There's been a really interesting reader conversation in last month's article on "shadow mesh" subcontractors in SL, including these thoughts from Dino Sophers, who explains why they themselves prefer shadow meshing — this is her subcontractor site, I believe — as opposed to running their own mesh brand, which they have also done before:
I'm a shadow mesher — though I personally prefer the term ghost mesher. I currently charge L$7,500 per hour (about $28 USD), but let’s break that down. Linden Lab takes 5% on cashouts, so that’s immediately $1.40 gone, bringing it to around $26.60/hour. Then, as someone in the UK, after currency conversion, that becomes roughly £19.75 per hour. That puts me somewhere in the mid-range of hirable mesh creators.
I’m experienced and support several stores, but I’ve seen many ghost meshers taken advantage of — especially riggers. Rigging is complex. A full outfit can take anywhere from one to four hours, yet I’ve seen riggers pricing their work at just L$6,000 per body. That means someone might be working four hours for only $23 — that’s $5.75 an hour, which is below minimum wage.
But what about when some big brands take credit for mesh work? She has thoughts there
As for transparency, I think it's ultimately up to each brand whether or not they credit their team. But I fully agree: when a store owner pretends to do everything themselves, expects your silence, demands fast turnarounds and 24/7 availability on top of asking for discounts — it becomes exhausting.
Every brand wants to maximize profit, so discount requests are sadly common. I used to run my own store before I went "ghostly." But honestly? It became too stressful. The pressure of deadlines, the stress from people reporting me to Linden Lab over minor permission issues (like forgetting to set a box mod, which I would have gladly fixed) — it drained the fun out of creating.
Now, as a ghost mesher, I log in, see my work at events, have money to spend, and actually enjoy Second Life again without stressful IMs or looming deadlines. Being a store owner isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. But pretending to be a one-person powerhouse when you’re relying heavily on others? That’s a recipe for disaster. Because if your team leaves — what do you have left?
Very good points! Totally understandable. I am surprised that some riggers are paid so poorly, and hope there's more publicity around how much their labor is really worth.
In fact, I'm now working on a story that delves into the pay ranges for meshers and riggers across SL. Join my Patreon to be among the first to read it.
Please support posts like these by buying Making a Metaverse That Matters and joining my Patreon!
Wagner James Au / New World Notes 
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