Aliza Sherman: She Knows Social and Mobile

Second Life ventures just as pointless as you'd thought - WalletPop

Second Life ventures just as pointless as you'd thought - WalletPop.

Cleary an example of shoddy "journalism" and one of the many reasons why the general public doesn't understand new media or technology and buys into the hype, misconceptions and untruths. This article is on a site owned by AOL that tries to pass as a "financial" site.

Clearly this writer was on deadline, saw the Gartner report about companies failing in Second Life, grabbed a few lines, threw in a few completely uninformed comments to look like she actually did some work (which she didn't because they are all inaccurate), and then called it good.

Everything about her article offends me, particularly as someone who covers companies who are finding success in using Second Life as an extension of their businesses. Not to mention the Second Life entrepreneurs who are making hundreds or thousands of dollars each month from their Second Life venture. That's real money, not the "imaginary Linden Dollars" that this writer refers to in her piece.

Shame on you Carol Vinzant. Next time, do a little research. And you call yourself a financial reporter.

(Note how many posts she publishes a day on WalletPop. No wonder she doesn't have time to research her stories.)

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.

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!

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

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.

Work It, Mom! | A Community for Professional Moms

Link: My Second Life Business.

I've been blogging on a working mom's site about entrepreneurship and decided to blog about my new Second Life business. I didn't go into a lot of detail - just the basics - but will probably post more of an analysis of the business once it has been up and running for a while.

If you're doing business in SL, I'd love to know about it. Post details and your SLurl here!

Is This Man Cheating on His Wife? - WSJ.com

Link: Is This Man Cheating on His Wife? - WSJ.com.

I had to comment on this article. My husband left it out for me to read - his not-so-hidden code for "See, this is why I'm worried about you spending time on Second Life."

Without a lot of time to gather my thoughts, I reassured him by explaining the following to him:

1. Reporters looking for someone "addicted to the Internet" or "cheating on their wife virtually" will always find someone who fits the bill. That doesn't mean it is the norm or prevalent. It just means that the reporter had a story and found her sources.

2. People with a propensity toward addiction can become addicted to the Internet. This Internet addiction was written about in the 1990s - scary, hyped-up stories looking at the worst of the worst situations. Now it is Virtual World addiction but it is all the same thing - addiction.

3. Looking at the real life of the guy featured in the article, he seems a bit of a...loser. His real life has been mostly drifting from job to job, no real direction. Someone like this - who may be dissatisfied with their real life - may find a virtual world attractive because you can be whatever you want to be in it. In Second Life, he is a successful entrepreneur.

4. My husband pointed out the quote from Jeremy Bailenson, director of Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, who says "Our brains are not specialized for 21st-century media. There's no switch that says, 'Process this differently because it's on a screen.' " My first response to this was that, again, reporters looking for people who will say what they want to hear for the stories they are writing will find the perfect person to quote.

That said, it is also possible that the reporter found out about this article from a press release from Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab talking about their 5 year research and thought "Wow, this would make a good article."

There are also several recent related news stories in other publications like Stanford lab makes it reality and Stanford Lab Explores Hman Effects of Virtual Reality Technology. These could have caught the reporter's eye and then she looked for a "fresh" angle.

I know there are people who are in Second Life having virtual affairs, going on virtual dates with other avatars even if they are married, flirting with others virtually.  I'm not naive.

But I reassured my husband that while I enjoy my time in Second Life, it is not because I am having an affair or want to have an affair. I'm not looking to engage in a relationship with someone else in a virtual world. My relationship is with him, and even though he will probably never set foot in Second Life, that doesn't mean I'll go looking for a virtual husband.

I'm in Second Life for several reasons:

1. It is helpful to my work as an Internet consultant to know what virtual worlds are all about.

2. As a serial entrepreneur, marketer and veteran online community builder, I immediately saw the potential for doing business and building community in Second Life and think that marketing can be done in virtual worlds if strategic and long-term.

