“Death and Taxes”
Dear Gudrun -
I am wondering if it is worth investing my money and effort in Second
Life. The game seems to have lost its
fizz. Businesses and clubs are closing,
it seems, because no one is showing up.
Can a new entrepreneur become successful in SL? I know that some would say that if I know so
little that I need to ask random strangers
about it, then I need to hide whatever cash I have, and go to a book store and
buy a book, or go to a college and take a course. But, you are not a random stranger. I, as is the case with many in SL, see you as
a savant... I know your advice will see
me through the quandary I’m in.
Please help,
Flat Soda
Dear Flat -
“She who bemoans the lack of opportunity forgets that small doors many times
open up into large rooms.”
Don't worry about investing your money
and efforts (but, at the same time, don't bet the farm). There is no shortage of chombolones such as
myself who do nothing in SL but spend money (and win the occasional Zyngo jackpot). We will buy pretty much anything that is
beautiful, fashionable, funny, or just fun.
These stats are from the info graphic
Linden Labs presented as part of its SL 10th anniversary celebration
back in June. Since SL's inception:
$3.6 billion (USD) has changed hands for virtual goods and services
217,666 years (equivalent) have been spent in SL by users
1,000,000 visit SL monthly
400,000 register monthly
700 square miles – SL land mass – 14 times the size of San Francisco (where LL is)
2.1 million virtual items are for sale
1.2 million transactions take place daily
This economy is based upon the Linden, which has proven remarkably stable
over the period of its existence. The
goal of a modern currency is to more or less equal the amount of goods and
services in an economy. As long as this
equation holds up, the economy remains stable.
If there is too little money, the economy stagnates. Governments manipulate this. If a government creates currency
irresponsibly, for instance simply to cover a deficit, inflation occurs,
resulting in higher prices and wages. If
there is too little money, on the other hand, the economy stagnates. Since economies tend to grow, creation of
more money is common.
The Linden is, of course a “fiat” currency.
This does not mean that it was issued by an Italian automaker, and that
it will continually need to be "fixed again by Tony." What it means is that it is not linked to any
material resource, such as gold. The US
Dollar itself became a fiat currency in 1973.
Today, all national currencies, including what used to be known as the
Pound Sterling, are fiat currencies.
Ummm... This means all money is
imaginary. It's good that so many people
are imagining it, LOL.
2 - The Linden is backed by the precious commodity vaporware. You've heard
of the rare earths used in everything from computers to car mufflers?? Well vaporware is like that. It is essential
to Linden technology. Trust me; SL is full of big ideas that will revolutionize
the way you play. Just look at the latest viewer versions.
3 - Vaporware? Where else can you sell land the doesn't REALLY exist?
(Well, of course you can. But where else is it legal?)
5 - I'm guessing that the Second Life economy represents at least one-third
of the entire world’s virtual goods ("vaporware") market.
6 - Vaporware is rapidly becoming indispensable as well as precious. No one
in the world can live without it. It's central to much entertainment.
7 - The Linden has a unique status in the world economy. After all, there
are some words you never hear in SL - bunko, con, flim flam, gaffe, grift,
hustle, scam, scheme, swindle, bamboozle. Hmmm.
10 - Lindens are far more widely recognized than Monopoly money, chocolate
doubloons, or licorice dollars.
Given this healthy economy, what are your opportunities? Putting on my savant hat, I see four major
"industries" in which SL residents invest their time and spend their
money:
Making really good stuff can involve some edumacation. You will need to spend plenty of time just
learning. Practice and become really good at what you are doing before
investing all of your energy in trying to compete. And build a nice store even if you hafta hire
a contractor.
LAND - The biggest industry in terms of pricing.
As in the fashion industry, you must develop a unique high quality product. *Is there a type of building or an amenity
that is unavailable? That is your
entree.
"ADULT" SERVICES -
You can minimize your expenses by coming onto someone else's land and
providing your services there for a fee, rather than creating your own premises. This requires an investment in the various
props you need such as clothes and other accessories. On the other hand, you may be more
comfortable with your equipment having been installed on your own turf :=P
EVERYONE wants to start a club in Second Life. I don't want to say that it is completely
impossible to earn Lindens by starting a club.
However, it's one of the most difficult and time consuming things you
can attempt. It’s only years later that
you will know whether or not you were successful.
DEATH AND TAXES
Death and taxes - In RL these are certainties, in SL not so much. To be sure, your real life will someday
end. This may come as a shock to some
young people... sorry to be so blunt,
but it's true. Nevertheless, your SL
avatar will live on, waiting to be revived by anyone who knows or can guess
your password. (You could leave
it in your will.)
