aliza sherman rants and raves

Testing out Utterz in Anchorage at a workshop

Mobile post sent by alizasherman using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

Mobile post sent by alizasherman using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

The UPS Whiteboard Headquarters

Link: The UPS Whiteboard Headquarters.

Saw a text link ad for UPS Whiteboard Headquarters today, and for the first time ever, I clicked on a text link ad.

The site has some cool gee whiz interactive animation sequences that tell stories to sell UPS services.

You can move around the HQ by selecting your need such as visibility & trakcing; shipping software; streamline supply chain; reduce paperwork; or sell stuff online.

Or you can use the Whiteboard Navigator to go to areas such as Products and Services like Billing Solutions, CampusShip, Paperless Invoice, and Quantum View. You can search by bigger categories like Big Business, Small Business and Environmental. Then there is the Lobby, Theater, Library, Workshop and Break Room.

I don't really have a need for shipping and thus no real need for UPS, however, I did poke around a little because I was curious about the delivery of their message.

Is this an effective advertising/marketing campaign? Here are my immediate thoughts:

1. Click-thru. It got me to click on a text link ad - something I've never done until today. It was on an email forwarded to me by someone I know through NPR.org. I guess I clicked because it was connected to NPR.org.

2. Click around. It got me to click around - if for no other reason than to figure out what UPS was doing.

3. Conversion. It didn't get me to inquire more about UPS services because I'm not their target market.

However, back to the text link ad: Because it was on an email sent via NPR.org and by a trusted colleague, I took the leap to click on the ad link.

To me, what UPS is doing through their animated tours to sell their services via the UPS Whiteboard Headquarters is a bit over the top but interesting as a curiosity.

What really works is the way they delivered their link to me - through the "Email a Friend" feature on NPR.org. This gives their ad link the double whammy of trust: It was on an emai sent to me by someone I know and sent via a web site for a media outlet I know and respect. Smart.

4. Chatter. Regardless of whether or not I personally will partake in UPS's services, what they are doing online right now was a catalyst for a Tweet and a blog post from me. Not bad, UPS, not bad.

What do you think about the UPS Whiteboard Headquarters campaign?

Men Explain Things to Me | Reproductive Justice and Gender | AlterNet

Link: Men Explain Things to Me | Reproductive Justice and Gender | AlterNet.

Partway through Rebecca Solnit's essay about men who explain things to her, I had to stop and sigh. She was able to present her thoughts in a very lyrical, literary way. This is what creative non-fiction is all about.

I was also struck with how I found this article (via a Tweet) the day after I wrote this post: The Art of Self-Promotion. While not the exact same topic, it did touch on gender differences and inherent sexism.

If only I could deliver my thoughts with a bit more flourish. My writing tends to be very cut and dry which works in many venues, but I really just want to improve my skills as a storyteller. Feminist ideas go down so much easier when there is skill in the telling.

Mobile post sent by alizasherman using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

Mobile post sent by alizasherman using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

Web not posting tweets from people I follow

Link: Web not posting tweets from people I follow.

While I'm bumming that Twitter is currently Tweetless - or at least the majority of the Tweets of people I'm following are not being seen - I'm excited to see a site like Get Satisfaction online.

How many times have I complained that customer service sux these days, especially since many companies have outsourced their customer service lines to fill-in-the-blank non-Native English speaking countries? Hey, I'm not being anti-other-countries-who-don't-speak-English here. I'm being anti-bad-customer-service.

I'm looking forward to exploring the Get Satisfaction site more when I have the time, however, just being able to go to it today to find out why Twitter is having its Tweetless moments this weekend is comforting somehow. Gives me that "oh, good, it isn't just me" feeling as well as shows me that Twitter cares, Twitter is listening, and Twitter is responding. They have a company rep monitoring their Twitterfeed on Get Satisfaction's site and responding to the feedback.

I encourage every company out there who relies on customers to get their feed on Get Satisfaction now and to monitor it diligently. (Wells Fargo, are you listening!?!?)

And all of you customers out there, sign up with your own account and participate. Our voices must be heard!

Who is Technorati Trying to Reach | chrisbrogan.com

Link: Who is Technorati Trying to Reach | chrisbrogan.com.

Chris Brogran poses questions about who Technorati is trying to reach in this brief but pointed post. A lot of folks have been commenting about their feelings about Technorati being "over." Ian Kallen from Technorati even posted with his email address looking for feedback.

