Corporate Presence in SL

One of my primary interests in SL is the viability of using it for marketing purposes of RL companies. In October, I attended the Grace Hopper Women in Computing Conference. In a session titled Women Empowering the Next Generation of the Web, when one one panelist was asked what the future of the web was, she responded that it would more than likely be 3-D web. If there is truth to this, we need to investigate the effectiveness of marketing strategies in platforms such as SL to ensure a smooth transition into new web trends and technologies.

I ran across this article highlighting the Top 8 Corporate Sites in Second Life. Aside from the sites listed, I would also recommend The Weather Channel SL area. You can mountain bike and experience a hurricane simulator!

Activities in Second Life

A big part of the fun in SL is the ability to participate in activities that you don't normally get to do in real life. (Or maybe you do, but it's still fun to do them in SL)

A fun place I have found to explore is the Dragon Moon Resort. This is an island type atmosphere, with all kinds of things to do and little nooks to explore. (Don't forget to pick up an air tank so you can scuba dive!)

Soaking in the hot tub:


Cruising around the island on the jet ski:


Testing out the knife throwing wheel:


Riding on a whale:


Another fun area I have found is Oxblood Gear: Your Home for Subculture. This is sort of an underground playground. (Including an actual playground) Aside from a store with some great t-shirts, there is an arcade, traveling freak show, carnival game area, and spooky cemetery.

Skeeball!


Playing on the Merry-go-Round:

Locations to Visit in SL

Once you are in SL, you will quickly find that you need places to go. There are lots and lots of places you can go, but the trick is finding them. You can visit the "Popular Places" tab in the Search option, but it mainly gives you a lot of junk locations. I ended up just typing in random phrases that interested me in the Search and went to the places that seemed most interesting.

I also decided to turn to my good friend Google to help me out. I discovered a list that claimed the Top 20 Best Places to Visit in Second Life.

Also, because I am interested in learning more about the academic use of SL, I found the Top 20 Educational Locations in Second Life. (Ohio University in particular had an excellent location)

Ohio University SL Student Center:


Ohio University SL Outdoor Classroom:

I should have known...

I have said it before, and I will say it again... I am not a gamer. I have never liked first person type games (give me 2-D Mario Brothers or Tetris any day), but there was a little game I used to play...a lot. You may have heard of a little game called The Sims. I never played the online version that allowed you to interact with other people. No, I was content with building my own little neighborhoods and developing my various characters. When I was first introduced to Second Life, it reminded me of an advanced version of The Sims. This was not a good thing. I knew that once I logged onto Second Life, that an obsession would form... a time sucking obsession, and boy was I right.

As I ventured into my "Second Life", I have to admit, it was a little confusing at first. There is definitely a learning curve, but I have the feeling that people who are used to playing online multi-player games would have a smoother transition than I did. Initially, I could barely walk around without bumping into things. However, before you knew it, I was running and flying. (Although my landings were a little rough at first)

Once you get acclimated to the navigation, the real fun begins: appearance modification. Just like navigation, this seemed awkward at first. It also didn't take long to realize that the you could only do so much with the basic appearance tools they give you. Yes, you soon realize that just like in real life, you must acquire things. A bit of advice: initially you will find lots and lots of free things, which is an exciting thing. (Who doesn't love free things) However, I would stress quality over quantity. If you pick up everything you come across, you will soon have an inventory that is out of control.

So here I am. Me in my "Second Life" ready to conquer the world: