Since Telstra’s launch on Friday, I’ve spent around 30 minutes on half a dozen occasions, at a central point on one of the Telstra Islands. The time spent has been well and truly worth it, as it has demonstrated the power of a corporate Australian presence in SL.
BigPond are promoting their Second Life presence on their front page. Any BigPond members who sign-up via that page start out at Telstra’s own Orientation Island ( a SL feature described by Logan Linden during our interview with him). All of these new SL users end up at the Telstra Islands. Over the weekend the influx of Australian SL users has been incredible – I don’t have numbers but each time I’ve been there, dozens of new people have arrived within minutes of each other.
This leads to a second point: all these new people are lost. They wander around like most of us did initially, wondering what to do next. The difference is, there’s a real sense that people aren’t quite aware that there’s a lot more to SL than the Telstra Islands. Each time I interacted with a new user I’d get questions like ‘so what’s good to look at around here?’. I’d give some suggestions and off they’d wander, coming back later on having wandered around the islands but not having teleported anywhere else. It’ll be interesting to see how many Telstra sign-ups remain longer term users.
Overall my perception of the first few days of operation is that older SL users see the Telstra Islands as an interesting new development mixed with a healthy scepticism around the reasons Telstra has launched in-world. And a corporate presence like this is a magnet for protest although nothing organised has occurred to date. I did however see one member of the Second Life Liberation Army taking a tour…..
Again. we’d love to hear your thoughts on Australia’s largest corporate presence – good, bad or indifferent.
I was there for about 15 minutes, and sent two people off to The Shelter, as there was no one there answering their questions.
It’s nicely done, but they need someone there 24/7 who can answer questions. I’m sure they could have done something with the Mentor group or someone like them.
I was there for about 15 minutes, and sent two people off to The Shelter, as there was no one there answering their questions.
It’s nicely done, but they need someone there 24/7 who can answer questions. I’m sure they could have done something with the Mentor group or someone like them.
So why don’t we get Telstra to sponsor a mentor group from existing SL residents in much the same way Lindens have helper people? Aussies helping Aussies makes more sense to me than someone from Arizona who thinks a Bigpond is a large fishing hole and that a ‘dag’ is a mis-spelt canine (and consequently an insult).
So why don’t we get Telstra to sponsor a mentor group from existing SL residents in much the same way Lindens have helper people? Aussies helping Aussies makes more sense to me than someone from Arizona who thinks a Bigpond is a large fishing hole and that a ‘dag’ is a mis-spelt canine (and consequently an insult).