Is there Status and Class in Second Life?

Crist, if your in world tonight, I will IM you.
Well, its just that I am no good coming up with topics, so I am a little scared about how well I will do. If I have a topic, I can do that, but coming up with my own topics to write about is a little intimidating. I guess I could try it though.

Jess

Of course there are both social classes and an established heirarchy. There is also a secretive society of oldbies that rule SL and influence everything that happens in-world.

I would explain further..but I hear footsteps outside my door...

would that be the Protocols of the Elders of Ahern?

*WHACKS* david with a nerf bat from behind, and drags the body off into the shadows

*makes a note of David's name for insertion into the Machine*

Ah, extra servings of Soylent Green all round tonight!

You're the brilliant one, Jessica. This is a great idea. It's hard to do targeted in-world advertising (see the threads on malls), so I imagine there could be great demand for a market researcher/guerrilla marketer who goes around and talks up products or tried to figure out what people want. Gets you out there meeting new people, going to cool places and gives you a great SRdE (Second Raison d'Etre), which is all anyone's looking for here, I think.

We might even be interested in your services at the Second Life Herald at some point.

Good luck, and keep us posted about your progress.

yes

Ya know Chip, don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think you or a couple other people can really comment on this topic intelligently.

You are Chip Midnight of Chip Midnight Fine Fashions. You know, the place with the skins? Yeah, those skins. The $25 dollar skins. The skins that countless women from secondlife, while swearing they won't pay real money for stuff.... those same women bought lindens just to buy your skins. The same Chip Midnight in the top 10 on the leader boards. And then there are people posting here who must know they have a reputation from the boards... that counts too.

It seems like most of the folks who said 'no' to this thread are mostly the ones that I consider having the higher status, and I doubt I'm the only one with that thought. To you guys, I say you should be trying to enjoy it.

None of this meant to be derrogatory to anyone, and props to all of you guys for being successful.

I am?! *runs to mirror* OMG! *faints*



The key word there being "I"

Ben we just had a discussion about this a few days ago. Not sure if you saw this thread or not but it might be useful to you. You're writing a term paper too?

The upshot of the thread was (I think) depending on what you're looking for in Second Life affects you're awareness of social classes in SL. Some people enjoy cliqueshness and others hate it. The responses were sort of mixed bag.

/120/c4/33167/1.html

What's this? I am about to blow the class lines right out of the water, and the little feted hedonistic whatever's too!



I am one of those women. I have been in SL for a whopping 5 weeks.

Does that means Chip and I are a different class? I don't think that is the case.

Chip spent real time creating content. The linden skin textures are poor, at best. They have no shading (depth), very little detail, and the texture of the skin looks like cardboard.

He created a product where there was a need (just like TONS of others did/do)

To say that he is a different class than someone else isn't quite accurate.
The fact is there are creators and consumers. Creators can be consumers, and consumers can be creators just like in real life.

Your saying that because he creates good content that people purchase, he is of a different class.

The beautiful thing about second life is ... just like in real life... if there is a need out there for something, and you see it, you can fill it! That is what TONS of others have done. In fact, that is what SL is centered around!

There are PLENTY of people that have created absolutely gorgeous content, and by content I mean animations, textures, aquariums, hovercrafts, cars, clothing, skins, scripts, buildings, motorcycles, the list goes on and on

Does that mean that, because they create content they are better than those who don't? I don't believe so.

I can already hear people saying, "But they are making money at it!"
Yes, and why shouldn't they be?
How long do you think it takes to learn to do something like that? How many hours do you think Chip spent, REAL HOURS, making those skins?
Simply, it is a product that was needed in SL. Digital Art. It is part of what what makes this world alive and seperates it from being a text based chat.

Does that mean that because he made money selling his artwork, creative endeavors, and time, that he is a different class? No way!

Without creativity, fabulous artwork and atistry from it's citizens, SL would not be the same. Yes, these artists should be paid for their time and not told they are a seperate, egotistical, elitist class.

