Today I hit the new Terms of Server agreement. You can read the thing, if you can stay awake or get the highlights here: Updated Second Life Terms of Service. They tossed in a 2 minute video:
The primary change is the Lab is limiting the purchase of Linden$. You will only be allowed to purchase from the Lab.
I gather that third party exchanges will continue to exist. Since it is possible to transfer Linden$ from avatar to avatar, some other types of markets will continue. But, if you get ripped-off by a third party Linden$ vendor, you are most definitely on your own.
I don’t see the ToS as changing much. My reading of the new ToS (as opposed to the blog post that purports to explain them) is, as you say in your final paragraph, that Third Party Exchanges exist but are not supported or authorised by LL and if you lose money using them, don’t come complaining to LL. Which is as it’s always been.
I certainly can’t see anything in the Tos that says I can’t buy and sell currency on third party exhanges if I want to (which I do, because when I cash out, I like to get the money in my PayPal account in half an hour or so, not a week or so later, as LL have been known to do).
That seems to be the consensus. I suppose once you have a proven exchange, there is no reason not to use it.
The blog post really isn’t helpful. The risk with using a third party exchange has always meant you’re on your own, the big change really is what appears to be the removal of the Risk API, which third party exchanges used and which would deny some transactions.
LL seem to be washing their hands of this but at this moment confusion reigns, Eldexchange at this moment in time are not taking any new sell orders whilst they seek clarification of what these changes mean.
Uncertainty always stalls business… I am hoping it gets sorted out.