3. It definitely appeals to the side of me that used to make paper dolls as a little girl. I love shopping virtually and putting together ensembles. I can't say I'm the most fashionable avatar around, but my avatar wears the things that I would wear if I spent money on clothing and had places to go to wear those things.

4. I have always been fascinated with science fiction, futuristic things and after reading Neuromancer in the early 90s, with virtual worlds. Being in Second Life isn't fake to me. So maybe I'm proving Jeremy Bailenson right in that I don't really say "This is fake in Second Life - this is not my real life." I look at my time in SL as an extension of the work I do in my real life with a little extra shopping thrown in.

I made a vow to myself that I would stop playing Second Life after my initial $50 investment in a PayPal account ran out and if I hadn't yet figured out how to make Linden. I still have $30 in that account and enough Linden to keep my avatar in cute outfits for a long time.

Bottom line: We're all in Second Life for different reasons. Reporters can find exactly who they are looking for to tell the story they want to tell. Today, the media is hyping virtual world addiction and virtual world cheating. Look back 10 years and you'll see the same thing about Internet addiction and virtual cheating in Internet chat rooms. This isn't new. And this isn't news.

Chip Griffin: Pardon the Disruption: Throwing in the Towel on Second Life

Link: Chip Griffin: Pardon the Disruption: Throwing in the Towel on Second Life.

Chip Griffin (Chip Graysmark in Second Life) is giving up on Second Life after only 6 months. He thinks that SL has disappointing numbers and states that no company has reaped major rewards from being there.

How long is long enough when it comes to giving Second Life a try? I'm over 4 months into my Second Life "experiment" and have come away with an entirely different perception than Griffin.

Socializing

Griffin says he spent most of his time on Crayonville Island and attending the coffee with crayon weekly events.

"While I enjoyed the weekly "Coffee with Crayon" event for the chance to chat with fellow communicators, it felt a bit too much like web chats circa 1997," says Griffin.

I have to admit that there is something a bit '97 Web Chat-esque about text chat in SL - but for me, having avatars to look at and having my own avatar to move around and gesture as I chat adds an entirely new - and enjoyable - dimension to the text chatting. And now with voice, it will undoubtedly add a whole new aspect to communication and community in SL.

Unlike Griffin, I haven't stayed in one place. I've sought out events - most often by asking my "friends" who are online at the same time I am. "What are you doing?"  If they are at a club, concert or party, I'll ask if it is open to the public and request a TP if it is.

I've been discovering new musical artists who are talented and whose music  I genuinely like. I am considering checking out iTunes or their Web sites to see if they have music for sale. Ka-Ching!! Could be money in the bank for these real world performers who market themselves through their musician avatars on SL.

I also read SLNN.com (disclosure: I'm a business reporter for them as well) to learn about events and interesting places inworld. In fact, when I first was on SL with nowhere to go and while I was still unclear how to get anywhere, I read an article on SLNN.com about Elysian Isle - Random House UK's new island - and took a SLURL straight to it. Not only did I discover one of the most charming locations inworld - wooden boardwalks, quaint shops, beautiful forests, a rose garden, theater, music hall and so much more - I immediately contacted the land owner & proposed that I work for him.

Now I meet people and have a purpose - inviting them to join the Elysian Isle group and to visit the isle when I work at the Cafe des Amis on Tuesdays 1-3pm SLT. I'm like the Isle's hostess and it adds a purpose to many of the interactions I have on SL.

I've also been to numerous dances and private parties - much preferable to night clubs - and really love watching my avatar dance. Picking out the right outfit for the parties is also fun for me - very reminiscent of playing paper dolls as a girl but much more creative now (and costly!).

Making Money

Griffin says no company is reaping any big rewards from participating on SL. This is the same thing people were saying in 1995 about the Internet. Big companies were spending big bucks because they felt they had to be there first but had zero plan on what to do there or how anything would work (Pathfinder.com anyone?). Their money and experimentation did pave the way for the rest of us even though so many of them went bust.

My advice to companies trying out a new platform or medium is: Do it in phases. Some early experimentation will be a loss leader, but there is value to gain from a presence on Second Life. Where there are people, there are potential customers.

