Questions about your Second Life

First of all, thanks to all of you for all of the information on these boards. It has been very helpful as I try to figure out what to do in Second Life. I have been reading the boards and they have been a tremendous help.

If this post violates a guideline I somehow missed, I apologize. I thought it might be easier to ask my questions here than in world, although I will probably ask some residents in world as well, just to get myself communicating with others more.

As part of a statistics project, I am supposed to ask questions of Second Life residents, and I would be very grateful to anyone willing to answer. Please ignore any questions that offend you.

1. Why did you start using Second Life? How long have you been a resident?

2. What is your age bracket? 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51+

3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? What do you do in world the most?

4. How much money do you spend in Second Life?

5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how?

6. Do you build anything for the game?

7. What makes you keep coming back?

Thanks in advance to anyone who answers.

In the interest of fairness, here are my answers:

1. I was instructed to begin using Second Life by one of my professors. The goal is to try and determine how we may be able to use Second Life to enhance mathematics education. I joined 9 days ago.

2. 31-40

3. I have spent about 8 hours in world in the last 9 nine days. A few additional hours so far reading the boards. I spend most of my time trying to figure out where to go and what to do, but I think more time in world will fix that.

4. Taking the advice on these boards, I haven't even contemplated spending any money yet because I haven't been here at least a month.

5. I'm still working on moving around and interacting with things, so no, I have not tried to earn any money yet.

6. No, I haven't tried to build anything yet.

7. Second Life has many residents, so there must be something interesting about it. I just haven't figured it out yet because I'm still in the learning curve. It looks like it could be interesting, once I figure out what is going on. I think part of my problem is that I have never been one for virtual chatting, and that seems to be part of what makes SL so great. I've also always been goal-oriented, and since SL is so open ended, I think I feel lost. Maybe I will have to set goals for myself so I can get more out of the experience. I also think another big part of the problem is that I am forced to be a resident of SL for school, and thus not in world of my own free will. Of course, now that I wrote that, I'll figure it all out and become a SL addict because that's how it works, LOL.

I'm sure I've seen threads like this before...

IMO you are better off writing these into a notecard and asking people directly. I'm not sure how much meaningful data you can obtain in an uncontrolled experiment.

A statistics programme for whom, exactly?

Hell, lots of us twiddling our thumbs here, but I doubt many of us intend to give our views for free to a corporation. It might help to elaborate but even then people may well decline to give answers.

***edit*** OK, Professors, eductional. I'd still say people might be dubious about giving info (call it jaded, been burned before etc).

Go into your User CP and enable Private messaging so anybody who wants to answer the questions you ask can do so privately.

User CP>Edit Options>Enable Private Messaging

Just ignore this - let this one die- uh - never mind...

As you can see, random surveys tend not to go over too well here in RA, but what the hell. I don't see the problem, I wouldn't expect too many people to pipe in with "I make $ABCXYZ every month and laugh all the way to the bankl!!!!111one" though

1. Why did you start using Second Life? How long have you been a resident?

A friend told me you could build stuff here, and script it to do things. Sold!
Born on: 2006-04-25

2. What is your age bracket? 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51+

41-50

3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? What do you do in world the most?

Varies hugely, for endless months I would be in here many hours every day without fail, lately I go weeks without logging in at all due to RL stuff. Average it out, still say 2-3 hours a day. I'll be back full-time eventually.

4. How much money do you spend in Second Life?

I pay monthly for a Premium account, and tier on a 4608 mainland plot. Fortunately my earnings cover all that. (I let LL bill my credit card though, and cash out earnings separately - it's just easier to track that way for various reasons.) I don't spend many lindens in-world, and when I do it's mostly just the occasional new outfit.

5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how?

Yep. Enough to pay my fees to LL and some pocket money beyond that each month. That's as specific as I'm going to get on that. I sell poseballs, mostly cuddly couples stuff, and various scripted toys and home improvement devices.

6. Do you build anything for the game?

As stated I mostly sell animations and scripted devices, so depends on your definition of "build" - I certainly create content in the broader definition. I also build pretty much everything I need for myself save skin and clothing and body attachments such as hair.

7. What makes you keep coming back?

I'm very happy about the friends I've made here, and very proud of having built a modestly successful business with no real investment beyond my time. I'm not going to get bored with it and throw it all away.

Thank you to Anti Antonelli for your answers. My thanks as well to the rest of you for the tips about using a note card and enabling private messaging. I will get going on doing it that way instead. I just thought that if people were in world doing something they would not want to be interrupted to answer 7 questions for a statistics project for a grad student, but the notecard takes care of that issue. Now I realize I should have came to the boards and asked what would be the best way to go about asking the questions rather than asking the questions themselves.

Thanks for the help.

Well this is not like the other surveys and I'm slightly bored.