Although I may be stretching a bit here, I think/hope that Chris' post was triggered by my Tweet yesterday (http://twitter.com/alizasherman/statuses/786589641) asking similar questions. If so, it once again goes to show the incredible power of Twitter. People who are following you are actually listening - although I know that anyone following over 100 people do end up catching only snippets of your conversation flow.

Still, to tweet about this one day and see a blog post from one of my new media heros (yes, Chris, it is true) and see a vibrant comment conversation ensue - well, it warms my heart. Of course, if his post wasn't inspired by my Tweet, then it just proves what an egomaniac I am thinking the whole world listens to and revolves around me. (Someday, people will get my sense of humor, but until then...I'm Just Kidding. I know that only PART of the world revolves around me.)

I revisited Technorati yesterday, claimed my Cybergrrl Oh blog, then sat puzzled for a moment because I just didn't know what to do next. I was confused (and no, it wasn't just my mommybrain). Still, I think I need to pay a little more attention to Technorati because they are still an ongoing concern in this Webby 2.0 social media bloggy space.

They may be forgotten, but they aren't gone...yet.

Lip-Sticking: X Chromosome Web 2.0 Rock Stars

Link: Lip-Sticking: X Chromosome Web 2.0 Rock Stars.

Another piece of the conversation.

» Five White Men Talk About Social Media

Link: » Five White Men Talk About Social Media.

This feels all too familiar to me and it saddens me that it is still an issue over 13 years after I started my first Internet company, Cybergrrl, Inc. and the first women’s Internet organization, Webgrrls International.

I remember either being the only female at the new media table or one of the tiniest handful. But it wasn’t for lack of women being on the scene and running innovative businesses in the space. It was simply the planners were in a hurry and reached out to the only people they rubbed elbows with - other men.

When I was one of 5 women in a list of 50 people recognized by Newsweek magazine in 1995 for our Internet work, I was pissed off. I asked the editors why they didn’t list more women. They said “we couldn’t find any.” All they had to do was ask. We women keep very close tabs on one another and most of us would do anything to promote another woman, often even before we promote ourselves, because we know that if one of us is out there and visible, it is a huge win for the rest of us.

I’ve been rejected by several major blogging, social media and Web conferences as a speaker in recent years (yes, I’m now in the position of having to ask/beg to speak at them). Maybe it is because this industry is often “but what have you done LATELY” and lately I moved to Alaska and had a baby.

The first Internet industry conference to finally give me a chance to re-enter the speaking circuit was BlogHer last year, and I’ll be forever grateful.

There are all sorts of “underground” initiatives to help event planners book more women speakers. Let’s help pull those efforts out of the dark corners and into the spotlight so the rest of the techie/new media/social media/blogging/virtual worlds, etc. events take notice and can’t make excuses any more.

Podcast - Interview with Diane MacEachern of Big Green Purse

Podcast of an interview with Diane MacEachern of Big Green Purse.

via Brighter Planet

PARTICIPANTS (EITHER LIVE OR BY MESSAGE)

ALPHAMOM-Isabel Kallman

BABYFRUIT - Aliza Sherman Risdahl

IN WOMEN WE TRUST - Mary Clare Hunt

MOCHA MOMMA - Kelly Wickham

*MOM-101 - Liz Gumbinner

PARENTOPIA - Devra Renner

*POLITICAL VOICES OF WOMEN - Catherine Morgan

SOUL GARDENING - Tammie Booth

STATE OF GRACE - Grace Davis

Monkeys In My Pants: Watch The Video Of My Interview With Fox News About Social Networks

Link: Monkeys In My Pants: Watch The Video Of My Interview With Fox News About Social Networks.

See Mitch Wagner on Fox News. He doesn't even break a sweat. Chatting it up about social networks! Shout out to Mitch!

all the way from oy to vey

Link: all the way from oy to vey.

I'm getting in touch with my inner, hidden, totally suppressed Jew-ishness with the help of my new Jewgirl bloggy friend. And signing my baby up for daycare at the only local synogogue might be triggering a sudden Jewfest.

From her non-bio:

Katie is a Jewgirl from New York. She lives in Shlock Angeles for now. Not forever. She's not a fan. The driving. The silicon. The mismanagement of fat. Oy, very disturbing. Katie is a comedy writer, a feminist and a food obsessed neurotic.

Katie writes other things, too. She's also bored you enough, so click away. Now. Go. Bye. See you. WAIT. Come back! When you're ready of course. No guilt. No pressure. oh, and don't forget to hit the bloggy blog for the latest dish.

My world, meet Katie...

