Survey: Are You Going To SLCC 2008?

Many eyes now turn to Tampa, Florida, where some 800 Residents will attend this week's 2008 Second Life Community Convention.  Unfortunately I won't be able to attend (the cost and logistics got too overwhelming), but I'm looking for correspondents to cover the conference.  Meantime I'm curious to know how many NWN readers will be there-- or wish to, but for whatever reason, also can't.

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Comments

[vint falken]

Sadly enough, wrong side of the ocean. :(

[Jennyfur Peregrine]

I couldn't attend for several reasons this year.

1) September is a rough month in Academia... and our biggest event is coming up this month, which makes taking time off really hard

2) My best friend just got married and that takes priority though oddly enough she is going to the SLCC this year

3) I am in the process of starting my own company and again that is taking precedence on time and finances.

4) Apathy. As most people know, I left Second Life over a year ago and have logged in a handful of times since then. Yes, I know as a founder of the SLCC it is kind of shitty for me to claim apathy as a reason for not attending, but whatever. I'd go if reasons #1-3 weren't a priority, but they are. I will miss not seeing some of my closer SL friends again this time around.

[Nimil]

i can't go due to lack of money...

[eggy lippmann]

Why is SLCC in Tampa if most users are in Europe? :)

[Nightbird Glineux]

Two words hon: "Hurricane Season."

[WIdget Whiteberry]

A big appeal of Second Life is that I can build relationships and travel without actually increasing my carbon footprint and, you know, traveling.* So, no.

Now, if the proceedings are streamed in-world, I'd be very interested.

[Efemera Bisiani]

Cost, time, practicality of travelling so far across the Pond.

[maxieM]

Would love to, but like a lot of people, cost and timing not good.

[sinead mcmillan]

@eggy lippmann: that's the point. exactly. we are in europe.

[Crap Mariner]

My alt is going.

[CyFishy Traveler]

Prior commitment on the same weekend. Prior commitment is where I live and free; SLCC is long drive and will cost (plus hotel and other hassles.)

[Ann Otoole]

Price is way too high. Maybe next year SL's economy will make it more feasible.

[FlipperPA Peregrine]

Eggy: the real question is why you haven't yet started SLCC: Europe. Every single person to volunteer to work with SLCC, save one, have been US-based. Do you really expect a 100% American team to organize something in Europe? :)

Besides, amig0, you should have started SLCC Europe... wait for it... IN BETA! :)

[FlipperPA Peregrine]

@Ann... Price is way to high? Have you compared the price of SLCC versus other conventions? $220 is hardly high at all for a weekend long convention. The two day Virtual Worlds Conference the two days before SLCC is $1,000 (or $800 if you're early registered)... almost 4-5 times the cost of SLCC.

[Paisley Beebe]

As we are actually involved in a virtual world why is there not more effort to co-ordinate it in SL??? so that we can actually be a part of it. According to a lot of PR out there other RL companies use SL for Conferences...Why isn't this conference being beamed into SL and an identical set up done here!!! because...its not for the residents its for RL business clearly. Not going can't afford it...what a waste of a great resource to have it here in SL as well...come on L.L practice what you preach!!!!

[Ann Otoole]

SL is not in the same class as a programming conference yet. SL is currently in or just above the same genre as necronomicon which is around 50 bucks and moved over to st pete.

Like I said maybe next year. I just don't see any possible content worth that much money being delivered to me personally. Maybe to people that are just getting started. But not to me.

SLCC should consider a heavily discounted social event attendance opportunity for people that do not need to attend any tracks but would not mind mingling during socials. Like maybe Stroker's event. I'm pretty sure the party will wind up in Ybor city anyway since that is where the party time is in tampa town.

[rikomatic]

I'll be there! I'm speaking on the non-profit mini-track.

[rikomatic]

Paisley: I think some parts of the conference are being simulcast in SL. Not all of it, which is cost prohibitive I'm afraid.

This is not an official Linden Lab event. From what I have seen SLCC is organized by a group of well-intentioned and hardworking volunteers who do this for the love of the community.

I had a great time last year, and anticipate the same this year.

[T_S_Kimball]

Well, I spent all my travel money this year on a 2-week whirlwind tour in July - Dexcon, visit to my parents in MO, and a rapid relay up to MA for MYSTerium.

As for convention costs, I also find $220 a bit steep. Maybe I'm just a bit biased, since Dexcon is 4 days (almost non-stop) of just about every type of game imaginable and it only costs $60. It's main local competitor, Ubercon, charges $50 for two days, though they usually have 30+ computers setup in a massive LAN.

SLCC was originally about the community, and so was priced accordingly. It's starting to look like another corporate meet-and-greet. And Flip, the fact that you compared it with corporate-level conventions rather than, say, GenCon or Origins, rather proves my point.

Perhaps it is time for branching out into 'User Group' space, much like Linux did? Head back into first principles here - groups of local yokels helping one another, with an available link back up the chain as needed.

--TSK

[Paisley Beebe]

Well its great promotion for Linden Labs one would think they could pony up for someone to film it on a camcorder and stream it in! how hard could it be???? even if someone could do it and put the vid up on Youtube and set up a video screen,in world at a convention centre type place...sigh make it an inworld community event that all of us in the far reaches of the world could partake in... we do have enough creative people in here that it wouldn't cost that much, and anyway are L.L putting any money in at all? its not like they are strapped for cash is it?
anyway thats my 1/2 a linden...

[Marianne McCann]

I went to SLCC in 2006 and wasn't exactly whelmed. I'd go again, just to figure out if maybe I went on the wrong day or time, but the cost of the event plus the cost to travel cross country will keep me away. Then again, the cost of the event would be a factor if it was in my own backyard. From my experience plus anything I've seen on it since then, it strikes me as simply not worth the money.

[Marianne McCann]

@Paisley I find it striking that, given we're talking about a virtual world, a RL event takes precedent over any virtual representation of same. IMO, it belies the belief that SL can truly be used as a "virtual meeting place" for real business.

[Balthasar Bookmite]

The two main, well three main reasons Im not attending is one) Im not yet comfortable about meeting people from SL. Yeah, I know that it is a "public" convention but still. 2) My parents, Im only 20 and still living at home and my parents wouldn't be excatly thrilled. 3) Money and time. Im currently in school and I don't want to miss a week of classes. Also I don't have the cash to get me over to Florida, hotel, etc.

I was wondering how many Europeans do go, but it sounds like not many go. I do agree that there should be a European version because the price of airfare is getting steep and to deal with all the international/customs issues I can see why there would be a problem. \

Balthasar Bookmite