Do I think there are defining lines? Yes, of course their are. Just like I would be very nervous meeting Bill Gates, or any number of people in the real world.

There are people like that in SL where your like... whoa... that was <insert SL name here>

But that is the only real distinction.

And yes, I understand that to create content it is hard, especially with all the fantastic content thats out there. To jump in and start competing takes real skill. But, look at Shiryu Musashi (probably one of my absolute favorite designers) he is three weeks older than I am, but already has made a huge name for himself. It is possible if you have the skills to do it.

Jessica

edited for clarity

Thank you Jessica You are a wonderfully sensible person and I really appreciate your comments. Consider yourself feted! *hugs*

I do not poach newbies....I like them sauteed in a red wine sauce with wild mushrooms

I would like to ask if those who get all wound up about the successful business owners in SL also apply the same line of thought in RL?

When you go to the local grocery store do you find yourself filled with contempt for the owner of the store? Do you then try to create class wars because you are so horrified that somebody was playing the business game (i.e working hard) before you were?

If so, I suggest you read Cory's and Phillip's "White Papers". Business is one of the root components of any society, unless you want to go back to the days of fishing termites from their holes with a blade of grass...

Disclaimer: This post is in no way directed to those who have posted intelligently and calmly that there is indeed a hierarchy. My words are intended for the sour grapes set.

I didn't even know what 'Feted' meant until I just looked it up on Google, and I am college educated. Wow, I guess my 40,000 dollar education was a waste, LOL

I thought someone had just misspelled "Fetid" and it caught on, I didn't know that feted was a real word *blush*



Thank you Chip

Jessica

Hehe, I thought that too at first and made a neener neener comment about it to Prokofy (the originator of the "feted innner core" notion). He promtply set me straight Learn something new every day!

i still can't read "feted" as anything but "fetid". it's the whole Inner Core thing. makes me think of rotten apples.

Well there are a few bad apples. Maybe they're the Fetid Inner Core...

As for whether there is a class system in Second Life, I think this post answers the question:

Second Life Concierge

'nuff said.

yes, but that's true is any society.
better questions might be:
to what degree?
to what purpose?
how is it constructed?

Yeah I already tried that, just let them rant I don't think anyone wants to examine the actual nature of SL, or do anything, y'know... productive. Our time is so much better spent complaining about things.

Also, I can understand the feelings of being overwhelmed by professionals and "professionals" (read as, people with lots of experience in SL but no RL experience) after coming into SL for the first time. This is and always has been true however. There is no reason you can't work up to being a respectable or well known builder, or scripter in world as these require no external experience. The element of social skills is a VERY real and potent skill in Second Life. The partygoers, movers, shakers, gossipers, rumormongers, event coordinators, party planners, group leaders and caterers (do we have caterers? I assume we do). make up a very important section of the world that maintains the inter-social connections in SL. Don't underestimate the power of charisma and orginization. Being a people person is a valuable skill.

That's excellent, Spider.

Yes, there's Status and Class, but it is very different from Real Life.

I was amazed - truely stunned - when on two different occasions, people who I considered to be successful event hosts/builders/scripters actually approached me with invitations to spend time with them visiting their homes and sailing with them. Just because I'd been a regular event attendee. Still in awe, I nervously accepted only to realize well into the trips that they were genuinely enjoying showing me around. They weren't "doing me a favor" as a newbie - they were getting as much pleasure from the visits as I was.

Coming from a class-ridden British upbringing, it took me a long time to accept this as natural, here on Second Life. I still have a hard time believing it. Even though I know I'd be thrilled to have someone visit me in my home or hang out in my RV park.

Thank you both from the bottom of my heart, Germaine and Taggy

I'll happily give up my right to a concierge to anyone with less, or no land who would like one! I can't imagine needing one...

*faints* you came back to the forums, lower case and all!

*faints again*