I just want to gleefully highlight this post on Kotaku that talks about how Second Life founder Philip Rosedale has stepped down, or changed roles, or whatever. Kudos to Kotaku for putting up an accurate depiction of a typical scene in second life (flying penises everywhere) rather than the typical corporate view that most news outlets show, the bland corporately attractive female avatar in front of buildings that the BBC story that Kotaku links to shows.

Whomever is in charge of the PR for Second Life deserves some kind of medal, and should probably move on to bigger and better things for a lot more money. They've turned what is essentially a venue for cybersex and furries (is that redundant) into the media darling for online social spaces. Now I have nothing against venues for cybersex, in theory. But with an Reuters bureau set up permanently on location in second life, and various corporate setting up highly publicized shops in the game, it gives the media impression that there is something happening in the game that is exciting and wonderful. That businesses need to be a part of (and pay lots of money for the privilege for). And the news coverage focuses on the financial and artistic achievements that the players of this game are able to achieve.

This is all kudos to Second Life PR. Well done sir or madam. I applaud your prowess. It just kinda feels deceptive if you've been to Second Life, and find out that it's a place where giant anthropomorphic foxes try to have sex with you, or you can be attacked by flying penises at any moment. I keep waiting for the mainstream media to become disenchanted with it. But it hasn't happened.

I think that the people in Linden Labs think that they have a Times Square on their hands. It's going to be a seedy place, but they can make it a landmark, and get enough people by any means necessary and once they have a critical mass they'll stomp on in Giuliani style and get rid of all the porn and uncomfortable expression of the modern human psyche and make it safe for the Lion King.

I suspect it's a lot more like Burning Man. If the place is cleaned up of all the weird and off putting elements, then there wouldn't be much left. Second Life is founded upon letting the audience determine what kind of attractions exist within the space. This kind of radical democracy doesn't lead to Broadway shows. It leads to naked people serving grilled cheese on a dance floor in the middle of the desert. Certainly a place worthy of covering in the news, certainly a place of great art. Just not a place everyone is going to feel comfortable being.

Burning Man seems to know their niche. While they keep growing they don't seem to have tamed down the event to please their corporate masters, though they have made a number of concessions due the increasing size of the event. Some may disagree with me. But Burning Man isn't going mainstream, mainstream may just be catching up with it.

So maybe that is the endgame for Second Life. Hang on with the shell game until it socially acceptable for people to be attacked by giant, flying, pink penises. What a world.