Can virtual transactions be
taxed? Transactions within a
“closed-flow” virtual currency system do not produce taxable income because the
currency can be used only to purchase virtual goods or services. In an “open-flow” system, virtual currencies
can be used to purchase both real and virtual goods and services, as well as be
readily exchanged for government-issued currency, such as U.S. dollars. The
GAO's example of an open-flow currency designed primarily for use in a virtual
economy is Second Life Lindens.
Factors that prevent their checking up on you are anonymity and hazy
borderless transactions :=P
I hope I have helped you decide...
TC ~ Gudrun
"Primps but No Pimps"
Dear Gudrun -
I'm fascinated with the idea of becoming a Second life escort. Part of it is the lure of easy money, but I'm
also a bit of a nymphomaniac. ;-) Besides, it seems like fun.
With all the freely available sex in SL, is there still a demand for
escorts?? My instincts tell me there is,
but I have not been able to verify my hunch.
I do want to get into the trade.
Unfortunately, I don't know where to begin.
I saw in your profile that you recommended a movie called "Woman in
Flames." I watched the movie with
interest, but it is far from being an SL whoring guide. If you could take me under your wing and
tutor me, I would be extremely grateful.
Sincerely,
Fonda Peters
Dear Fonda -
Often prostitution is the easiest and most obvious way to get money for
basic needs. Sometimes extreme poverty
makes parents think of using their girls to make money. In other cases a manipulative man sees a
woman’s situation and gains her trust through affection, apparent compassion,
and a promise to care. They seem to share a desire for a better future. She leaves for a better life, but once she is
isolated, the relationship transitions. The man dominates and abuses the
woman. The man tells her that they need
money, and that she will have to find a way to get it.
Of course, Second Life is not Real Life, and many of the scarier aspects of
the sex trade are totally absent.
Manipulation and exploitation, however, can exist in any
environment. And, yes, there is a demand
in Second Life, though it may not produce customers lined up at escort
islands. It's sort of like Zyngo. People in SL remark how few customers there
are in the Zyngo parlors. But the
parlors represent huge investments, and are capable of paying out huge amounts
in winnings... in some cases, millions
of Lindens.
That having been said, based upon my long experience and superior powers of
observation, I can certainly provide a primer for escorting in SL.
There are many escorts who now provide voice sex. Some are what they purport to be and some
aren’t. Voice morphing has become very
sophisticated. (To me, SL is a fantasy
world. Actually speaking to a sex
partner comes very close to actually incorporating them into your RL. But everyone is different.)
Example (from real SL):
30 mins of text chat - $L1000
5 mins of voice chat - $L1000
10 mins of voice chat - $L1500
20 mins of voice chat - $L2500
5 mins of video chat - $L10,000
10 mins of video chat - $L20.000
Getting back to looking high-class -
“I am shy about my naughtiness.”
“I hope you don’t mind me being like this, but you are intoxicating.”
*bites her lip and casts her eyes down over your body...
*wants you to feel the soft satin of my panties, taking your hand and
having you run your hand over my mound then peel my panties off, I kick them
off and spread my legs for you...
In closing, here is a little story.
It may assuage any fears you have of “ruining” yourself:
The girl, crying, replied,
“Dad, I couldn’t bear to tell you… I became a call girl.”
The girl hesitated, then
stammered through her tears, “It’s a kind of prostitute.”
“A what! Out of here, ye
ungrateful little baggage! You’re a disgrace to this family!”
“OK, Dad — as ye wish. I
just came back to give mum this fur coat, brother Kevin this gold Rolex and you
this Mercedes convertible. I also wanted to invite you to spend Christmas with
me on my yacht on the Riviera, and to move into my ten-bedroom mansion afterward.”
The father hesitated, then
asked tentatively, “Now what did ye say a call girl was again?”
“Oh! Sweet Jesus! Come here
and give yer old man a hug, girl; ye scared me half to death! I thought ye said
a kind of Protestant!”
TC ~ Gudrun
“Pirates Don’t Smell in SL”
Dear Gudrun –
At age 19, I enlisted in the British Navy.
During my travels at sea, I learned everything there was to know about sailing,
and also about the lore of the free-lance sailor and pirate. Later I met a tattoo artist from Chicago, and
I learned how to use a tattoo machine. I
practiced on drunks brought in from the docks.
Honing my skills down on the Gulf Coast, I made a lot of money, and I bought
a boat. I remain a sailor today. Though a tattoo artist, I also skipper of a
large three-masted schooner, with which I conduct tours of the Caribbean
islands where I live.
I am also an avid fan of Second Life.
Whenever possible, I join the fun, dancing and hoping for the occasional
sea chanty and willing maiden. I
especially enjoy regaling the land bound beauties with stories of the sea. I also enjoy torturing vacationing couples
with implications that , because of the sultry native atmosphere, one or the
other of the spouses has been unfaithful.