1. Why did you start using Second Life? How long have you been a resident?
I've always dreamed of a virtual environment. As a little kid I had a dream about a cartoon hand reaching out of the TV and pulling me in. Well, here is that dream. I've been in SL over a year.

2. What is your age bracket? 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51+
I'm in my extremely, extremely late 40's. Well, ok - early 50's. Extremely.

3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? What do you do in world the most?
I build a little and spend a great deal of time looking for something to do. Real life doesn't permit me to spend as much time as I would like, and I can't let it interfere with my listening to progressive rock or Beethoven. Say a couple hours a night, binging on weekends. 20 hours a week? Actually I probably spend more time on forums.

4. How much money do you spend in Second Life?
Premium account and monthly tier for 4096m + free tier for 512. Very little beyond that unless I'm using an alt. I don't even know how much that is. I hate math. Sorry.

5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how?
That would require work. This is entertainment for me.

6. Do you build anything for the game?
Yes. See above. I'm working on a way to create unusual environments to visit - environment as art if you will. (Or even if you won't.) Can't say I've succeded at that yet.

7. What makes you keep coming back?
It is open ended. We are only restricted by our own creativity. That's it - it's a way of sharing creativity. Also I can experiment with being myself or using alts to be different people. That's an irresistable experiment.

I have what I'd call a fair sense of why most people in SL are here, come back and do whatever it is they do. That is based on over 2 1/2 years of being here though, but I understand if you are being assigned an assignment for some class and you can't really spend the time necessary to get what most here already have..........experience.

I'm with who ever said to make a notecard (or even just chat with) to give to people in world for your "research". You'll get a much more balanced and true idea of the why's and why not's of people in SL. The reason is pretty simple.......most folks who put in time in the forums are creaters, avid players, or very interested types. But, once you spend time in world (I mean more than just a few weeks or months) you meet people. You get to know them and get a more honest feel for why they are here, why they continue to be here, what they do, what they like or dislike about SL.

You just are not going to get that here.

1. Why did you start using Second Life? How long have you been a resident?
June 2006, exactly 2 years ago

2. What is your age bracket? 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51+
31-40

3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? What do you do in world the most?
Approx 15-20 hours per week, mainly socialising

4. How much money do you spend in Second Life?
Not much. I buy US$10-worth of Lindens whenever I run out, which isn't often.

5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how?
Not currently but at one point I was earning enough (not saying how much) by selling furniture.

6. Do you build anything for the game?
Lots of things, mainly furniture and houses

7. What makes you keep coming back?
Friends. It's as simple as that.

1. Why did you start using Second Life? How long have you been a resident?
curiousity, been a resident since april 06

2. What is your age bracket? 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51+
41-50

3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? What do you do in world the most?
too much time, I mainly design and build

4. How much money do you spend in Second Life?
decline to answer

5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how?
decline to answer

6. Do you build anything for the game?
yes

7. What makes you keep coming back?
the ability to create

Well I am just over 2 now, joined specifically to work. Have an extensive background in digital arts, and even computer animation. Study graphic design at a private arts university. And make enough to pay my tuition each year. It's usually a gamble, and the cash flow is all over the place. I run quite a few shops. I sold out and sell sex toys, did that last year. Run an amusement park, and duing the holidays have a Christmas Shop that does very well.

Mostly I am a developer. Have designed several sims so far. Was nominated for a few awards. Won one last year. About it really.

I don't really want to say what I make, but its equivelent as working in a design firm from what I can tell.

But I will tell you this. Everything I learned about graphic design and advertising don't play out well inworld. What works is still a bit of a mystery. But it's definately a world to itself.

1. Why did you start using Second Life? How long have you been a resident?
* Since 11/19/2006. An internet friend told me about it and my curiosity made me try it out on the spot. I've never left since.

2. What is your age bracket? 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51+
* Decline to answer, but you can eliminate the first two choices

3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? What do you do in world the most?
* Actively, about 6-8 hours a day, but I stay logged in while I sleep too. I shop, I spend time with friends or in IM with them, go to a couple favorite clubs a few times a week, build, read the forums if I don't feel like doing anything else, and spend quality time with my Master when he is online.

4. How much money do you spend in Second Life?
* It varies, depending on if I'm in a shopping mood or not, or how often I go to clubs and spend on tips, then there's land rental once a month. When I first started, I'd allow myself up to $12 USD weekly for entertainment allowance (excluding land rent), but now I make enough inworld to cover that. Now I only purchase lindens once a month to cover what I need to on my land rentals.

5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how?
* Yes, I won't give a specific amount, but I'm doing well enough now to cover day to day purchases & expenses, plus pay land rent for 3328m of commercial land and a secondary commercial lot in another sim, plus a portion of the land rent on my residential lots (8928m). If I watch my spending and business stays steady, I might break even this month.

