Business on Second Life: We Lurve It. We Hate It. We Lurve It!

Our industry is so buzz driven. We see something shiny. We all immediately run toward it with twinkling eyes and breathless anticipation. Surely this shiny bauble will be THE THING that will transform our digital world and make it all hunky dory.

Six months later, the thing is revealed to be just another thing -- perhaps a cool thing, sometimes an effective thing, but a human-created thing, not a splendiferous genie's creation.

And then we run, we sprint, fleeing the not quite so new thing as if it were a form of airborne botulism. Ptewwy! How could have been so deceived by the evildoers that created it. Why, it's almost as bad as AOL dialup! Eek! Run for your lives!

And then sometimes, after a discreet interval, we see that some of the once wide-eyed former consorts, people who later ran away in disgust, quietly return with realistic expectations, and checkbooks.

Such is the story of Second Life. As I sit typing I am simultaneously reading a Fast Company article entitled The Second Life of Second Life. In it, writer Arianne Cohen reminds us of this quote from the creators of SL, Linden Labs. They made this back when the lemming were fleeing.

Our focus has been to build technology that enables users and then stand back and watch what people do, instead of supporting a particular use of Second Life.
-Glenn Fisher, Director of Business Programs, Linden Labs

The point of the article is that marketers used SL incorrectly -- that the correct use is to foster one on one communication. The article quotes Joni West, an SF based designer who was the brainchild behind some of the most effective efforts in the environment. And her philosophy is summed up in this awesome quotation:

I describe the mistake companies made like this: Imagine you've never been to Manhattan. You cross the George Washington Bridge, and someone hands you a guidebook. The first place you're going is not the Reebok store.

Go here immediately and read this excellent article.

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

MySpace Meets Second Life in Kaneva

Well, the genres are a blending at Kaneva, a sort of 3-D social network virtual world that gives every member a customizable city loft and myriad ways to meet people and make friends. I like the 3-D own space concept, a much more attractive way to display your content -- and without the glittery bling of Rupert's place.

I found it easy to work, and the level of customization available is remarkable. Check out the World Welsh Society Area.

Definitely worth a join! A mindbogglingly cool place online. And lots of tasteful ways to market to boot!

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.

You May Not Have a Second Life. But Kids Do.

The buzz around Second Life was intense about a year and a half ago. Now, not so much.

Not that that should make you think Second Life is dead. It still gets solid traffic, but its model for businesses appears to have evolved from a focus on building product stores and showcases like Dell Island to an environment where companies, teams, and professors create virtual settings for collaboration. Does that mean they have moved away from fun and entertainment? I don’t think so. I recently met someone who spends a great deal of time on the site as a virtual deejay who says it has simply settled down to a core of avid users.

I never got with the program on Second Life. The idea of virtual worlds is intriguing to me, but I didn't have the hardware to really support all those graphics, so I spent my days bumping into things and being LOLed at. But I hasten to point out that I never really got the hang of PONG, so Second Life may be a user experience nirvana for those with adult hand eye coordination and a better PC.

But by no means is Second Life the only game in town. There are other adult (in the age sense) virtual worlds, and surely some adult (in the XXX sense) ones.
But the kids worlds are booming with a capital B, and for good reasons! They offer easy to learn, easy to navigate environments in which to meet millions of other kids safely.

I recently visited two: Cartoon Doll Emporium (a start-up) and Club Penguin (which was acquired by Disney.)

Let’s start with the Disney site. Users can join for free, and wander around various worlds, communicating with others using very safe methodologies. There are two levels of safety in chat: one allows users only to communicate with pre approved pull down words and phrases. The other allows free chat, but every message is checked against a set of acceptable words and topics before it is delivered to the user.

I made a penguin in a few seconds, watched the demo, and then went merrily on my way, wandering from world to world and then into a surfing game. My score: zero. But it was still fun. As I wandered it was clear that the site is active and that kids are communicating well.

There is no marketing allowed on Club Penguin. It is supported solely through premium memberships. In my walk through the worlds and activities, it appears that Club Penguin is aimed for a somewhat younger consumer than Cartoon Doll Emporium. It was extremely easy to customize an avatar and get wandering.

The look and feel at Cartoon Doll Emporium is different. The site also allows free signup, and offers premium memberships as well. The site accepts advertising and will consider tasteful and age appropriate sponsored content.

This is a stunning destination. A virtual dress up party online. You customize an avatar, create your own space (I learned I am virtual decorating challenged,) talk to other members, view fashions designed by real world designers, and much much more. You could spend days on this site just reviewing the options, and based upon their user stats, many actually do.

The artwork is – well, has to be seen to be believed.

Users can buy virtual money or earn it through play, and then convert it to ever more elaborate and remarkable gear. Note to parents: I’m guessing virtual stuff works out to be cheaper than real stuff. Something to consider, eeh?

There are many many more children’s virtual worlds, this was just a brief peek at a couple of the standouts. If you’re a kid marketer, virtual worlds are something to consider. Many will allow tasteful and age appropriate marketing efforts.

Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to write.