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Second life has also been hit by the proliferation of MMOs out there that may be an all action story line at the face of it, but under the surface are basically and elaborate chat system.

Wurm Online is one example where players live a medieval type life, building villages, digging the land, planting forests and so on. But, beyond that, people play the game for the sense of community they get out of it.

Even World of Warcraft, although far more aggressive and teen orientated than Wurm, is basically a community with a game superimposed on top of it.

The problem with this type of medium is that it is seen as the place of teens or those who are less mature - a place where "being adult" means you can swear a lot. Second Life is a prime example of this.

But that ignores a vast potential market of people who may enjoy the mix of creating something (playing the game) and creating a community, but would like to do it in an environment that is mature, sensible and far more casual - requiring less time commitment

Game makers traditionally go for the teen market (and older people who still act as teens) as it is seen as a market that is easy to pull in, who are easily swayed by the "latest game" or in-yer-face experiences. But that is not where the real money is.

The big bucks is in the more mature market (not necessarily older, plenty of teens who are mature), people who don't want to put in hours on end, or get addicted, or use it for getting virtual kicks (whether that is from sex or violence).

But that is a harder market to break. Independent games like Wurm Online may touch at the edges of that market, but we have yet to see a mainstream developer put in big bucks into an MMO aimed specifically at that market.

Personally, I would love to develop that sort of game, but with the teen market being so much easier to exploit (as it always has been, long before the Internet), then getting the money on board could prove near impossible.

Second Life has hardly "gone very quiet of late." While you continue to focus your attention on the 1st wave of media hype-driven failed Fortune 500 advertising experiments of three years ago, thousands colleges, businesses of all sizes and government agencies have established a successful ongoing presence in Second Life.

It's unfortunate that you and Mr. Neate did not attend last month's Virtual Journalism Summit, presented by The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, in partnership with the McCormick Foundation. (1) I had the privilege of sitting in the front row of Washington State University's virtual campus and listen to Helen Thomas, former White House bureau chief and Bob Scheiffer, CBS News' chief &Washington correspondent discuss the history and future of journalism. Sitting around me in this virtual space were avatars representing the essences of current and future thought leaders from around the globe.

Today is Earth Day and all this week many of these same "geeks" and "socially awkward" (Do you REALLY think of Helen Thomas as socially awkward!?) individuals will be gathering in Second Life to learn about and discuss topics like alternative energy, smart grids and the role of social values in creating sustainable societies.

Participants in this weeks events will be taking tours of energy technology and applications, such as the Green Ideation Quest (2), that would be both financially and logistically impossible for a majority to attend in the physical world. Some of the discussions will almost certainly use various 3D idea-mapping and collaboration tools by ThinkBalm (3). These next-generation 3D applications are the type of leading edge tools and solutions being created and sold for real $$ every day in Second Life.

A number of companies, including my own, were featured in Business Week last year, for our work using Second Life as a "Virtual Prototyping" tool. This is just one of the applications made possible by Second Life, that companies are discovering can them save significant $$$, while enhancing collaboration and team productivity (4).

Since the first Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) were established, "adult" content providers and patrons have used online venues to explore their sexuality and conduct commerce. The 2D Internet's single most profitable industry niche is classified by most Internet users as "porn." This does not prevent individuals or companies from using the Internet for education, commerce, social networking or any of the thousands of other uses it enables.

Despite what you say, Second Life has not "...always been an "anything goes" environment." Individuals and companies have always had the ability to manage their exposure to undesired content, by making use of either PG or private locations. The goal of Linden Lab is to significantly improve the user experience for everyone, through virtual "zoning." The only people who will be affected by the new zoning are those who are selling adult content-oriented wares.

It's important to note, that neither Facebook nor Twitter, whose rapid growth you cite as having happened while Second Life went "from hot to not," are making any money; Zero, Zilch, Nada! (5) As Virtual Words continue to become more mainstream, Second Life is in a terrific position to capitalize on this growth. The details of SL's current growth can be seen in their 1st Quarter 2009 report (6).

