Ten Reasons Second Life Will Succeed Click Here

11 P's of Marketing Click Here

Second Life on the Gartner Hype Cycle Placement Click Here

Second Life Mid-2008 Business Trends Click Here

Gimp 2.6 Download Click Here

Economic Slowdown May Benefit Second Life Click Here

Gartner Top Ten Disruptive Technologies Click Here

Intel Top Ten Technologies for the Next Decade Click Here

Free Photoshop and Gimp Brush Sets Click Here

When we as a company first entered Second Life back in 2006, our initial focus was around marketing and analysis. While we still do some of this, gradually over time we have shifted our focus to become more of a content focused business. This would include areas such as training, virtual goods, video, audio, scripting, integration, design, and so on. As such, very soon we will be updating the website to better reflect our evolving product and service offerings.

I will still maintain a market analysis focus on this blog, particularly since virtual worlds, cloud computing, mobile, and social applications are beginning to show the early signs of convergence. As such, the next few years are going to be extremely interesting, and we'll monitor the developments here. If you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

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I saw this video earlier today and was struck by many of the ideas brought forth. We think we know what the word "success" means, just as we think we know what the word "failure" means, but as the speaker so eloquently explains, we may want to rethink it all.

I hope you get as much out of it as I did. There is a lot to consider.





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The holiday season is once again upon us, so it is time to take a break from work and enjoy some family time. We wish you and your family the best this holiday season and hope your 2009 will be a prosperous time.

We will be on an abbreviated blogging schedule until after New Years, so we'll see you in full force again in 2009.

These kinds of things are always interesting:

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm a Self-Improving Creative Money Manager

Every once in a while I run across something interesting that has absolutely nothing to do with the Web, social networking, Second Life, or many of the things I normally discuss on this blog. But if the item is interesting enough, well it is my blog, so occasionally I will deviate a bit. This time the deviation has to do with a video captured by Shell Oil about a mile underwater in the Gulf of Mexico. The video is only a few seconds in length, and captures a few shots of a large squid.

Now before you decide to not view it, consider that this squid is totally alien looking. I've included a photo of it below, and the thing looks like it stepped off the CGI stage of a hollywood sci-fi film. But it's a known species, albeit rarely seen:

A mile and a half (two and a half kilometers) underwater, a remote control submersible's camera has captured an eerie surprise: an alien-like, long-armed, and—strangest of all—"elbowed" Magnapinna squid.

...

The Perdido squid may look like a science fiction movie monster, but it's no special effect, according to squid biologist Michael Vecchione of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), who is based at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Check it out:






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I don't even know where to start with this story. Information Week has a post that describes an issue that is tangentially related to Second Life, but fully immersed in First Life, government red tape, and a sad story. It seems that a couple met in Second Life, fell in love, got married, and didn't live happily ever after. Unfortunately the husband died nearly two years after they were married. But the story doesn't end there.

The couple were from different countries, he a citizen of the US. Now she is unable to get a job and is facing deportation from the US. As the article reports:

Irena Morris, known in Second Life as "Eshi Otawara," married an American citizen who died while her application for residency was still in progress. A provision in U.S. immigration law called the "widow's penalty" says that, in that situation, an alien's green card application should be rejected if the marriage lasted less than two years. The Morrises were married one year and 10 months when Glenn Morris died suddenly.

"I'm packing. I don't know what to do. I have limited financial resources to fight this." She's also working on a motion to reopen her case with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. "They can stretch this out for the next two years. What am I supposed to live off of?"

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is looking for evidence that Morris and her husband had a legitimate marriage. Generally, they look for joint bank accounts, bills, property and leases in both their names, according to Mike Castlen, a former immigration counselor who's helping Morris with her case. However, because Morris's husband supported her while she was waiting for her green card and work permit to clear, all their financial records were in his name only.

This is truly a sad story. I would think that if the couple has a legitimate marriage license then that should suffice. She's going through enough pain as it is. Leave her be.


