SL Community Skillset on the Rise?

Last night I was flying around SL, the new continent and some other areas just too look around and see what the world is like since most of my time in world is spent on my own land or at the homes/stores of a few friends. I noticed in walking around that the world looks better. The builds are better, the textures are better. People are better neighbors to others. Etc.


It seems that the skill set in SL is rising. There is constant new content, that is high quality and low price, which is good for a consumer market. This will allow people who aren’t techiewiki (why does that feel like a racial slur now? I felt dirty even typing it), to come into SL and enjoy themselves at a reasonable price.

I believe part of it is due to the fact that LL has introduced alot of press/ads that entice folks to come to SL to make money, and so this has attracted commercial-oriented people that want to attract business. There is now a shop/mall on every other plot.

In my opinion the skill set in SL became highly diluted about a year or so ago when the major influx started happening. All of a sudden the generally more technically adept community became awash with those here primarily for entertainment and as a result the overall skill set of the community was, as a percentage, considerably less because of this. The earlier adopters generally were those who were more technically minded, found it easier to get "into" the system and produce, as is almost always the case.

I suppose what might be happening now is the fruits of that learning curve, as people have spent a long time in the system acquiring building, scripting, texturing skills. It's been a long time coming, because of the nature of the "mass" that arrived, but as they've stuck around their skills are bound to have improved no end.

I guess the thing will go in cycles, although probably with less dilution each time as the community grows larger, and therefore absorbs it easier without it being so noticeable. At some point there will be another large influx for some reason and again the learning curve for that mass will start, and 12 months later they'll have raised their skill set.

Two words: Sturgeon's Law.

LF

Since my incept date, the quality of builds has improved dramatically. As a cheesy example, I took a prize in an early show and tell for a three prim textured Eqyptian obelisk which was slightly more complex than a plywood cube.

I think there are a few things that have driven the increase in good content. The easiest is the population explosion whiich is helped by people referring friends with similar creative drives to them. Another factor is one of keeping up with and learning from the Jones'. As skills increase generally, builders have more examples of increaing quality to inspire and instruct. Finally, I think that the v1.3 prim limits have made builds far more elegant than they were before with much more thought going into how to do more with less.

I think the commercial drives and the incremental improvements in build tools are far less of a factor than the reasons cited above.

well..in rebuttal, I'd like to say..."Neener neener!"

it's just like anything........the people who have done it longer are better and the people who have done it shorter aren't. so the longer SL is around the better the best get. top level skill gets higher but there's always unskilled people coming in and also the difference between the best and the worst gets greater just naturally.

I like many of the replies here -- there has been a major dash for better marketing of your product as the world grows. There are a hell of a lot of designers in SL, though sometimes it seems like there are only a few that everyone has heard of, partly because of a) the time they've been here and b) their flashy ads.

I think more people are coming to realize that in the end it is the quality of the product that sells. This is why designers like Neph and Mistress and Chip are still around, because their products are great.

Of course there will always be newbies ... and they will walk around with cabins on their heads, and ask millions of questions, and shoot people with guns, God bless 'em ... but it's the people who have been here longer who show them what to look for. So: quality sells. At least in terms of the people who care.

I suppose people's building skills have developed but, as far as I can see, people's sense of design and esthectics has not. My land in Vail is surrounded by technically ok builds which are placed on ugly barren plots of land. Connecting a bunch of prims is one thing but creating evironmentally pleasing builds is something that seems to be beyond some of the new "skilled builders".

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

What may not be pleasing to one person's eye, may be utterly beautiful to someone else's. Some may prefer those soft, lush inviting places with trees and plants everywhere - others may prefer barren areas, with wide open views of sky ... still others may prefer sweeping architecture with trees and plants here and there, but sparse.

I try to remember that my style of design and my own personal esthetics are just that - my own. Sometimes my tastes may overlap with someone else's or vice-versa, if you want to look at it that way - but sometimes not.

Of course - I do agree that there are SOME things that are MOSTLY universally ugly ... SOME. Still, it's only ever "mostly." Diversity is a grand thing, overall.

Bah. Let's not get too much into generalizations. I met a brand new player who is exceedingly talented, and has already copped to things that can be done in the game that maybe no one else has.

He's not wearing a box on his head, either.

.....watch out folks! we're comin'!

coco

I think in the last 6 months SL skill sets in newplayers had hit rock bottom, with new players really not giving a damn about building, scripting, texturing, or animating. Why this is, is subject to a few reasons but I think that lack of people willing to teach these skills might be one. The established builders had gotten much more cynical about the Grid and didn't want to talk with newbies, and the player base that did deal with newbies wanted them to strip down and work as hookers and go to their clubs.

But with the LL event funding changes there's more events teaching skills, as well as there's been a lot of established builders and scripters pushing the limits which should be inspiring for some of the potentials.

Either way, when you've hit rock bottom the only place you have to go is up.

We have some lazies about, but it's pretty regular that I bump into folks no more than one or two months old who have already taken to building or texturing or LSL like fish to water. This is always impressive to me and I'm always quick to exchange friendship with these folks in case I can refer people who might need their services.

I'm continually pleased to note the self-starters who take it upon themselves to carve out a new skill set in our world. I'm sure as these folks discover under-served niches their success will be most satisfying.

As a relative NOOB, I feel compelled to add my two cents.

It seems from the above posts that the only things of value in sl are technical skills: building, scripting, texturing. Of course, these are the foundation of the sl economy, and I have the deepest respect for those innovators (especially the old-guard) who do them with verve.

