Comments on: Second Life: Ponzi Scheme, or Mayberry Gold Rush?

By: GigaGamez » Archive Companies Shift Ad Budget from Print to Games, Online Worlds «

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 05:09:26 +0000

[...] interesting statistic, the two most “surprising innovations of the past year as the ‘rush to Second Life virtual community space‘ and ‘the rise of YouTube,’ the video sharing Web [...]

By: randolph

randolph — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 02:16:35 +0000

If only I could share some of the lovely email threats I received; some were really quite creepy. It’s bad enough that academics like Castronova destroy their own credibility by decrying the sky is falling on these oh so delicate virtual economies simply because I dared to question their virtuosity. But apparently the supposedly legitimate Mayberry community feels it’s appropriate to outright threaten anyone who dare to utter an alternative viewpoint.

If I wasn’t convinced it was a house of cards before, I certainly am now. It’s not really a “circle jerk”, but more of a scary little cult with some great PR and a decidedly mean streak.

And by the way, myself and others fully debunked Castronova’s analogies to Mayberry, emerging nations, or developing world economies. In actuality, there’s fundamentally nothing unique about the financial/economic mechanics of Web 3.d or whatever you wish to call SL that isn’t already well established in the world of wireless carrier micropayments. And I’m pretty sure Castronova didn’t invent the mobile network carrier payment systems.

By: vivan

vivan — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 08:05:48 +0000

I think SL is, first and foremost, a game, not a way to make a living.

And if you want to make a living out of it, it boils down to the same stuff as in real life: luck, hard work, luck and hard work. Oh, and having money to invest does not hurt either.

But I think for most of the people it still is a game.

By: Eric Rice

Eric Rice — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 06:23:16 +0000

Meanwhile, IBM is walkin around with 10 million. US dollars.

Source: Latest Inc Magazine with Philip Rosedale on the cover.

Virtual? Heh.

By: Wagner James Au

Wagner James Au — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 19:41:26 +0000

Dude, care to rephrase without the rampant vituperation?

By: Jon R.

Jon R. — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 06:44:31 +0000

Actually, you know what, fucker? Here’s a point of Harrison’s for you since you such a fair and balanced reporter on the subject:

“How about a practical argument, which tends to really rub the people on this forum wrong: if my analyses are so clearly and laughably flawed, then why all the fretting? Now I’m hearing about leading an industry wide crash?

Pardon my incredulity. Even the economy of Mayberry (which will learn about the importance of sovereignty very promptly were they to begin printing and circulating their own currency) is resilient enough to withstand some pointed questions and researched criticisms.”

Well golly willikers, Castronova IS implying that actually criticising the SL economy is enough to cause damage to it. And yet you felt that he was newsworthy. I’m assuming this is because SL really is a house of cards, and SL denizens honestly believe that PR, one way or the other, is the major deciding factor of everything.

Enough. Enough of this whitewashing, enough of this blatant circle-jerking. Enough of this back-and-forth bullshit where everyone in support of SL is like “Oh, it’s this and this!”, which, when someone says “No, it isn’t”, is invariably answered with “Well, it wasn’t SUPPOSED to be that! DUH!”.