Questions for research

I'm currently conducting a research for the University of Amsterdam (the Netherlands, Europe). We are researching value creation within virtual worlds/economies such as SL. I've read and researched several papers, the SL website and the Wikipedia website, but I still do have some questions for the experts. - I'll try to formulate them as short and simple as possible.

Users can create and sell virtual items within SL. One of the main aspects of virtual goods is that they can be copied an infinite times without extra (or near zero) costs. If this were true for the real world, we would, in theory, all drive the most beautiful cars, as they would be produced by the millions and could be sold for next to nothing.
If I understood correctly, then the creators of virtual goods (cars?) within SL can define who can make copies and modifications.

1. Is it possible (in theory) to make a huge amount of copies of the same product, and give it away for free at every character that wants one?

2. If I understood correctly, then there is a charge (10 US dollars?) to 'introduce' a virtual item into the SL universe. Is there a charge for introducing / making copies of an item that is already in the SL?

3. Are items traded on one or more specific locations? Or can they be traded 1 on 1 on every part of the 'world'?

4. Are the items only useable over a specific time period, or a specific amount of times. Do they automatically 'decay' over time, or can you keep using the same car for thousands of years without a single check-up?

5. Is there a limit to the amount of items a user can introduce into the world?

6. In what degree can you compare several items with each other? Can you test the item before you buy it? Can you see the script/code?

7. Are virtual goods traded outside SL? (On forums like these for example)? (I noticed market sections, how serious are these?)

8. Are some goods sold for US Dollars instead of Linden Dollars (when for example you buy from a website instead of a virtual shop within the SL world)

9. Open Question; would you say that the prices of the goods sold are determined by the offer and demand (such as in a free market) or do other factors have any influence, like the costs for SL?

I would like to thank everyone in advance for taking the time and effort to answer (some) of the questions!

I don't mean to be rude, but since you said that this was for research, how much researching have you done? Have you gone inworld (basic account is free) and tried buying something?

1. Is it possible (in theory) to make a huge amount of copies of the same product, and give it away for free at every character that wants one?

YES

2. If I understood correctly, then there is a charge (10 US dollars?) to 'introduce' a virtual item into the SL universe. Is there a charge for introducing / making copies of an item that is already in the SL?

NO COST & NO COST

3. Are items traded on one or more specific locations? Or can they be traded 1 on 1 on every part of the 'world'?

ANYWHERE AND YES

4. Are the items only useable over a specific time period, or a specific amount of times. Do they automatically 'decay' over time, or can you keep using the same car for thousands of years without a single check-up?

NO THEY ARE INFINITE UNLESS THE ASSET SERVER EATS IT

5. Is there a limit to the amount of items a user can introduce into the world?

NO

6. In what degree can you compare several items with each other? Can you test the item before you buy it? Can you see the script/code?

YES. TESTING...MAYBE. VIEWING THE SCRIPT BEFORE THE SALE IS NOT LIKELY. AFTER THE SALE IS POSSIBLE IF YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE PROPER PERMISSIONS AT THE POINT OF SALE.

7. Are virtual goods traded outside SL? (On forums like these for example)? (I noticed market sections, how serious are these?)

YES THEY CAN BE. EXAMPLE: SLEXCHANGE.COM

8. Are some goods sold for US Dollars instead of Linden Dollars (when for example you buy from a website instead of a virtual shop within the SL world)

YES, A FEW ITEMS HAVE BEEN SEEN ON EBAY FOR REAL US DOLLARS.

9. Open Question; would you say that the prices of the goods sold are determined by the offer and demand (such as in a free market) or do other factors have any influence, like the costs for SL?

PRICES ARE USUALLY DETERMINED BY THE CREATOR/SELLER. ALL INFLUENCES OF THE REAL WORLD CAN APPLY HERE IN SECONDLIFE AS WELL.

you call that research? those are questions most of the nubs know

have you loggedin even once to look around how it works or just created a paid account to ask questions that answer itself in world by just looking around *abit*?

have you read some of the FAQ`s?
looked in the KB with just clicking away?
logged in?

this ain`t research, unlike some other have, but pure lazyness
i doubt you`ve read anything, done anything or researched anything as the questions show

just looked ingame and this avi is from 3/7/2007... yea..umm..i`ll shutup befor i get a warning...

this is blowing everything... makes you redouble think any "so" called reseach posts where the last one went down in flames for data farming...

