There are no second chances on Second Life!

I know I've posted about this a few times before, and I don't want to sound paranoid... But reading in the circuits section of the New York Times, David Pogue's interview with Phillip Rosedale, CEO of Linden Lab, the fuckers who've already turned two million crack heads onto the vicarious pleasures of "Second Life," I have to ask myself what the fuck is going on here? Apart from the fact that everyone inhabiting this place has created avatars of themselves that in the words of the interviewer "makes them beautiful and skinny." And you know for a fucking fact that in real life most of the people on-line at any one time, you would cross the street against on-coming traffic just to avoid the ugly fuckers. But, here's the best bit... The average Second Life user is on-line for FOUR hours a day. That means some of them never fucking sleep. Scary shit... But don't worry, it'll get worse, I promise you!

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This is not my avatar... This is me. So, waddaya think?

Comments

[marinobean]

hey toad, still think the second coming of Edwards is a "win-win"?

i know a few of these second-lifers and george is right, they spend hours on-line, but not looking up political or green causes...

their appropriated or photoshopped avatars (or HS yearbook shots) grace the dating spaces and they ichat about how dreadful their days has been and how they had the best tuna at lunch today, all the same stuff that the rest of the non-voting (and voting) public drone on about, but with false passports...

looks like Edwards might just have shot his other foot....

[Tangerine Toad]

Of course it's a win-win Marino. I still don't see your point... It cost him about $100 to set up the Edwards avatar thing, and he's already gotten more publicity out of it than that. And if just 3 of these geeks vote for him... maybe you can explain the downside?

And George- why do you assume they don't sleep? I mean if they work for say 10 hours, spend the next 4 on Second Life, that still gives them 10 hours for eating, sleeping and watching StarTrek.

[marinobean]

you obviously don't get the fact that these 2nd lifers are not taking part in real life and vote just as little as real lifers if not less, hence the probability that they won't vote is high hence the waste of time on edwards part. why waste the time going after Comic Book Guy (from the Simpsons) vote?

great social skills buildup, eh? 10 hours for sleeping, watching ST and eating...obviously no significant others or friends around.

[marinobean]

as for the numbers, here we go again...

as for the publicity... where? has anyone else here heard of this and gone to chat with edwards doppelganger?

where's the visitor counter and how many of his aides are going to the site 5-10 times a day to buld up the numbers?

[marinobean]

oh yeah, the downside...that would spending time, money and effort on something that MIGHT get 5 guys at the Klingon Korps. Konvention to actually get out of costume and leave the house to vote.

the actual effort that pays the dividends in the political arena is hard core public appearances. if you think not, then look back at the past 2 elections. W spent more time stumping in his key target areas than anyone else. i believe we know how that turned out.

it's all fine and well to look to the internet as an outreach venue, but, as Chuck D. has often implored us: don't believe the hype.

[Tangerine Toad]

Are you that dense Marino? It cost him $100 to set it up. Give or take. And if that gets him a few votes, why do you care? You talk as if he's putting the bulk of his budget into Second Life. It's just another minor constituency he's taking care of.

[marinobean]

you're right, toad, i don't care...

as for dense? maybe, i just don't see the value in the effort for the ROI whatever it is, and neither of us know what is being spent on it as much as we'd like to claim we do.

etter to spend the time with real people in the real world. again, please refer to W's past wins. no viral strategy, no new media buys.

as for gaining a few votes? sure. please rfer to Naders bid and the votes it cost Kerry. the "house divided" thing...

but in the end, it's true, i don't care, as Dylan once sang: "in order to be in this house, honey, you got to have done somebody wrong..." they're politicians. the trust ship sailed out of that harbor a long time ago.

[ken]

Also, after reading this post a few days ago, I thought this news item might interest you: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/misadventures-in-cyberspace/