But can a big company reap big rewards right now? Of course not! And those who say they can are foolish. This is a long term investment - a step by step proposition. It combines grassroots marketing, brand building, establishing customer relationships and then converting it all eventually into hard sales. Of course, if you have something to sell that SL residents want, you will make money. How much money is relative.

Will a presence in SL translate into real world sales of real world products and services? That probably will take some time and it has to be done the right way by the right companies. American Apparel recently closed down their hybrid inworld/offline shopping experience because it wasn't translating into real world sales on their Web site.

Well, I have a very good reason why that failed despite them having a classy store and clever integration of clothing for avatars with a link to the same item for people. The kind of person who really gets into Second Life most likely is NOT the type to buy American Apparel's preppy/sporty clothing.

Personally, I was tempted to buy something because it was executed so well, but it just wasn't my style although I did buy a track jacket for my avatar. I do believe, however, the right clothing brands could do well inworld and on the Web.

Shopping

I know some people are making money off me right now because I love to shop inworld. In fact, I work my two jobs - business reporter for SLNN.com and writer-in-residence on Elysian Isle - to support my SL shopping habit. I'm guessing I've spent over $150US so far - $50 of which was my initial dollar investment into my SL experiment and the rest money I've earned inworld. (I made a promise to myself I would quit SL if I couldn't make enough money to shop - and so far, I'm doing quite well).

My favorite places to shop are Shiny Things for shoes and Mischief for outfits although I have items from over a dozen other stores in my Inventory. When I have a themed party to attend, I search high and low for the right outfit. I've purchased a 50s sock hop ensemble including saddle shoes, a 1920s flapper dress, a tie-dyed shirt for the Summer of Love concert, and now I'm on the hunt for a futuristic outfit ala the Jetsons.

I also recently furnished my apartment on Elysian Isle with low prim furniture. I found a fantastic shop with an entire Asian-inspired living room set including a Japanese wall print and bonsai plant. Lacking any interior decorating skills myself, I just bought up almost the entire set and over an hour trying to figure out how to arrange everything in my living room.

Then I shopped around until I found the perfect low prim bed that fit the decor. I messaged the designer of the bed to see if I could purchase a different color than what was on display. AnneMarie McCellan responded immediately and not only changed the color of the bed to match perfectly with the carpet I had already purchased, but also custom designed some Japanese screens to separate my bedroom from my living area. She also sold me the perfect Asian print for my bedroom wall then helped me rearrange the furniture and taught me how to do it myself. It was all well worth every Linden spent.

Living a Second Life

As I write this blog post, I realize how I'm speaking about my activities in Second Life as if they were actually happening in real life. Well, the more I think about it, the more I realize that they are. Sure it is my avatar doing these things - shopping, going to parties, meeting people, dancing, working in a cafe, furnishing an apartment - but it is me doing these things as well - just in a different space.

Says Griffin,
"I always try to avoid living within the tech bubble and put myself in the shoes of 'average' users.  That doesn't mean I won't live out on the cutting edge or even the bleeding edge, but it is important that we all never lose sight of the fact that we are an abnormal minority and not necessarily the harbinger of trends to come."

I agree somewhat but mostly, I disagree with Griffin's premise. Yes, we are early adopters and yes, just because we like it doesn't mean everyone will like it...now. I loved going onto BBSs in 1987, but they didn't really go mainstream until AOL, Prodigy and CompuServe improved their systems. I loved the Web in 1994, but it didn't really go mainstream until 1998 or later. I've blogged since the late 90s in various forms, but even those didn't take off until 2000.

I remember when I showed my Dad email and America Online back in 1992. "I can't see any use for it. I can't see any value in it," he told me. Today, he emails me many times a week and is thrilled to receive photos and videos of his granddaughter. And he teaches Algebra online for the University of Phoenix. He is not a computer geek, techy or industry insider, but the Internet plays an important role in his life today.

love Second Life. I don't expect it to go mainstream yet, but in some form - most likely a much improved form - it will hit the mainstream in ways we aren't even expecting. Right now, we might be experimenting, but other people are living their Second Lives as adjuncts to their first lives. And sure, some are even living their Second Lives at the expense of their first lives - but there will always be addicts and abusers of anything you put out there so media hype aside, Second Life isn't ruining hundred or thousands of lives - addiction is.

