White Paper for the Guild

[Sonja Strom]

OK Symo. What do you suggest that we do?

[Beathan]

Symo --

You miss four critical points.

First, unlike most of SL, the CDS is not empty. In fact, the CDS is full. We need to have land available at all times or we will atrophy -- or at least lose the opportunities represented by potential new citizens who do not join our community because there is no opportunity for them to do so.

Second, unlike most of SL, the CDS has more than our architecture to attract people. We are a political experiment in how to organize and coordinate a multi-national virtual community. That is a very exciting project for many people (myself included) -- and many of us would be willing to live in a tenement to participate.

Third, large-lot builds are expensive. By limiting our builds to such lots, we systematically exclude entire groups of people who would contribute significantly to our community. We exclude many college students -- who don't have much ready cash. We may also exclude people accessing SL from countries with low yearly incomes -- denying us a true opportunity to be fully multi-national. These are great losses to our project -- and they should be avoided.

Fourth, calling a tenement build a "slum" is misleading. What makes a slum a slum is that the buildings deteriorate, services fail, garbage piles up, and the place generally becomes dangerous and unattractive. Those problems don't exist in SL. Further, the tenements (or other large structures) can be built as very attractive buildings. Many housing projects were originally fairly attractive -- but became ugly through lack of maintenance. Finally, to fully develop our themes, we can't build the same kind of sim, and the same kind of buildings, over and over again. Variation will improve both the realism and the aesthetics of our community.

Beathan

[Salzie Sachertorte]

Oh, geeh. Sounds like we are finally talking about the citizen's view of their vision for the CDS, a/k/a strategic planning.

Something I proposed we do before we start adding on sims willy-nilly.

[Sonja Strom]

Salzie, what do you mean - do you feel that no strategic planning has been done before this in the CDS?

It does look like your proposal was a good one. What do you suggest that we do now?

[symokurka]

College students???? Oh great. Why don't we just open our houses and host them.

[Beathan]

Salzie --

I specifically added that discussion to the open discussion time for the RA -- at a meeting you missed. I will continue to try to have that as an agenda item for the RA. That said, I think that there is a benefit to allowing our community to grow organically -- or, as you describe it, "willy-nilly."

Sym --

Because the students can't be citizens that way. The bottom line is that we need to provide an economical path to joining the CDS so that we don't systematically exclude people who could contribute to our community. For instance, SL is full of Brazilians -- but where are the Brazilians in the CDS?

Beathan

[Leon]

<cut>Now I personally emotionally dislike the idea of extending CN in a dull roman residential slum. I personally like wide luminous spaces like Alpine Meadows, and that’s why I bought my land there. And maybe that is the reason why AM was so successful and quicly sold out. But this does not matter. I said myself I had to try to analize in a rational way the reasons that led our RA to the option 1 - slum decision.<cut>

symokurka,

I was one of the RA members during said meeting and although I voted for expansion, I do not recall approving a slum. In fact I explicitly stated that this is not what I (and I presume the party I represented) wanted.

FWIW, I am all for a 4th sim and think it should be an expansion of one of the current themes. Personally I'd prefer CN or NFS with NFS edging it as the original CDS sim. I'd like for the core of the CDS to be around NFS and believe we should expand NFS at this time.

I can't even begin to express how disappointed I'd be with a 4th sim consisting of 512 & 1024 sq.m. plots only. It will completely destroy the quality I've associated with the CDS. Call me a snob if you wish, but people should pay for the quality, rather than have the CDS builds diluted.

Regards
Leon

[Beathan]

Leon --

I note your concern -- which is widespread -- that a sim of 512 and 1024 lots would look like the "mainland" -- that is, a bunch of unattractive shacks spread around into a shantytown. I don't think it needs to be designed that way -- and, in fact, I don't think that designing an expansion of CN that way would be "in theme."

I want to leave the specific design up to the Guild and the talented people who volunteer through the Guild, but there is nothing prohibiting a nice tenement building set up to house 10 people from being built on a 5120 plot. (This building could be five stories tall -- with two residential wings on each story.) That is, the RA was interested in population density -- but we specifically supported the idea of reaching this density by clustering. Thus, I think we could have a high-density sim that is both attractive and in theme.

I think that a cluster of 10 10-resident tenement buildings built around a common garden as near to the walls of CN as possible would be very attractive. The build would minimize the amount of land needed for roads -- and would leave a large open space as "countryside" or "garden" -- which is an amenity many people in our community have requested.

Beathan

[symokurka]

by Sonja Strom on Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:26 pm

OK Symo. What do you suggest that we do?

Before suggesting I'd love to know something more about previous CDS' strategic planning, can you help me again with urls please?

[Sonja Strom]

My first suggestion would be to read through the most recent threads about "In-Theme Expansion," and go to each of the links in those threads.
Most of the discussion about the "In-Theme Expansion" concept has taken place here: http://forums.slcds.info/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1605
Most of the discussion about its actual adoption as government policy has taken place here: http://forums.slcds.info/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1612

If you read through all of that and are still interested, I'm sure we can find more for you.

