Bird of Paradise

I attended today’s Zoom meeting between Linden Lab and content creators/bloggers. The focus was on content theft in Second Life, and I will not bore you with all the details. You can read a recap of the meeting by Salt Peppermint. It appears that Linden Lab will soon revise their Terms of Service to include harsher penalties for any resident caught stealing content. Such penalties may include banning the offending account and all associated alt accounts, removing all their content from the grid, and potentially pursuing legal action.

Some of the meeting was dedicated to marketing. If any content creators wish to collaborate with Linden Lab by offering perks to residents, they should reach out. If you have an idea that could attract new residents to Second Life or help retain them once they join, Linden Lab is eager to hear about it. They mentioned that MadPea had approached them, but did not disclose whether they are compensating MadPea for providing their games for free to residents or if exposure is considered sufficient payment.

Regarding other marketing plans, Linden Lab is still assessing the return on investment for their marketing initiatives. They want to ensure that their spending to attract new residents brings in the right demographic—the residents who are willing to spend money. I believe Brad Oberwager (Executive Chairman of Linden Lab) referred to them as “monetarily valuable” residents. Essentially, Second Life aims to attract individuals who join, purchase premium memberships, acquire land, buy items, and continue this cycle. When I first joined the game, I was intrigued by the potential to earn money, but I quickly discovered that my true passion lay in dressing up my pixel doll. I believe the demographic that Second Life wants to target includes young, tech-savvy individuals who enjoy cozy dress-up games. While Second Life can be challenging, it is not difficult for those who learn quickly.

I left this meeting with the impression that Second Life creators have many ideas—such as a creator verification program—which could make the platform unwelcoming to new content creators or those who wish to create as a hobby rather than as a business. The beauty of Second Life is that anyone can create and sell anything, and implementing a verification system (like a gold star) could divide the community between verified and unverified creators.

I look forward to attending future Linden meetings and listening to fellow residents express their ideas and concerns. I believe Linden Lab faces a challenging road ahead, as marketing this game and achieving growth are not metrics that can be measured instantly.

If you are reading this blog post and are not yet playing Second Life, I encourage you to come and check it out! You can earn money here, and you can also be anything you wish to be.