What the LL Sim Price Changes Might Mean to WOI Surf Sims

courtesy of Bobbi Laval

On October 4th Linden Labs announced updates for 2011 land pricing (http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/land/blog/2010/10/04/two-important-updates-on-2011-land-pricing). This is generally good news for retail private regions as they will have no increase in price even for prices which they may have grandfathered in. Though for education and non-profit organizations they will lose their non-profit discount on their next invoice after December 31, 2010. (Unlike retail private regions that pay tier fees month to month, education and non-profit regions are invoiced and pay for 6 months at a time in advance) Lissa Pinion form SurfWatch asked me how this announcement will affect West of Ireland (WOI) and the future of the surf sims that WOI supports.

West of Ireland is an estate created to support the programs of the South Texas Celtic Music Association (STCMA), a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization in the United States. The mission of WOI is to promote Irish and Celtic culture within Second Life, to raise awareness and funds for their partner charity War Child North America, and to provide guests and community members with an entertaining and welcoming environment. Irish culture has always had a strong relationship with the sea. WOI has been maintaining surf sims since 2007, Bundoran Reef has been continuously operating since 2007. The WOI surf sims are unique in that they in that they are cold water sims unlike the majority of tropical surf sims.
But the future of WOI surf sims and WOI itself is threatened. WOI was forced to restructure and get rid of land due to the price increases from January of 2009. The harsh reality of the new price increase for WOI and its mission of raising funds for War Child are clear. WOI currently sends about $400 a month to War Child, this is down from $600 and more per month. The economy and recent drop in value of linden dollars has already had a negative effect on WOI revenues. The increase in tier cost for WOI will be $960 a month.

It is obvious that WOI can’t survive and still fulfill its mission of raising funds for War Child with the new rate increases. WOI is committed to survive as long as it possibly can. Linden Labs has offered to invoice WOI at the current rates for a term up to 24 months. WOI does not have the savings to pay for 24 months in advance, but is looking at paying 12 or 18 months in advance. In the meantime much can happen and circumstances may change. If circumstances do not change, WOI will continue to operate until it can’t cover cost and serve it’s mission. When that happens WOI and the surf sims it maintains will simply cease to exist in Second Life.

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