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I'm receiving a lot of requests for these, so here are some of the keystrokes to generate symbols on Mac OSX (and you can make these work in Second Life):

Copyright © use Option g

Registered Trademark ® use Option r

Trademark â„¢ use Option 2

Currencies:

Cents ¢ use Option 4

British Pounds £ use Option 3

Euro € use Shift Option 2

Yen ¥ use Option Y

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Quick, close your eyes and bring up a vision of the modern technology startup entrepreneur. Let me guess, what you see is a white male, early 20's, from California or New York, creating the next big thing. Right? Well that certainly is the stereotype for the modern tech entrepreneur, but according to a new study, that view is completely wrong.

A new study by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and researchers at Duke and Harvard universities reveals most U.S.-born technology and engineering company founders are middle-aged, well-educated and hold degrees from a wide assortment of universities. Yes, you read that correct. If you are in your 40's or 50's, you are the demographic most likely to start a tech company and succeed. Let's look at some of the details in the study:

In fact, twice as many U.S.-born tech entrepreneurs start ventures in their 50s as do those in their early 20s. Further, elite, highly ranked schools are over-represented in the ranks of these founders, and Ivy-League graduates achieve the greatest business success; however, 92 percent of U.S.-born founders graduate from other universities, according to the study, Education and Tech Entrepreneurship. The study analyzed U.S. engineering and tech companies founded from 1995-2005, representing the most current decade of data.

This is an amazing finding, because the image in the media the past few years has been completely the opposite, largely because we are seeing anecdotal stories of success (such as Google) which don't necessarily represent the entire picture.

The vast majority (92 percent) of U.S.-born tech founders held bachelor’s degrees, 31 percent held master’s degrees, and 10 percent had completed PhDs. Nearly half of these degrees were in science-, technology-, engineering- and mathematics-related disciplines. One third was in business, accounting and finance.

Education matters, some.

Nearly half (45 percent) of the tech startups were established in the same state where U.S.-born tech founders received their education. Of the U.S.-born tech founders receiving degrees from California, 69 percent later created a startup in the state; Michigan, 58 percent; Texas, 53 percent; and Ohio, 52 percent. In contrast, Maryland retained only 15 percent; Indiana, 18 percent; and New York, 21 percent.

Location matters, a lot.

"While education clearly is an advantage for tech founders in the United States, experience also is a key factor," said Vivek Wadhwa, the study’s lead researcher and a Wertheim fellow with the Harvard Law School and executive in residence at Duke University. "That a large number of U.S.-born tech founders have worked in business for many years also is important in understanding the supply of tech entrepreneurs."

Experience matters, the most.


Open question: what are the percentages of male versus female entrepreneurs?




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Recently we posted some information regarding some possible legislation concerning orphaned works, and had quite a bit of feedback, both positive and some negative. We promised we continue to look further into the issue, and while it is still not clear exactly what congress intends to do (or not do) regarding orphaned works, it is clear that content creators are organizing in order to defend their rights as artists. One thing that each of you can do is to read the ASCAP Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers and decide whether you wish to put your name on the petition (ASCAP is one of the major royalty firms for songwriters). Even though this Bill of Rights is coming from an organization that has its focus in musical works, the list of rights is nonetheless extensible to any type of content creation. Here is the list:

Just as citizens of a nation must be educated about their rights to ensure that they are protected and upheld, so too must those who compose words and music know the rights that support their own acts of creation. Without these rights, which directly emanate from the U.S. Constitution, many who dream of focusing their talents and energies on music creation would be economically unable to do so - an outcome that would diminish artistic expression today and for future generations.

At this time, when so many forces are seeking to diminish copyright protections and devalue artistic expression, this Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers looks to clarify the entitlements that every music creator enjoys.