6. Do you build anything for the game?
* Yes, I make furniture, candles, torches, and other home furnishings. Mostly dark in nature.

7. What makes you keep coming back?
* I'm an internet addict. Second Life feeds that need AND I get to have a life at the same time. I can look the way I want. I like creating things when the mood strikes me. I have a beautiful home, a business that covers most of my expenses, more clothes than I need, a few good friends, a few more regular aquaintances, and a Master that I love dearly. I've got no plans to give this up any time soon.

Since the OP actually answered herself, I'll suspend my no survey rule.

1. Why did you start using Second Life? How long have you been a resident?
I started in January of 2007. I found it quite by accident. It was a snowy weekend and I was bored and decided to do some shopping. I saw SL mentioned somewhere, I don't even remember and out of curiosity took a look. I had never played any onlinr game before, really didn't spend much time on the internet at all.

2. What is your age bracket? 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51+
Over 18-Under 40.

3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? What do you do in world the most?
1 to 2 hours a day would probably be the average. I do whatever I feel at the time I log on. Shop, Roleplay, Explore, Socialize. I rarely have a specific reason for logging on

4. How much money do you spend in Second Life? I usually buy Lindens in 10K blocks, when they get down to below 1,000 I reload. Sometimes it lasts a week sometimes 2.

5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how? No, I didn't come to SL to work or earn money. It's strictly recreational

6. Do you build anything for the game? Other than an expanding inventory, No.

7. What makes you keep coming back?All the activities I mentined. I enjoy them.

Thanks in advance to anyone who answers.

1. Why did you start using Second Life? How long have you been a resident?

Always been interested in virtual worlds, making imagination "real". Came across SL in a newspaper article on The 100 Most Important Websites! Joined 21/12/2006.

2. What is your age bracket? 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51+
41-50

3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? What do you do in world the most?
30-50 hours a week - SL has become my main source of entertainment. My SL partner has become my RL partner and our relationship is mainly conducted through SL at present, so spending time with her, exploring, building, looking at stuff people have built and going "wow!".


4. How much money do you spend in Second Life?
I buy about L$20K a month, mostly for rent. Add premium membership and it's about £13-15 a month.

5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how?
Very little, sold the odd thing I've built, win a small amount playing games. Would like to earn more, and I think I could if I could get organised and set up a store and do publicity and so on, but that's too much like hard work.

6. Do you build anything for the game?
Houses mainly, but a bit of anything that consists of slapping prims together.

7. What makes you keep coming back?

My partner, my friends, and all the cool stuff so many people have created.

Is it just me or does this sound like the start of a drug rehab questionnaire?

I started using SL just in social situations, you know. A little here and there. Just a couple of prims. I mean all my friends we into it. I just wanted to fit in.

Oh, what the heck... I'll help out a fellow mathematician.


1. Why did you start using Second Life? How long have you been a resident?

August 2006, so coming up on two years.

2. What is your age bracket? 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51+

41-50 (sigh)

3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? What do you do in world the most?

Anywhere from about 2 hours to 10 hours per day, depending on the day of the week and my schedule. It's the bulk of my on-line time these days. As to what I do most... I go through cycles between building/scripting and socializing. I'm in a more 'socializing' phase now, but no matter which of the phases I'm in, the other aspect is only reduced, not excluded.

4. How much money do you spend in Second Life?

If you count monthly premium account fee and monthly land tier, about $135 a month. If you mean how much money do I put into it to BUY stuff... well, I haven't had to do that in quite a while.

5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how?

Yes. Mostly by selling things I build and script, though I haven't put much effort into marketing. A number of the things that would probably be good sellers, I've just never gotten around to putting them up for general sale after having created them to help someone out. I don't track my exact earnings, but it's in the neighborhood of maybe L$5,000 or L$6,000 per month, which is chicken feed by most standards, but it covers my in-world purchases and activities, so I'm happy with it. I'd LIKE to have enough in-world income to cover my monthly tier, but to do that I'd have to get organized with sprucing things up for final sale, writing instructions, doing marketing... hmph. It's more fun to create than to market/sell.

6. Do you build anything for the game?

Yes. See above.

7. What makes you keep coming back?

While I enjoy creating, scripting, and so on... it's the people, my friends, that keep me coming back. If I didn't have the friends I do, I don't know that I'd be motivated enough to keep coming back.

Alright.. you sold me. I will play.

1. Why did you start using Second Life? How long have you been a resident?

I started using SL because my wife and I grew tired of The Sims Online and the lag there. My main account was born 3/31/2003.

2. What is your age bracket? 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51+

31-40

3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? What do you do in world the most?

Time varies. At least 4 hours daily. Mostly I tinker around and take classes.

4. How much money do you spend in Second Life?

Not much. I buy things with what we sell.

5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how?

