Cyberflacks

October 5, 2007 by Jeff Jarvis

Can we stop seeing it as news when some company opens up an island on Second Life? The latest is an insurance company there. Oh, wow. That’s so cool of them — and of the reporter who falls for that press release. I’d be far more impressed if the people in Second Life created their own community of insurance interest and proved they actually cared.

  • Tim Winchester

    So is news now limited to what interests you specifically? I actually find it interesting that such an established company is setting up shop online. It’s a good indication of the online potential. To me, it is news. Isn’t that part of the beauty of this new age of citizen journalism: not having to be told what IS news?

  • Andrew Carothers

    Those in PR and journalism know that to get a reporter or editor interested in running a story, it’s advisable to pitch multiple angles. The point is to find one or more that appeal to the audience. In this case, the angle might be the action itself (insurance company opens island), or that an established old school company/industry is getting into Second Life, or the business potential of Second Life, or even potential conflict in the business world between those who embrace community building and those who pooh-pooh it. Bottom line — everything is news…it’s just a matter of finding the angle.

  • http://www.thepomoblog.com Terry Heaton

    Sadly, the October 24th episode of CSI NY is built around the lead character entering SL. Geez.

  • Staten Island guy

    I (kinda) understand the vibe around Second Life, but the current implementation is as close to useless as I can imagine, especially if you’re not a high level nerd.

  • Steve Gorelick

    I had a first-rate student who did a thesis on political participation in Second Life. So, in the similarly lemming-like manner in which I headed for Facebook after Jarvis told me to (good call, Jeff!), about 6 months ago I made my way to Second Life.

    After enrolling and picking my avatar, I headed for the entrance, ready for democracy in action.

    And so help me, before I could even walk a few steps, I was surrounded at the gate by cyber-hookers. Eccept that at first I didnt know they were hookers. They wanted to be my friends. When I finally figured it out, I felt like that guy in the show Oklahoma who marvels at all the newfangled stuff in Kansas City.

    I know that open source and open space and open wounds and everything else open means this will happen.

    No big deal.

    But it was quite a welcome.

  • http://www.mandatemedia.com Kari Chisholm

    They write these stories on Second Life to prove how tech-savvy and hip they are, but they really wind up proving just how tech-retarded and un-hip they are.

    Second Life is unbelievably lame — and tech-retarded reporters glom on to it because it’s a part of the internet they can finally understand. “Oh, I get it! It’s like a mall!”

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  • http://miriamsideas.blogspot.com miriam

    I can’t believe anyone is interested in anything so lame as second life. One life is plenty if you work it right.

  • http://www.digidave.org Digidave

    I am going to create a leper island on second life.

  • David

    @ miriam:
    no surprise – it’s just you lack creativity and interestes towards new communication tools. the fact you can’t understand how a platform works doesn’t imply that platform is ‘lame’ or useless.

    also, ‘one life’ means nothing, since when you’re using the Second Life application you are still living your first and only life.
    (was this obvious? then please stop making obvious jokes about the platform name)

    @ kari:
    insightful analysis…LOL.
    “internet strategy for people changing the world”…double LOL!

    [I apologize for my bad english]

    @ Digidave:
    I hope you’re serious. I would come to visit your leper island. Second Life needs more original, creative, weird contents.

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