According to Avarie Parker of SLEntrepeneur Magazine [Warning: Some NSFW pics at that link] these are the ten Second Life sims with the heaviest genuine traffic last month, as compiled by SL analyst firm Mappa Novus -- genuine because they exclude locales with bots, camping chairs, and other free money giveaways. They do include two jazz nightclubs (Phat Cats, Frank's Place), a beach-themed hangout (Sexy Islands), a GBLT social space (Lesbian Paradise), two modern clubs (The 7th Element, SLeek), a romantic getaway spot (Midnight Reflection), two explicit adult-content sites (Laguna Bay Nude Beach, Chained Lust), and one roleplaying game-themed area (Purgatorio, for the Kingdom of Sand RPG.) Much more info and SLurls here, and archived reports here. Longtime NWN readers will remembers this blog once compiled bot-free locations, thanks to Tateru Nino, in something we called True Community Rank, and I'm glad someone else has taken up the call. Looking at the last list we posted, November 2007, we see Phat Cat's and Laguna Bay among the upper ranks even back then. Hat tip: The all-seeing eyes of Mal Burns.
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The photos on the SLentrepreneur site aren't work safe. I should have realized that by the some of the venues on the list, but didn't.
Posted by: Sioban McMahon | Thursday, September 03, 2009 at 08:13 AM
Thanks for the heads-up. I wasn't thinking about that either.
I'll wait until home.
Posted by: Adric Antfarm | Thursday, September 03, 2009 at 09:05 AM
I don't remember which one Laguna Bay is, but note that we've been assured by the Lindens that a mere innocent nude beach without all sorts icky sexy things all over it is *not* "Adult" within the meaning of the act. Of course they may have changed their minds since then. Several times, perhaps...
Posted by: Dale Innis | Thursday, September 03, 2009 at 09:32 AM
This doesn't surprise me but we need to be careful of thinking "these are the things folk do in second life". These social-entertainment type places are the most visible use of SL because they concentrate folk in small areas over long periods of time. I think this gives a false sense of their popularity. They seem more popular relative to other activities as they are by their nature "dwell based".
More focused activities that aren't of a purely social nature tend to take place where it is less crowded, or over shorter periods of time.
The metanomics shows are one example. Though they only take place once a week or so they do so over many sims and with an oftentimes massive audience. Averaged out over a week though metanomics dwell seems trivial in comparison to a 24 hour club.
Similarly any activity that requires folk to do more than dance and chat is better served by taking place in a sim with less folk in it (as crowds produce too much distraction from any directed activity, plus lag.)
These scores are certainly a testament to the popularity of social club type activities, but give a false sense of their relative popularity. They are simply the most visible.
If you were to wonder which places in your own home town have the largest crowds averaged over 24 hours week round, you'd probably find it was gaming, clubs and pubs too. The function of these places is to be full of people. Yet if you asked what people do with their lives it is unlikely they'd say "go to pubs"... and i'm writing this from Philadelphia which seems to have a full pub on every corner :P
Posted by: Pavig Lok | Thursday, September 03, 2009 at 10:20 AM
"If you were to wonder which places in your own home town have the largest crowds averaged over 24 hours week round, you'd probably find it was gaming, clubs and pubs too."
In my town, it'd be Denny's and the gas station. I am afraid to imagine either as a nudist establishment.
Posted by: Sioban McMahon | Thursday, September 03, 2009 at 10:39 AM
Ack, Sioban, I forgot to add an NSFW warning, will do so now...
Posted by: Hamlet Au | Thursday, September 03, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Ridiculous. I've studied 7th Element extensively and concluded it's full of bots. It's got well-known personalities making ridiculous defenses of it, though, which leads me to believe something stinks to high heaven. I'm beginning to think that if you look closely enough at even the most trusted things in SL you'll find alts, cronyism and fraud at work.
7th Element was discussed extensively in this thread starting at post 215:
http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=335859&page=15&pp=15&highlight=7th%20element
Phat Cat's has no bots? Good grief. Go there, note parcel size includes whole sim, turn on your minimap and take a look around. Model bots everywhere boosting traffic. Who's toes will I be stepping on if I try out my new bot detection code at the club itself? I've got three new strategies to test.
Who's alts will I find behind the other places listed?
Posted by: anya ristow | Thursday, September 03, 2009 at 11:44 AM
no doubt thanks for lookin out
http://www.blogstars.ca
http://www.dirtydish.ca
Posted by: bri | Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at 06:34 PM