Second Life can be very confusing, as a newcomer I can attest to not knowing what I am doing either walking, flying, or buying clothes. Because Second Life is confusing, it raises many questions. One of which is how can a person successfully run a business in SL when so much technology is involved throughout the process?
Second Life involves a lot of technology but usually it is easy to comprehend and use. However, when building a building SL becomes more involved in technology and to be proficient in this one must understand how to use all the technology involved. Also, to run a business in Second Life one must know how to use technology to complete a business transaction and exchange Lindon dollars to real US dollars. Thus, this leads to the claim that to run a business in Second Life the owner must understand complex technology.
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You ask a fair question about SL. I don't find it confusing any longer, but then it took me a semester to master the technology. Running a shop means learning more and satisfying customers in the same way a real-world merchant does: answering requests, providing good service, setting up new locations, making new items, pricing reasonably.
ReplyDeleteThat all involves a lot of work and more than a little creativity. I don't have that sort of time! It's hard enough learning to build educational material in SL.
But there are few folks around in SL to guide a new businessperson. One must be a self-starter, several modestly successful shop owners told me and my previous 103 class.
You may have a great question here to inspire a final project...why not start interviewing shop owners?
I'm not trying to be overly critical of my students, but your generation, despite its reputation for being "digital natives," appears to have a tough time with complexity online. It amazes me...it may be a fear of trying something that is unfamiliar or a lack of experience outside the safe terrain of Facebook. I don't know, but many observers have noted it in professional studies.
The average age of SLers runs about a decade older than my UR students (and far younger than me). They seem experimental, ingenious, even rebellious against traditional corporate life. It's not an accident that "Generation X" contains many entrepreneurs who also start brick-and-mortar firms as well as traditional online startups such as eBay (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Omidyar) and, yes, Facebook. That last point is very ironic.