Help needed for research

Hi everyone

Myself and two lecturers, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, South Africa (www.ukzn.ac.za), are conducting research for a conference to be held at our university.

We need people who own a business in Second Life selling virtual products or services to respond only, i.e. There are no real products involved. If you do consulting, your consulting only happens through Second Life. If you do this, please help our research by clicking on the link and completing the questionnaire. All responses will be kept confidential and responses will only be published as a whole. No response will be singled out.

This study is an investigation into the impact of the Global economic situation on Virtual World business. The study aims to determine if the impact of the global economic crisis is reflected in the virtual markets of Second Life. We are also exploring the feasibility of using Second Life to jump start virtual businesses that are not impacted by the logistics of their real world counterparts.

If you have any concerns/comments feel free to contact me (Bhavnisha Sarawan) at [email]sarawanb@ukzn.ac.za[/email], Rosemary Quilling at [email]Quillingr@ukzn.ac.za[/email] or Craig Blewett at [email]Blewett@ukzn.ac.za[/email].

Link for questionnaire:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cmtXY2d2N3IxV0ltVllEMmt6NU5pSEE6MA..

Well, looks like this is not for me.

I do consulting, I learnt that in RL and of course I would not offer this service in SL, if I had no qualification for it. So in this case I do not start a new virtual business, but I bring this service to SL and create a new virtual good by that.

Also, when I teach for a sailing license inworld, the customers will experience a brand new way of learning about navigation and seamanship, so my class is a real virtual product ... however the customers will then go and to their test for the license in RL.

Or look at my scripting services. They might be totally virtual goods ... however I am also asked to do project that connect to the rest of the internet or I am asked for classes about webdesign, php, javascript etc.

So, what I think: you cannot say: this is a virtual good and that is not. I don't see the big difference. Like 30 years ago, a mail and the internet were virtual products but are a rather significant of today's real business life.

For me there are no real virtual goods, there is no clear boundary between virtual and real, as they all virtual actions and goods are part of our real life. So I might not qualify for your research project.

But I would not mind to discuss that with you ... send me a notecard inworld (IMs get capped).