A little. Lately things picked up thanks to a new location and friends. Made about 600 this week. *stop laughing all you that make that in a few minutes * Mostly through sells of my wife's Jewelry and sometimes a few odds and ends I built.

6. Do you build anything for the game?

Yes, mostly stuff for personal use but I like building Teddy Bears, Avatar Accesories and some animations.

7. What makes you keep coming back?

The People. Pure and simple people are what make SL worth the headaches.

1. Why did you start using Second Life? How long have you been a resident?

- Short answer: Some friends were here and I migrated from another platform back in 2003.


2. What is your age bracket? 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51+

- I'm 43.


3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? What do you do in world the most?

- I'm inworld something like 20 hours a week. Note that doesn't cover my offline hours expended, which are something like another 10. Mainly, I help people. Generally I'm helping them with land issues; I manage my own private estate.


4. How much money do you spend in Second Life?

- Tier for the estate is 81,720 USD annually. It will be over 85k next week with another region addition. Inworld, I spent about $L 1/4 million this past week for various resident-offered products and services. Inworld expenditures vary greatly depending what I'm trying to get done.


5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how?

I make about $L 1 million a month, not to put too fine a point on it. I offer land on a private estate.


6. Do you build anything for the game?

I've built lots of stuff; I was mainly an architect. Then I got caught up with doing land.


7. What makes you keep coming back?

I can think of a million reasons! grin... But honestly, it's because people care about me here, and it's a joy to be here because of that. I never would have got anywhere without them.

/me jumps on the bandwagon

1. Why did you start using Second Life? How long have you been a resident?
for kicks, out of boredom, about 3+ months ago

2. What is your age bracket? 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51+
borderline between the first 2 brackets

3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? What do you do in world the most?
a good chunk of hours/day.. dj'ing strip clubs, photographing models, building buildings, hosting or attending art shows, dancingmy pixelass off, flying around aimlessly

4. How much money do you spend in Second Life?
enough to make it fun

5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how?
enough to make it worthwhile

6. Do you build anything for the game?
yep

7. What makes you keep coming back?
the sex and the beer.. jk! the cool people with shared interests around the world

1. Why did you start using Second Life? How long have you been a resident?
Since 27/12/2007

2. What is your age bracket? 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51+
36

3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? What do you do in world the most?
About 3 hours per day, on weekends I can stay away much more

4. How much money do you spend in Second Life?
Since December I bought 110USD and won some contests, most of it I already spent

5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how?
Recently I open 2 shops: a gallery and a Pixeldolls and I'm starting to cover my rents (apartment included), not getting much profit because I didn't reach the breack even point of my initial investment

6. Do you build anything for the game?
Start to do some furniture (most of them are on my gallery)

7. What makes you keep coming back?
Friends, a beautifull second existence

I like these little surveys on occasion, so I will take a crack at it...

1. Why did you start using Second Life? I heard about it on TV and checked it out just cuz I was curious.

How long have you been a resident? Almost 4 months I think

2. What is your age bracket? 18-30 I am on the verge of the next bracket, but can still squeak into this one.

3. How much time do you spend in Second Life? I am IW pretty much every weeknight for a couple of hours. I log in on the weekends sporadically.

What do you do in world the most? Shop, shop, shop...explore, go out with friends on occasion, and hang out with my honey. Now that I have a love of my Second Life, I spend more time with him than anything else.

4. How much money do you spend in Second Life? I was thinking about this yesterday and I think that I have spend over $500 USD in the last few months.

5. Do you earn money in Second Life? How much and how? I earn money in RL and spend it in SL. LOL

6. Do you build anything for the game? I am just learning to build and really enjoying it. I am at the most elementary stages, but it is fun nonetheless.

7. What makes you keep coming back? I work and travel a lot for work so I do not have a lot of free time. SL enables me to socialize, meet new people, and I have a blast exploring. But now, it is my friends and Jimmy that keeps me coming back!



I was so overwhelmed when I first started. I am goal orientated as well and actually logged on, was totally overwhelmed, and uninstalled SL. A couple days went by and I felt like a quitter LOL. So, I came back and started just TPing everywhere and talking to everyone. I started using search for things that I would like to do or try and found lots of cool stuff. I have such become an addict. I have my own mental list of "You know you spend too much time in SL if..."LOL

HTH

How can I create a notecard (with questions for example)?

Thank you

Top of the Inventory window, Create New Note

To hang out with my wife and friends. I first started a couple of yeas ago but lost interest quickly. Came back last year. Been a resident 10 months total (estimate)

I B this many years old (holds up 3 fingers on one hand and 44 on the other .... hey, this is SL, I can have 44 fingers on a hand if I want.)

More than some, less than others. Flirt, chat, dance and generally just try to get in someone's pants

II spend 80% of my budget and give the other 20% away.

Not any more. Not applicable.

For he game? No. For myself and friends? Yes.

The sex is fantastic