WEEKEND OPEN FORUM (Updated)

So if you have an SL-based topic you want to talk about, or an announcement, project, event you want to promote, post here.  Monday, I'll mention noteworthy Comments and discussions in an update.

Update, 7/30:  Clement Rosher has started a group to advocate renaming Second Life.  Sean Voss is looking for great SL locations for his upcoming book; an anonymous poster sends word of a declaration of avatar rights. 

Comments

[sean percival]

I'm in the process of writing a new book on Second Life and looking to highlight some of the greatest and most unique locations in world. I've already been to the well known spots for shopping and entertainment. Now I'm looking for those lesser known but equally amazing builds.

You can email me with information about your location or drop a LM to Sean Voss. Backed by a major publisher (really shouldnt say because its not wiley ;) and will be available in major book stores.

Thanks,
Sean

[SLJustice]

To All Second Life Avatars:

These fundamental documents are dedicated to the proposition that all Avatars are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights coexistent with their Creator. These documents are given freely to the Second Life Population to be modified and adopted in the form finally approved by them without any copyright or other reservation of rights by the author.

http://slcongress.com

Anon

[Clement Rosher]

I'll start with a prediction that I'll turn into a suggestion (right, that's the correct order :) )

I really think the brand "Second Life" will be changed in a not so far future because it doesn't serve the virtual world purposes anymore.

It became misleading and, while it was of help in the earlier marketing stages to create the stories, right now it is a source for most of the high reject rate at the conceptual level.

As we see, more and more the real life aspects are coming to the SL environment naturally, proving that a separate life is not possible.

So, my proposal is: change the virtual world name ("Second Life") to reflect its best value.

Thank you,
Clement

SL name: Clement Rosher

[Clement Rosher]

I don't know if I am allowed to write here the name of the SL group to support this idea and this is why I made a separate post (please delete it if not allowed).

Anyone supporting this idea can join in-world the group named: "New Name".

Thank you,
Clement

[Kate Amdahl]

How is "Second Life" misleading? I've always thought it was an inspired name. "Second" doesn't necessarily mean "completely different and unrelated to"...it just means "another".

[Clement Rosher]

The name is primary misleading for those who didn't saw SL inside.

There is a HUGE amount of people out there that use different social networking tools but are not willing to take a look at SL .
Why?
Because they are "happy with their lifes and they don't need a second life".

Do this sound familiar? I think any SL resident hear that every day around him/her.

Our present world (rl) is dominated by social interactivity using digital tools.

SL has to offer a LOT more then any social network system out there.
How come so many people are not even willing to try it?
And SL had far more press (the good one) then any other "network".

I really belive it is about its name being misleading for many many people out there.

[Laetizia Coronet]

Second Life is one of the most readily recognizeable names in the brand - people who don't know what MMORPG means and hardly ever connect to the web, know Second Life.

To be blunt, only a fool would want to change that.

[Clement Rosher]

Laetizia,

Having a brand recognized is not the main aim of a business.
It is about how much the service or product behind the brand is USED.

If you think 8 million people (in fact almost 2 million) it's an acceptable amount of people for an international brand then allow me to disagree.
Compare the 8 million people with 150 million from MySpace.

Why do you think the rest of 142 millions didn't registered with SL yet?

Right .. because they already heard about "Second Life" and they are not interested "in another life"

You say: "only a fool would want to change that."

Right.. I am that fool. :)

On another hand, if I agree with you that <<"Second" doesn't necessarily mean "completely different and unrelated to"...it just means "another".>> then the name still is misleading because spending "another life" in a virtual world is ONLY ONE way to use a 3d environment among many many other ways.
So, this name doesn't tell people what they can do in SL other then spending another life.

[Clement Rosher]

I just saw a news title that keep in it what I mean very well (It's about a survey taken): "Japan Aware of Second Life, But Not That Excited".
I think this is the situation with Europeans or Americans, as weel considering the total numbers of europeans or americans targeted.

It's not about how mean know your name, it's about what they think about your product and how much they use it.

I also opened a blogg abut my proposal in order to discuss the rebranding of SL and the way to get a bigger percent interested in SL environment.

http://newnameforsl.blogspot.com/