Internet Evolution's IT Video Project

When I received this email, I immediately thought of Second Life and it's users.

From my email inbox:




Internet Evolution is about to embark on a truly groundbreaking new video project, and I wanted to see if you would like to get involved.

We're looking to create a video case study about a company embarking on an important new IT project in the second half of this year.

However, unlike most case studies (which take place after the fact) our case study will follow the project from planning, through implementation, to trouble shooting and completion.

Projects that we are highly interested in covering include: cloud computing; analytics; social media in a business environment; security; or an upgrade to a company's computing and middleware systems.

The core of the case study will be three short (five minute) documentaries covering the before, during, and after of your project. These documentaries will be filmed by our professional film crew on location at your company premises at a time that is convenient to you. Each one takes about a morning to film.

We'll also outfit you with a video camera and the training required to upload occasional project updates.

The purpose of the case study is to highlight the great work that IT professionals such as yourself do every day. Our goal is to highlight your success for others to learn from. And, of course, as well as making you a star (and a corporate hero!) we'll also compensate you for your time.

Interested? Please drop me a line at ferraro@internetevolution.com if you would like to know more about this exciting new Internet Evolution project!

Sincerely,
Nicole Ferraro
Executive Editor, Internet Evolution

Selling Out: How Much to Music Artists Earn Online (Infograph)

Selling Out: How Much to Music Artists Earn Online (Infograph)
Click to view full size

Top 5 Augmented Reality Business Cards

Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are augmented by virtual computer-generated imagery. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented) by a computer.

Practical Advice for Music Bloggers Worried About DMCA Takedown Censorship

Practical Advice for Music Bloggers Worried About DMCA Takedown Censorship
Commentary by Fred von Lohmann via EFF.org 

Let's say you are a blogger who writes about music regularly and includes links to music in your posts. How do you avoid having your blog censored off the Internet by "DMCA takedown notices" sent out by music industry lawyers (as happened last week to several blogs hosted by Blogger)?

Of course, you could get authorization from all the relevant copyright owners before you post or link to a song. Unfortunately, that's virtually impossible for many music bloggers. In some cases, it may be impossible to figure out who the copyright owners are (consider the problem of live concert bootlegs, rare B-sides, out-of-print material, defunct labels). In other cases, you might have authorization from someone, but it could end up being the wrong person (i.e., an independent promoter or member of the band who doesn't actually have all the rights to give you). And even if you get authorization from all the right people, you could still find yourself on the receiving end of a DMCA takedown from the entity that controls the copyright in another country (because your blog can be accessed from that country).

In other words, it's quite likely that many music bloggers can never be sure that a DMCA takedown notice won't arrive someday.

If one does arrive, your blog hosting service probably won't take your side. The law gives online hosting services strong incentives to comply with takedown notices—prompt responses to takedown notices are often the only reliable shield that hosting services have against copyright infringement lawsuits and potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars of damages. No matter how much your hosting service values your business, it is not likely that they will be willing to bet their business to save your blog.

While most hosting providers will let you send a "DMCA counter-notice" to contest a bogus takedown notice, sending a counter-notice can have serious consequences if you're not absolutely sure that you had all the necessary legal rights to post the songs or links in question. Sending a DMCA counter-notice is serious business, as it leaves the copyright owner with few options (other than suing) in order to keep the song down. So we recommend that bloggers research copyright law and, if in doubt, consult a qualified attorney (or contact EFF) before sending DMCA counter-notices.

The DMCA also gives hosting services strong incentives to "terminate repeat infringers." That's why most blog hosting services will delete your account (and thus your entire blog) after receiving multiple DMCA takedown notices. The industry norm seems to be a "3 strikes" policy, although the number of "strikes" can vary. This policy can be particularly unfair when a copyright owner sends multiple DMCA takedown notices all at once, or within a few days of each other — you can find your blog deleted before you even find out who was complaining or can send a DMCA counter-notice. Many hosting providers also mark every DMCA takedown notice on your "permanent record" — simply deleting the file or the link won't expunge the "strike" on your account (generally, only a DMCA counter-notice will do that). So a DMCA takedown notice received for your blog might still count as a "strike" years later (again, this is because service providers want to be able to tell a court that they were good about "terminating repeat infringers," lest they lose their shield against copyright infringement lawsuits).