And did I ever tell you the story about the time I was in grade school and was called on to read a book about Chanukah in front of the class. There was a line about going to synogaogue. And in my perfect, goodie-two-shoes, over-achiever little way, I read the line like this:

"And then we went to syn-a-gog-GOO." I distinctly remember saying that word in just that way a number of times, and the teacher never corrected me until I had finished.

"Isn't it pronounced syn-a-GOG?" she asked.

I was mortified, turned a million shades of red, mentally kicked myself with my Keds, and wanted to crawl into a hole.

Syn-a-go-GOO.

I was scarred for life.

 

Our Imaginary, Hotter Selves | Newsweek Voices - Sharon Begley | Newsweek.com

Link: Our Imaginary, Hotter Selves | Newsweek Voices - Sharon Begley | Newsweek.com.

Interesting study about how our self perceptions and the way others perceive us can be affected by how our avatar looks in something like Second Life, for example.

I've had some direct experience with the look of my avatar and the way others perceive me based on my avie.

When I first logged into SL and explored SoHo, I ended up at a party where I approached a fashionable female avie and asked if she could help me figure out how to take a photo of myself.

"You don't want to take a photo of yourself now," she told me. "You look terrible."

I thought I looked cute as the "girl next door" newbie avatar. I had made my hair darker and put on a little black sweater over the newbie tshirt that I had turned pink. But I quickly learned that clothing and hair were the first part of looking good in Second Life, and the default "girl next door" avie was decidedly NOT a good look.

When I had my first experience being totally screwed over by another business person in Second Life, the lovely Chel Pixie came to my rescue, let me sob on her virtual shoulder, then took me shopping for some makeup, dropped me some cuter clothes and helped me polish up my look.

"Nobody will take you seriously in SL looking like that," she said about what I had become accustomed to as my "new, improved" avatar. I guess I still wasn't cute enough.

I took my sexier avie over to the sim where the person had ripped me off and strutted around looking attractive and confident. It didn't get me my property back, but at least I felt a little more confident.

Even more recently, JueL Resistance offered to help me improve my avie.

"It doesn't even look like you," she said, saying that I was cuter in real life. Really? I thought my avie was pretty darn cute.

I let her do her creative avie magic, then she took me shopping for a new skin, new hair and an animation override.

Now people are saying they like my new look. They notice. They approve. I strut my stuff.

And yes, it does really make me feel better about myself in some odd way.

Tech pay gap between men and women grew last year

Link: Tech pay gap between men and women grew last year.

January 30, 2008  (Computerworld)  Men are making more money than women in technology jobs, about 12% more than they did last year, according to a salary survey by career site Dice.com.

All I can say is: Thank goodness I own my own company although I still struggle with pricing. Why do women have such a hard time with pricing? Is it really a self-worth perception issue?

I remember when I was running Cybergrrl, Inc. and was interviewing young men and women straight out of college. The young men would ask straight out for $80,000 without anything relevant on their resume. More qualified young women in the same age range would ask timidly "Do you think $35,000 is too much?"

Argh. I think this goes way beyond society's perception of women's worth and definitely is a self-worth issue.

FORTUNE: Techland Will someone please start a Facebook group to save Scrabulous? «

Link: FORTUNE: Techland Will someone please start a Facebook group to save Scrabulous? «.

Yes, I am a Scrabulous addict. And like Josh Quittner, I think Hasbro is a STUPID company (he uses the word "dumb" but I don't think that is strong enough) for not buying the application from the developers or even bringing the brothers on board to "app-ify" other Hasbro games.

This kind of shortsightedness is so STUPID that I wonder who is at the helm of Hasbro's decision to send out legal missives instead of innovating a hot deal? The evil of big big companies is that they lose their passion for innovation.

NPR : Blogging Becomes More Mobile

Link: NPR : Blogging Becomes More Mobile.

My new Twitterfriend (name drop here) @acarvin (me and hundreds and hundreds of other people are his closest and most personal Twitterfriends) chatting away with Steve Inskeep on NPR about microblogging.

He managed to get a good plug in about @susanreynolds and the Frozen Pea Fund - indirect but we all know who he was referencing!

Blogging Dubbed 'Low-Cost, High Return' Marketing Tool for SMBs - MarketingVOX

Link: Blogging Dubbed 'Low-Cost, High Return' Marketing Tool for SMBs - MarketingVOX.

Tooting the old horn. Hey, my parents are quite proud about the NYTimes mention. My publisher is happy. Said he wants to talk to me about another book after the holiday. Woo Hoo!

And love the Hugh Macleod cartoon on making money blogging.

Boy, a nice way to end the week.