My husband doesn't know what to think of my use of Second Life. I am careful not to use it when he's home or if I'd like to, I make sure he is busy doing something else and doesn't mind. I mostly log in during the day as part of my work. Not just the work where I get paid in Linden, but my work as an Internet strategist who consults with companies and nonprofit organizations about the best ways to extend their brands and messages online. My exploration of Second Life helps me advise my clients.

Connection and Community

But let's be honest, I'm not enjoying Second Life because it is making me a better Internet consultant. I'm enjoying it because I'm making contacts and connections online in a way that I haven't been able to do offline where I live.

I moved to Alaska in 2005 - newly married, in my 40s, working from home - and employed every trick in the book to network and meet people. I thought that once I had a baby, I'd find the whole community of mommies welcoming me with open arms. But people here in Alaska seem to come to Alaska either for the outdoors or to get away from other people. After 2 years, I only have one girlfriend and most of the time, she's busy with her own life.

So I truly appreciate the contacts I've made within Second Life - many of whom are contacts I've made on Twitter. The crossover makes sense. We're all comfortable communicating online, with chat, with blogging - of course we'd feel comfortable in a virtual world that we could actually see and move within. Clumsily at first, mind you, but once you learn to move around - and get places - it just feels right.

Yes, I'm making friends in Second Life. Does it replace real life? No way, no how. But as an adjunct to my first life, I have to say that I welcome it. Not only am I less lonely, I've got great hair, and I am much better dressed!

Credible reporting on Second Life from Newsweek at NevilleHobson.com

Link: Credible reporting on Second Life from Newsweek at NevilleHobson.com.

I can't wait to pick up this issue of Newsweek on the news stand. It finally gives some credibility and validity to Second Life and is the perfect media news source to give to my husband and my dad, both of whom scratch their head and admit they "don't get it."

My husband did, however, email me recently excited about hearing a professor - "this guy was old" - talking about Second Life on NPR. He admitted after hearing that he realized maybe his wife wasn't so crazy after all. Well, just a little crazy.

What is weird about the Second Life cover of Newsweek is that just yesterday - before I knew anything about the issue - I created this image to represent me on my Twitter page, MySpace page, and other places online:

Not as perfectly matched as the Newsweek image, but I really like the way it turned out.

Neville Hobson pointed out the 10 things you must know about Second Life - and I agree with him. Second Life is NOT a game.

That is one of the things that bugs me about The Traveling Avatar's Quick and Dirty Tips for a Better Second Life. He always starts off his broadcasts taking about "tips and tricks for the game Second Life."

Like it says on #1 of the 10 things list:

In the beginning, there was Philip Rosedale. “I’m not building a game, I’m building a country,” said the brains behind Second Life. Today his project is actually more than a country, it’s a multiplatform metaverse, designed to allow techies the freedom to create their own community across multiple computer servers. There are no dragons to slay, no levels to reach—and the possibilities for creativity, business and social interaction are endless. And it’s still not a game.

Related Links:

Alternative Universe - By Jessica Bennett and Malcolm Beith

China's Virtual World: Roam Un-Free" by Jonathan Adams

Video: Navigating Second Life

Q&A with Philip Rosedale, developer of Second Life

Don't Call It A Game

3pointD.com » Blog Archive » LFG: Social Limitations in Second Life Groups

Link: 3pointD.com » Blog Archive » LFG: Social Limitations in Second Life Groups.

I found Aleister Kronos' take on Groups in Second Life interesting. I've been a member of Nick Wilson of Metaversed.com's Things to Do group for a little while now. I've attended a number of events, and each one has been fascinating in its own way.

Some of the places we've visited included Second Life Trees - a project where you can purchase a tree in SL and the proceeds go to planting a real tree in an actual rainforest. There was also a tour of the Sculptie contest where we could view strange and unusual prim sculptures.