Of course, you may be able to talk the copyright owner into withdrawing a DMCA notice ("your marketing department sent me an email saying this link was legit"). And there may be informal strategies that work most of the time (like deleting links after a short period of time). However, at the end of the day, it's nearly impossible to be sure you'll never receive a DMCA takedown notice.

With that in mind, here are a few practical things you can do to minimize the disruption that the DMCA process might inflict on your blog:

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

CNNMoney interviews Doubledown Tandino (Brad Reason) BEST JOBS: Second Life DJ

CNNMoney
BEST JOBS
by Matthew Leung of CNN

The interview I did with CNN is RELEASED!! What a great job CNN and reporter Matthew Leung did putting the interview together!



DIGG IT: http://digg.com/business_finance/DJ_s_second_chance_in_Second_Life_Doubledown_Tandino_CNN

--

Also mentioned on Dusan Writer's Metaverse!  Thank you Dusan!

Also mentioned on Association of Virtual Worlds! Thank you Edita!

Also mentioned on Ed Clarity's Blog! Thank you Ed!

5 Ways to Capitalize on James Cameron's "Avatar" in Virtual Worlds

Ever since James Cameron's "Avatar" hit the theaters, metaverse users have been finding ways to incorporate his movie into virtual worlds.  As I mentioned yesterday, many are jumping on the boat and turning blue to ride the "Avatar" coat-tails.  It seems that all you need to do is turn whatever you were selling into the color blue, and you've got yourself a Genuine Authentic Official Pandora-Na'Vi-Avatar thingamabob.

Massively wrote a great follow-up on this hoopla called "The Sea Monkey experience of Avatars"

"Virtual environments can be beautiful, can exhibit grace, and can be immersive and fascinating and useful in all sorts of different ways ... but if you've got the 'Avatar blues', it's like buying Sea Monkeys and getting Artemia salina × nyos.

We don't expect actual user-retention in any virtual environment to rise significantly in the wake of this. We expect that the number of retained Pandora-piners will be about the same percentage as retention for pretty much any other general demographic. Sea Monkeys can be pretty awesome, make no mistake. They just might not be what you really want.

In the meantime, there's a lot of designers across several virtual environments who are making a lot of money copying skins, designs and settings from the film."

Here is my list of 5 ways you can try to make a buttload of cash by riding the blue glowing wave of "Avatar" and it's popularity.

1) Turn the crap you were selling into the color blue (and make it glow!).

That's right... any content you were selling before can now be official Na'vi "Avatar" content by changing it to the color blue, making it glow, and by changing the title of the object.   Look, I did it here:

What was once a wood box called "Object" is now

an Official "Avatar" glowing blue prim called:

"Pandora's Box" ... on sale now....

(If you would like the x-rated version, 

these Na'vi prims are also for sale at Zindra, 

coincidentally also named "Pandora's Box")

2) Change the avatar skins you were selling to the color blue.

If you were a skin designer or avatar designer, all you have to do is add blue versions to your product line... and of course, call those skins "Na'vi"

Hot "Avatar" tail.... mmm...

In case the designers out there are wondering, the code for Na'vi skin is

H: 203  |  S: 63  |  B: 69  |  R: 66  |  G:  134  |  B:  177

3) Create a Na'vi role-player group. Then create a role-player test in order to gain exclusive entry.

Similar to the Bloodlines business model:  Create a role-player group, something like Na'vi of Second Life or Pandora Roleplay. Then, in order for avatars to become official members of the Na'vi role-player clan, they will have to shop and purchase the Na'vi avatars, and Pandora pixels in order to gain exclusive access into the group.

"I just need to buy 10 more spirits from the Sacred Tree of Souls, 

then I know they'll let me in."

4) Redesign the spaceship you were selling to look like the mercenary helicopters from the movie.

Remember that rocket ship or helicopter you once made?  Well strap on two large ceiling fans to the side, and now you have a human mercenary ship from the movie ready to be sold.

 

5) Advertise on your website (and make sure the ad has a picture of a blue avatar in it).

Finally, of course.... keep plugging! Advertise the blue.  Ride the blue wave.  Anything that is blue and says "avatar" on it is a gold mine in clicks

---

Although this blog post is meant to be tongue-and-cheek, I am also trying to point out that the creativity and imagination within a virtual world, and within people's minds, can be limitless. The new "Avatar" designs appearing in Second Life are quite detailed and expertly crafted. For example, "Pandora - Na'vi ' Planet Avatar" on the Pegase sim did a great job.

