Comments on: The hollow promise of Second Life http://www.principledinnovation.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-hollow-promise-of-second-life/ Moving from imagination to impact... Thu, 17 May 2012 07:37:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 by: Joseph Dunphy http://www.principledinnovation.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-hollow-promise-of-second-life/#comment-6733 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 22:44:45 +0000 http://www.principledinnovation.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-hollow-promise-of-second-life/#comment-6733 "As for SL not being brand ready, just a thought. If you are a brand or agency and you throw money at something that bombs, who is to blame? The medium, the stupid consumer, or you for putting forward an execution that isn’t actually right for that environment?" Most likely, the stupid consumer in this case, for the most part. What you see in Second Life is there because consumers paid to build it. Entering as a visitor, what I mostly found were a multitude of opportunities to go shopping and spend real money on fake merchandise - sorry, that should be "virtual merchandise". Picture tuning in to a new TV network that shows almost nothing but commercials - could you picture yourself becoming a regular viewer? The cluelessness of a marketeer who tries to promote his product with a happening that offers nothing to the visitor but a chance to be parted from his money can not be blamed on anybody but the marketeer himself. “As for SL not being brand ready, just a thought. If you are a brand or agency and you throw money at something that bombs, who is to blame? The medium, the stupid consumer, or you for putting forward an execution that isn’t actually right for that environment?”

Most likely, the stupid consumer in this case, for the most part. What you see in Second Life is there because consumers paid to build it. Entering as a visitor, what I mostly found were a multitude of opportunities to go shopping and spend real money on fake merchandise - sorry, that should be “virtual merchandise”. Picture tuning in to a new TV network that shows almost nothing but commercials - could you picture yourself becoming a regular viewer? The cluelessness of a marketeer who tries to promote his product with a happening that offers nothing to the visitor but a chance to be parted from his money can not be blamed on anybody but the marketeer himself.

]]> by: Dirk Singer http://www.principledinnovation.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-hollow-promise-of-second-life/#comment-6703 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 20:37:59 +0000 http://www.principledinnovation.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-hollow-promise-of-second-life/#comment-6703 Shock horror! Man goes into SL, makes a beeline for sex and gambling clubs and finds....strange things going on. Well I never, who'd have thought. I for one find it quite easy to get along without taking my kit off in Second Life, but there you go. As for SL not being brand ready, just a thought. If you are a brand or agency and you throw money at something that bombs, who is to blame? The medium, the stupid consumer, or you for putting forward an execution that isn't actually right for that environment? Shock horror! Man goes into SL, makes a beeline for sex and gambling clubs and finds….strange things going on. Well I never, who’d have thought.

I for one find it quite easy to get along without taking my kit off in Second Life, but there you go.

As for SL not being brand ready, just a thought. If you are a brand or agency and you throw money at something that bombs, who is to blame? The medium, the stupid consumer, or you for putting forward an execution that isn’t actually right for that environment?

]]> by: Ben http://www.principledinnovation.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-hollow-promise-of-second-life/#comment-6702 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 02:59:47 +0000 http://www.principledinnovation.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-hollow-promise-of-second-life/#comment-6702 Equipment. Heh. SL will be the sacrificial lamb for online worlds that grow up into stuff that's actually useful. I'd recommend playing around with it on your personal time. The numbers just don't add up for devoting work hours to it: You're something like 500X more likely to encounter an association member in World of Warcraft vs. Second Life; there are less than 100,000 people logged into Second Life in the average moment; and less than 100 avatars can gather in any given virtual space. Just to extend the conversation, I'd be curious to hear if you think staying away from Second Life is at all incompatible with your Long Tail philosophy. I'm guessing you don't think they're incompatible, but on the surface, they seem in opposition. Certainly there are some members in any given organization of significant size that are in SL. Equipment. Heh. SL will be the sacrificial lamb for online worlds that grow up into stuff that’s actually useful. I’d recommend playing around with it on your personal time. The numbers just don’t add up for devoting work hours to it: You’re something like 500X more likely to encounter an association member in World of Warcraft vs. Second Life; there are less than 100,000 people logged into Second Life in the average moment; and less than 100 avatars can gather in any given virtual space.

Just to extend the conversation, I’d be curious to hear if you think staying away from Second Life is at all incompatible with your Long Tail philosophy. I’m guessing you don’t think they’re incompatible, but on the surface, they seem in opposition. Certainly there are some members in any given organization of significant size that are in SL.

]]> by: Kevin http://www.principledinnovation.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-hollow-promise-of-second-life/#comment-6701 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:23:42 +0000 http://www.principledinnovation.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-hollow-promise-of-second-life/#comment-6701 I agree. It's overrated and likely to remain of long-term interest to a minority of populace (as opposed to the people coming in and out strictly out of curiosity who don't wind up hanging around -- I suspect it's the curiosity-seekers who have been bumping up the SL "population numbers" since free-level SL avatars never seem to die). Unless your association serves a community that is represented in such a targeted demographic, not worth the bother at this time. I agree. It’s overrated and likely to remain of long-term interest to a minority of populace (as opposed to the people coming in and out strictly out of curiosity who don’t wind up hanging around — I suspect it’s the curiosity-seekers who have been bumping up the SL “population numbers” since free-level SL avatars never seem to die). Unless your association serves a community that is represented in such a targeted demographic, not worth the bother at this time.

]]> by: Paul Williams http://www.principledinnovation.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-hollow-promise-of-second-life/#comment-6700 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:57:16 +0000 http://www.principledinnovation.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-hollow-promise-of-second-life/#comment-6700 Jeff: I've come to the same conclusion recently. In interactions with my clients over the past year, a few have said, "We need to get on Second Life fast!" To which my reply is always, "Why?" They basically return with an answer that equates to the old "bridge jumping" argument your mother retorted with in your youth...and that is simply not good enough. I've personally explored Second Life and I really don't get what all the fuss is about, nor do I see any sign of the promised benefits in financial gain or collaboration. It is a really cool concept, no doubt, but reality is hard enough without trying to duplicate it in the virtual world. I think a lot of smart organizations are coming to the same realization...lighter in the wallet...but hopefully smarter. Thanks for a great topic! Paul Jeff:

I’ve come to the same conclusion recently. In interactions with my clients over the past year, a few have said, “We need to get on Second Life fast!” To which my reply is always, “Why?”

They basically return with an answer that equates to the old “bridge jumping” argument your mother retorted with in your youth…and that is simply not good enough.

I’ve personally explored Second Life and I really don’t get what all the fuss is about, nor do I see any sign of the promised benefits in financial gain or collaboration. It is a really cool concept, no doubt, but reality is hard enough without trying to duplicate it in the virtual world. I think a lot of smart organizations are coming to the same realization…lighter in the wallet…but hopefully smarter.

Thanks for a great topic!

Paul

]]> by: Tony Rossell http://www.principledinnovation.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-hollow-promise-of-second-life/#comment-6699 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:38:24 +0000 http://www.principledinnovation.com/blog/2007/10/08/the-hollow-promise-of-second-life/#comment-6699 Thanks for the helpful post. Thanks for the helpful post.

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