Hooking SL into social networking?

I can see a couple of ways they can do this. They could put twitter and livejournal links in the profile, or try and turn the profile into a SecondSpace? No thanks.

Or they could open SL up so that people can communicate with people in-world from other social networking interfaces. For example, you could maybe contact "Argent.Stonecutter@im.secondlife.com" from Google Talk, or send email to "Argent.Stonecutter@mail.secondlife.com" from anywhere.

Social networking is all about *networking*, after all.

I think it'll be the above.

They've got my support. Anonymity is never cool in a social environment. and yes - I know we can't force people to be honest about who they are, but that's beside the point.

Sod off, you.

What does anonymity have to do with anything? There's plenty of "people" in MySpace or Twitter or LiveJournal or Blogger who are purely fictitious. I got into twitter myself because I started following the tweets of a completely imaginary person. "Social Networking" and "Anonymity" are orthogonal concepts. Not just "we can't force people to be honest", but "you're trying to cram two completely unrelated pegs into the same hole".

My point wasn't about "Anonymity", it's about "this is a really really competitive environment, and Linden Labs hasn't even managed to provide a fraction of the functionality of existing social networking services in-world". It's about "most social networking sites fail quicker than Lively ever did". It's about "Linden Labs needs to play to their strengths, not stuff they have conspicuously failed at".

Where's my private space so I can blog, I mean build stuff, just for my friends?

Where's my "log in offline" so I can maintain my blog... I mean my build... without getting flooded by tweets, I mean IMs.

Why are they still mixing up land management groups with social groups instead of splitting them up and having a chance of busting the 25 group limit?

They'd do much better letting you stick working links to you-in-SL via Jabber and SMTP/POP/IMAP and the like into your existing social networks that actually work.

I don't see SL as a social environment at all - that's what bars, cafés and clubs are for.

As far as I am concerned, SL is primarily an entertainment medium with educational and business potential but there is no obligation to declare every detail of our RL just to make others 'feel' like they're dealing with a tangible human being - and it certainly is not dishonest in any way to withold such information. If anything, it's decidedly uncool to expect more of others than what they are prepared to disclose of their own volition.

And why do we need all the bells and whistles of a virtual world for 'social networking' anway? Wouldn't a camcorder and a chatroom would be more than adequate?

Hiya!

Don't worry, Lindal. They may create a new continent for your types. and they can call it 'La La Land'.

I have an idea that could also boost Premium membership a little.

Premium members could have a public message board page added to their profile, so they could post messages AND receive replies.

A bit like IM but less transient, visible by all who choose to look and editable by the owner. You would need to be Premium to have your own message board but any resident would be able to post replies.

I think there is a lot of in-world social networking between residents already (chat, IM, group messages etc.) and there's scope for more - it doesn't need to be RL stuff, it could be discussion about the best techno dance clubs or where to find the ugliest builds or the best eating animations!

many in SL do NOT want it to be for RL.... SL is fantasy, there's no way that every word spoken in SL is real and I like it that way. I dont need a RL extension.

Please, let's not go off in the weeds with a big long digression about whether anonymity is useful or damaging. Anonymity has nothing to do with the different ways LL could hook SL into social networking.

...and it'll be met with nearly the same lukewarm reception and slightly better than sad usage numbers that voice comm got Although, Twatter and SquatSpace links wouldn't be so bad for those who can't seem to leave their RL in RL.


Possibly, but then neither is having every interaction pegged to a persons RL identity. What's next? Mandatory RFID?

SL is very much a social environment, but it's just a very poor one for the typical Facebook user. I have a feeling Linden Lab wants to make SL more appealing to the Facebook gang.




There needs to be something to do with the people we meet. A rich 3D environment helps to give people something to talk about.

You're right. Many SL'ers are goiing to hate it. But let's be honest - listening to people chat on voice is far more entertaining than reading text chat. I personally find Waterhead and the Aherm hilarious. Although I'm not quite thick skinned enough to join in with them

Personally, any links between SL and RL services like Twitter, Facebook et al will receive the same warm welcome that I gave to Voice in SL.

I will ignore them, turn those features off, and disable them.

In short, no, I don't want to add more links between RL and SL that give people the false impression that everyone you meet in SL is a realistic representation of a real person.

Then again, I also have no use whatsoever for Twitter, FaceBook and similar services, so I admit to being quite biased against them in the first place.

Apalling is more like it. Then again, I find nothing whatsoever "entertaining" about the juvenile and vapid actions of the griefers that hang out in the welcome areas. I have a much higher standard for what I find "Entertaining".

Please, let's not go off in the weeds with a big long digression about whether anonymity is useful or damaging. Anonymity or the lack thereof has nothing to do with social networking.

Oh shutup. Nobody has mentioned anonymity in the last few posts!

although we might! It's our thread now. Get out!

I've mentioned before in relation to identity issues that there's a new German virtual world which takes a different approach from SL. It is set in a virtual Berlin. You have to use your real name there, verified as part of the joining process, and you supply photos which are used to make your avatar look like your RL self. Once you've done that you can spend your time shopping, shopping or shopping, so it seems from the description I saw!

So you can't be anonymous there?


* looks around for Argent the thread cop *

Exactly and that is there already: socialising within SL has its own natural boundaries. As far as the social networking thing goes, I can see Conifer's suggestion would have something to offer within the context of SL but I think that extending SL to compete with Fussbook, Morespace and Twaddle is just going to detract from the virtual environment.

And for the record, I have no problem with people who do want to extend their RL through SL - it just isn't for me - but it rankles that I'm a somehow regarded as a shady character because of my attitude.

I'm a pussycat.

Really.

Meow.

*giggles insanely* Not touching THAT one in a PG forum


In the interest of the topic, yes you're right.. although, anonymity has everything to do with social networking here. It's one of the root causes of why other methods of RL interconnectivity haven't been brought in IMO. Anyway, I'll cede that it's a hot topic, very close to the thread topic, but not exactly what you asked for so I'm out.

None of that is very interesting. The best way to hook SL into social networking is to make it a useful place for people to interact socially. As it is you have to find the forums before you can use SL for meaningful social contact, unless you have a whole lot of time and patience to suffer the bulk of SL--crappy malls, empty clubs, bots--before you find where the people are hiding.

Link Please!

Scientist, I trolled with Elizabeth Bimmler: I know Elizabeth Bimmler; Elizabeth Bimmler might even know me. Sir, you're no Elizabeth Bimmler.

They've tightened it up since the beta, then, if that's the one I'm thinking of.

Possibly the folks at Linden Labs are just as confused about the relationship (or lack thereof) between social networking and anonymity as other folks, but there's never been any necessary relationship between ones meatspace and cyberspace personas.