The Official Guide to Second Life

So, I picked up the Official Guide to Second Life in Barnes&Noble the other day and I highly recommend it.  I like the tips and the tours, plus I can catch up on the history of Second Life.  I'm even more impressed now than I was when I bought the book. I plan on taking the Chapter 3 tour any minute now.  In the meantime between the Guide and my own personal experience, I've learned the following which should help any marketer if you consider an SL location. 

1. There is no such thing as unofficial location; either you are in all the way or you disavow it
2. If it is official, never, ever build anything on public land; drop some dollars down and build your own island
3. Make sure people can not run scripts or create anything in your location without your permission
4. Creating your island has the added benefit of not having any bad neighbors
5. Don't just create a place for people to meet and chat - try creating something that will cause them to want to return.

Recently Linden Labs shut off first land acquisitions and at first I was upset, but now I don't mind so much.  Sure I sold my First Land for L$6,000 turning a nice profit from the L$512 I paid for it, but the area was completely cheezy and didn't really enhance my experience.  Now I have a place on the beach with sea gulls, waves, ocean sounds, and a wind-surfer.  Believe it or not, I find it relaxing, about the equivalent of watching a fish tank.

If you ever considered a SL account or location, I highly recommend the book.  If you are planning on building a corporate place remember this important point - build a destination that entertains people so that they return often.  Building a spot that avatars show up once in a while or requires them to stay for Linden dollars is a waste - you need to build places that people want to show up and interact with.

PardonMyFrench,

Eric

PardonMyFrench,

Eric