1. We have the right to be compensated for the use of our creative works, and share in the revenues that they generate.

2. We have the right to license our works and control the ways in which they are used.

3. We have the right to withhold permission for uses of our works on artistic, economic or philosophical grounds.

4. We have the right to protect our creative works to the fullest extent of the law from all forms of piracy, theft and unauthorized use, which deprive us of our right to earn a living based on our creativity.

5. We have the right to choose when and where our creative works may be used for free.

6. We have the right to develop, document and distribute our works through new media channels - while retaining the right to a share in all associated profits.

7. We have the right to choose the organizations we want to represent us and to join our voices together to protect our rights and negotiate for the value of our music.

8. We have the right to earn compensation from all types of "performances," including direct, live renditions as well as indirect recordings, broadcasts, digital streams and more.

9. We have the right to decline participation in business models that require us to relinquish all or part of our creative rights - or which do not respect our right to be compensated for our work.

10. We have the right to advocate for strong laws protecting our creative works, and demand that our government vigorously uphold and protect our rights.

Click here to view the petition and sign it if you wish.



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I don't usually post about politics, typically because it is boring and always plays catch up with technology and social changes. Mostly though because it is boring. But every once in a while, something comes up which is too important to keep silent about. The latest is that Congress and the Bush Administration are hard at work to make sure large corporate interests get to move content creators even further into servitude at the hands of large content interests. The latest salvo against artists is the Orphan Works Bill, which calls for the creation of Private Registries for enforcement of copyright. Before you go all Fox News Republican on me and start frothing at the mouth about how great free enterprise is and how the free market always works, yada yada, consider for a second that perhaps not all things should be placed in the hands of private companies. Consider that sometimes giving large corporations control over governmental activities creates a fox guarding the henhouse situation. So what is this new idea?

Specifically, it involves two things. First, is coerced copyright, which is illegal internationally. But since when have Bush and company cared about international law. Second, is the establishment of Private Registries. The way is works is like this:

1. You create a work. Could be a photo, a drawing, anything.

2. You are forced to pay these corporations to register it with them.

3. If you fail to register it with them, then others can use your work free of charge and you have little to no legal recourse.


Sound okay to you? It shouldn't. Under current law, your work is protected by the DMCA, and the DMCA creates a level playing field. Also, under the current system, the US Copyright Office is a neutral government entity. Its job is to allow you to register your work and catalog it. But here are the key points with current law:

1. You are protected even if you do not register your work.

2. The US Copyright Office has NO affiliation with private enterprises. It is a neutral entity.


Here are some excerpts from an article that discusses this issue in great detail:

Two proponents of this new legislation are Corbis and Getty Images. They are large stock photo and stock art companies. They sell art and photos inexpensively and are trying to build giant royalty-free databases. Do you see how they could benefit from considering most works of art in the world orphans?

Do you know who owns Corbis? Bill Gates. He doesn't do anything unless it can make a huge amount of money. Helping you lose the copyright to your art is big business for Gates.

For years we've heard of Hollywood fighting with China to protect copyrights and stop the pirating of DVDs. Our government has worked with the studios to protect their investment.

Our government is NOW WORKING AGAINST US by allowing our own fellow citizens TO STEAL OUR CREATIVE WORKS.

You could see photos you take of your family and kids, or of a family vacation, used in a magazine or newspaper without your permission or payment to you. You would have to pay to register your photos, all of them, in every new registry in order to protect them. Say the average person takes 300 photos per year (I take a lot more than that). If a registry only charges $5 per image, that is a whopping $1,500 to protect your photos that are protected automatically under the current laws. If there are three registries, protecting your images could cost an amazing $4,500. Not to mention the time it would take to register every photo you take. Plus, you will also have to place your copyright sign on every photo.

Does that worry you in the least bit? Well, here's how David O. Carson, general counsel of the Copyright Office, views it:

Brad Holland: If a user can't find a registered work at the Copyright Office, hasn't the Copyright Office facilitated the creation of an orphaned work?

David O. Carson: Copyright owners will have to register their images with private registries.

BH: But what if I exercise my exclusive right of copyright and choose not to register?

