Second Life is partly how the Internet originally came about. First wave being IT techs, pioneers, and IT businesses, second wave being porn industry, third being all the other businesses, and fourth being the general public.

Second Life is headed the same way. The immediate future of the internet will likely be 2-D internet, as it is now integrated with second life and other similar ‘environments’, including the current gaming ones. Basically a mash-up.

The future could almost certainly be a 3-D internet, an advanced version of Second Life.

Second Life is here to stay because people are making money and big businesses are finding it very useful, for training, simulations, meetings, interacting with customers.

The main problem with Second Life at the moment for businesses is lack of regulation and security and fraud.
But they will work on these as their presence grows.

Second Life and it’s successor if it has one, is here to stay. After all, the Internet is still here, and the same detractors were predicting identical things about it, as this article does about second life.

No you are not a doctor. Nor am I. However, I am a licensed nurse (OK- it lapsed awhile ago so I was) with a background in pysch. and oncology (medical surgical too). So in the grand scheme of things I believe I have more real life experience and can make a better assement than you could from a medical perspective? Agreed? and I can tell you anything to ease someone’s suffering, or allow them ability to socialize while they are dieing…seriously Matt- you REALLY believe that crap you are telling me? Are you really that callous and cold? Just tell me truthfully if you really think that way, or if you are just into ok Porter I am going to argue with you no matter what- e.g. play devil’s advocate.

“So first you setup a poor claim that there are other people playing Second Life aside from just opportunists (in a way that also tried to throw a little guilt trip in there as well)”.

I cannot control how you feel Matt. I would feel guilty If I were you- yes. I would feel lousy if I said what you said. Why attack dieing people or people with cancer? Why attack disabled people? What do you have against them?

“and then immediately go into your *main* argument which is based entirely on people playing Second Life for the sole purpose of making money (in one form or another)?”

Again Matt- I think I said plainly:

“and once again you are completely wrong- bulk of people are not in it for the money- it is a social platform and a micro-creation platform. Unlike you I have taken the time doing some metrics crunching. Don’t worry- I won’t waste your time with it. You might also realize that the metrics in SL are not what you are accustomed too- the current ones used…”

“Whether it’s selling real estate directly or increasing brand awareness, it’s still an attempt to monetize the system.”

??? You missed the parts about research, collaboration, micro-creation,information sharing, etc. Define monetize?

“It’s a video game based solely on advertisements.”

If that is how you seek to interpret it than yes- after all reality is what Matt? Reality is what you and I both agree upon at any give moment. However, games usually have a goal or a purpose.

“There is no purpose in it.”

Correct- unlike games where there is a goal or a purpose. Thus Second Life is not a game. Now- yes you can ARG, or game inside of the platform- but you don’t have too. I like to game too- although I may come from an earlier era (TCP/IP quake on a modem- it hurt but we did it)

“There’s just a bunch of opportunists trying to promote their brands and sell property to each other. Real people will never play Second Life on a massive scale.”

There are opportunists everywhere.
That is possible- it may not scale. Calling everyone an “opportunist” is a bit broad brushed though.

“There’s no draw. Are the people in the game buying virtual products? Yes. But I’d like to see a study on the amount of gold/items/accounts sold in WoW to the amount of cars and shirts sold in Second Life.”

Matt in my discussions with Bob, one of the people in Julian Dibbel’s “Play Money” book- he is quite forthcoming in saying WoW blows everyone out of the water- hands down. Yet there is a “draw” primarily in the skewing of use demographics.

“Second Life isn’t a magical new portal for “collaboration, education, global networking, new ways to work, conduct business, network” - it’s a video game.”

Perhaps our age difference is one reason we interpret things differently? Like you one of my first sites was about gaming. I have game for years. SL is not like a game man.

“Maybe I’m reading this too seriously, but it seems that you’re suggesting that Second Life has the potential to emulate (and maybe take over?) all aspects of everyday business and even life. That’s absurd.”

Matt I think you are taking it too seriously there- however I am asserting, as anyone with some medical background will know, that immersion in 3D virtual realms can cause changes in dopamine, serotonin, noreph., and other neuro-transmitter levels, not to mention changes in theta, delta, and alpha waves. Furthermore, that by interacting with these environments- it can possibly change behavior. I never made the assertion that SL could emulate RL- I do think in a few years we won’t be moving around in hyper-text or HTTP as our primary protocol.

“Have you seriously thought about what you’re arguing? What exactly do you mean by “collaboration”?”

I would not have bothered to stop by and have a discussion if I had not given it some serious thought. When I speak of collaboration that means working together- in tandem, towards a common goal. You posted your views, I made some counter arguments.

As you said in your “About” Page

“Do I have all the answers? No. But I will do my best to give insight into what I do know”.

I think that is a good and fair statement to make. I am telling you I have a lot of experience in that realm and I am trying to provide some different insights. I respect your right to think it is a sucky platform- fine. I thought I made that clear?

“Are you talking about an in-game art mosaic (that’d be neat)”

That has been done ad infinitum. Art is actually appreciated by some people there- usually particle-based art- highly dynamic, moving, stuff. I am, unfortunately, not artistic. :(

“or Second Life cartels?”