It's All About Peas (and Boobs on Ice)

Link: Boobs On Ice: 2AM Is Getting To Be a Theme - But Oh What a Day.

I woke up with a start early this morning thinking of Susan Reynolds (@susanreynolds to Twitterers; Tynan Clary to SLers).

My thoughts have been with her ever since.

There is such an incredible phenomenon taking place on Twitter right now.

People who have never met face to face (and some who have) are giving an incredible show of solidarity for Susan who was very recently diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer (Reminder to all: MAMOGRAMS!).

Within a week's time, she was scheduled for a mastectomy.

That happens today.

We're all aTwitter talking about it, keeping updated by Susan's daughter and others, sending good vibes. What else can we do?

There are so many things going on to support Susan. I'll link to them as I find out more about them. But to start, go to Frozen Pea Friday on Flickr. Almost 250 members already showing their support for Susan through peavatars galore.

This is what social networks are really about. Real connection with real people whether you've met them in person or not.

Our feelings for Susan are real.

What she is going through is all too real.

And we are keenly connected to her through social networking, Twitter especially.

This is REAL. No doubt about it.

Here are some pea initiatives...

A Peas 4 Tynan (Tynan Clary, Susan's SL avatar) tee shirt...

This is @poinky who made a pea-shaped avatar head!



Cybergrrl Oh placing peas as a sign of solidarity & support for Athena Isle neighbor, Tynan Clary.

And some of my peavatars for Twitter:

What is important?

I received an electronic holiday greeting from social networking gal Cris Popenoe. The saying on the card really hit home so I thought I'd share. Thanks Cris!

             

Lao Tzu:

Fame or integrity: which is more important?
Money or happiness: which is more valuable?
Success or failure: which is more destructive?

Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

Cybergrrl Oh Around Second Life: Who Owns What You Create in Second Life?

Link: Cybergrrl Oh Around Second Life: Who Owns What You Create in Second Life?.

Did some contemplating about the ownership rights to intellectual property created on Second Life on my Cybergrrl Oh blog. This isn't a "Linden Lab vs. Us" post but more of a microcosm of land owners vs. renters. Stop by and voice your opinion!

Silicon Alley Insider: The 2007 Silicon Alley 100

Link: Silicon Alley Insider: The 2007 Silicon Alley 100.

Thought I'd highlight the women on the Silicon Alley Insider list. Hey, I'm a woman, and it is always interesting to me to see how many women are on these kinds of lists.

9. Esther Dyson

28. Beth Comstock

38. Wenda Harris Millard

42. Sarah Chubb

60. Dany Levy

67. Laurel Touby - Yay Laurel!!

78. Jen Chung, Jake Dobkin

80. Dina Kaplan, Joel Smernoff

89. Lindsay Campbell

91. Daphne Kwon
If I left any off by mistake, let me know.

I remember in 1995 being part of a list put out by Newsweek, and I was only 1 of 5 women on a list of 50 people (Who Matter Most on the Internet). When I asked the magazine why there were only 5 when I knew at least a dozen women worthy of being on the list, they told me "We couldn't find them."

Interesting that over a decade later, there are only 10 women on a list of 100 people. Women still only make up 10% of a "top people in the Internet industry" list???

This is going to be BIG! - 10 Reasons to Go Short on Second Life

Link: This is going to be BIG! - 10 Reasons to Go Short on Second Life.

I had a little g-chat with Charlie O'Donnell last night, and the conversation turned to Second Life. He pointed me to this article which, interestingly, he wrote almost exactly one year ago. I felt compelled to "respond" in some way, so here are my comments on his comments about Second Life.

1. Second Life is not, and probably will never be, mobile.

In a world where I can blog and read blogs, take and send pictures, play games, consume and even download music and videos wherever I am, how appealing is a technology going to be if it forces me to sit home behind my PC?

I'm wondering about this one. I've seen the PSP - the Play Station Portable by Sony - and although I'm no hardware techie, it seems to me that some version of a portable "player" that is wifi enabled and has the right software capabilities could handle Second Life. Maybe a device devoted solely to SL versus a PSP that uses discs of various games. I'd think Linden Lab would be exploring this already - some secret R&D project developing a portable SL device so we can take our Second Life with us. And if it has Web browsing capabilities, the rest of our main online "needs" are covered.

2. There are no microchunks of a virtual world.

You can't link to an event that already happened, or tag a place, or share it with someone who doesn't have the software.

