Peolple active in SL

[Tahlia Bechir]

Does anyone know how many ppl are still active in SL?

Every day i see fewer pll here; and shops closing.

Has the doom day arrived here?..I think YES

my guess is that there are no more than 30,000 ppl active here.

So sad...and worst since whoever runs this site no longer shows members on line.

So sad...

 

[mysteriousdots]

30,000 + 1 .. i just arived To SL. 

[Rya Nitely]

Welcome mysteriousdots, and hope you stay

 It's a shame it isn't advertised more. So many people just don't know about SL and all it has to offer.

[Ariel Vuissent]

"Whoever runs this site" is Linden Labs. They no longer permit any viewer to show true online status because it was determined to be a privacy violation for residents to be able to see the online status of other residents they were not friends with. (Although there are a still several ways to do so, such as checking groups you share with the person whose online status you wish to know.)

There are typically between 30,000 and 70,000 users online at any given time. 70,000 is during peak SL time, around 2pm SLT, whil 30,000 is during the quietest timem around 2am SLT. (Numbers referencing this thread.) I wouldn't say that "doomsday has arrived," though certainly those numbers could be better. They could also be worse.

Shops close for any number of reasons. Perhaps the owner has serious medical issues and must leave SL and cannot keep their shop open; or has encountered a life change that limits their SL time; or has run out of funds to keep their shop open; etc. People disappear for similar reasons.

[Drake1 Nightfire]

12,000 was a busy Friday night when i joined. now i see 70,000+ on Friday nights. so, i would say it's gotten better.

[Coby Foden]

inworld_updated_slt 2012-04-24, at 3:30 pm SLT: inworld 58286

Number of people inworld is reported on this web page:
http://secondlife.com/httprequest/homepage.php

[JeanneAnne]

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Rya Nitely wrote:

 It's a shame it isn't advertised more. 

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if sl was advertised more the Xtian Right mite get winduv all the kinky slex stuff sl is notorious for .. & go on a rampage over it .. I think that LL realizes this .. which is why it isnt advertised more

Jeanne

[Shelby Silverspar]

I remember when 9,000 avis could crash the grid. New people were pouring in daily but guess what - stores were still closing even then, it's the natural lifecycle in SL. Some stores don't really close - they re-brand and come back as something new.

[Marigold Devin]

Welcome to Second Life Forums, Tahlia

Shops close all the time, sims are taken off the grid all the time, BUT new shops open all the time, in world and on Second Life Marketplace, and new sims are added to the grid all the time (details can be found on http://gridsurvey.com/   along with linden dollar transactions etc.

All suggests the population of Second Life are alive and well and thriving.

[Clarissa Lowell]

Sky hasn't fallen yet and people have been saying that it is since at least 2006 which is when I joined. Don't worry.

 

Actually I joined in like 2003 but lost the log in, joined again about a year later, that log in was eaten, and only began playing regularly with a third log in, in 2006.  I still wonder if I can somehow get those first two log ins back.

[Baloo Uriza]

Imminent Death of the Grid Predicted!  We'll have this story, and tell you if this weekend will be dry tonight on Oklahoma's own News on Six at 10.

[Senobia Xenga]

RL does play a huge role in whether or not a person maintains their shop/sim in SL. Changing interests/boredom do, too. However, the lack of financial support that some shops/sims receive is contributing factor to many of the closures.

Everything you do in SL, every sim you like to go to, every club you like to dance in, every activity you like to partake in is costing somebody, some where. All those freebies you dive in the stores to get? They also cost. Those club events you enter? Yep, they cost. The stuff given out to the members of the groups you join/instantly leave after receving - yep, that costs, too. Sploders? Those fantastically beautiful sims you explore? Those hunts? Gift cards? Your favorite DJs? Yeah, every thing has a price.

Eventually, people do get tired of being taken advantage of by nobody buying their stuff and only taking the gifts, tipping, donating - whatever - and they pull the plug. And it's going to continue to happen. Eventually, all that will be left are Linden-owned hubs and clothes from 7 Rez Days ago.

 

[Penny Patton]

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Ariel Vuissent wrote:

"Whoever runs this site" is Linden Labs. They no longer permit any viewer to show true online status because it was determined to be a privacy violation for residents to be able to see the online status of other residents they were not friends with. 

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I believe the OP was referring to the fact that LL used to post the current concurrency level (number of people online at a given time) right on the SL mainpage and the SL login screen. That number has been declining steadily for years now and LL removed it.

