Re: [secondlife-10] Glitteractica Cookie/Susan Tenby lampooned in WA Post

Just a few level sets from the point of view of an IBMer...

Shava Nerad wrote:
 >IBM has spent millions in Second Life using it as a capacity building 
tool for international collaboration.
O_o. I'm not sure about this. IBM may have spent millions _on_ Second 
Life, but you would have to include the salaries of the people working 
on it. I'm sure someone somewhere has used Second Life as a "capacity 
building tool for international collaboration". But IBMs activities in 
Second Life are very diverse and it would be unfair to give the 
impression that any one of them accounts for the investment IBM has made 
as a corporation.

 >They believe it's making them money.
Actually I think Parris dodged this one when asked about if IBM found it 
profitable. :-)
I tackle this problem all the time in my "Return on Investment in 
Virtual Worlds" blog. The better question is "are they making a return 
on it". Return can be measured in many different ways. Very, very, very 
few people have a positive cash flow of any significance from Second 
Life. As far as big business goes, I don't think that's where they 
should even try to be. Margins are way to low in Second Life to be 
compatible with most big business practice. But there is plenty of 
return to be made in how you reach out and engage with customers.

 >And yes, if you work for IBM in Second Life -- they have a dress code.
Firstly, IBM only has suggested virtual conduct guidelines. We're not 
actually required to sign off on them the same way we are required to be 
trained and sign off on our Business Conduct Guidelines every year.
Secondly, they are very, very broad. I can wear my Star Trek shirt, 
another colleague can wear his leopard suit, etc, etc. Blinking pasties 
are about the only thing that you might not be able to get away with. 
(Although a non-IBMer turned up at one of our meetings wearing as much!) 
But that leaves plenty of scope for whimsical self expression and I 
think you will find it is used! :-)

Cheers,

Jo