I invite you to join me for a more complete tour of Second Life than you may have had. I would be glad to introduce you to some of the most intelligent, socially gifted and creative individuals you will find anywhere and show you some of the amazing ways they are using Second Life to make a positive difference in the world. Perhaps, after you have had a chance to do some additional investigative journalism, you can write a follow-up piece (retraction) that more fairly represents the truth about Second Life.

Respectfully,

Valiant Westland

(1) Virtual Journalism Summit -
(2) Green Ideation Quest -
(3) ThinkBalm -
(4) Business Week Prototyping in SL -
(5) Facebook/Twitter Profit Picture Remains Murky -
(6) Second Life 2009/Q1 Report -

My personal view is that Second Life has now entered the Slope of Enlightenment in the Hype Cycle. And thank goodness for that - we can get down to work without our potential clients being frightened off by stupid stories.

In my view, Second Life and virtual worlds like it are ideal for a wide range of learning activities, and British establishments have taken a lead here with some very exciting projects and developments.

The fact is that early attempts by marketers and corporates largely failed because they did not take the trouble to understand the in-world audience and the kind of conversations it wished to have - thus in-world businesses did better, by and large, than off-world corporates trying to build their brand.

Now the hype has gone but the users haven't - they are at an all-time high; the operation has a business model and is profitable (something that Facebook and Twitter apparently do not)

My personal view is that Second Life has now entered the Slope of Enlightenment in the Hype Cycle. And thank goodness for that - we can get down to work without our potential clients being frightened off by stupid stories.

In my view, Second Life and virtual worlds like it are ideal for a wide range of learning activities, and British establishments have taken a lead here with some very exciting projects and developments.

The fact is that early attempts by marketers and corporates largely failed because they did not take the trouble to understand the in-world audience and the kind of conversations it wished to have - thus in-world businesses did better, by and large, than off-world corporates trying to build their brand.

Now the hype has gone but the users haven't - they are at an all-time high; the operation has a business model and is profitable (things that neither Facebook and Twitter apparently have) and after a brief pause, growth continues with a significant real-world sum changing hands every day.

I see a great future for in-world e-learning and for virtual conferencing, where you can enjoy many of the features of a real conference without the carbon emissions, and unlike the ordinary small-group-based web seminars and video conferening techniques you can meet people and network just like you do in real life.

Although there is sexual behavior in the Second Life(R) virtual world, just as in real life, it isn't the only thing that goes on there. It is perfectly possible to spend time in the SL(TM) environment and not see sexual activity. Many folks lead a happy and productive sexless life, and most of those who do indulge in any sort of sexual activity tend to do so behind closed doors - and it is very simple to close virtual doors!

I spend a lot of time as a news reporter in the Second Life system and stories about kinky sex are, quite frankly, boring. More interesting are stories about entrepreneurship, education, conferences, legal issues, fashion, and many other topics that you would find in a real world magazine.

The "cleaning up" of Second Life is unlikely to be a big issue for many people. Folks will still be able to indulge in a bewildering number of sexual fantasies but the aim is simply to make sure these occur in locations that are private - which is what people already do!

People like Eric Krangel are just a little tainted in their views and never did see the wider picture...thats why Reuters pulled him.

There are a lot of clever things being done there but those little journalism skills and not enough time focus tend to focus on what excites them personally.

My personal view is that Second Life has now entered the Slope of Enlightenment in the Hype Cycle. And thank goodness for that - we can get down to work without our potential clients being frightened off by stupid stories.

In my view, Second Life and virtual worlds like it are ideal for a wide range of learning activities, and British establishments have taken a lead here with some very exciting projects and developments.

The fact is that early attempts by marketers and corporates largely failed because they did not take the trouble to understand the in-world audience and the kind of conversations it wished to have - thus in-world businesses did better, by and large, than off-world corporates trying to build their brand.