However, Second Life is practically limitless.  Second Life has been around for 6 years!!  Anything can be created, and usually, anything and everything IS created....  but, don't sell yourself short by jumping on the "Avatar" Na'vi bandwagon.  "Avatar" is James Cameron's brain-child.  Why copy it?  Why not create a world of your own using Second Life (or Open Sim, or any virtual world platform) to explore your own creative, artistic, and imaginative ideas?  Sure, the movie "Avatar" is hot right now, but it's only one of many options.  Use your own brain power to create, and not to copy and sell.

What is the current rate of service charge for (Second Life) DJs - A Thread in the Second Life Blogs

There is an active conversation thread in the Second Life blogs:

What is the current rate of service charge for DJs

If you're interested, have a read.  There are many valid points from various people.  The discussion is in regards to the "average" pay for a DJ in Second Life, and why a DJ/performer may or may not charge for an event.

Just wanted to bring it to your attention if you are a venue owner, a booking manager or agent, or a DJ looking for gigs in Second Life.   This thread is also relevant to live musicians, singers, and performers as well.

Study: 94% of Enterprises Will Invest in Social Media Despite Recession

Study: 94% of Enterprises Will Invest in Social Media Despite Recession
By: Clint Boulton via Eweek.com

A survey of 400 companies found that 94 percent of enterprises plan to maintain or increase their investment in enterprise social media tools such as blogs, wikis and microblogging tools from providers such as IBM, MindTouch, Socialcast, Mzinga and Jive Software. The results seem counterintuitive in light of the recession, but it shows the importance of these tools for social networking and collaboration, and proves that they are not just a fad in the enterprise. Social analytics tools are also part of the trend.

Despite the nagging recession, a new study found that 94 percent of enterprises plan to maintain or increase their investment in enterprise social media tools such as blogs, wikis and microblogging tools.

Deloitte, Beeline Labs and the Society for New Communications Research surveyed 400 companies that have cultivated internal social networks or online communities, finding that only 6 percent plan to decrease their investment in the recession. The communities surveyed ranged from fewer than 100 members to more than one million members.

Ed Moran, director of product innovation for consultancy Deloitte Services LP and one of the report authors, called the results counterintuitive in light of the recession, noting that while IT, marketing and public relations departments are being cut, companies continue to spend on social software for networking and collaboration.

Companies that go against the grain of belt-tightening by spending on social software underscore the importance of these tools, proving that they are not just a hip trend or fad in the enterprise.

"We call it the anti-fad because people have always been social, talking about companies, products and services," Moran said. "They just never had the mechanism for doing it at any kind of scale. This is not going away and it's not just for kids."

Most of the companies Moran surveyed said they are using social media tools to engage with customers, partners and employees for marketing purposes, with word-of-mouth, customer loyalty, brand awareness, idea generation and customer support quality comprising other community objectives. The need to meet these goals presents great opportunities for enterprise social software makers.

Tools such as Twitter and Facebook are so popular that software makers such as IBM, MindTouch, Jive Software, Socialtext and Socialcast have all created comparable tools for businesses.

Instead of going on Twitter or Facebook to talk trash about competitors, or to endorse products and services they like (although people still do that, to the chagrin of employers), employees are using blogs, wikis and Twitter-like status update services their companies purchased for them from the aforementioned providers.

Moreover, Moran said he is seeing an uptick in the adoption of analytics software that tracks both active and inactive members to derive insights, something that was barely mentioned even a year ago. Socialcast, Jive and Mzinga, among others, offer this software.

"The enterprise is waking up to the fact that it needs to listen and that it needs business intelligence" for the communities, Moran said. However, this is happening in pockets and is not yet widescale, presenting opportunity for analytics tools providers.

Those survey respondents that are using these tools are paying attention to non-active users or "lurkers," people who observe the community, but don't participate in the discussion. Thirty-two percent of respondents are capturing data on how these individuals derive value from the community. This points to a maturation of the enterprise's use of communities and social media.

Moreover, 20 percent of companies Moran surveyed said they have set up "ambassador" programs, which give outsiders preferential treatment in return for being more active in the community.

Despite this maturation in enterprise social media, companies still report having a hard time getting people to join, remain and/or return to the online communities. Few companies are tackling these challenges, paving the way for dedicated online community manager roles.

"New management strategies and practices will be critical, including redefining the scope and role of alliances as well as the overall boundary of corporations," Moran said.

