Update: According to the Official Linden Blog, the report by Reuters is a furphy.... === As reported by Reuters earlier this week, FBI agents in the US have been investigating gambling within Second Life. The story is well worth a read and it poses some fairly substantial questions for Australians operating businesses in Second Life. Firstly, every country has different … [Read more...] about FBI and Gambling – Australian connotations?
Op-ed
The SL gender balance – female decline continues
The gender balance in Second Life continues to skew in favour of the masculine according to the updated demographic statistics provided by Linden Lab. Although the proportional drop in female residents is very small there's certainly a trend line downwards since June 2006. So why? One reason may be that the evolving nature of SL means that the user experience is altering more … [Read more...] about The SL gender balance – female decline continues
“second life online university degree”
Those are the terms I used for a recent Google search. And what do you think was near the top of the list on the results of this search? The listing of Ohio University - their presence in SL was my first look at an in-world university when I was wandering aimlessly around some time ago. The Ohio University Island is a replica of the real life campus in pathways, buildings … [Read more...] about “second life online university degree”
Apple Mac users – SL is the only option
One demographic within the SL user base that hasn't been discussed in detail is Operating System. For the sake of the discussion I'll talk about Windows versus Mac OS although most applies to Linux users. Second Life was my first stop for virtual worlds and I hadn't really investigated others in details, until today. I had decided to register accounts with There.com, Entropia … [Read more...] about Apple Mac users – SL is the only option
Celebrities in Second Life – why?
With the growing focus on Second Life, the issue of celebrity is starting to rear its head more often. And like real-life, celebrity is a fascinating and complex issue. Some people admire the achievements of some who become 'famous'. Others enjoy celebrity-watching as a blood sport and some find it all pointless. Whatever the perspective, celebrity is a reality in SL. The … [Read more...] about Celebrities in Second Life – why?