What is this new "Join a Community" Crap?

I was looking to create an alt today, and noticed that there is this new feature where, in the process of signing up, you are asked if you'd like to "join a community." It does not list every group, only a select set of 26, including a couple of Anshe Chung's groups, Azure Islands, The L Word and other businesses. Here's part of the promotional copy:

"Want to meet someone interesting? Communities are a great way to meet other like-minded Residents. Feel at home in a welcoming social environment. Thousands of real-life friendships, romances, and business partnerships have started in Second Life. Below are a few communities you can join today..."

I imagine these 26 paid for the space. Does anyone know the details? I'd like to be on that list. My "Save the Wombat" group needs more members. Or is this the same old FIC junk?

It's been there forever- if u use one of those gateways u r still not obligated to be a part of it. Some have better avi options than OI.

Been there for a while. 9 to 12 months or more. Those are the organizationa that have their own Registration API and/or Orientation Islands set up, independant of the main dafault LL setup. Originally it was intended for foreign-language communities. So, for example, a French-speaking group could set up an Orientation Island experience that was all in French, rather than English. A few of the mega landlords, like AC, and a few Corporations, like Ben and Jerrys, have tried setting these up as well.

The best use for them is for a Corporation or a University that wishes to funnel people first to their sims. I'm still trying to figure out for to set one of those up for one of my big University clients, for example. They would prefer their new students to be sent to their own OI experience.

Yeah, it's just a way of providing an alternate OI experience.

These 'communities' all have their own Orientation Island to guide players through. Some of these private OIs are better than the official OI from what I've heard. It's very corporate - STA Travel, The L Word, etc. have one. Dreamland has one. I think the Brazilians have one. It's not a bad idea overall if it helps integrate people socially with a group that they have something in common with, or shows people how amazing SL can be.

Re your title

If you don't know what it is, why do you assume it to be "crap"?

It's amazing how so many LL concepts are automatically viewed negatively. Certainly, there are many issues that need work, but I'd suggest the benefit of the doubt, especially if you don't have all the information you need to actually form an opinion - and prominently title your threads with it.

And some offer last names unique only through their community.
http://slnamewatch.com/

The communities listed are companies and SL groups that have created private Orientation Islands using LL's RegAPI. About one in four (best guess) new sign ups are directed to the "join a community" page; the rest go to the normal SL sign up page. This has been going on for about a year now.

To learn more about the program check out these:

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/RegAPI
http://secondlifegrid.net/programs/api/reg



They don't pay for the placement, however, they do have to provide and maintain an Orientation Island at their expense. Creating a good OI is not an easy task.

Some of the private OIs have been very well designed. Better than the Linden Lab OIs. A few have been "crap", but they are in the minority. And yes--as far as I know, I have visited all the private OIs

Thank you- I thought it was me- but did find the title unnecessarily rude.

I was going to mention that it was a funny title. I can't believe LL would want us to join some awful community. Bleah! Interacting with other people who might have similar interests? Make friends? Gag. What a bunch of crap. I think I'll go to a community of people who help others with the SL comunity and call LL out on this crap!"

WTF?

I think the reaction comes from seeing private businesses in SL, which compete with you, getting what appears to be exponentially more exposure than what one ever thought possible, and having no clue how they got there. I know I had exactly the same initial reaction when I created an alt recently. In fact, "crap" wasn't the word I used. I figured there had to me more to the story, though, and surely it couldn't be blatant favoritism. I didn't have time to pursue it further while the subject was at hand, but asking in the forums crossed my mind. Thanks for the answers, all.

So just out of curiosity, is there some procedure for buying a private OI, or does a Linden pull you aside one day and whisper in your ear while you're counting your tenants' prims?

P.S. Carl M, sorry, I missed your links there. Thanks. never mind the question.

Sorry, if I (falsely?) assumed that LL was doing something not aboveboard and not fairly offering the opportunity to all businesses in SL.