What do you mean by cartels? Like the Q-8 Army or Carder Botnet “criminals”, explain? What is your experience with cartels? Again this is an area where I can provide insight- do mean land barons? or organizations like the SLLA?

“What exactly do you mean by “education”?”

I believe education is self explantory- to learn.

“Are you talking about taking tech courses online via Second Life or a new way to teach kids about sex by allowing them to solicit prostitutes?”

I think your allusions in SL are a bit “twisted”. Tech courses versus references to pedophilia? Not sure where you got that from?

“What exactly do you mean by “global networking”? Are you arguing that a Second Life Affiliate Convention will take over Affiliate Summit or that there will be neat clubs (hey can we call them guilds?!)”

global networking- working with people around the globe. ??

“where like-minded people can meet and talk about things in a pretend world instead of REALITY? What exactly do you mean by “new ways to work”? Do you mean that there may eventually be companies that operate completely in-game?”

Reality? Tell me Matt- and I look forward to this- what is “reality”?

That is correct Matt- reference studies Wal-Mart, IBM and others are doing there. There are ALLREADY companies (one actually) that have been formed legally and operate totally “in-world”.

“It seems that you’re throwing around claims and buzz words without clarifying what exactly they mean.”

I know exactly what they mean. I work in an industry where you don’t make claims without being able to back it up with some reason or proof. You have an about page- I have an about page. Tell me do you think I waltz around to blogs to make things up?

“Anybody can say something presents a “new way to work” - if I wanted to, I could run a company off of WoW and Teamspeak. Does that mean it’s a good idea?”

What size company?
What compliance standards are you held too?
Have you given this any fair consideration Matt? Seriously.

Actually- if you *could* manage that- that is a helluva an idea. You would have no problems retaining people I am sure…although I am not sure TeamSpeak is that secure. But why not? Is that so absurd? Well it was totally absurd when I was your age and people described a “graphical web”- yeah right. Everything you do today was considered “completely absurd” at one point.

“Could I see these metrics?”

Absolutely. When would you like to meet? Are you coming to the next summit? I can go over them with you there.

“This argument comes off really weak - it sort of sounds like you’re making it up.”

Sure Matt. If that makes you feel safer about it. Why wouldn’t I mine data from a grid that has open economic data? Makes sense? It isn’t like it is some enigmatic secret, just have to take time to do it and crunch them. I have- you have not.

“I’m not calling you a liar, I’m just letting you know how it comes across.”

No harm done. You have come across as extremely close-minded, but maybe you had a bad day. I dunno. Rather surprised at your venom all the way around.

“How are the metrics in SL not what I’m accustomed to?”

If you are accustomed to traditional affiliate mraketing metrics- then it is beyond you right now. The fact that I see you referencing “hits” tells me that.

“Are they different in that they’re based on conjecture?”

How can metrics be based in conjecture? Metrics are units of measurement.

“Or are they different in that they’re impossible to prove unless every unlikely piece of the SL puzzle falls into place (the main one being that real people eventually play the game on a massive scale)?”

Out all of our arguments this is the only that makes decent sense. I agree scalability is a major problem and they need to figure it out to some degree- because they can still operate i imagine. Still despite the fact they have such a sucky UI (and I don’t disagree) they are still around- why?

Bottom line Matt, I am not going to waste a ton of time arguing with you- either you really meant the stuff about dying and sick people or you did not- that does matter to me because it defines your character. You seem to be a bright person, but when someone challenges your POV, you come back hard with rhetoric rather than trying to gain understanding. That is what I cannot understand?

If you took my retort as a personal attack- it wasn’t. I do disagree with alot of your points, but given you have spent hardly anytime exploring it- no wonder.

“There you have it. I blew the whole thing wide open. Old farts who barely understand the internet or online culture have deemed that Second Life is going to revolutionize the world and become the ultimate portal of internet (and eventually all social) activity. ”

Old farts lke me? I was on the Net in 1988 Matt…I think you were like 3 years old? I was online- if you count 300 baud modems- in the 70’s. So if I a old, and had alot of experience with something- that means what to you?

See I see it differently. I think your youth is great- you *can* see things differently, just as my lack of it (I am 37) makes me view the world differently too.

But I don’t discount people because of their age- it is ability that counts right? That is what I liked about the Net when I hit it running too. Same with you. All that matters is if you can do it, not pieces of paper or an arbitrary age, etc.

have a good one.

regards,
Wayne

It is seen by many as a new internet communication platform. Just as you are using wordpress to build this blog others see secondlife as a means to get there message out there in a way that is much more engaging than mere text and pictures.

Let’s say that you go to a website that sells widgets or maybe it’s just an online community. People visiting those respective websites could click a link that would take them (for free) in to secondlife where they could see 3D representations of the widgets, speak to a customer service rep, or in the case of the online community they could do anything from give a presentation to a group or organize a fundraiser.

Its like web building software for the 3D internet which is naturally more engaging and therefore gaining a lot of attention of those in the marketing crowd.

Second Life is more of a developers platform as ALL of its content is created by its users. You could build a game on the Second Life platform, but Second Life itself can hardly be called a game and you’d be short sighted in thinking so.

Other question is if there was possibilities to do all that better, if this was to be done this was and that to be done that way. But, essentially, SL is not a game.