There are some Noobs, however, who are bringing an entirely different set of skills to sl. These skills are not cosidered part of the sl economy and exist only for the overall betterment of sl. I am talking about the not-so-technically skilled (I was an English major, for crying out loud) who are, nonetheless, attempting to create/perpetuate creative culture in sl. Our contribution, if we are successful? Philanthropic (time and money) support for the arts and education communites in sl.

It sounds like, in otherwords, you consume.

Yes. I do consume--I freely admit that. I have bought clothing I do not have the technical aptitude to create myself (not for lack of trying). I am a Yadni regular--gleaning the innovation of others for my own personal use (though I try to be innovative in the use of 'freebies'). Asking me to admit that I am a participant in capitalist hegemony? I do so willingly.

But I also produce, and it is my sl raison d'etre to help others who create and innovate.

P.S. Anyone care to buy some poetry? I offer quality poems at rock-bottom prices.

I've been really amazed with the quality of work people are doing these days, old and new players alike. For example, the quality of clothing that was being produced six months after SL went live is nothing compared to what some people only a couple of months old are doing now. I think it's great I'd guess the reasons are two-fold... SL is more well known so knowledge of it is reaching more people who have existing skills that come running to SL to use them... and also because the collected body of knowledge in SL is much greater now than ever before, so people don't need to reinvent the wheel, let alone invent it in the first place. All of which is a wonderful thing.

I guess now I understand what you were talking about before as far as culture is concerned.

Production within Second Life revolves around using the toolset of the platform to create things that could not otherwise exist, nor once in existence, can be easily transplanted to a new medium.

While you could use Second Life as a dsitribution medium for more classical content like written information or paintings, the benefits to doing so are limited as SL's active population is estimated at a paltry 25k, while the rest of the world has millions of English speakers. On the other hand, my guided missile-packed robot can be found nowhere else, so my customers feel comfortable paying money for a particularly unique piece of software that they can only buy and use within the confines of the grid.

Creativity beyond simple commercialism has its place, too. Starax Statosky has built some very incredible pieces of art in-world and as a result of his limitless spark of artistic talent he has many fans and, I am certain, commands a decent chunk of cash as a result. If there were an emerging culture within our world, I would posit that it exists within works such as Starax's and others like him.

Too many players think the only things of value in SL are these technical skills. As it stands now, they are basically correct.

But this is a remarkably narrow view, which clings to the past, when what is coming in the future are those artistic and creative endeavors, to which I would add entertainment.

Admittedly, there are virtually zero rewards built into the game structure for these vital aspects of any society, because the game makers apparently can't see beyond technical things, either. Hence they withdrew the support for any event but educational ones. (And, I might add, some of the educational events I've attended consist almost entirely of handing out a texture, or something like that. MANY of these events are taught not by anyone remotely resembling a teacher, but rather by people who seem intent on running away with the $500, I believe it is, offered for holding these sometimes sham classes.)

Indeed, it is phenomenal to me that so many players not only think that technical skills are all that count or are ever needed in this game - that this is, was, and must ever always be the only thing the game is about - but cling to that concept with such certainty I can't help but conclude it is because they want it to remain that way so as to continue lining their own pockets, both in game and in real life money.

This view is so myopic as to be comical ("in other words, you consume" were it not tragic. That the game makers share this view holds back the game tremendously. In the end, however, culture and entertainment WILL emerge, more and more, despite the attempts made to restrict it. Witness TRINGO.

And there will be cash incentives given to players to participate in these events, by hook or by crook. Witness the pots for games, much of which is provided by the game owner, at least in the more popular places.

Wake up and smell the Tringo, people. And the game shows. And the plays. And the poetry readings. And a myriad other variations on what people cannot live without in any society - culture and entertainment.

In the future, these needs will prove to be such a strong force that those who are good at providing them will rise to the top and prove as successful as any technical player. LL will wind up providing ways these cultural and entertaining players can more easily succeed financially, whether LL wants to or not, if they actually want to grow the game rather than hamstringing it.

The hegemony of the tiki-wiki is doomed, or the game is.

coco

Why does Linden Lab have to spoon feed something for it to be successful?

The most wealthy player in Second Life, Anshe Chung, didn't get there by being a "techie-wiki." In her case, simple analysis of the needs of customers and the willingness to meet those needs has provided her a unique and solid business position. Linden Lab didn't create a little stage for this savvy business girl to play on -- she examined the existing situation and made the most of it.

An economy can be coaxed by a government, but demand can't be artificially created where it does not exist. Please give a specific solution that Linden Lab can provide to reach the ends you seek.

One more thing.

Those with "technical skills" are engaged in production of finished goods like clothing, vehicles, and other stuff. Producing these things requires effort, as wishing things into existence doesn't work in Second Life any more than it does in reality.

Let's compare to reality, which is the only other economy that bears resemblance to what we're talking about here.

According to Forbes.com, the following companies had the following sales for the most recent quarter:

Amazon: 6.95 million
Barnes & Noble: 6.55 million
Wal-Mart: 295 million

Amazon and Barnes & Noble are vendors of "cultural" products like books and music. Wal-Mart is a retailer of finished goods.

You seem to be wishing for some sort of inversion of reality here that simply cannot be accomplished by any sort of Linden Lab economic coddling. People need stuff before they need poems. People need poems too, but you're never going to get any sort of financial parity between poetry and airplanes.

Exactly.