In case you have not yet seen it, the November/December issue of GOOD Magazine has a "good" article on why Second Life (SL) doesn't live up to its hype. The article, written by GOOD's deputy editor Morgan Clendaniel, documents the author's rather embarrassing personal experience exploring SL. (Let's just say that Morgan's quest to locate appropriate "equipment" for his SL avatar is the dominant theme of the narrative.) But this paragraph, which I've cleaned up a little bit for a workplace audience, captures the essence of why I believe SL isn't a good use of time and resources for associations:
Since San Francisco-based Linden Lab launched it in 2003, Second Life has enjoyed enormous growth, and has been widely heralded as the future of the internet. More recently, though, things seem to have taken a turn for the worse. Several major real world businesses set up shop in Second Life last year, but some companies have since quietly pulled out, perhaps noticing the same trend I did: a less-than-critical mass of Second Lifers pretty much everywhere I went. And even though $1 million changes hands daily in Second Life, the economy...appears to be less a new way for businesses to reach their consumers, and more of a way for people with a little skill at using Second Life's programming code to make a few quick bucks...(emphasis added)
Second Life advocates contend that experimenting with virtual worlds today is an opportunity for organizations of all sizes to learn what it will take to be successful in the years ahead when virtual worlds are more prevalent and important on the Web. While this argument makes sense from a pure innovation point of view, I continue to believe that establishing a presence in SL is not the right strategic choice for the vast majority of associations trying to create new value for members, customers and stakeholders. There are simpler and more meaningful technologies available to our organizations, and I don't believe any of them require any special "equipment."
Of course, I urge you to read the article and draw your own conclusions, but I've reached mine. Second Life just isn't a good use of your time.
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