I have felt that, over time, there has been more of a commercial exchange with some of the tours, but I have no problem with it because I'm eager to discover new places in SL and learn about what companies and nonprofit organizations are doing in the space. I haven't felt the commercialization of the tours is in your face in any way. The gatherings are friendly and informal, and I've been seeing some of the same people there and am gaining new friends and contacts over time. Always a warm feeling to see familiar faces in SL.

In terms of growth, the Geek Meet held by Nick is far more of an overload - it is hard to get in at times. So far, I haven't had trouble accessing a Things to Do, but I'm sure that will happen soon. I think anyone with a SIM they want to promote would be grateful to have the coverage that they'd get from a visit from the Things to Do gang.

I've also been thinking about Groups in SL because I've been joining a lot of them lately in hopes of making new contacts with likeminded people. I'm pretty selective with what I join but somehow have ended up belonging to 22 groups (limit is 25) in a short time even after deleting some that just weren't what I thought they'd be. I'm finding most of the groups, however, are barely active.

I recently listened to a crayonCast broadcasting a panel (crayonCast 28 - Virtual Branding Panel Discussion) including the Chief Marketing Office from iVillage talking about their group iVillage Girls Night Out. 

I didn't think it was a very old cast (July 2), so I went into SL and joined the group only to discover that it has been inactive for months. Even their blog hasn't been updated since February announcing their last event (a fashion show). I've been IMing some of the members who said that previous events were a bit buggy but fun, and they missed having them.

Now I'm wanting to take over the group and start my own fun events for women in SL. There it is, a group sitting dormant with about 100 members. Of course, this would be a bad thing to do with a capital B. So being the ethical marketing chick that I am, I'm trying to reach the CMO at iVillage to see if I could help revive the group. This kind of community building, guiding and networking is right up my alley. Will report back on how it goes.

Steve Rose on why architects are snapping up 'land' in the virtual world Second Life | Technology | Guardian Unlimited Technology

Link: Steve Rose on why architects are snapping up 'land' in the virtual world Second Life | Technology | Guardian Unlimited Technology.

I'm not snapping up land in Second Life. Just got my first apartment as part of a Writer-in-Residence deal on Elysian Isle (owned by Random House UK). Furnished it with some Asian-style low prim but attractive furniture. Have a beautiful balcony with a view of the ocean.

I'm becoming a bit like a hostess and grassroots marketer for the Isle, and so far it is a lot of fun but challenging. Since I can only get online about an hour a day - and only if I get my "real life" work done - it is harder to build momentum. But it is an interesting challenge to tackle as a marketer and as an SLer looking to build a community.

I find Elysian Isle to be one of the more aesthetically pleasing islands on SL. Very English coastal town. A rose garden, waterfall, theater, town square, nightclub, and shops and galleries lining the boardwalk.

I will be online Tuesdays from 1pm - 3pm SLT (PST for those not familiar with Second Life Time) in the Cafe de Amis - a charming cafe on the Town Square overlooking the boardwalk and the ocean off the Isle. Hoping to have good music piped in while I'm there (classic fare all other times). So stop by for a glass of wine, a bite to eat, and a friendly chat.

BTW, I'm Cybergrrl Oh in SL.

In Focus - MacArthur Foundation

Link: In Focus - MacArthur Foundation.

And I find it fascinating that a major foundation like the MacArthur Foundation is granting money to explore using virtual worlds for social benefit...

An Interesting Event on Second Life

Link: .

I wonder how successful an event in Second Life will be for a nonprofit organization.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society just kicked off MS Fly, a week-long
scavenger hunt sponsored by Scion and Movietickets.com.

GigaOM Marketing in Second Life doesn’t work… here is why! «

Link: GigaOM Marketing in Second Life doesn’t work… here is why! «.

So far, I'm always pretty excited to find a legitimate real world company going onto SL. I'm curious to see what they do and gauge the reaction/interest.