[Rose Springvale]

Salzie --

I specifically added that discussion to the open discussion time for the RA -- at a meeting you missed. I will continue to try to have that as an agenda item for the RA. That said, I think that there is a benefit to allowing our community to grow organically -- or, as you describe it, "willy-nilly."

Sym --

Because the students can't be citizens that way. The bottom line is that we need to provide an economical path to joining the CDS so that we don't systematically exclude people who could contribute to our community. For instance, SL is full of Brazilians -- but where are the Brazilians in the CDS?

Beathan

Well Beathan, on the forum of Colonia Nova you'll find a very nice shop entitled Satir DeCuir's, which not only has some very fine furnishings, but a social area on the roof. Satir is Brazilian. Satir tells me there have been NO sales from the shop. (Satir is also a college student btw) You need to go shopping my friend.

Across the road, a fine gentleman named archmunster toll, a student from New Zealand, had taken over a house. Arch is the gentleman who was doing the research on community ... maybe we could get some insight from him.

On the point of commerce,Michel and I brought in top designers from across SL and convinced them to put vendors in the Emporium Romani building. These were people with very successful businesses and outlets in other sims where they actually make money. We did not rent space... as i think you'll find that against the law in CDS, but took a percentage of profits when they had them.

We lost, including tier,an average of 70,000 lindens per month. That was with live events, hosted parties, romantic gardens, and a viable group. Even after the destruction of the building, the group still has quite a few members. (people enjoy being Divine i guess )

I've known a few college students, as both student, parent and professor. Many are often broke, or using their hard earned lindens for important things like new hair or virtual beer. So might I suggest a less drastic ways to be more accessible to new people... as well as merchants.... particularly those not sure they want a long term commitment? Why not try some limited rentals?

Just an idea from a citizen.

[Beathan]

Rose --

I did not realize that Satir is Brazilian, but I love the garden on his building.

The RA is well-aware of the problem with commerce. Other than TP's toga shop, the entirety of the CDS economy is depressed. We consider it important to expand and concentrate our commercial activities and to advertise them. (I should add that task to the publicity part of my private development proposal.)

However, there is currently a commerce commission in session. The RA thought that both residential and commercial expansion were important. We also thought that having mixed-used sims might dillute the effectiveness of the space in both uses, so we wanted to experiment with single use sims. We passed a residential sim because the Commerce Commission has not yet given us recommendations on commerce, and we want those recommendations before expanding our commercial space.

Beathan

[bjerkeleerie]

To all
Quiet honestly, I find this talk of commerically designed small plot sims highly distressing. i came to CDS after observing it for over a year. The expansions to date both thematically and in execution are of a very pleasing nature. Paticipation in the creation of natural beauty and human/furry/tiny appropriate structures is the reason I am in SL. I want to learn by doing,. CDS would seem to be a wonderful place to do just that free from the capricious dictates of sim owners. I for one would rather be governed by democratic processes and open discussion. However, It seems that the current RA is determined to "acquire, add and annex, then figure out what the purpose of aqusition was after the fact. Oh yes, and then engage the citizenry after the the subdivisions are laid out and lots are on sale.

To contract out such work is to become alienated from the opportunity to share such labors among friends. To expand for the sake of adding more voters will enhance the opportunities to bicker and politic and play at palace intrigue, but it's not a sport I am terribly interested in.

thank you
Bjerkel Eerie

[Salzie Sachertorte]

Salzie --

I specifically added that discussion to the open discussion time for the RA -- at a meeting you missed. I will continue to try to have that as an agenda item for the RA. That said, I think that there is a benefit to allowing our community to grow organically -- or, as you describe it, "willy-nilly."

Beathan

Beathan - I am unable to attend RA meetings due to RL concerns.

I would think strategic planning would be something the government would conduct, not a lowly citizen.

I do not see any organic growth of the the CDS. Rather I see the 4th sim rammed through the RA by those who did not seem to take the citizens viewpoints into account, given the consternation of citizens over the 4th sim as rammed through the RA.

Salzie

Salzie

[Beathan]

Salzie --

You concerns are founded.

I will continue to try to have strategic planning discussions both at the RA sessions and out of session. I am also trying to re-engage the Guild in these discussions. You are correct, strategic planning is s governmental function.

However, it is rather disingenuous to simultaneously assert that strategic planning is a governmental function and the criticise the RA for passing a sim plan that some citizens oppose. The RA passed a sim plan in accord with our strategic plan -- which calls for speedy residential expansion, to allow us to continue to welcome new citizens into our community, followed by more careful commercial expansion based on the commerce committees findings, followed by a resumption of the discussion about thematic expansion. Because we are out of lots for sale -- and need lots now -- we don't have the luxury of the kind of long and careful process some citizens want. That said, it is not true that the fourth sim is universally opposed -- and, if it is built up to our past standards (as it can be -- with a little imagination and "clustering"), I don't think that it will be opposed in fact.

Beathan