Net Neutrality FAQ: What's in it for You

Net Neutrality FAQ: What's in it for You
by Tim Greene, Network World of PCWorld.com

The FCC has approved a notice of proposed rule making on the subject of net neutrality, and here are a few questions and answers to help shine a light on what that means.
(See "FCC takes first step toward net neutrality rules")

What exactly did the FCC do?
The FCC agreed to consider what regulations, if any, to impose on ISPs about the applications and services that they allow, ban or rate limit. The process calls for formally proposing rules and holding public hearings on them. A vote about the rules themselves will take place sometime next year.

What is net neutrality anyway?
It is the common name for creating and preserving what the FCC calls the "open Internet".

The FCC is trying to write rules that enforce six principles it says ISPs must uphold to preserve what the commission calls the "open Internet." These rules would tell ISPs to:

• allow sending and receiving all lawful content.
• allow all lawful applications and services.
• allow all lawful devices that don't harm the network.
• allow access to all network, application, service and content providers.
• ensure there is no discrimination against particular lawful content, applications, services and devices.
• reveal practices necessary network management that might limit the other five principles.

Who wants it?
A majority of the FCC, Google and other Internet-based companies, consumer advocacy groups and Internet luminaries such as Vinton Cerf and Tim Berners-Lee. They fear that without rules, ISPs will impose tiered service levels, making the top-level services so expensive as to rule out their use by innovators trying to start Internet-based businesses. They are also concerned that selectively banning certain applications such as VoIP will reduce consumer choice about how to make voice calls. There have been cases where ISPs blocked VoIP and rate-limited peer-to-peer traffic like that used for gaming and file sharing.

Who's opposed to it?
The loudest opposition comes from AT&T, Verizon and other Internet providers. They say the rules would block charging extra for premium services, the financial incentive they need to invest in network upgrades that keep traffic running smoothly. They say the rules would unfairly restrict what they call differentiating services that might justify higher rates than competitors charge. They say the consequences of net-neutrality rules would be one of two things: higher flat rates for services or paying by the byte for Internet traffic.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also has introduced a bill to block the FCC's net neutrality rules.

What does it mean to businesses?
If net neutrality prompts higher Internet access rates for all-you-can-eat ISP services, businesses would have higher ISP bills. Usage-based fees might or might not increase costs to individual businesses depending on how much they use the Internet. Businesses that rely on the Internet to provide services might face decreased demand if their customers are forced to buy more-expensive services in order to consume their products. For example, a business that sells HD video downloads over the Internet might sell less if customers have to buy premium Internet access in order to enjoy a movie.

What does it mean to carriers?
Carriers fear net neutrality will restrict their ability to make money off their networks to the point that they will slow the rate at which they invest in network improvements that boost Internet performance. They also say they buy into the principles of an open Internet and that no rules are needed.

What does it mean to residential Internet users?
Flat monthly rates that are common now would likely remain, but ISPs might charge more for them. Or they might shift over to billing for the amount customers download, forcing customers to think twice about what they use the Internet for. At the same time, they would be able to use the Internet to make phone calls without worrying that the traffic would be blocked.

The rules would have the biggest impact on what services?
Without rules, ISPs are most likely to limit bandwidth hogs – gaming, streaming video - and VoIP. Many large ISPs such as AT&T and Verizon are also voice carriers, so VoIP riding the Internet is a threat to their revenue streams. The flip side is that providers of VoIP services that rely on the Internet ought not to be hindered by the ISPs.

----

See Also: Jon Stewart on McCain's Anti-Net-Neutrality Bill

Cybergrrl Oh: Living a 2nd Life Episode 21 with Doubledown Tandino now Posted on Rezzed.tv

Cybergrrl Oh: Living a 2nd Life Episode 21 – Doubledown Tandino

Podcast:
Play in new window | Download

Video of the Taping, brought to you by Metaworld
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About Rezzed.TV
Rezzed.TV is a network dedicated to bringing audio and video related broadcasts (commonly known as podcasts or netcasts) to the world. We have a variety of shows currently available ranging from daily virtual world news to weekly discussions on the future of virtual worlds.

Cybergrrl Oh's podcast in Second Life records live with a studio audience every Thursday 11am SLT

• Cybergrrl Oh is the virtual alter ego of Web pioneer Aliza Sherman.
• Sherman, who has been providing strategic Internet consulting since 1992, is co-owner of Conversify, a social media marketing consultancy.
• The Cybergrrl Oh podcast covers issues about virtual worlds and Second Life that affect both personal and professional communications and interactions.
• Cybergrrl Oh's podcast is recorded live in front of a studio audience in Second Life.

