easy for you to say: your heart has never been broken, your pride has never been stolen

So, I've identified part of the problem with the whole conversion to Direct Delivery thing on the Marketplace. This, from the Lab's own posted directions:

To convert your Magic Box listings to Direct Delivery:

1. Copy all items from your Magic Box into your inventory.
2. Open the MERCHANT OUTBOX by choosing Me > Merchant Outbox...
   (You may optionally un-box your items before the next step.)
3. Drag all Marketplace items from your inventory to the MERCHANT OUTBOX and click the Send to Marketplace button.

Um...there's only one problem. Cool-VL doesn't have a "Send to Marketplace" button. Here's what else I'm wondering--what viewers do? Is this a process that can only be initiated/confirmed using the official viewer? Is that a large part of the problem, that people are doing this (somehow) using TPVs?

Even worse? I dig out SL's official viewer, dust it off, update it while cursing its existence and the intransigence of Lindens who equate cost with usability, and set it to logging me in. Whereupon I discover there is no "Received Items" folder, there is no "Merchant Outbox" folder, so the entire exercise is rendered moot!

How the hell do I update my (scant and few, but still) items to Direct Delivery if Cool-VL doesn't have the option, and SL V3 doesn't even have the folders?!? No wonder people are losing their minds!

To that end, let's look through the JIRA as it completely explodes into chaos.

Darrius Gothly:

This issue definitely is a major Showstopper. Running slow is fine but showing, linking and sending payment to the wrong Merchant is NOT the least bit cool.

Yo! Commerce Dev Team .. WTH happened?!?

I think that's everyones' question currently.

Kittycat Ninetails in response:

oh you mean you can actually OPEN the "manage my listings" page? I followed the directions I was given and tried to upload my entire inventory at once..BIG mistake...cause every item that links thru your 'direct inventory' link means it becomes 'unnassociated' with the magic box one..so you wind up with a ton of unlisted items..so..then it won't upload any more cause you got more than a hundred items unassociated. Also if you make the mistake of uploading a box twice, it decides its two items instead of one with a duplicate.

Yeah, that's definitely a huge problem.

Czari Zenovka:

I am still using the Magic Box as well and am having similar listing issues on The Marketplace: wrong prices, wrong names, my item having another merchant's info and one XXX-rate description on my G product.

So, everyone who's using SL Marketplace runs the risk of having mangled images, descriptions, makers, and--let's not forget--payments. Also, hit her comment to find three pics uploaded of what's going on with her store. And let's not forget the second issue she mentioned--Adult listings are crossing over with General listings, and vice versa--remember the pedolicious picture of the two little girls mapped over the "ripped shorties" Adult item I mentioned yesterday? Yeah. Wasn't the establishment of Adult as a rating, and the entire popping of Zindra as a continent, supposed to prevent things like this?

Mandrakke Dagger:

I have [the] same issues, and I did switch to DD. I checked yesterday at about 10pm SLT and the listings were still correct, I did not check all of them, just the more popular items and also I just checked my sales history on marketplace and the correct items were being delivered and I was paid the correct amount also until about 1am SLT March 28,2012. That is no longer true.

So, to reinforce: even stores that initially seem fine can corrupt later. This is sounding less and less like a simple coding bug, and more like malicious mangling, you know? That, or the Lindens have become experts at slashing and burning their own infrastructure.

CommerceTeam Linden:

We are aware of this issue and are working on addressing it as a top priority. Thanks to all those who have let us know about the issue.

Two days ago. Still not fixed.

Sera Lok:

When I edited a set of 4 listings where only 1 item was affected by this bug, after editing them I now have 2 items that are affected, but in different ways (one has my picture and related items and other merchant's url/description/price... the other has other merchant's picture and my url/description/price - and when I went to edit that 2nd one... the other's merchant's picture is showing in my edit screen.)

And while Sera's not the hardest hit, it's still a nightmare for her and for everyone else.

stephanie Leclerc:

My store is affected too....I'm really upset.
I have put all items offline, and removed the magic box
Still to have a long list of products messed. Prices, pictures, creators names and stuff....

And stephanie is one of the hardest hit, but still, the severity of the mangling isn't really the issue; the widespread nature of it's more important.

Moriko Inshan:

I just ran across your store Stephanie, several of my friends stuff is in your store listing, mixed in with your product pics. This is a terrible mess, that will totally cause a loss of trust in both merchants, as well as customers. Personally, I am sending notes on my store groups, advising people not to use the Marketplace today, or at least be prepared for messes.

People--merchants not following the forums or the notices--area already threatening legal action and/or filing DMCA cease-and-desist letters against other makers they believe are "stealing" their product images, their descriptions, or even showing up as the makers of items in their stores. There are a lot of angry notecards flying around.

Kokoro Fasching:

As a consumer only, I want to say thank you to LL, in that my shopping is so much more fun now. I have no clue as to what I will actually get delivered to me, or how much it will cost. It is now the biggest Gacha around!

And is this really the kind of attitude the Lindens want brought to the bargaining table? We can't trust the Marketplace. We can't shop on the Marketplace. How soon until that becomes We can't trust the Lindens...if it's not already?

Kianta Silverfall:

It's really annoying this marketplace to suck all times, and Linden Lab don't care of the mess, they treat us like beta testers... I'm really mad and sick.
I have almost 50 products messed, and I can't imagine, to work and fix something, with this SLOW website.
Marketplace isn't a website..... nah, is just a beta stuff.

Pretty damn much.

More later.