What is a downer is when you cannot teleport to an event because the system or the island cannot accomodate the crowd. Maybe it is the sign of success to get booted out of the Microsoft event or the Intel press conference, but it seems like a techno-glitch that needs to be overcome in order to have greater success on SL, at least with events.

I love American Apparel's space, and purchased a few items there. Also love the way you can purchase the same item for yourself in the real world as you can for your SL avatar.

I've also seen Coldwell Banker's ads on SLNN.com, and if I'm going to buy land, I will go to them first because - well, they are a recognizable name in real life so it gives me a degree of comfort approaching them in SL to do business.

What do you think about marketing on Second Life?

Reuters/Second Life

Link: Reuters/Second Life.

Not only does Second Life have its version of CNN (SLNN.com), it also has prompted Reuters to create an SL news service. I know this is old news, but it is still fascinating.

Second Style Fashionista

Link: Second Style Fashionista.

Can I have her job? If I can't be a fashionista in RL, at least I can try in SL!

Aimee Weber 3D Content Creation

Link: Aimee Weber 3D Content Creation.

When reporters used to ask me who I admired in business, I would say Madonna and Martha Stewart (pre-jail Martha). Madonna because of how she reinvented herself successfully over and over and took control of her personal industry. And Martha Stewart because of how she branded herself and leveraged her personal brand cross-media.

Aimee Weber is my new business hero. She is creating beautiful things in a virtual world. And making a living doing it.

New World Notes

Link: New World Notes.

I'm starting a new category on Second Life because I want to save pointers to interesting sites about it as well as virtual worlds in general. Right now, I'm just a fangirl but someday soon, I hope to be a virtual entrepreneur.

Here "Wagner James Au reports first-hand from Second Life."

Second Life News Network - SLNN

Link: Second Life News Network - SLNN. I'm turning into such a fan girl. Was dancing at the Microsoft party last night. Hard to get in - very "velvet rope" with "No Teleport" messages left and right. Music wasn't my fave. I prefer TheDiva's dance party tunes.

But I digress. I was on the dance floor then saw a reporter from SLNN.com. I was so excited because I had forgotten that there was a news service for SL. And they are hiring.

Could be a little more Linden Bucks in my bucket seeing as how I just lost $500 Linden in Whittenton stores. Bought boots and then POOF, they disappeared. Did all the troubleshooting but there are still gone. Hopefully someone has responded to my requests for help. That was a pricey pair of boots!

Okay, enough giddiness about SL. Back to work.

UPDATE: The boots were returned to me via my Lost and Found folder. Hurrah! Now hopefully my new - and currently lost - Chihuahua will be returned soon as well!

Millions of Us

Link: Millions of Us. Holy Moly. Where have I been. There really is a company that leverages virtual worlds for, well, real world companies. "Millions of Us is a company dedicated to helping businesses understand and harness the power of virtual worlds." I want a job with THEM. This is the stuff from the sci-fi, Mirrorshades-driven dreams I've been having since I was a little girl. Virtual is the new Real.

My First Time on Second Life SUCKED

OK, I have to preface this rant by saying that I love the concept of virtual worlds & I love gaming. I spent the late 80s/early 90s in MUDs and MOOs; I was a fan & follower of Mark Pesce in the heady days of VRML discussions & I was ready to build my own virtual reality Web site; I've been a sci-fi fan since grade school (Ray Bradbury) and later Neuromancer changed the way I perceived computers and life; I've played video games for eons, starting with Space Invaders and Asteroids; kicked ass and spent all my laundry quarters in college on Gallaga. Love arcades, love Web-based Flash games, so this stuff is not new to me.

Last night I tried out Second Life because I've heard about, read about it in the news, and then someone twittered about it the other day. I downloaded the software, told my husband about it, and thought I'd show him how virtual worlds work. I had picked my basic avatar already - "The Girl Next Door" - and as soon as I arrived, my avatar began forming, naked at first, then jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt appeared on a thin form.

