I really don’t get the Lab’s Facebook fascination.
In particular, the latest contest is rather odd. Firstly, why hold a photography contest at Facebook? Is this not why there’s an Official Flickr group for Second Life? Why not bring in Koinup or SLBuzz, which is specifically aimed at virtual world photography?
And then there’s the fact that the Facebook people don’t want you creating profiles for your avatars. So to be in this contest, you should technically be doing it as your real life identity – and not everyone wants their entire friends’ list knowing they’re a Second Life resident.
So perhaps they’re using this contest to attract new users? But then it’s hardly an attractive contest – how much would a newbie know about SL photography? Sure, the 10,000L$ sounds lucrative, but when they find out it’s about USD$40, they’re hardly going to come rushing through the virtual floodgates.
If Linden Labs is going to use Facebook as a marketing tool, then perhaps they should be look at attracting people who aren’t already registered. Holding odd contests like these in places where they make little sense just baffles me as to what exactly Second Life’s marketing strategy is.
At the start of the year, I predicted Second Life’s concurrency to top 150,000 but on last year, it doesn’t seem to have improved much. Second Life needs new users coming into the world, and social web 2.0 platforms like Facebook and Twitter can help them if they used them properly.
The media have got bored of trashing Second Life too, to the point where there’s few stories around now – they need to reinvent themselves, polish off the label (and possibly produce a website homepage which doesn’t baffle us) and get some publicity going that isn’t aimed at current residents.
Because we’re already in Second Life, and we’re not going anywhere fast.. just fix things which need fixing, bring in new people, and let us handle the rest.
Natasha Burke on July 31, 2009
Well said Prad.
A lot of people are using their SL names on facebook including me. It may be against the rules but a few months ago someone tried to get my SL profile shut down and facebook decided not too. I guess the person in charge was in a good mood.
Lewis Luminos on July 31, 2009
I completely agree with this, I think Facebook is a stupid place to put this contest. Flickr would have been far better. As for myself, I dont use my SL name ion Facebook, but I’m not exactly using my real name either. Think of it as a combination of the two. Mind you I’ve only been on Facebook about a month, and only then to keep up with a RL group I belong to.
Bailey Longcloth on July 31, 2009
Very well said Prad. Not everyone is on Facebook afterall. I for one never use it. Yeah there is a profile out there for me, but I forgot the password long ago and couldn’t be bothered to figure it out.
I would have considered the contest but not if i have to deal with facebook. Flickr would have been much better.
ZigadenaGabardini/ZE design sl on August 1, 2009
yep but yore a smartie Prad ..LL are not ..
Lizzie Lexington on August 3, 2009
But there are users of Facebook who share their second life with their real life facebook friends. I happen to be one of them. I personally think its a good strategy to maybe tap a market not yet familiar with second life. Not only may they attract more users and LL may also even generate business interests as well. I would love to see more of my first life friends in SL but alas they just don’t get it.
Leondra Larsson on August 3, 2009
well I am glad I am not the only one sensing this awkwardness.