Ironically, last night Charlie sent me a link for UpNext.com, a company doing 3-D Web rendering work. They currently have a beta of New York City with over 55,000 buildings. You can "fly" through it - not interact but get a semi-immersive travel experience. This could be the "Web" version of Second Life to demonstrate and share sims and parts of sims with the non-SL-enabled public.

In terms of sharing inworld events, take a look at SLCN.tv. They are producing digital, web-based television shows of regular inworld events and although watching them is not the same thing as "being there," isn't this how the majority of the public consumes events in real life? Television is...television.

3. Second Life is a benevolent dictatorship.

To me, the fact that a very small group of people basically dictates what goes and what doesn't in this market... a group of people that is not beholden to the residents by law, is a political risk.

This is a good point, and the risks were once again proven by recent events - namely the $3 million Linden heist last week. Linden Lab's intervention - or lack of intervention - in these incidents remain to be seen but leads us to #4.

4. Second Life is a business.

Linden Labs has taken venture capital investment and those firms are going to look for an "exit" at some point over the next four years or so. Maybe Linden Labs will be profitable enough to go public.  In that case, the founders could remain at the helm, but they'd still have the pressure to grow revenues which may be at odds with the authenticity of the service.

Spoken like a true venture capitalist, but this is something that SLers rarely consider as they live their Second Lives courtesy of Linden Lab who is a business with corresponding business issues. If you put all your eggs into the Second Life basket and Linden Lab goes belly up or changes their business model or Fill In The Blank, you are at their mercy and your Second Life could easily go Ka-Put.

This is one of the reasons why I'm actually contemplating buying a PC - to be able to try other 3-d virtual worlds and attempt to carry over my current avatar identity - or a semblance thereof - into those spaces. I've heard anecdotally that Second Life really is the best one right now, but they aren't the only one and if something happens to them, what happens to the virtual you?

And as an Internet consultant, it serves me well to be familiar with a variety of virtual worlds to better serve my clients.

5. Diminishing returns for brand participation.

Right now, you can gain a lot of PR buzz by participating in Second Life... probably enough buzz to justify the investment in development for whatever you build to put in there.  But, how long will that last?

A year after Charlie wrote this, the buzz continues and seems to be getting stronger and much more mainstream. I just heard that CNBC is doing a story on Second Life soon. Newsweek did a cover story already (the cover was Second Life only on the International Edition).

As larger corporations spend larger dollar amounts to develop larger branding campaigns within Second Life, the media - and eventually the general non-SL public - can't help but notice.

That said, as an Internet consultant, I told Charlie that I'm getting a very strong deja vu feeling about Second Life. It reminds me of the early days of the Web circa 1994 and 1995. Big companies being convinced by ad/marketing agencies to spend big dollars to test out a still unstable, unproven marketing platform. Kudos to the companies taking the risk because although they will mostly lose, they are paving the way for the rest of us. Can anyone say "Pathfinder?" (Read about how Manpower has committed $500,000 US to their foray into Second Life.)

There are smarter, cheaper and more effective ways of marketing inworld right now, but as long as big companies have big egos and bigger pockets, there will always be this influx of mega-spending before the bubble bursts and things settle into a more reasonable, rational reality.

6. Requires 100% attention.

You can't casually browse Second Life... you're watching it.. it's full screen on your machine... your character needs to walk around to experience more.  It's very different than an IM window you can put away in the background when you're doing other things.

In the same way you don't need to watch TV with your full attention or you don't need to listen to the radio with your full attention or even, in way too many cases, talk on your cellphone with your full attention, you do NOT need your full attention for Second Life. Even though it takes up your full screen, you can change preferences to switch it to Window view and then toggle between SL and anything else you want on your computer.

Case in point: On any given day, I've got SL in the background as I am:

• Working in PhotoShop creating signs and tshirt designs for my SL projects
• Checking my emails
• Twittering
• Working on an article in a word processing program
• Talking on the phone
• Working on a client project (Web-based work)
• Cooking a meal

With the sound on, I can hear when I get an IM in SL and pop back over to see who is contacting me. I can hear someone typing if their avatar is near mine and speaking to me. And if my avatar is dancing at a club or party or attending a concert, I can listen to the music without having to toggle back to SL full screen.

The only time SL requires my 100% attention is when I am hosting an event and that usually only lasts about 1 hour. Otherwise, even when my avatar is face-to-face with someone and having a conversation, each of us are usually also carrying on an IM convo or two in the background. This can send up a bunch of red flags for the purity of the interaction, but we're in a multi-tasking world and SL isn't any exception.

7. Lack of context.

The idea that you can be anyone you want and do anything is really cool... conceptually... but with no guidence, no schedule... no context, users find themselves lost over overwhelmed.