The first thing I did was figure out how to change my appearance. I made my avatar shorter and thicker, darkened her hair and eyes, lightened her skin. As I was doing this, I became aware of a male avatar hovering around me. At first I figured he was new, too, and we were all just fumbling around. But he kept bumping up against my avatar.

I ignored him for a while as I began taking the tests in the orientation level to move forward in the game/world. This guy avatar was still there everywhere I went. I made my avatar walk to the opposite end of the island. He followed. I read through the instructions quickly so I could figure out how to communicate. And the first thing I said on my first day in Second Life was "Buzz off!"

Hey, I lived in the city for 13 years. I can handle assholes who harass me on the street. I've taken self defense classes. I know how to set boundaries. I've been online since 1987 - I know how to "be safe" - and in all the years I've never had any real problems, even when I really put myself and my true identity out there in cyberspace. Of course, back in the early 90s, I was the one advising women to use gender-neutral names and avatars to avoid this very kind of childish bullying from cowardice jerks who get off on being aggressive in virtual worlds because of some deficiency in their real-world life.

So I'm trying to ignore this jerk, and meanwhile my husband is starting to read what the guy is saying to my avatar - to me... - in chat.

"Nice ass. I could F--- your ass all night long."

OK, this is my husband reading what some other guy (I'm assuming it was a guy) was saying to me (right, my avatar that looks more and more like me as I keep altering its appearance). In the real world, my husband would have decked this guy. One quick martial arts move and a broken nose later, this guy would be wimpering for mercy. But here's my husband - who isn't really into the Internet and doesn't understand why people would talk to strangers online much less spend their time frequenting a virtual world - totally helpless as he watches his wife's avatar (in his mind, his wife) getting sexually harassed and practically molested online.

Once I realized ignoring this guy was futile and that my entire first experience on Second Life was quickly going down the toilet, I looked up how to report abuse on the system, found the form, filled it out in graphic detail and submitted it. I had already told the jerk if he kept harassing me, I'd file an abuse report. That did not deter him in the least as his avatar rubbed up against mine, felt her up, chatted obscenities, chased her across the island, stood in her way and blocked her path.

I have to say at no time did I panic or get angry, just mildly annoyed. And in no way am I comparing this form of harassment in any way to the horrible stuff going on with a female blogger right now - real-world harassment - but I'm just sickened that my first experience with Second Life had to be so disgusting. And even more disheartened that it happened in front of my husband who was already thinking this whole Twitter thing was bad and that Second Life could only be worse - much worse.

His greatest fears were realized as he watched some guy feel up his wife. He could not separate avatar from person, virtual from real, because in his mind it was one and the same.

I shut down the game. Now I was angry. Why did this have to happen in front of my husband? If I had tried it out first and it had happened, I'd have reported it and then moved on. I want to try it again. I don't want to give assholes the power to keep women off Second Life by creating a hostile environment for them. But it can be very disempowering to encounter that kind of treatment when you first arrive in a new space, virtual or otherwise.

And I'm ashamed to say that while the harassment was going on, I found myself returning again and again to change my appearance and make my avatar even shorter, wider, cover up more skin with the tshirt, anything to make her appear less attractive, less of a target. I don't think men have any idea what this feels like, what this can do to a person. Even though it is technically "make believe." Or is it?

I'd jump back in the fray without hesitation if it wasn't for my husband's feelings. He is very hurt by what happened - angry, frustrated, confused. And I feel like if I were to go back to the game, he'd feel somehow betrayed by me.

My first time on Second Life sucked, that's for sure. But I really don't want this brief experience last night to define my entire experience with the game - or change my views of virtual worlds.

The irony of all of this is that Friday night I lectured about how the Internet is the same today as it was 12 years ago in many ways. I opened my talk by saying that "The Internet is Like a Gun." Guns aren't inherently bad but there are bad people who use guns in bad ways. The Internet is not inherently bad. But there are bad people who use the cloak of anonymity afforded by the Internet to do bad things. Should this stop us from using it? No, of course not. But does it make you think twice and do the virtual equivalent of looking over your shoulder? Sure. There are bad people out there doing bad things. And last night, I found one of them on Second Life.

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