Now the hype has gone but the users haven't - they are at an all-time high; the operation has a business model and is profitable (something that Facebook and Twitter apparently do not)

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I blogged about this same question recently:



In short, I think SL and other Virtual Worlds have not yet come of age... and are currently going through what Gartner calls the 'Trough of Disillusionment' on the Hype Cycle:



SL, despite all the hype, hasn't reached CriticalMass. It hasn't reached the vast majority of the public. Millions (of Gen Y even) don't know what SL is, let alone have been on it. It is like the Internet in 1994... you go there... and then wonder what you're supposed to do.

SL might not be the Virtual World of choice in the future either, though I think that once the Open-Id and Open-Avatars are sorted out, so that you can jump from one world to another without having to re-create your virtual self every time, then there will be a true growth.

Don't forget Mindark are creating a world for 7 million concurrent users for the Chinese... some of the younger worlds have far more residents than SL.

Which world do you have to go to? SL has more freedom to create than many others... but it has many drawbacks.

Perhaps we need a new Google to enter the space and make everything 100% better and easier (as Google did in 1997-1999ish), to help drive a new level of Internet boom?

In short, SL isn't dead. Yet. But it really needs to make it easier for people to sign-in... e.g. being able to use it through a browser?! And on a mobile device?!

It will come... the question is when, not if.

Coverage of Second Life frustrates me. Like a city, there are a wide range of "neighborhoods" and activities occuring concurrently. Wouldn't it be nice to see coverage of some of that diversity, rather than seeing primarily articles on adult activities and corporate presences?

The West of Ireland (WOI) is the Second Life extension of the South Texas Celtic Music Association (STCMA), a 501(c)3 nonprofit in the United States. STCMA promotes Celtic music and culture through its music festival, concerts, and music education efforts, while working to support Project Children. As a presence in Second Life, WOI accomplishes three goals: raising donations for Project Children, increasing awareness of Celtic culture and music, and developing a worldwide base of volunteers.

Project Children (projectchildren.org) formed in 1975, as political and religious tensions called β€œThe Troubles” traumatized children throughout Northern Ireland. The Project offers Protestant and Catholic kids a summer away from segregated neighborhoods and the legacy of violence. Violence has declined in Northern Ireland, but the impact of The Troubles remains as too many children learn patterns of suspicion and intolerance. This program shows children they can live together as friends, turning despair into hope for more than 20,000 children.

More than twenty volunteers at the West of Ireland host live concerts from performers around the world, storytelling events, art exhibitions, and workshops and conferences. Each month WOI sends an average of $750.00US to Project Children, essentially covering the travel expenses of another child. In two years, WOI has grown from hosting four events a month to more than 150 events a month plus quarterly SL-based festivals featuring twenty or more performers. Music, storytelling, and art capture the essence of Celtic culture, from the traditions of pre-Christian peoples to modern Irish life. Second Life provides a worldwide stage to what otherwise would be local or regional efforts.

There is GOOD going on in SL, too.

If the proposed regulations were just concerning the sex industry in SL then I doubt any resident would care to much, but the solution to this percieved problem is not well thought out. As it stands the rule restricting "photorealistic" nudity on a pg sim will mean no reproduction of the statue of David on a pg sim, the rule concerning "illicity" drug use means no poster of Bob Marley, and the rule about explicit violence is so subjective then it is almost meaningless. There are a 101 solutions, which would keep "easily offended" residents and businesses perfectly happy and not disrupt the rest of SL. I urge anyone interested in this issue to contact the Revolting Adults group in-world. This is not about sex, it is about freedom of expression and the ghettoisation of a huge cross section of SL residents. Personally I am cynically aware that "sex stories" about Second Life make big headlines where as the vast amount of real money raised for charities (not least of which being Relay for Life) gets ignored.