Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Everyone Else is Doing It. So Why Can't I?
I have heard it said recently that Second Life seems to come up at every conference as some future way to conduct market research. This is probably true! It seems to be that some people are reading 2.0 and using SL as some metaphor for a new delivery platform whilst others say 'that's not the way that the internet is going'.
I would like to add three perspectives here if I may.
a) Again, this is a triumph of form over function like we have with panels and ESOMAR. It's not SL that matters per se (good luck to them), but what does matter is that we play in a space. We dabble and we learn virtual skills that can serve our clients for the future. Let's not get caught up in SL mania
b) Those who look and commentate in this space tend to do some from a western perspective. (Again read my ESOMAR points on panels). As such they miss the rich virtual texture of something like cyWorld in Korea which is much more advanced and grained into the cultural and social fabric (for various different reasons). These are the areas we should be dabbling in!
c) I have heard it said that over time the real and the virtual persona come together. I think that this is correct. What I not always agree with however is that the virtual becomes like the real. If we look at Korea the real world starts to resemble the virtual world in terms of persona because a 'god' on-line is a simple shopkeeper (with respect) in the real world. That's the yearning effect and that is where research opportunity comes from in a projected world
That's my bit.
I would like to add three perspectives here if I may.
a) Again, this is a triumph of form over function like we have with panels and ESOMAR. It's not SL that matters per se (good luck to them), but what does matter is that we play in a space. We dabble and we learn virtual skills that can serve our clients for the future. Let's not get caught up in SL mania
b) Those who look and commentate in this space tend to do some from a western perspective. (Again read my ESOMAR points on panels). As such they miss the rich virtual texture of something like cyWorld in Korea which is much more advanced and grained into the cultural and social fabric (for various different reasons). These are the areas we should be dabbling in!
c) I have heard it said that over time the real and the virtual persona come together. I think that this is correct. What I not always agree with however is that the virtual becomes like the real. If we look at Korea the real world starts to resemble the virtual world in terms of persona because a 'god' on-line is a simple shopkeeper (with respect) in the real world. That's the yearning effect and that is where research opportunity comes from in a projected world
That's my bit.
