THE YEAR IN NWN: EPOCHAL SHIFTS

Crossing MTV's G-Hole logo-- and into an era of corporate promotion in Second Life

When New World Notes began 2006, I was still Linden Lab's embedded journalist, and the world had just over 100,000 registered accounts.  (And that was back when counting the total number of accounts meant something, because until late 2005, Basic accounts still cost $9.95 and required a credit card for registration.)  By conscious choice, I made my very first post of the year about an MTV producer shooting a fashion video in-world.  It was one of the first real world companies to enter Second Life (and certainly the most recognizable one), so I thought it might represent a major shift in the culture, for better or worse (or better and worse.)  Would the community assail the producer with protest signs, as they did with the first real world brand agency?  Would they embrace it wholeheartedly in droves? 

The answer, I concluded in a story cheekily called "And Your Chicks for Free", was a bit of both:  some were interested, a few were annoyed, but most were just indifferent or unimpressed (or at least, pretended to be.)  And the world kept growing more or less unchanged by the arrival of corporate interests.  Since then, however, that interest has continued to grow, fueled in part by a Harvard Business Review article which had an in-world forum, other articles and pioneering projects, and the arrival of numerous "metaverse developers" who create Second Life sites for real world companies and organizations.   (The big five currently being Aimee Weber Studios, The Electric Sheep Company, Infinite Visions Media, NWN sponsor Millions of Us, and Rivers Run Red.)  But though they've been working at it throughout the year, it's still unclear how much impact they're having on the community at large, most of whom seem unimpressed by or indifferent to all these big money bids for their attention.  (Then again, if you had read "Chicks for Free", that wouldn't be surprising.)

That was one epochal shift New World Notes reported on in 2006.  A few more, after the break.

Going Pro

It's easily one of the most popular NWN posts this year, still read perhaps several hundred of times every week (even though it was run over six months ago):  "Going Pro in SL", Aimee Weber's advice on making a living through content creation in Second Life.  The fact that it's read so much tells you what people are looking to do in SL-- which in turns suggests how they perceive the world.

Creative Differences

It led to a boycott and numerous protests (not to mention flying boulders), along with dire warnings of the end-- and when it was all over, the creators of CopyBot (the reverse engineer hack that seemed to enable easy content theft) got their way:  they'd exposed how easy it was to replicate textures and designs and other content which so many Residents earned an income from.  Despite the initial panic, business as usual resumed fairly quickly, but it left hanging numerous questions that are sure to return soon.  Among them:  can IP rights to 3D content in an online world truly be protected, and what will the creative community's response next time, when Son of CopyBot is inevitably born?  Published just last month, "Copying a Controversy" and "Who's of Afraid of The CopyBot?" are surely just the beginning of that story.

Growing Pains

As late as the end of last year, the world was small enough that one person could launch a land-based political protest and/or griefer scheme pervasive enough across the grid that it provoked a massive backlash.  Within months, however, too many people and too much land was being added on a weekly basis to make that feasible.  And the population continued to grow, leading to thoughtful reflections on what it cost the community, to become so large, and what misery would ensue, to keep growing still larger.   (One of those community costs are fear of minors and griefers plauging the world, which culminated in a web/world-based boycott in June; and though the protest has ended, the concern continues.)

These themes were reflected in two stories by NWN contributor Tateru Nino in "The Meaning of Million" and "The Trouble with Two Million", and the questions she raised there still haven't been answered-- and as long as the world keeps growing at geometric rates, probably won't. 

But is the world growing as fast as we think?   By now, the real population of Second Life (in terms of regular and active visitors) has become a full-blown controversy, but it's worth pointing out that the skepticism was growing as early as last June-- when total Second Life accounts were a mere quarter million.  Philip Linden told NWN that new Resident retention rates are as low as 10% (based on those who visit SL weekly, three months after entering the world) and that's a baseline which will inform the debate, in 2007.

As I said at the start, these are just the epochal shifts reported on this blog.  Which ones have I missed, and which ones that I mentioned deserve better characterization?

Comments

[WarKirby Magojiro]

Wow. I just spent the last 4 hours reading ALL of the articles linked to in this. Staggering. I think there's more to be learned in the comments for some, than in the articles themselves. Particularly New World Numbers- 2 million.

Every time I visit this site, I learn more and expand my horizons. Thank you, Hamlet. I'm gonna spent the NEXT few hours thinking on it all, and processing the information.

Wow

WarKirby Magojiro

[mtv]

you can still watch the MTV fashion show on their broadband channel;

http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?type=1075&id=1525482&vid=77148

now available on mac and in firefox

[epredator potato]

It has been an amazing year. Personally I am really looking forward to where this all goes next and hope we can all plot the right path.
Have you got some ideas on what you might have to right this time next year?
I get asked about where this is going all the time so would love to here your thoughts.
NWN has been a guiding light for me to find out what has been going on, thankyou for a great years coverage and comment.

[Hamlet Au]

Glad to help, and thanks.

Where we go next year is in a post next week. :)