It’s certainly never stated that you join those communities to get a specific orientation. You join them, according to the advertising copy, to “…start exploring Second Life with some ready-made friends.” (That’s neat that Swedes, lesbians, etc. have an insta-friendship thing going. Who knew?) The very next line of copy then says: “If you would like to start on Linden Lab's Orientation Island, click the "Skip This Step" button, or just take me to Linden Lab's Orientation Island." I understood that to mean you can visit the community with your new friends OR get oriented at the LL OI.

Thanks for the links, Carl. But are you telling me that if I had a business and I wanted to also benefit from this hugely valuable exposure, I would need ESP to know where to dig in the Wiki to find out how to get on the page?

That’s absurd.

Either LL wants to hide the fact or it is simply terrible at marketing.

And BTW, I don't think it’s fair for Anshe Chung to now funnel people directly to her land and bypass the rest of SL. Unless companies like Xcite and Caledon, etc. have been approached with the same opportunity, it sounds like an odorous sweetheart deal to me. And unless she is paying money for the exposure there, not just dedicating some land to an OI, I think there may be some crapalidity here. I stand by the word.

The only problem I have with the communities is that new users may be misled as to the nature of the communities. They may be expecting "home-grown" communities, rather than corporate sponsors. To that end, Linden Lab should explain- one sentence will probably work- why those particular communities are on that list offered to SL newbies.

That way newbies can meaningfully chose whether they want to spend time pursuing one of these communities or not.

Otherwise, I have no problem with the fact that Linden Lab makes deals with its sources of money and press. I know that Linden Lab cares a lot more about Anshe Chung than Amity Slade. Anshe Chung heads up a multi-million dollar corporation that invests in virtual worlds like Second Life. Amity Slade pays the Premium user fee. I know that an endorsement of Second Life by a real life brand-entity- like CSI or the L-Word- attracts vastly more potential residents than does an endorsement from the virtual person Amity Slade.

That's capitalism, and that's truly smart business by Linden Lab.

I assume that as to getting listed on the SL Communities, someone with the demonstrated investment capital or good reputation gets the call from Linden Lab.

(Edit: Or, maybe my assumption that getting listed in SL Communities is by LL invite is incorrect, and the links provided in Carl's post above explain how it works.)

This is not news.

http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/06/05/an-experiment-for-new-residents-community-registration-portals/

What has not been done is a followup on this post, not that I have seen from a search with the keyword registration. I haven't looked at Carl's links, are those the broader guidelines?

I wonder how naive a new user would have to be not to realize these are corporate links?

AFAIK, running an OI community is an invitation thing.

Very few. Only one, actually, at this time. Big Pond offers one special name, "Pond"
CSI:NY used to have exclusive names. It closed.

How many other things have gone on that could have benfited from the same thing?

Additionally, they forgo the refer-a-friend bonus they would otherwise receive. See: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Talk:RegAPI#Refer-A-Friend_and_referral_credit_in_RegAPI

Open a G.D. JIRA entry, already!

Yumi--as far as I know, it is an "apply for" thing. There is an online application form at: http://secondlifegrid.net/programs/api/reg

That's for the registration API, which lets you register users for Second Life via your own web pages. I don't know whether or not it includes the ability to be listed on the creation page for new users, though. I don't even know if they're connected (I'm not sure that ACS or similar actually signs up new users through their web site).

Agreed. There are many RegAPI interface providers who do not get an icon and a write-up on the official join now page. I don't know what the criteria are. I have never applied.

You do not need your own orientation island to set up your own regapi portal. You can set up the regapi to just divert all of your incoming registrants to the official OI.

Hey Adz what’s the longest SLs gone without adding new names? I see its been 67 days and that seems an awfully long time. But maybe not.
Oh and Language Lab has I believe exclusive rights on the names Teacher, Learner, Aprendiz, and maybe Maestro. Oooh I should tell you that for your website. Hey Adz Language Lab has….