A writer’s work in Second Life
Let’s start the series of posts about media in Second Life with a writer. Colette Pichot is a freelance magazine writer in the U.S. More than that, she wrote a book, “Making Real Money in an UnReal World: Get Rich Using Tips, Hints and Secrets from 15 of Second Life’s Most Successful Entrepreneurs,” and decided it to sell it online.
“I think the ebook format is easily accessible for a worldwide audience,” Pichot said. Among those who have bought the book, there are people from the U.S., the U.K., Australia, France, Canada or Germany.
The 100 page ebook is based completely on reporting done within Second Life. Pichot profiled 15 people “who are making real money with business ventures inside Second Life,” as she described on an interview.
When she found the avatars that she wanted to profile, based on her own experience: she discovered successful businesses, sometimes as a client herself, or even by recommendations after she started talking to avatars, and started working on the book. When conducting her interviews, she encountered the same obstacles and difficulties a reporter may find in real life.
“Some were uncomfortable giving specific income figures because of the proliferation of copybots. But I worked with them to put their success in terms the reader could understand…” Pichot said. As a consequence, Pichot conducted some interviews in SL, but sometimes had to use the voice chat as the interviewees felt more comfortable with it.
Among the avatars she profiled there are some supplementing full-time jobs, retirement incomes and, as she described, a stay-at-home mom of two autistic kids whose business in SL is helping her raise her family.
She chose to profile people such as Anthony Hocken, of Crystal Gadgets or Craig Altman of Bits and Bobs, because she knew how popular they were.
You might wonder now, as I did, why Pichot decided to sell her book exclusively online and how is she protected from plagiarism, for example. Well, here’s her answer:
“I first filed copyright with the U.S. Copyright office and then released it for sale,” Pichot said.
Just like any other writer or reporter, she is aware that once the content is out there, it can be plagiarized, copied and manipulated. Both in real life and in Second Life. But, while in real life it’s easier to know, either through your country’s regulation or, if you are a journalist, through education, training and the organization you work for, reporters Second Life are most times unaware of what to do when their copy rights are violated.
“No one in SL has given advice on copyright,” she said.
The only contact that this writer has had with copyright issues is from other avatars or the ones she profiled for her book. From stolen scripts to copyright complaints, there are as many examples as there can be in real life, but SL users are still wondering whether copy rights within the virtual community will be regulated or not.
For now, avatars can get a lawyer both in Second Life and in real life but, who do they report to?
In my next post, we’ll discover more about what to do when your creations in Second Life have been plagiarized. Stay tuned!
And if you have any comments or experiences you want to share… you are welcome to do so!
This is interesting…It’s meta-reporting on two levels…Second Life is already a metaworld in that it represents things that are in the real world. Pichot reports on that metaworld (in that world) and you are now reporting on her work. I wonder what the importance/usefulness of this application is – seocnd life in general? Have you had an opportunity to ask fellow Second Lifers about why they find this mode of communication appealing?
That’s not a life. That’s crazy, people were not born to live like that. Talking online is great because sometimes you can’t communicate on the phone, long distance chatting and emails save money but this is just strange. With everyone you meet in Second Life, it’s like being a blind date all the time. You can’t get to know anyone.
Thank you Dyane for your comment.
I think one of the things that SL users find most appealing is anonymity. They can not only be but also act and behave and talk the way they want to, and it’s impossible for other avatars to know whether that is reflecting the person on the other side or is just a lie. I have interviewed several avatars and I refer to them as he or she, but I have no way to figure out if they are a man or a woman in real life, not even their age.
The other thing is creativity. I think most SL users find it attractive to be able to create from customs to houses to lands. There’s such a variety of things you can do that I guess it makes it more attractive when it comes to artists and creators.
And finally, the opportunity to make money. There are avatars making a lot of money in the real world. We cannot forget that SL is a growing economy. For some, it’s their first occupation, like a full-time job.
Thanks Marie, I appreciate your comment.
I think we should understand SL as a video game taken a little further. That’s the way I see it. When I first used it, I was uncomfortable because that’s not the way I interact with people. But I guess it makes sense for others who have found a way, not just to interact with friends and people they don’t know at all, but to make profit of what they create, develop artistic creations or even educate children with applications that are attractive to them.