Image Credit to h.koppdelaney
Yesterday I wrote about the closure of metaverse There.com, which announced it was closing its doors after running out of money. Reactions in the comments was somewhat mixed, but what I found interesting was the idea that Second Life should appeal to the users of There.com and encourage them to join SL.
Although I haven’t seen Linden Lab follow up on that, I did notice that both Blue Mars and Frenzoo.com have “invited” the users of There.com to their virtual worlds.
To some, this may seem like a friendly hand looking to offer a new home. To me, it looks like vultures circling around the carcass of the metaverse, looking for scraps to feed off. There members invested money into the platform, and although it wasn’t enough to keep it going, it was still an income. And it represents an income up for someone else’s grabs.
It just doesn’t sit right with me that these virtual platforms are so blatantly coming out and saying “Hey guys – sorry your world went bust, but why not come spend your money in our place instead?” It seems rather disrespectful to the guys who were running There, as well as feeling uncomfortable to the users, who no doubt had an emotional attachment to the platform. Kinda like feeling you’re just a commodity to used to generate business and income for someone else. Which admittedly you are, but it’s nice not to have it shoved in your face.
Whilst studying Architecture at university, one of the units involved studying the code of conduct, which stated that one architect cannot try to smear another architect, or go out to steal their business. Regardless of if they go bust, you don’t try to steal their clients until the clients advertise that they require services, or approach you. It’s about keeping ethics and professionalism, which is something both Avatar Reality and Frenzoo.com have clearly demonstrated that they lack.
That’s just a personal opinion though, and I respect that other people may think there’s nothing wrong with a company appealing to the customers of another platform.
It just doesn’t sit right with me.
Mistletoe on March 5, 2010
Well said. I’ve gotten comments more than once in my own blog when I have a complaint about the metaverse I’m in, trying to poach me into their own grid. Some have even been so blatantly tacky as to advertise in the forums of the one to which I belong.
Simon Newstead on March 5, 2010
Hi there Prad, can I respectfully clarify some mistakes in this post. What we at Frenzoo are making available:
- an equivalent amount of Frenzoo coins to match ThereBucks of users
- lifetime VIP and Pro status for all those who created on There.com
Important – we do not deduct or ask them to send us any ThereBucks, ask them to pay any money for anything. In fact, convert is the wrong word, it’s actually donating. All they do is send a screencap of their TBux balance, and we credit their Frenzoo account with the equivalent coins.
We know we miss out on revenue from those users who would have migrated over and bought the coins or VIP packages themselves.
It really sucks when worlds shut down, and we’re doing our best to help extend a hand and welcome them in.
Kim Food on March 5, 2010
Oh look, LL extended an hand too.
https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/community/blog/2010/03/05/goodbye-there
I guess it’s just like in any career, you always know the people working for the other companies, even if it’s technical a competitor.
Opensource Obscure on March 6, 2010
Hmmm. Since the other platform is CLOSING, I can’t agree – I don’t think Blue Mars, Frenzoo or Second Life are acting here as vultures, or that they’re ‘stealing’ There’s users.
Actually, what I find very wrong it’s that There’s management announced the closing with such a SHORT advance. THAT is disrespectful for There’s users. Imagine having spent years of engagement with a platform, and learning it’s going to end in a couple of weeks.
Adric Antfarm on March 9, 2010
Praddlepoo;
It doesn’t sit right with you because you appear to have a functioning moral compass.
There was not even a day to mourn their lame world before they were on them.
I won’t whore my own link on this superior site, but I’ve got an article showing just how little the There folks liked what they found anyway posted on the 3rd.
Frenzoo, Unity Viewer and the Mobile Market « Metaversally Speaking.. on April 15, 2010
[...] was recently unfair to the guys at Frenzoo.com when I accused them of feeding off the death of There.com, which was particularly bad of me because [...]