Resource Links

Conversify

Cybergrrl Oh: Living a 2nd Life podcast

Rezzed.tv

SLURL to Live Podcast Event

Ravelong Productions Updated in the Second Life Solution Provider Directory

A quick mention that Ravelong Productions (Doubledown Tandino) now has an updated Solution Provider directory listing:


http://solutionproviders.secondlife.com/provider/show/id/276

Ravelong Productions

First Life:
Brad Reason
DJDoubledown@gmail.com
Atlantic City, NJ, United States
Second Life:
Doubledown Tandino
(Muse Isle NorthEast 204,205,26)

Services:
Audio
Events
Marketing

uPlaya - Upload your Song and see if it is a Potential Hit

CLICK:

Hit Potential Technology

It’s your time, uPlaya independent artists, musicians and songwriters.

Hit Song Science™ featured in
CBS’s TV series Numb3rs

Hit Song Science™ and the Music Universe™ power the uPlaya Artist Revolution.

“Online services have helped address the ‘availability’ problem for music, but consumers and artists are still frustrated by a lack of ‘visibility’ to easily connect great artists with potential fans,” “Music Intelligence Solutions’ Music Universe™ and Hit Song Science™ can solve the visibility problem better than any other technology that I have seen.” Chuck D, co-founder of Public Enemy, legendary artist, author and Internet entrepreneur.

Do you dream of a world without boundaries — where you can place your work before a huge audience, with no limits and no interference?

Hit Song Science™ provides immediate feedback on your song´s potential for commercial success and instant legitimization in the market for high-scoring music.
Do you want help choosing the best channels and markets for your music and which of your songs have the best chance for success?

The Music Universe™ helps you understand the hit potential of your songs within different markets and niches, and includes targeted promotional features to help your music gain visibility with audiences who already like your sound.

Our rating system gives you immediate feedback on the quality of your music, its competitive edge in the music industry, and its reception among professionals and music lovers.

For example, if your song receives a Gold or Platinum Audionaut Award (Auddy™), then the underlying musical patterns are similar to songs that have been hits in the past.

The Music Universe™ includes many languages and all genres from around the world. Ultimately, The Music Universe™ will analyze and catalog all music ever created and digitized.

Hit Song Science™ compares the sonic characteristics of your tracks against all the songs in the Music Universe™.
In the Music Universe™, hit songs tend to “cluster” (in terms of similarity), and the likely commercial success of new music is judged by its proximity to these constellations.

Music Intelligence Solutions’ patented algorithms analyze the fundamental characteristics of all music, such as brightness and tempo, and measures how they change over time. Often, these characteristics are perceived unconsciously by the listener, and the correct mix of parameters is more important than any individual parameter by itself.

Detecting Hit Potential and Music Trends

Artists use the Hit Song Science™ technology to compare their unreleased songs against hits of the past and present, allowing them to see how well their music fits into the current market as well as to identify potential hits.
The technology also spots new trends and highlights how new songs fit in with these new trends. So a song containing mathematical patterns that are becoming more prevalent in new trends is detected as having high hit potential.

HSS™ analyzes an album or song and provides multiple components of feedback: song ratings to assess hit potential, song ratings to assess “staying power” and “new trends potential”, affinity values vis-à-vis other artists, and information regarding album coherence.

Cybergrrl Oh Podcast with Doubledown Tandino - The Unofficial Metworld Version

This version of the podcast was recorded by Mal Burns of Metaworld. This is not the official Cybergrrl Oh Podcast version, but we were lucky enough to have Metaworld come and record the show. The official version in podcast form will be available within the week.

Thank you to Cybergrrl Oh, Mal Burns, Metaworlds, Slim Warrior, Bevan Whitfield, and everyone in attendance at the taping.



Don't forget to become a fan at the Cybergrrl Oh Page on Facebook and on Twitter @CybergrrlOh

Business of Music in the Metaverse (via Pixelsandpolicy.com)

Zak Claxton and the Business of Music in the Metaverse
via Pixels and Policy

                 Zak Claxton: Live in Second Life

Could major radio stations soon be playing the music of artists best known for their Second Life avatars?

If one well-known Metaverse rocker has his way, the tunes that have players lining up in the virtual world will soon find their way into a real-world album release.