I've indeed visited SL, but have not yet tried to buy anything, or introduce an item. Your point is valid, however, we have to research a lot of different virtual communities, and cannot take the time nor have the proper fundings to extensivly research them all. Therefore I'm conducting a small pre-research to determine which virtual communitis are worth researching, and what are the main differences between those worlds.

These simple answeres have already helped me a lot!

You do realise that creating and selling a simple item does not require any funding at all?

You need to spend time inworld. All of your questions can be answered in your first trip to a newbie-friendly place, like The Shelter or The Free Dove.

It's a bit like trying to write a paper on the intricacies of the Dutch economy without ever having left Schipol Airport.

I realize now that the answeres were also to be found within SL - but please note that the research is on the economies of very different virtual worlds, and until a few specific worlds are chosen, I cannot visit them all to test them for specific questions.

It's very hard to determine whether prices are influenced by anything by just looking at the prices. It takes knowledge from experienced users.

I will visit SL for over an extensive period when the specific research-questions are formulated.

(please also note that I'm still an undergraduate)

do you even have a clue on how stupid this sounds when your avi is 1 day away from being created 9 months ago?

i guess not...

My 'avi' was created pure out of interest, not for research purposes. Unfortunatly I did not have the time to visit SL. This can be seen as a coincidence.

OK, here's this answer: Most of the time you can see the item or test it.

Example: If you want to buy a chair in SL, you can look at the chair, sit on it, and walk around it. You buy a 'copy' of the chair most often; not the chair itself.

If you want to buy hair for your avatar, you can buy a 'demo' version of the hair, which is usually connected to a big sign that says "demo" so that you would be embarassed to wear it inworld.

If you want to buy a skin for your avatar, you can also buy a demo of it. It will have the word 'demo' printed on it in an obvious place, like your forehead.

Some expensive dresses like wedding dresses also have demo versions.

Scripted items like animations are usually testable in the store.

If you want sophisticated answers, you have to ask sophisticated questions. The questions you asked couldn't generate much better than a primary school book report.

If you are studying economic theory, the questions had better sound like they will generate a sophisticated thought process. SL has a large number of economic data widely available. This would have been a better starting point than questions that would have been answered had you stuck around on Help Island and talked to an older resident for 10 minutes.

But then you will always only get second hand knowledge. Not a good idea. And yes, i was an undergrad once, too....

I think you might have the $10 USD to introduce an item in world confused with the 10L fee that it costs to upload a texture or sound file to SL. (1000L = approx $4.06 USD to give you a perspective). You can build anything for free but it needs a texure to look like something besides a plywood cube. These textures must either be uploaded or purchased in world from someone else (that uploaded it) by the creator to apply to his build.... though there are some textures available for free from your library or available in world. Most complex projects use more than one single texture.

In the spirit of responding to a man on Mars who has never visited and needs to know these basic tourist questions:

1.It is not only easy, it is very common.

2. No charge for making copies in-world. Often a charge for buying one made by someone else. Don't know of your US$10 charge for bringing an item in world. There is a L$10 charge for bringing an image, or "texture," in-world that can be applied to objects; that is equivalent to less than US$0.04. Same charge for bringing in sounds and animations.

3. They can be bought or sold anywhere, including on at least two exchanges on third-party websites.

4. Items last indefinitely - although sometimes faults in the grid or database can "lose" them. This, however, is quite unusual.

5. The only realistic limit is his time and patience.

6. Seeing, testing, and viewing scripts are at the discretion of the seller. Seeing is usually, and testing is often, permitted. Script-viewing is often not allowed in order to keep the script proprietary.

7. Yes, as noted. The most used outside marketplace is SLExchange, located at www.slexchange.com. Market "sections" or categories exist only for buyers' convenience in finding what they want and have no other significance.

8. To my knowledge, all goods are traded in L$. "Tier" or rental for land acquired directly from Linden Lab, howcever, must be paid in US$.

9. The price for goods is entirely set by free market. There is a floor under the price paid to buy or rent land because of the prices that must be paid to Linden Lab to acquire it.

In addition, the seller has several options as to what rights of copying, modification, or transfer to others he may choose to grant to the buyer.

To say these questions and their answers are elementary in the context of SL is an understatement. I join the others in urging you to spend substantial time in SL before writing about it, in order to avoid looking foolish.