DOC: If you want to go ahead and create an orphan work, be my guest!

So content creators, whether you are blog owners, photographers, illustrators, musicians, filmmakers, get off your behinds and make your voices heard. Read the complete article at this link and do something about this.

Also listen to this podcast:

http://www.sellyourtvconceptnow.com/orphan.html

Now back to our regularly scheduled blog-programs.

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According to Forrester Research, Microsoft is getting beat up in the market place. First, they say that IE is losing ground to Firefox, which is a trend we are seeing as well. Second, Forrester is reporting the Windows XP is "entrenched" at the expense of Vista adoption. Plainly stated, Microsoft appears moribund in the market:

Microsoft Corp. is having problems getting enterprises to give up Internet Explorer 6 and Windows XP for the new IE7 browser and Vista operating system, according to surveys of more then 50,000 corporate users conducted throughout 2007.

Both IE6 and Windows XP are entrenched and show little signs of weakening their lock on businesses, said Reedwan Iqbal, a researcher at Forrester Research Inc. "A lot of critical enterprise applications are still not compatible with IE7," Iqbal said today, explaining one reason why corporations have stayed with the older IE6.

Forrester, which conducted monthly surveys of more than 50,000 enterprise users throughout 2007, said that only 30% of corporate Internet Explorer users had switched to IE7 by year's end. "Even with Microsoft spoon-feeding users high-priority automatic updates, enterprise apathy is proving extremely difficult to overcome," said the report, which was published last Thursday.

"If you look at the trend, the uptake for Vista is really low," Iqbal said. "Windows XP is not budging at all."

By December 2007, only 6.3% of enterprise users working in Windows reported that they were on Vista, according to Forrester. Although that was an increase from only 0.7% in January 2007, Windows XP's share didn't move during the year: It started 2007 at 89.5% of all Windows users and ended at 89.8%.

It appears that Vista made headway only at the expense of the even older Windows 2000, Iqbal said. "Vista's increase mirrored the decrease in Windows 2000," he said. "The statistics speak for themselves: They're holding on to XP."

According to Forrester's surveys, Windows 2000's share of all enterprise Windows users dropped from 9.1% in January 2007 to 3% in December, a slip just slightly less than the gain made during 2007 by Vista. Link

And then there is this report about Firefox:

In what could be a foreboding sign for the future of Microsoft, Internet Explorer, a new study finds that IE7 has done little to slow the gains Mozilla Firefox is making on Microsoft in enterprises despite Firefox's relative lack of business-oriented features.

A Forrester Research survey of more than 50,000 large enterprise employees found that over the course of 2007, Internet Explorer's overall market share in that segment decreased by 10%, while Firefox's share almost doubled from 9.8% to 18%.

Also hidden in the numbers is an indication that Internet Explorer 7 is having trouble finding traction as companies are sticking with the 6-year-old Internet Explorer 6. Microsoft released IE7 in October 2006, but 55.2% of companies still used IE6 as of December 2007. Only 23.4% of companies used IE7, barely outpacing the growth and use of Firefox.

Meanwhile, Firefox 2.0, also released in October 2006, "almost completely replaced" the previous version of Firefox, version 1.5. That result, along with Firefox's growth despite the fact that "Mozilla continues to expend little energy on wooing IT managers to formally adopt Firefox," as the report notes, could indicate that employees rather than IT managers are driving Firefox adoption. Forrester suggests that even if IT shops aren't formally pushing employees to Firefox, they are moving to support the browser in their enterprise Web apps.