Zak Claxton is a big deal in Second Life. His live music performances and audience-pleasing style have over the years grown into a true fan following. So when Claxton had to decide whether to release his first real-world album using his real name or the Claxton nomme de Metaverse, the choice was easy.

Pixels and Policy spoke with Claxton to find out why virtual music is bringing him real recognition.

Synthetic Solo Artist

Claxton is one of a growing number of avatars turning the expansive Metaverse into a stage for their passions and talents. From heavily publicized art showings to lectures on economics, real-world entrepreneurs are unleashing their creativity and expertise on the virtual frontier.

Claxton's muse is the guitar, and he has courted the possibility of turning his Second Life performances into a real-world album from an early stage. In the real world, Claxton helped produce the successful albums of other performers while engaging in his Second Life hobby.

"The mesh of reality and SL came when I made the decision to record and release the album as Zak Claxton," Claxton told Pixels and Policy. "I've built a nice-sized global audience that would never have been possible as an independent singer-songwriter." Claxton is proud to say that more listeners know him as Zak Claxton than as his real-life persona.

Three years after his entry into Second Life, the virtual guitarist has a mastered CD and a scheduled a December 11, 2009 release date for his first record, "Zak Claxton."

Taking Virtual Music Global

In 2008, Wagner James Au of New World Notes reported on blues performer Von Johin, an avatar that landed a record deal through boutique firm Reality Entertainment.

At the time, Johin was one of the biggest musical draws in Second Life. His music continues to draw huge crowds at Muse Isle, and Johin's three-week "hiatus" led to a well-attended three hour "farewell set."

Claxton follows Johin by recording solely using a Second Life name: "Everything I'm doing musically now, in both real life and in virtual worlds and all over the web, is under the Zak Claxton name," Claxton told us. "It's less confusing for my audience, and the songs I'm currently performing have all been created while I've been performing as Zak.

The release of Claxton's eponymous debut album will almost certainly have a heavy Second Life presence, and if the growing popularity of digital musicians continues apace with the growth of virtual worlds, major record labels may soon see commercial potential in artists like Claxton.

As artists like Zak Claxton and Von Johin break through the distribution barrier of real world music by building an audience in the metaverse, the observer is left to wonder how long is left until established real-world performers bring their music and production teams to Second Life for virtual performances on a large scale.

[Article Via Pixels and Policy]

Todd’s Guide to Virtual World Business - www.VirtualWorldBusiness.com

Todd’s Guide to Virtual World Business

by Todd Borst of virtualworldbusiness.com

Want help with your Second Life business? Here is a reading guide to find just what you need.
A blog is a great medium for news and journal, but not so much for finding old but useful articles. Personally, I hate digging for content as well. That’s why I’ve made this post.
This list contains many of the articles written this far. It is broken down by topic for your reading pleasure.
Enjoy, bookmark & share with friends that might find it useful.

-Todd Borst


  Understanding Virtual World Business

• 3 Undeniably Awesome Reasons to be in Second Life
• Seven Ways to Make Money in Second Life
• Five Reasons to Start a Virtual Business
• How to Start a Business in Second Life
• What Sells in a Virtual World

Tools and Resources

• Essential Free Help for Second Life Startups
• Quick Tip: Scripting Made Easy
• Second Life Business Resource List
• How Do Your Customers Find Your Shop?
• Insider Trading with Virtual Money

Marketing and Generating Traffic

• Affordable Second Life Marketing
• Are Top Classifieds Worth Your Money? (Part 1) (Part 2)
• Ad Analysis – XStreetSL.com
• Tips For Measuring Your Marketing Efforts
• Know Your Customers: Second Life Demographics
• What Are People Making and Buying in Second Life?

Warnings and Pitfalls

• How to Beat the Freebie Culture
• 10 Ways Your Store is Pissing Off Customers
• How to Handle Content Theft in Second Life
• Does Your Profile Description Repel Customers?
• Six Ways to Cripple Your Second Life Business
• Avoiding the Virtual Land Trap
• Two Myths About Second Life Income

Motivation and Self-Discipline

• Secrets of Success from Richard St. John
• Do You Have A Release Schedule?
• 7 Cures for a Dying Virtual Business
• Finding Your Motivation

Product Design Tips

• Recipe for Creating a “Must Buy” Product
• How to Choose Between Copy VS Transfer
• Create Originality By Using Other People’s Ideas
• How to Write Product Descriptions That Sell