Please
help,
BLOODYHELLICANTKEEP
Drinking
Dear Drinking:
Alcohol is
legal, which means that it
is available for those adults who want it (and non-adults who may conspire to
get it). And it is part and parcel of
many social functions: dinners, sporting
events, birthdays, weddings, funerals,
and parties of every kind. Besides this, getting drunk is considered a rite of passage for many young people, and is an approved form of
recreation in the armed forces.
There many kinds of social situations.
In Second Life, even more than in Real Life, alcohol can be the
lubricant that makes you socially successful.
There are, of course, the drinking anims, and beverage choice clearly
identifies you to the class-conscious among your fellow avis. But chances are you are “having a few” in RL while
you are in-world. Alcohol consumption
while engaged in SL (I dislike the phrase "playing SL") can improve
your experience immensely:
It decreases judgment and thinking ability, including decisions and
consequences. This can be a huge
plus. For example, not thinking about
consequences of actions or words, acting on impulse, missing social cues, and
losing awareness of how your behavior impacts others, can make you a spontaneous
and fun person, allowing others to serendipitously discover the many and varied
aspects of your personality.
It slows your overall thinking process and decreases concentration and
focus. This is not bad. There is new research that indicates that
this IMPROVES your performance in games such as Zyngo. Zyngo is a major source of revenue for ALL
involved in SL, possibly the only thing that keeps the whole shebang afloat.
It decreases awareness of surroundings, which means you needn't worry about
mesh, disappearing scenery, etc. YOU
COULD CARE LESS!
It also increases aggressiveness and/or seductive behavior, and facilitates
selective communication, both very valuable in SL. If you haven’t gotten into trouble yet, there
you go!
There are psychological underpinnings:
For others, the reasons for alcohol use need not be negative. Dependence
can develop when the positive effects of alcohol (relaxation, confidence,
enjoyment of food) become important in the pursuit of activities. Combined with personal triggers, activities such
as attending sporting events, hanging out with friends, or a luxurious dinner,
can increase the possibility of becoming dependent.
Whatever their reasons for drinking, as a person drinks more, he or she
develops a tolerance for the effects of alcohol. This means drinking large amounts to achieve
the same effects formerly obtained by drinking far less. The acquisition and ingestion of large
amounts of alcohol can assume an important place in the person's life,
consuming large amounts of money, displacing friends and family, and
undermining their careers and other endeavors.
Take the AUDIT Test
It appears to me that drinking is heavily
associated with Second Life. This is the
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). It is presented here as a public service.
The points that are associated with each answer
are listed below. Keep track of your points as you take this assessment.
1. How often do you
have a drink containing alcohol?
(0) Never (Skip to Questions 9-10, or skip them all)
(1) Monthly or less
(2) 2 to 4 times a month
(3) to 3 times a week
(4) 4 or more times a week
2. How many drinks
containing alcohol do you have on a typical day when you are drinking?
(0) 1 or 2
(1) 3 or 4
(2) 5 or 6
(3) 7, 8, or 9
(4) 10 or more
3. How often do you
have six or more drinks on one occasion?
(0) Never
(1) Less than monthly(0) Never
(2) Monthly
(3) Weekly
(4) Daily or almost daily
4. How often during
the last year have you found that you were not able to stop drinking once you
had started?
(0) Never
(1) Less than monthly(0) Never
(2) Monthly
(3) Weekly
(4) Daily or almost daily
5. How often during
the last year have you failed to do what was normally expected from you because
of drinking?
(0) Never
(1) Less than monthly(0) Never
(2) Monthly
(3) Weekly
(4) Daily or almost daily
6. How often during
the last year have you been unable to remember what happened the night before
because you had been drinking?
(0) Never
(1) Less than monthly
(2) Monthly
(3) Weekly
(4) Daily or almost daily
7. How often during
the last year have you needed an alcoholic drink first thing in the morning to
get yourself going after a night of heavy drinking?
(0) Never
(1) Less than monthly(0) Never
(2) Monthly
(3) Weekly
(4) Daily or almost daily
8. How often during
the last year have you had a feeling of guilt or remorse after drinking?
(0) Never
(1) Less than monthly(0) Never
(2) Monthly
(3) Weekly
(4) Daily or almost daily
9. Have you or
someone else been injured as a result of your drinking?
(0) No
(2) Yes, but not in the last
year(0) No
(4) Yes, during the last year
10. Has a relative,
friend, doctor, or another health professional expressed concern about your
drinking or suggested you cut down?
(0) No
(2) Yes, but not in the last
year(0) No
(4) Yes, during the last year
In my humble opinion, you need answer only the
first three questions, and you’re done...
LOL.
TC ~ Gudrun
