USS enters into partnership with Linden Labs

A Silk Purse made out of the Sow's Ear of Openspace Sims

I popped in over at the USS's business meeting yesterday, to listen to MarkTwain White outline the new arrangement the USS has made with Linden Labs.



The USS has entered into an arrangement with Linden Labs to create a buffer zone between the USS's large community of water sims (130 plus sims, reduced and consolidated somewhat as a result of the Open Sim debacle) and Nautilus, the new themed community created by Linden Labs.

The new buffer zone, called THE BLAKE'S SEA, will be a collection of HOMESTEAD style sims-- apparently OpenSpace Sims won't suffice for Linden Lab, either.



In addition to the Blake Sea, there will be a long Buffer Zone projecting into the USS area, to allow community owners access to the Blake Sea for regularly scheduled races.



Note that the blue is all Linden Land, the filled in areas are USS land.

Mark outlined the details of the relationship, which essentially restore access to open sailing to the USS in the form of the Blake's Sea. As reported in may places, including here, the USS was looking at a bleak future back in November, when they were forced to contract and consolidate the USS sailing area due to the gigantic price hike. At the time, I saw this as the beginning of the end for sailing in Second Life, and cheered MarkTwain White's efforts to lead an exodus of the USS out of Second Life.

It appears that a WIN-WIN solution can be arrived at after all. I have to tip my hat to Mr. White. The Blake's Sea negotiation is a brilliant way to maintain the community we all enjoy and have the Lindens pay for the open land. The Blake Sea will be 60 sims worth of unfettered water for racing and nautical activity (even, dare I say it, Naval Battles?). With access to Blakes, one could sail from one end of the USS to the far end of Nautilus and be a long time about it, too.

There are many questions yet to be resolved, according to MarkTwain White-- Crap Mariner brings up a few good ones, HERE, notably about security and the status of other nautical themed communities in relation to this deal.

Mark pointed out that there's nothing unique about the USS from the Linden point of view-- Blake's Sea is something of an experiment for the joint use of Linden Labs and the USS. Jack Linden has stated that if this works out, other viable themed communities, not necessarily even nautical ones, may apply for a similar accommodation.

I'm sure the USS will come under fire for making accommodation with LL like this, but I see it as a fairly clever step towards long term survival. Let's face it, the protests, dramatic and colorful as they may have been, have had little effect on Linden policy other than to give us a compromise that ultimately costs more than the original price hike. If Jack Linden is willing to foot the bill for established communities, than more power to the people who can take advantage of it. The USS is established enough to wield leverage to make it happen-- in our new paradigm of higher prices and lower service, deals like the Blake Sea might be the only solution for themed communities in Second Life-- and not ALL of them, at that.