Customer Service

• Improving Customer Service by Ignoring Requests
• Fool Proof Instructions to Reduce Dumb Questions
• Five Ways To Say No Without Being An Ass

Personal Introduction

• My Initial Inspirations
• Hi, I’m Todd. What’s Your Name?
• Why I Quit My Job to Start a Virtual World Business

Obama Trying Out Social Policies In 'Second Life'

Obama Trying Out Social Policies In 'Second Life'
September 25, 2009 | Issue 45•39

WASHINGTON—According to White House sources, an increasingly cautious President Obama has begun testing out parts of his executive agenda on the 15 million citizens of the online world known as Second Life. The commander in chief's avatar—an attractive African-American man with two more years of senatorial experience than the president—has already dedicated 3.5 billion Linden dollars to developing sustainable green energy in the virtual community. "After what happened when he expanded the Peace Corps, we're anticipating a large portion of the program will be cut," one unnamed administration official said. "I saw the screencaps myself. There were thousands of arrogant, college-age avatars just camping out, being of no help to anyone. It was awful." After moderators confirmed Monday that the virtual world is in no danger of terrorist attack because there is no death in Second Life, former vice president Dick Cheney reportedly canceled his recently opened account.

Metanomics Fall Season Press Release

http://metanomics.net

Metanomics Fall Season Press Release

View more documents from Remedy Communications.

ReverbNation & Audiolife Create the `Reverb Store`, the Ultimate E-Commerce Solution for Artists and Labels in the New Music Business

Free Service Empowers ANY Artist to Sell Music, Ringtones, and Merchandise Directly to Fans with No Out of Pocket Expense or Inventory

ReverbNation, the leading marketing platform for more than 450,000 artists, labels, managers and venues, has partnered with Audiolife, the leader in direct-to-fan eCommerce, to create the Reverb Store. The Reverb Store is a complete direct-to-fan eCommerce offering that is accessible to every ReverbNation artist at no charge. The Reverb Store allows artists and record labels to design an unlimited number of physical and digital products online, and then offer them for sale without spending a single dollar up front to generate inventory. The products are produced on-demand when they are ordered, then delivered straight to the fan.

"ReverbNation has been building toward this goal since day one. We wanted to provide a single turnkey solution for the serious musician that allowed them to promote, build and manage a fan-base, and transact business with them," said Michael Doernberg, CEO of ReverbNation. "Audiolife shared our vision. The Reverb Store allows artists to layer a purchasing opportunity into every fan interaction they have online, whether it`s at Facebook, MySpace, a blog, or the band`s own website."

Brandon Hance, Founder and CEO of Audiolife, adds, "Artists need solutions that can help them grow their fan base and convert those fans into customers. The Reverb Store is the total package, combining the best of ReverbNation and Audiolife. With potentially hundreds of thousands of artists and labels using the Reverb Store, Audiolife can stay focused on innovating and enhancing the commerce and merchandising capabilities of the product."

The Reverb Store is currently in private Beta, and will be publicly available at ReverbNation.com in October:

The Reverb Store is free to setup and run. ANY Artist can open a store, create as many custom items as they want, and operate the store for free. No monthly minimums, no monthly fees.

There is no inventory to buy up front, and no hassles. Artists create unlimited `virtual` inventory for merchandise, CDs, ringtones, and downloads, for sale in the store. Items are produced and shipped (or downloaded) when a fan makes a purchase. It requires no cash up front, no storage of inventory, and no packaging or shipping by the artist.

Comes standard with integrated marketing and promotion tools. The Reverb Store is woven into the very fabric of ReverbNation`s leading marketing and promotion system, making it the only store that can help drive more sales right out of the box.

Works on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and more. Reverb Store works on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, homepages, blogs, and more. It`s easily deployed as a widget, application, email or hyperlink - so fans can buy from wherever they live online.

Customizable look and feel. It`s about the Artist`s brand, not ours. The Reverb Store can be customized with the Artist`s own background, header bar, and more, helping to build the Artist`s brand, and allowing the store to fit seamlessly into websites, blogs or social networks.

Artists can buy their own products in small batch or bulk. Whether the need is 30 customized t-shirts for the next show or 3000 t-shirts for taking on tour, Artists can tap into their own Reverb Store at competitive wholesale and bulk prices.

