do they even get why this is so offensive and maddening?

(Of course, the answer to that is NO, in very large letters, but we're moving on.)

It's just insane, though. You can't have what you want; so have this instead. It doesn't work, but look! We made it! Whee!

Yeah.

Whee.

Make sure to walk up in your Na'vi avatar and Coca-Cola shirt, too, while you're punching the incredibly lifelike Terminal Display. We all need more irony in our diets.