The Gnubie Store Closed Down In Second Life
Update 28th January 2011
I sent Jai Nomad a IM earlier in January 2011 about why the decision was made to shut down The Gnubie Store and heres the response I received..
[16:06] Jai Nomad: hi daniel! long time! it was just time i think, and i’ve been paying for the store for a long time now. real life stuff has meant that i needed to close it down.
[16:07] Jai Nomad: i have loved every minute of it though. such memories and history.
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When viewing the latest changes on the SL wiki today I saw that the The Gnubie Store SL Wiki page document was updated by Ingrid Ingersoll. Sadly it looks like The Gnubie Store in Second Life has been closed down.
The Gnubie Store was famous in Second Life for providing “Fabulous freebies from some of the best content makers in Second Life. Clothing, vehicles, skins, hair, games and gadgets”. .Here is the latest status of the closing..
Location: Closed
History:The Gnubie Store was founded by Jai Nomad in 2003 and remained a popular choice over the years for new players looking for good quality, free items. The location of the store has changed several times from it’s original spot on a mountain top in a very old sim called Davenport. It’s last location was on the coastline in Powder Mill. Sadly, Jai Nomad, founder, closed the Gnubie store in January 2011. –Ingrid Ingersoll (PD
I went over to the location to find that it’s all gone now. There’s nothing left.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Powder%20Mill/133/141/20
Posted on January 10, 2011, in Second Life, SL Breaking News, SL Closures, SL Community, SL News Alert. Bookmark the permalink. 14 Comments.
wow, that is sad . . .
i wish i had something nice to say but, what can anyone say? it is a loss to SL, like many before it and more to come, unfortunately. =(
@Ener Hax: Indeed, big loss for SL.
Hi Daniel, this is a major blow for newcomers to the SL Grid and then ending of a true iconic presence in Second life. I am sure that we all have good memories of that store.
This news saddens me a great deal.
@John: Hey John – it’s really sad news. I have been to the Gnubie Store many times in the past and I didn’t think it would go now. Here are some snapshots I saved > http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=The+Gnubie+Store&w=31846520%40N00&s=rec
@Chestnut: Big part of SL’s history gone. =( Last year there were big departures from SL including…
* Frank Lloyd Wright Virtual Museum
* Nemo Trilogy Sim
* The Lily Pad Lounge
* Greenies Home Rezzable
* Visit Mexico
I think there were more well known places that shut down in SL last year too.
Sims come and they go, residents come and they go.
What if “real SL institutions” also disappeared?
Bryn Oh for instance?
AM Radio?
The rezzable guys? Zonja Capalini? Soror Nishi? Cienega Soon? ah … sorry they packed their bags already.
How long will SL be the reference grid?
How long will people’s first encounter with virtual platforms be SL and not Blue Mars, InWorldz, Open Sims?
As I said before, I don’t want to criticize the lab for the sake of criticizing. I’m grateful for SL being there, make no mistake about that.
Still … still …
What gardener would fertilize a soil and let it go wild afterwards?
Is the lab only a real estate agent?
The very idea makes me shiver, and I prefer not to ask.
Still …
Wish I’d had the chance to visit before it had closed :/ Things come and go so quickly in SL…..
This is indeed sad news, but not unexpected. Consider:
October 2008-April 2009, 5200+ sims shut down due to the OpenSpace sim price hike fiasco. Thousands of premium memberships canceled. Tens of thousands of residents move to OpenSim.
During the years of 2009-2010 there is a 30% concurrency drop.
Currently sim count is decreasing, not increasing.
One of the oldest and most established freebie stores– YadNi’s Junkyard, was closed when the owner, one of Second Life’s most famous characters, left SL and set up shop on Inworldz (where reportedly he is quite happy).
Face it, the way LL has conducted Second Life over the last 2 1/2 years is abysmal. It wasn’t good before that, but since October 2008 management has just had their heads in the sand (as a less colorful expression option).
Unless the new CEO is worth his fee, we can expect more of such. Over the last two years Elf Clan has closed down 7 of 8 sims and is down to just one SL sim. On the other hand we have expanded to 14 sims on Inworldz and we’re quite pleased with operations there– despite the bugs and lag (which is a sad statement regarding Linden Lab).
When customers are willing to undergo lag and bugs rather than tolerate poor company attitude and customer abuse– the writing is on the wall. I would venture the Gnubie Store will not be the last casualty.
BTW as a follow up: in reporting an article such as this, I would enjoy seeing a note about “We contacted the owners of the Gnubie Store to find out why. Here is their reply…” That would be most informative. : )
I wish there were a way to get a brief statement from the Gnubie Store owner as to the conditions that brought on this change. It might help us all understand and reflect on plans for saving other icons from such departures in the future.
I have IMed the Gnubie Store owners yesterday but I have not had any responses yet.
This is sad news. The Gnubie Store was an institution in Second Life, and it was the first place I would direct all newbies to that came my way.
I’ll be re-blogging this with a heavy heart. Thanks for the info, Daniel.
Updated post on new info received about the decision to shut down the store in SL.
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