Communitelligence Executing Social Media Conference

I'm heading out to Atlanta today to speak at the Fall Executing Social Media conference.  Paull Young of Converseon and I will be taking attendees of our session on a bit of a Second Life corporate expedition.  I'm looking forward to getting new insights on Converseon's Second Chance Trees initiative which tied planting of RL trees with the purchase of virtual trees.  The initiative was recognized as one of the 50 finalists in the American Express Members Project.

While I get the opportunity to speak quite often, I don't get to focus solely on Second Life strategies in presentations as often as I'd like, so this will be a fun one for me.  I hope to be meeting some of you there and hear your perspectives face-to-face.

As the environment - and the conversations - surrounding SL have been changing this year, I've been thinking and re-thinking why Second Life galvanizes such heated debate for marketers, business communicators and business innovators.  It is because Second Life matters - regardless of which side of the debate you are on - it matters in some systemic and mysterious ways.  It signifies or embodies something important, something fundamental.  If it didn't there wouldn't be so much passion surrounding it from either side.  I'll be writing more about this.

In the meantime, Gwyneth Llewelyn  eloquently  (as usual!)  writes about why Second Life stands apart, and provides some salient signals.  But her most important point - one that speaks to that mysterious, systemic magic (and one that is most troublesome for branders) - is made as she contrasts other virtual worlds/spaces with SL:

"...their vision is closed — their ideal metaverse is one that has been thought out in advance and rolled out for their users, providing them the kind of experience that they think is best for you.

"LL’s still clueless about what makes Second Life special. They’re not writing things on stone. In fact, they’re mostly hacking away at things, and in spite of being very stubborn on several areas, it’s not less true that they’ve allowed people — their residents — to change completely the way Second Life is used for.

"...In fact, while the technology of several other competitors might look awesome to us poor stressed-out SL residents with our insane lag and low frame rates, the difference is really that we’re not talking about technology at all. We’re talking about what a “metaverse” is for us — beyond technology."

This may be way too subtle if you are focused on looking for the tactic-magic - but this is the essence of why all social media is changing the way we do business.  I boil it down in the title of different presentation I've been invited to give many times this year:  "It's Sociology, Not Technology."

Gwen's post is long but well worth the read if you are the least bit interested in SL. Print it out and take it with you on the commute.  Put it on your blogosphere "to read" list.  It is a link I'll be recommending in my upcoming presentation.

November 13, 2007

   

Comments

[Paull Young]

Looking forward to joining you in Atlanta Linda. I've been a long term reader of the blog and I'm looking forward to talking with you about our case study!

[Laura Thomas]

"regardless of which side of the debate you are on - it matters in some systemic and mysterious ways"

Insightful as always Linda! I hate that I missed the opportunity to join you in Atlanta, because I'm sure your panel with Paull will be fantatstic. Catch you next time.