I may look into this Second Life thing.

I think this is a really cool solution. Linden Labs does its corporate duty by enforcing its trademark without being brainless about it.

That being said? I really want a teeshirt from this guy now. The fact that he is now "licensed" just makes it all the better.

Cause in his world, sometimes it really was too good to be true.

I'm heavily into Second Life, but I think the parody is funny and reasonably (not all of us give up our first lives, you know!) accurate. And though as a company Linden Labs certainly deserves criticism in some areas (notably on how unprepared they were for dealing with the consequences of all the hype, and for an apparent lack of a comprehensive business plan), I'm not at all surprised that they responded this way.

If you just dip into SL with no roadmap, don't expect to be hooked. The attractions, for me at least, fall into two categories:

1. Finding really, really wonderful examples of human creativity and expression. These require digging for, given that they are buried under mountains of virtual stripmalls, casinos, clubs, and dimwitted doofuses. To get an idea of some more interesting things, check out the Baedeker at http://secondtourist.blogspot.com/, or try any of the Caledon sims, which are themed Victorian Steampunk. Go to the planetarium at Spaceport Alpha. And of course, there is much, much more.

2. Building. Modelling in 3D is fun. (I assume that the scripting is just as much fun for scripters, but it makes my eyes cross.) I think it's so much fun that I've bought an island. There are technical limitations, but still, there is an amazing amount that can be done.

Is it overhyped? Absolutely. Companies are jumping in because this is what's hot, but most have no real understanding of how it works, either technically or socially, and consequently have no idea of how to use it to their benefit. Go to the Reebok sim and there's a huge store that sells customizable shoes. And a bit of window dressing. Why would anyone be surprised that there's no one there and that it's not doing much for them beyond the buzz of the opening? It's dull as ditchwater. Yet there are so many things that they could have done to give people things to do, and generate lasting presence and buzz; create virtual basketball games for people to play, show video of sports highlights... you see what I mean.

SL has wonderful potential for some uses: I'm very interested in how it can be used in education, for example, or in things like presenting interactive virtual exhibits in parallel with real-world exhibits. There is value there, despite the fact that so many are not using it to its potential. But it's important to remember that virtual worlds are in their shake-down stages: where the real value resides is still in the process of being figured out.

JC@#2: Feld (who IAL) takes it exactly that way -- a way to assert their rights without squashing anybody.

What would Xopher say? "So mote it be"?

But it's starting. It's starting. I may see it yet, before I die. I had that hope about the colonisation of the moon, but I'll settle for either.

ttyl
Farrell

There's no more point to SL than there is to RL. I like a pastime where I can make up my own points, though.

My apologies, I think I may have been unclear. I meant that there was no overall, universal specific goal in SL, toward which all participants strive.

Sex was inevitable.

NSFW report from Second Life

The "overall-goal" approach is just a different way of designing a game. Build that in, and you get something different.

I actually recently took a look at their web site, out of curiousity, and it does look like it could be an interesting pursuit, especially if you have any interest in object design (which I do). I'm not sure I'd really want to invest the time in it but knowing that the people behind it are reasonable definitely makes it more likely I'll try it.

I'm not really into online gaming in general (nothing against it, mind, just not my cuppa), so I'm only vaguely aware of second life (I seem to recall something about the US Government trying to tax linden dollars or something).

But I agree: very, very classy of them to take the joke as a joke and move on. It's also clearly a good business decision, because it's generating postive press, links, and exposure.

Very cool, though.

That is great: the combination of "we get it" and the legalistic phraseology. And it's nice to see a trademark owner pointing out the fair use aspects of trademark.

That's intriguing. That creates a new model in my head for trademark and trademark enforcement. It's as if we've been saying for a long time that, if you want to keep a gate on your property, you must make a lot of use of the gate; and people have been interpreting that to mean that you must keep the gate closed and locked, or bargain for a toll, as the "use of the gate" must be keeping people off your property. If you leave the gate open, it's as good as having no gate, right?

I think this is the first time I've seen anyone figure out that they can open the gate and let someone in without making the gate useless. Why'd it take so long? No idea. I blame dualism.

If I may indulge in a little big-corporation paranoia here... is it a coincidence that the notion of trademarks lapsing if not vigorously and expensively defended is one that happens to allow large corporations with legal clout to keep and extract revenue from their trademarks, while making it hard for individuals and small business owners to do the same?

(A friend of mine who lives a few miles up one of those roads bought a surplus Army deuce-and-a-half to get to the foot of the hill and the parking place for the regular car.)

Back in December the network equipment company Cisco launched their virtual campus on Second Life.

Which doesn't detract from their coolness, it just means their lawyers did not trade brain cells for a sense of humor.