make a "Stock Market"

I think it would be good to have something like a stock market so people could invest in shops and other money making things and would get a kickback based on how good they do.

Guys like me who don't know about scripting and don't want to be a stripper don't have many options for making money other than buying it with real money which would turn it into a dangerous addiction .

This could also make it so there are shops that sell to other shops...like a store for tip jars and customizable info stations, those camping seats...stuff like that.

Help me fuel my consumerist tendancies!!!

If this stuff already exists then point me to it. I'm new so there are still a lot of things I don't understand on here.

-S1

First, SqueezeOne, a vewy warm welcome to SL. I haven't seen a stock market in SL as you describe either, but if there is, I'd like to be pointed to it. It's definitely something that'd be challenging to set up, but I can see how big it'd be. Investment opportunities are still in the early stages in SL.

One point to consider is whether this would have to be Linden-regulated. I don't want to go on a downer, but obviously, insider trading and stock market crashes are very real risks to be aware of.

In terms of pure, aesthetic architecture, I would LURVE to see a stock market building, like Donald Trump in NYSE in the premiere episode of The Apprentice. I am also very much into the scrolling of stock tickers, they're modern art to me. Getting such a place crammed like a club with everyone shouting may prove to be difficult (and laggy), but worth the experience.

There are already shops that sell to other shops, you don't need stocks for that (e.g. shops that sell club equipment).

I don't know, an enterprise can already sell shares if it wants to, there's just no guarantee that they won't rip you off - in the same way that there are no guarantees that if you pay somebody money for something in SL, you'll actually get what you paid for. I wouldn't want to see shares formalised in the game engine, it's a nebulous concept in itself and there's no particular reason why that funding model should be made formal when others aren't.

Anybody could set up a stock market in-game if they were sufficiently trusted and people agreed formally on what shares meant in this context. I wouldn't expect the Lindens to play financial serveices authority and I would expect a lot of people to lose their virtual shirts as various cons were tried.

That would be fantastic, I didn't really think of that angle. Huge Hudsucker Proxy architecture and old-fashioned stock tickers spewing rolls of paper... fat cigars and people jumping from windows....

HAHAHA OMG what a great visual! Gosh.

Just as feedback, some major drawbacks to such:


SL does not have any regulation, business contract enforcement or "legal" system. So there would be nothing to prevent someone from selling "con" stocks, accept payment, close shop. There would be nothing to prevent "insider" trading. There would be no enforceable regulatory commission.

In other words, it would be a major ripe place for graft, and no way LL would step in to enforce such a concept (understandably). So it sounds interesting, but that's a whole barrel of pirrahna after the goldfish.

Good news, there's already a functioning stock exchange for SL "virtual corporations". Please visit the Metaverse Stock Exchange. Interested in listing? Please contact me.