Artists, Labels, or Distributors interested in learning more about Reverb Store can send an email to: ReverbStore@reverbnation.com

About ReverbNation:

ReverbNation provides the innovative marketing platform that musicians need to compete, cooperate and stand out in an increasingly noisy online environment. Unlike typical closed communities, artists use ReverbNation as their home base for approaching marketing and promotion across the Internet as a whole - be it via social networks, blogs, email, IM or the artist`s homepage.

Tools like FanReach Pro, Street Team Manager, Fan Exclusives, and a vast array of widgets and social networking applications give the artist the power to spread their music and information virtually anywhere. Real-time stats provide a 360-degree view of how the music is spreading, who is listening, and which fans are actually passing it on to their friends and posting it on their pages. ReverbNation empowers Artists to take their music to the people, no matter where they spend their time online.

About Audiolife:

Audiolife is the leading Direct-to-Fan eCommerce platform that empowers independent artists and record labels to cost-effectively make money by selling CDs, merchandise, digital downloads and ringtones with no upfront inventory costs. The first-of-its-kind eCommerce platform facilitates selling products "on-demand" directly to fans via portable storefronts on websites, blogs, and social networks. No other platform, specifically created for artists, provides a worldwide, one-stop-shop solution for custom promotion, manufacturing and distribution.

Feline Slade's Perspective from the Audience Member's Viewpoint

Slamming Shut the Door on the “Killer App”
by Feline Slade
via http://felineslade.wordpress.com

"M Linden’s now-infamous labeling of music as a “killer app” for Second Life has led to a lot of discussion and blowing of hot air. Even when some very specific and relatively easily-implementable suggestions were made during the Looking to the Future of Live Performance in Second Life session at SLCC (Really, how hard would it be to repurpose an unused subcategory in Events?), they were automatically put in the “Not in 2009″ pile. In the end, the live music community has been left to its own devices to feel its way along.

I’m pretty much a nobody on the Second Life live music scene. I don’t own a venue. I am not a musician, since I can’t tolerably play an instrument as well as sing. So why is the current music venue “to cover charge or not to cover charge” drama bothering me? Maybe it’s because I’m the supposedly deep pockets that it feels like some music venue owners and musicians seem to want to reach into for cover charges.
So in the interest of market research, let’s take a look at a few facts about Feline, a representative individual among SL Live Music Target Market... "

READ THE FULL STORY HERE:
Slamming Shut the Door on the “Killer App”

Zak Claxton's Thoughts on Music Venue Cover Charges in Second Life

Zak weighs in on Second Life Cover Charges
by Zak Claxton: via http://zakclaxton.blogspot.com

"Since everybody and their respective monkeys have offered an opinion on the proposals to standardize cover charges at Second Life live music shows, I felt a need to add my L$10 to the fray. Don't worry; I don't think you'll find anything particularly inflammatory or controversial here. Just a few thoughts on the topic. First, the background.

Flame On!
Late last month, the Second Life Newspaper ran an article on a cover charge system that was brought up by a fellow SL musician, Mankind Tracer. Note that I said "brought up"; he's hardly the first person to suggest this plan, nor the first to implement it. But he seems to be the focus of the controversy for current go-round of the idea that SL audiences should pay a cover charge to see live music events, as opposed to relying on people's desire to tip artists and venues on their own accord.

Why is this even being considered?
Pretty simple answer to a complex situation: it's getting harder and harder for venues to pay performing musicians. Many venues that formerly offered a fee to musicians found themselves unable to do so for various reasons, and one of two things happened; they either closed their stages, or they convinced the musicians that performing for tips only was in the best interest of everyone. So today, the majority of places you go to see live music in SL do NOT pay their musicians (but some still do... more on that in a bit).

So, according to the article, Mankind Tracer's plan would have a preset entry fee, enforced by a "bouncer bot" that would eject non-paying residents from shows. He initially suggested a ticket price of L$500 (about two US dollars, for those of you unfamiliar with SL's in-world currency) for an artist of his caliber, from which a 20% portion of the total take would go to the venue. Sounds pretty good on paper, at least for the artist and the venue, right? Let's say Mankind gets 30 people to come to the show at L$500 a pop. The evening grosses L$15,000, the venue takes $3,000, and everybody is happy, right?

Nope.
Here's why this system is not going to work for most artists, venues, and (most importantly) audiences in SL live music. In no particular order... "

READ THE FULL STORY HERE: 
Zak weighs in on Second Life Cover Charges