The beauty of having a Second Life is that you have the tools and capabilities (based on your skills inworld, of course) to create your own context. Because Second Life is not intended to be a game with rules and a "theme," you decide what your life inworld will be about.

I immediately decided that I would find a way to make enough Linden before I ran out of the initial $50 US that I put into my PayPal account and hooked up to my SL account. If I couldn't be entrepreneurial or savvy enough to start the Lindens flowing and I ran out of cash, I'd quit Second Life.

Within two months, I had steady income, a place to live (an apartment), an office and a growing identity within some circles of SL. I became an organizer and host of events that I conceptualized like a show & tell event, a cafe chat, a writers roundtable discussion and a live music TV show. I started a tshirt design business and opened up a tshirt stand to sell my designs (and soon am opening up a new tshirt store with The Traveling Avatar). I became a business reporter for SLNN.com specializing in real world companies coming into SL.

When I go into SL each day, I have a purpose. I have a destination. I have projects in various stages of completion. I have friends and colleagues whom I look forward to seeing. I have a new place where I'm living that I built myself on land given to me by an inworld friend. I'm helping other people find nice places to live and to set up their own businesses. My time in SL is never wasted, even when I'm just exploring other sims.

My Second Life has as much context as my First Life - I just can do a lot more in a shorter amount of time with better tools in my Second Life.

8. Digital world with an analog business model.

When you have a world where all of the items are user created, I just can't imagine that the future will offer adequate protection against the free distribution of these items.

Protection of what we create can certainly be an issue within Second Life just as it is in real life. Major real world brands are even looking at Second Life as a new threat (see my article about how Herman Miller dealt with brand infringement in SL). There are many ways business in Second Life is analogous to real world business.

But there are some important ways that business is and can be different in SL:

• Cost of entry is ridiculously cheap
• The ability to replicate anything in SL is incredibly fast
• The ability to build anything in SL - such as a store - is fast and cheap
• Placing your branding across sims is fast, easy and relatively inexpensive
• Anything you do in SL often takes less time, less money and usually less effort

With speed, ease and affordability comes new sets of issues and potential problems, but as an entrepreneur, I'm digging business in SL.

9. Reach.

No matter how many registered users you have, getting less than 20K simultaneous users online really isn't very much.  By comparison, many of the online MMOGs get more users than this on a regular basis, with World of Warcraft peaking at half a million users online at the same time.

There is no denying that at any given time, 20,000 to 30,000 users inworld isn't a major branding hit, and the reality of SL's fragmented set up means that you really can't even reach all of those users at once unless you had placement on the log-in page.

Factor into that limitation the technical inability to have more than 70 avatars comfortably in one specific area to attend an event. Sure you can have cross-sim events happening simultaneously or videocasting capabilities so those on partner sims can "watch." But unless you are in a continuously high trafficked area, your brand exposure - inworld at least - is miniscule by major corporate marketing standards.

Some of the most trafficked areas are probably the orientation islands which means you are branding newbies and companies like Ben and Jerry's and CSI are creating orientation portals to do some early branding. Smart if done well although it could really misdirect a person's overall SL experience if they ride in with a brand dictating their initial impressions.

That said, there are smart ways to do your branding inworld, and the smartest is not to build your own island. There are way too many islands out there right now that are grossly underutilized that could be leveraged for a song to become branding tools. There are many inworld events happening now that could become very affordable branding venues with built-in, loyal audiences that companies can sponsor versus creating their own events.

And of course, let's not forget that still anything happening in SL has a great chance at getting a strong PR buzz in the real world which harkens back to my comments on #5. The Web had it's buzz-worthy hey day for over 6 years and even now has experienced recent media revivals with blogging and then social networking.

10. Escapism vs. Reality.

The promise of social networks is that you've got digital self expression going on in unprecidented volume.  That makes them interesting to both users and marketers alike...   because of their ability to connect you with real people based on real and authentic things about themselves.  Throw blogs in that category, too.   Second Life is more of a fantasy.  Even the name says it.  This is not your life... it's your other life.  You cannot be yourself.. .you have to change your name.  It's not me and it's not other really other people, either.

This is an interesting commentary that is hard to address in a few paragraphs. Suffice it to say that yes, the volume is not there in Second Life in its current incarnation and it may not be all about Second Life eventually but about our Virtual Life across multiple virtual worlds.

