It Came From Bellisseria Chat: Traffic Cop

 

From Traci Quandry-Marabana (Traci Quandry): "As a  public service I need to warn all citizens of Belle we now have traffic cops."''

 

That traffic cop looks familiar. 

 

"Wait a minute ,I'm getting a ticket? And since when did Bellisseria get police ?"

 

Crystal Craze

 

There's a new game on the Second Life grid, Crystal Craze. It's a hunting game in which you travel to various locations to get crystals. For the players, not only is there the thrill of the hunt, they also get a chance at some Linden dollars. For the landowners, they get traffic. Gemma Cleanslate went to take a closer took at the game, and got a chance to talk to it's creator.

Read Gemma's story in Design.
 

Rare Sight: Camping For Linden Dollars

 

 Now here's a sight I haven't seen in many years in Second Life. 

Zipping around the mainland while trying out a Cloud data detector (more about that later), my curiosity drew me high above a sim to the platform above full of stores and hangouts, and I happened to notice what looked like an avatar cleaning a window. I thought it was the building owner, or maybe his/her assistant. But getting closer, I noticed the following display at the ladder:

Camper: (name of avatar)
L$1 every 95 minutes
So far: $L0

It was a blast from the past, an actual camping spot!

When I first came to Second Life in 2006-2007, camping spots were very common. They were a means to boost traffic for a sim for just a few Lindens per avatar. Some sims had a lot of them, and they were in many different styles. In some, you just sat down. Others had you dancing in place. And some made it look like your avatar was performing some task such as sweeping or cleaning. There was even a website that listed camping spots and how much they paid. 

Like many other things in Second Life, camping had it's fans and it's detractors. Many called it "gaming the system" as high traffic numbers attracted more people. One friend of mine commented "if you must camp, do so in a sim that isn't heavily populated." Supposedly some people would be on for hours to get just a few Lindens, which got some people wondering if these campers were better off taking an SL job or buying Linden dollars.

To me, it was a way to get a few extra Lindens while checking my email and maybe a few websites (I didn't usually have too many IMs at this time), usually at a spot that paid me a few Lindens every 10-15 minutes. But once the emails were done, I'd soon be gone. Why didn't I buy Linden dollars? After a talk with family once I got on Second Life, I decided not to put any real money into the virtual world for a while. Once I got a job at SL Newspaper, I pretty much stopped using camping spots.

It's hard to say exactly when camping for Linden dollars went downhill. I think by 2009, they had become an uncommon sight. Second Life was starting to change as money wasn't as easy to come by as in the early days. Although camping would remain, it would be in the form of chairs that would allow you a free item, usually in stores, for sitting on them for a half hour or so. A much better deal if you were trying to get Lindens for new clothes. Camping for Lindens, aside from a few rare locations such as this, pretty much became history.

 Bixyl Shuftan

Linden Lab Hiring Digital Marketing Manager

For those skilled in digital marketing, the Lab may have a job for you. Linden Lab announced earlier this week they are looking for a Digital Marketing Manager.

Linden Lab is seeking a Digital Marketing Manager to develop, execute and analyze paid marketing strategies that drive aggressive traffic and revenue growth to Second Life, the Internet's largest user-created virtual world. This position will also work closely with a dynamic team on overall strategic marketing initiatives.  

So what does this mean? It means Linden Lab is making more of an effort to advertise and attract new users. Perhaps they hope to catch a wave of revived interest in virtual worlds in the wake of the "Ready Player One" movie. As just weeks ago it looked like the Lab was giving Second Life scant attention in favor of Sansar. This suggests that's not necessarily the case.

So expect to see more ads for Second Life on the Internet.

Bixyl Shuftan

Second Life's Number's Virtually Unaffected by Sansar Opening

Just a note. Yours truly has still been looking at Sansar after my first look at the place. I've also been looking at what others have to say, which so far has been mostly skepticism. As for what impact this new virtual world has on Second Life's numbers, the answer seems to be negligible. According to Tyche Shepherd's "Second Life Grid Survey" statistics, there didn't seem to much change in the number of users in the older virtual world. So there's no big rush of residents heading out to the new virtual world. More like some giving a curious peek, then heading back.

Stand by for more information to come as we look into this new world some more.

Hat Tip: Hamlet Au 

Bixyl Shuftan

Treasure Quest

There's a new HUD-based game in Second Life, "Treasure Quest." For those playing, it means a little fun gaming and a little cash to be won. For land owners taking part, it means more traffic on their land. MajikVixen decided to take a look at the game, and wrote about what she found.

Read Majik's article in Design.

Advertise in the Second Life Newser

Maybe you're starting your small business and want to get the word out. Or maybe you already have a business that's doing okay, but you think you could do better if more people knew about you. Maybe you you're a club owner whom is finding it harder to attract crowds than you thought and you need more people to know about your place and what makes it special. Maybe you're an aspiring DJ whom is looking for top clubs to ask for your services. You need a way to get the word out.

Why not advertise in Second Life's leading newsletter, the Second Life Newspaper. We're a talented team with years of experience with writing about the people, places, and events about the virtual world, and can help get the word about you to the thousands who read our publication. For the price of 1000 Linden dollars, we will do an advertorial article and show what your location and/or business has to offer. We have had numerous satisfied clients over the years, and will be happy to include you among them.

For better value for your money, why not consider a sponsorship? For 15,000 Linden dollars, your name will for three months appear on a banner near the top of the front page where readers will see it when they get their first look at the paper. The banner will link to the webpage or article of your choice. Secondary sponsorships are also available. For a 5,000 Linden dollar fee, the banner will appear near the top of one of the other sections besides the main page, such as "Places," for a three month time period.

While we do occasional advertising for adult-themed venues, all advertorials must be "workplace safe," and we cannot show nudity or use profane language. Charity events, such as the Relay for Life, are normally written about free of charge.

We look forward to doing business with you, and helping you spread the word about what you have to offer to the exciting wider world of Second Life.

New Species of Lindo Virtual Flowers

Today our newest writer, MajikVixen, writes about a game in Second Life called Lindo Virtual Flowers. The game is designed to give the gamer a few Lindens, while increasing traffic to locations taking part in the game. One can also buy seeds for bonuses, and the top scoring players get a bonus in the number of Lindens they get. So where can aspiring green thumbs find one of these plants?

Read the story in Design. 

Cartoon of the Day

By Bixyl Shuftan