Beyond Linden Lab

In speaking with a potential client for some services, as a third party, we ended up discussing the future of Second Life. In the context of the clients in this case, it looked good. I'll explain a bit more after I share a little bit about how I approach clients when they come to me about Second Life.

One of the things I do is try to be realistic with people in exploring the pros and cons of the synthetic world in their specific contexts. I have literally told clients not to use Second Life, or not to use it yet, if only because I do not want my name associated with a something that simply sits there or is a waste of money. In my worldview, people who support such nonsense are more of a problem than Ginko Financial ever was - realistic expectations are key. That is how I approach my role as a Second Life Consultant - its my reputation, and when a customer's presence fails - I fail. I do not like failing and I don't think anyone does but from all signs, this is not the case. So be it. I'm not trying to be popular. I did that in the 1980s and early 1990s. I got over it like any other ailment. I actually like being a little unpopular in the right circles. It usually means you're doing something right.

There is potential in Second Life as a framework for business and especially non-profits/NGOs, though it does become a little more diluted when the 'economy' and rules are subject to the whim of a company that is as clear as mud to even those who go to their meetings. But in conversation with this person, I said that Second Life would not be going away. I do believe that. It may change hands, and Linden Lab may even go bankrupt - but Second Life as a framework will remain and evolve. This is not because of Linden Lab as much as it is because of the community and capability of the framework.

But at the worst, lets say that San Francisco has an earthquake and Linden lab joins Atlantis. What happens? This was one of the questions posed to me, and it is one of the best questions anyone has ever asked me. My immediate answer, without thought, was that the OpenSimulator project is very close and is, for all intents and purposes, compatible with SecondLife though my last check showed a lack of an asset server. So the framework exists. And yes, one can actually write a script that saves data on a build and could even be used as a local backup.

'What?'

Why yes, it is possible. Relative positions of prims, order of linking, all of that can be saved by a script if someone wrote it (yes, I am thinking of it). So then, let's say we have this script which pumps out all this information to a text file - or even emails it to you - what's to stop you from using the same information in that text file for a separate script that builds based on what is in the saved information? You see, its really not all that hard on a technical level - it just requires a lot of details.

This was interesting, because I was thinking it out as I spoke to the client - a client who has been working with [w:VRML] since the 1980s. And we bounced ideas around some more, since he has other clients - and it is important to demonstrate longevity when people are spending money (in theory, at least). You can get a contract over a smile and a cute avatar, I suppose, but I'm not very good at that.

Second Life will survive. In retrospect, I should have written 'Making or Breaking Linden Lab' instead of 'Making or Breaking Second Life'. The question really has less and less to do with Linden Lab and more and more to do with the technology framework and the community base.

And the economy? They need to stop treating the cough and deal with the disease, as with a lot of other aspects that intertwine with the economy. In fact, if they don't... someone else eventually will.