But I do not see Second Life as my fantasy. Sure, I am not using my real name (there are people who do and I'm still trying to figure out how they all got it - coincidence in many cases but can you pay to buy your real name?) But using the Cybergrrl name is just reviving an old brand identity that was synonymous with me in the early Web days. And I'm very familiar with being myself while being called by the Cybergrrl name.

For me, Second Life is not a fantasy but an augmentation of my First Life. I can do things in Second Life that aren't affordable or easy to do in my First Life like open up a store or organize and host events where people from around the world can attend while I sit in my dining room in Alaska.

While many people may use Second Life as a fantasy and remain behind the cloak of anonymity their avatar affords, I'm very transparent about who I am and not hesitant to tell people my real name in the right settings. All someone has to do, however, is search for my avatar name on the Web and follow the breadcrumbs to my real life sites and blogs.

Charlie goes on to say: If I'm a business, I want to make sure I'm connecting in a sincere way with real people as well.... not sponsoring a fantasy.  That's the way I personally want to live online as well.

I totally agree. That is why I advocate transparency, ESPECIALLY in my business dealings in Second Life. My avatar is an extension of me and operates with the same high level of work ethics, honesty, integrity, reliability and savvy. My avatar is a clear reflection of me so I will not compromise and do something in Second Life that would reflect poorly on the real life me. My avatar is merely a tool for me to create and participate in a new communications platform. She is me.

Second Life as a Social Operating System

I was reading a past issue of Wired magazine and came across this in Jargon Watch:

Social operating system
n. A social networking site like Facebook or MySpace that seamlessly integrates activities, including entertainment and shopping, to become a platform for online living.

The first thing that came to my mind was "Second Life is 10x closer to being a social operating system than Facebook or MySpace."

Second Life is the ultimate social networking "site" and truly a platform for online living. While Facebook and MySpace are the quintessential social networks, I think they are both a far cry from being a "platform for online living."

Here's a little comparative matrix to see who wins as Social Operating System:

Feature	FACEBOOK	MYSPACE	SECOND LIFE
Create an avatar to represent yourself	X	X	X
Link to Friends	X	X	X
Make New Friends	X	X	X
Network	X	X	X
Form Groups	X	X	X
Play Games	X	X	X
Listen to Music	X	X	x
Hold/Attend a Live Concert	-	-	X
Hold/Attend Live Meetings	-	-	X
Hold/Attend Interactive Panels	-	-	X
Shop within the site	-	-	X
Build a World	-	-	X
Rent or Buy a Place to Live Online	-	-	X
Work in a Job	-	-	X
Open a Business	-	-	X

Looks to me like Second Life is the real Social Operating System based on only a handful of activities that I'd consider a part of an "online living platform" and experience. The others lack a fully immersive environment (Facebook and MySpace don't come in 3-D), the freedom and tools to build almost anything you imagine (sure there are Facebook apps, but the barriers to entry as an apps programmer are far greater than building in SL), and the ability to live an online "life."

I spend more time in Facebook apps than on Facebook itself and still have yet to make any new and valuable connections. My time in SL is a constant wave of new and interesting people, places and events. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Finding Sophrosyne - Sophrosyne's Saturday Salon: Cybergrrlz!

Link: Finding Sophrosyne - Sophrosyne's Saturday Salon: Cybergrrlz!.

Join us Saturday, November 3 from 1 to 3:30 PM SLT at the Diversionarium for a very special Saturday Salon! Our Spotlight guest Cybergrrl Oh (Aliza Sherman) has been helping empower moms, daughters and women entrepreneurs since the dawn of the Web.

I love Soph's description of my work. It makes me sounds so...goddess-like! For all you SLers, stop on by for a dynamic discussion about...well, everything that comes to our minds.

SLURL: The Diversionarium in Pandoria

Streetwise Ecommerce is Out!

Duh - Didn't realize my most recent book is out as of this month. For some reason, I thought it was coming out next month. The author is always the last to know!

The terribly wrong message sent by Jessica Seinfeld and Missy Chase Lapine. - By Mimi Sheraton - Slate Magazine

Link: The terribly wrong message sent by Jessica Seinfeld and Missy Chase Lapine. - By Mimi Sheraton - Slate Magazine.

When I heard about Jessica Seinfeld's new cookbook, Deceptively Delicious, and her idea about pureeing veggies and stuffing them into foods kids like (brownies, mac 'n' cheese) so they "eat their veggies," I knew something about that disturbed me but I wasn't sure how to articulate it.

That is why I loved reading this article by Mimi Sheraton. She delved deeper into the dishonesty of tricking children into eating what is good for them by hiding it. Worth a read for every parent struggling with a picky eater.