The data should be less than reassuring to Microsoft. "Even with Microsoft spoon feeding users high-priority automatic updates, enterprise apathy is proving extremely difficult to overcome," Forrester analyst Thomas Mendel wrote in the report. Mendel and his co-authors recommend that businesses still without migration plans should now wait until the final version of standards-compliant IE8 is released -- the date has not been announced -- before upgrading. Article Link

Microsoft is going to face some major challenges. As open source gets more robust, it will begin to eat around the foundations of the Windows empire. At the same time, other competitors like Google and Apple are attacking Microsoft effectively from different vectors. This is not to say that Microsoft is doomed, but it seems clear that their market share is sliding and will continue to slide. Ultimately this is good for the industry, and good for Microsoft, because without solid competition, there is no incentive to innovate. In any event, for the foreseeable future, it looks like Microsoft is going to slip until they figure out how to reinvent themselves.



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In a stunning move, Linden Lab has bought Google. The new company will be called SLoogle, and will have either Gil Amelio or John Sculley as CEO, depending on a vote to be decided by SL residents (votes will be limited to those who have Premium Status and own 5 or more sims). Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO said "I have always wanted to be a buffed avatar. Now I will get my chance."

Philip Rosedale, former LL CEO said "blame me."

The transaction will occur in Linden Dollars, but the number is so high we are unable to list it. It's something like 450 million kazillion linden dollars.

Mitch Kapor was not available for comment but said he will keynote an event sometime in the future. However, the Second Life branding blog has been updated with the new logo:




April Fools!

Linked In. FaceBook. Twitter. Plaxo. Orkut. MySpace. Yada yada yada, Is anyone else getting sick and tired of the "social networking" bubble yet? The indicator of a bubble is often when there are too many players in a given space, and quite frankly, the social networking space is way too crowded, and due for a shakeout. I'm not saying that Web 2.0 is a rebirth of the .com bubble, but the social networking aspect of Web 2.0 is far too overgrown and overvalued companies. FaceBook worth $15 billion USD? Yes, and the money keeps rolling in:

After Facebook raised the $240 million round from Microsoft last fall that valued it at a shocking-to-many $15 billion valuation, it raised another $60 million from Hong Kong business mogul Li Ka-Shing .

Today, Marketwatch reports that Ka-Shing is re-upping on his investment with at least another $40 million, presumably at the same valuation.

Okay fine, they can throw their money at whatever they wish, but with Social Networking, and so many choices, and the fickleness of users, does this make any sense? I am beginning to agree with this sort of viewpoint:

Unfortunately, they still don't get rid of the hot air.

Let me get this straight: The last time I checked, I had accounts on Facebook, MySpace.com, Twitter, Flickr, Plaxo, Digg, Tumblr, Pownce, and probably a bunch of others I'm forgetting--that's not even counting whatever I do with my Google and Yahoo accounts. Now I'm supposed to choose between Pulse, FriendFeed, Digsby, Socialthing, Spokeo, Profilactic, and goodness knows what other start-ups that offer me the ability to aggregate my contacts' activity from all the aforementioned social networks, and more. Oh, great.

But taking overkill and putting it all in one place doesn't mean that it's not overkill anymore. Consider it social-networking's first identity crisis.

To anyone with more than three or four social-networking profiles, lifestreaming services should be a godsend. That is, until you consider the flip side: too much information, and for the most part, not much flexibility on the picking-and-choosing front. A single, giant feed of dozens of Flickr photo albums ("Grand Canyon Vacation Album #3!") alongside Facebook status updates ("Brad is at the office") and Twitter minutiae ("I really need a shower!!!") turns us on to the realization that even our friends broadcast a whole lot of dumb stuff that we don't really care to read about.

Prediction: next year at this time, FaceBook and others will have far lower valuations than they have today. While Web 2.0 will continue on strong, the social networking aspect will continue to fragment, as is the nature of communities. Remember Friendster anyone?


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Okay, it is not the full version of Photoshop. But it is Photoshop, it is free, and it is all perfectly legal. Here's the deal: Adobe has a beta of the new online version of Photoshop (a cut down version called Photoshop Express). It's part of the new AIR platform, and is an example of what Rich Internet Applications can do. Did I say it's free? It is for a limited time. So if you don't have the cash for Photoshop, but have been yearning to give it a go, here's your chance.




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