From Cheerleader to Wackadoodle in 5 Easy Steps

Yesterday I had a twitter conversation that started with someone wondering how Linden Lab picks the SL picture of the day and quickly turned to Creative Commons licenses and what exactly "perpetual" means when you give someone a license to your photographs. One of the people who's writing and photographs I admire most in SL, Whiskey Day, wrote about the exchange and I would recommend you read her post.

My gut instinct is to not post any of my photographs to the Second Life Official group on twitter because of the group terms which read:

Submit your Second Life images for a chance at Second Life Pic of the Day as well as share your Second Life images and photos with other Second Life communities.

By submitting your photos or other materials to our Flickr feed you acknowledge and agree to the following terms 

By submitting my photos or other materials to the Flickr feed of Linden Research, Inc. (the "Company") I agree to participate in the Photo of The Day program (the "Program"). As a participant of the Program I hereby grant a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to the Company to the images, snapshots, screenshots, photos and other materials I submit to the Program.

Further, I understand that I have no right to any royalties or other compensation in connection with the rights granted above and waive any and all claims based on any such rights.

I have read the above release and waiver and fully understand the content thereof. If you would like your photo(s) to be considered for use as a “Photo of the Day,” please select the "Attribution" or "Share Alike" license in Flickr menu then submit the photo to the Second Life Official Flickr feed.

 If you do not agree to the terms above, please do not submit your photos to our feed. 

Somehow granting a "perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license" to Linden Lab just does not sit right with me. Please understand all of my blog images and everything on flickr are under an Attribution, Noncommercial Creative Commons license so anyone can use my work. Clearly, I have no issue with sharing what I do.  It is fun to share and if someone wants to link to my blog or use my images that is fantastic.

So why do I have such a negative reaction to sharing my photos with Linden Lab?  It isn't because they are a  for profit company really.  There was a time not too long ago where the idea of my photo being the picture of the day would have tickled me to no end.  How did I go from being a Second Life cheerleader to a wackadoodle who would rather hide in the shadows than participate in anything LL does, no matter how worthwhile?

I would like to blame the long list of ways Linden Lab has broken trust with the various communities that make up Second Life.  I would also like to point to the people who love to demonize those of us who dare to criticize LL or anything Second Life related.  As Feline says we are not the customers the Lab wants .  At the same time I and others are no longer the neighbors and friends others want.   With all of that feeding into the mix its a wonder we log in at all anymore.

I can't help but think not being valued by the Lab and being blamed (in some cases quite personally) for everything from the death of SLCC to the way Second Life is seen broadly, has killed put a serious damper on my enthusiasm.

Yeah.  I am tired as hell of being blamed for things that are not my doing.