A lot of folks have become Matthew Ebel fans via [tag]Second Life[/tag] concerts. I’ve even had more than a few folks suggest I attend or even play at the [tag]Second Life Community Conference[/tag], or [tag]SLCC[/tag]. I had considered it, but the more I learn about this event the more I’m glad I didn’t get involved Hell, even the [tag]Lindens[/tag] aren’t involved.

I’m particularly disgusted at the oppressive contract they floated at the last minute to artists (thank you Slimmie). They didn’t spring this one on folks until they’d already booked their flights and made their hotel arrangements.

I’d type extensively, but others have already covered this topic far better than I. Here are a few quotes from the [tag]Second Thoughts[/tag] blog:

I’m embarrassed and ashamed for Second Life, and what we are doing to our [tag]live musicians[/tag]. I had found out some months ago that they were being asked to pay their own way, pay their own travel, and merely get a discount on the conference costs — and were not getting a performance fee. Huh? These people work at this for a living…we can’t pay these people a simple fee for the gig? Even what they’d get if they played within Second Life??? That just makes us look like ingrates and wretches, and is frankly insulting to them, given that they are asked to lay on entertainment not even for free, but at considerable cost to themselves. Their CD sales can’t possibly make up for this.

If you’re into SL or were considering SLCC, please do yourself a favor and read both the Slim Warrior and the Second Thoughts posts, and spread the word.

Edit: Took out some of the abrasive language, opted not to tell people what to do, and deleted a couple of comments that were just insulting, but apparently some clarification is still in order…

My issue is not with the fact that I didn’t get a spot performing at SLCC (in fact, of that I’m rather thankful). It’s the fact that these organizers apparently consider musicians and the community at large to be so insignificant as to assume their contribution has no value and that they can put other people’s schedules and contributions at the ass end of the priority list.

If nothing else, the SLCC organizers assumed that the music community would simply jump through hoops like a trained dog, and that assumption is appalling. Had they reached out to the [tag]community[/tag] (emphasized because that’s, you know, one of the C’s in SLCC), these concerns might have been addressed properly and well in advance.

Also, this really has nothing to do with the SL community at large. Everyone knows I’m a big fan of SL and the people that populate it (yes, even the Lindens). It’s kind of like [tag]Wal*Mart[/tag], I guess- the people that go there to shop aren’t evil, but I don’t think they know what kind of organization their money supports.