I saying trickery is NOT the way.

Virtual Worlds Forum Blog » Blog Archive » Quick Thought: can businesses track their employees within virtual worlds?

Link: Virtual Worlds Forum Blog » Blog Archive » Quick Thought: can businesses track their employees within virtual worlds?.

I've got to say, I sure am glad I work for myself. Even though I don't stray into parts of Second Life that would be deemed "inappropriate for business," it is still creepy thinking that my boss could track my Second Life as well as my first life if I worked for somebody else.

Operation Hero

A dear friend of mine from Wyoming has a son-in-law in Iraq - a Black Hawk pilot. She and her daughter set up a special "program" enlisting friends to devote 2 weeks to sending something to him in Iraq. The idea was anything goes - it could be letters or postcards or a little gift.

Not knowing anyone personally who is serving in Iraq - and seeing as how this was a favor for a faraway friend who I love - I took this mission seriously. I went out and bought lots of little Alaska souvenirs such as a bear bottle opener, two metal coffee mugs - one with a carabiner handle, a metal bookmark, some tins of mints with names like "Bear Breath" and "Fish Breath," and a t-shirt with bears on it that reads "Homeland Security." I also purchased a dozen postcards with Alaska animals and scenes.

Trying to send something out daily while running a business from home and juggling baby was a feat. I ended up missing some days but managed to get out over half a dozen postcards and the gifts (sent the last batch yesterday, a week late but better than never).

I wasn't sure if he received anything or what he thought of the things I sent. Since I didn't know him, I was uncertain what to write about so just told him about our life here in Alaska, my husband's recent hunting accident and surgery to repair his arm and the story of how my husband and I met.

Then I received this email yesterday from my friend. These are quotes from her son-in-law about what "Operation Hero" has meant to him - the letter was addressed to my friend.

When I read this to my husband, I started to cry. This is what it is all about.

"I have recently been inundated with packages from all over the United States.  I have just got to tell you that I am completely blown away with how many people have sent me things and written me things.  I just want to thank you for setting all of that up and having such great friends that love you so much that they would love me so much just because I am associated with you.  You know some pretty amazing people."

"Let me just report to you all the other people that have been giving me support.  You have amazing friends and that speaks well for you.  I have never known so many incredible people since I have been lucky enough to become your son....

The Risdahls from Alaska have been so completely generous.  They have sent me probably ten postcards, four packages full of Alaska memorabilia, photo CDs, really nice coffee mugs.  What really touches me is that they just report their family news to me as if I was their family.  I don't even know them and it took me quite a while to even figure out how they knew me.  I just think it is so incredible that they are treating me like family, talk about a way to support one of the troops.  I am just so touched by all of the attention I don't even know how to thank them.

....

I guess that I didn't really know how the effects of your efforts in "Operation Hero" would hit me.  I wasn't sure that I needed that kind of attention in order to complete my mission here.  My mission was to get here, be safe, get through this and return home to my girls the same person as I left.  The problem is that it can't happen like that now.  I will continue to be safe and return home in one piece, but I have a much larger agenda and I can't be exactly the same as I left.  The way that everyone has included me and supported me makes me widen my motivation towards my mission.  These great folks have helped me put a face to the citizens of the US that deserve to be protected by someone like me.  I can't stand being away from my girls and that will never change, but since I have no choice, I am happy to serve in this war and expand the list of people in which motivate me to serve.

I am working slowly on properly thanking everyone that has been so incredibly generous to me, of course I am extremely behind on that endeavor. I just thought that I should begin with you and Whitney for putting this together.  I want you both to know that I am blown away and it is hard to feel worthy enough to be so loved by such incredible people.  For all of that I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I don't know if I will ever get out to all of these folks the kind of thank you note or letter that would ever represent exactly how touched I really feel, but I know you will be able to help me advertise my true emotion."

(Excerpted with permission from his wife.)

Get your goth name

Link: Get your goth name.

Why is this amusing me to no end? The strangest things amuse.

....a million and ONE dreams

Link: ....a million and ONE dreams.

Looks like I'm not the only one with Stalker Spam. When will these people get a life instead of glomming onto the lives of others?

Stalker Spam 2: The Threats

Give a spammer their 15 minutes of fame, and they threaten to launch legal action against you.

All joking aside, the first comment below was again posted to my blog that has a strong spam blocker on it so it doesn't automatically show up publicly.

The second is a comment the same person posted to this blog - a veiled "threat" against not only me - but my daughter.

Rather than making further commentary, I'll just post these here and make them public record as they were intended.

Comment o