 

 Regarding LL advertising more, I think advertising SL in its current state would be premature. SL gets an impressive amount of new user sign-ups, their problem seems to be in retaining those new users, as most sign in once then never again.

 

 A lot of residents will offer up one problem or another claiming it to be the one thing LL needs to fix to solve this retention problem, personally I think it's not that simple. I believe there are a number of issues LL needs to address in order to solve the problem. They should be paying attention to what those short lived users, and ther ex-users, complain about.

 

 "It's ugly."

 "It's too confusing."

 "There's nothing to do!"

 

These are the three most quoted complaints about Second Life. From what I can tell, these complaints stem from the fact that LL puts too much emphasis on hiring programmers, and has neglected to hire people who understand the aspects of Second Life which most contribute to these complaints.

 I tend to point out SL's issues with graphics, and how most of the real problems with SL's graphics stem from poorly made, often outright broken tools, and poor design choices on the part of the Lab. (Ever noticed how almost all women in SL have freaky short arms? There's a surprising reason for that.) However, the same point explains the other two as well. Aside from Rodvik, has Linden Lab ever hired game level designers? People experienced in crafting tutorials? Do they have any user experience experts to point out the problem with SL's profile functionality and poor chat tools?

 

 LL desperately needs some professionals with experience in disciplines other than writing code. I can guarantee you they won't be able to turn around their new user retention numbers otherwise.

[JeanneAnne]

I discovered SL in August. By T'giving time i was pretty good @ playing SL so when i was home for the holiday i introduced my mom to SL. She's a Mac fanatic so playing SL on a Mac took me some getting use2! But anyhow.. I helped her get an account, put together an attractive avatar, showed her how stuff works, & took her dancing @ a couple of my favorite blues clubs .. where the ppl are friendly & she would like the music. I took her shopping @ Freebie Galaxy & someone even gave her L$250 cuz she was new .. I showed her how to log in & to fly & that she could go underwater .. & stuff like that .. We played SL together for awhile @ least .. justa bout every day .. & she seemed to like it & have fun .. I looked forward to playing SL with my mom once i went back home ..

So i went back home after T'giving & kept waiting to see my mom inworld .. Nope .. no show .. So i asked her over the fone why she wasnt logging in .. "Oh .. I'm too busy for computer games .." was her reply .. but shes no busier than i am & i find time for SL .. I kept encouraging her to login .. maybe she did .. briefly .. once or twice .. but it was obvious she didnt really want to or care about the game .. I gave up on trying to make her interested & she prolly dont even remember her password anymore

So whats w/ ppl like my mom .. who get introduced to SL but dont take an interest? I dunno .. When I was back home she wanted me to control her avatar for her .. while she just watched .. I showed her how to use the keys to walk & fly & made her do it .. She could .. sortuv .. but I think it was all too complicated for her to care about mastering .. My mom isnt dumb & coulduv figured SL out as well ~if not better~ than i did .. I just dont think she thot it was worth the time & trubble .. Apparently theres 10s uv thousands of ppl like her .. who get an account but rapidly .. if not immediately !! lose interest

So the question becomes .. What could LL & content developers do to keep ppl like my mom interested? I'm really not sure .. but someone needs to give this question some serious thot if we want new ppl w/ their newbie enthusiasm to keep SL vitalized .. SL being a moribund backwater for jaded oldbies is no fun for anyone !!

Jeanne

 

[Perrie Juran]

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JeanneAnne wrote:

I discovered SL in August. By T'giving time i was pretty good @ playing SL so when i was home for the holiday i introduced my mom to SL. She's a Mac fanatic so playing SL on a Mac took

me

some getting use2! But anyhow.. I helped her get an account, put together an attractive avatar, showed her how stuff works, & took her dancing @ a couple of my favorite blues clubs .. where the ppl are friendly & she would like the music. I took her shopping @ Freebie Galaxy & someone even gave her L$250 cuz she was new .. I showed her how to log in & to fly & that she could go underwater .. & stuff like that .. We played SL together for awhile @ least .. justa bout every day .. & she seemed to like it & have fun .. I looked forward to playing SL with my mom once i went back home ..

So i went back home after T'giving & kept waiting to see my mom inworld .. Nope .. no show .. So i asked her over the fone why she wasnt logging in .. "Oh .. I'm too busy for computer games .." was her reply .. but shes no busier than i am & i find time for SL .. I kept encouraging her to login .. maybe she did .. briefly .. once or twice .. but it was obvious she didnt really want to or care about the game .. I gave up on trying to make her interested & she prolly dont even remember her password anymore

So whats w/ ppl like my mom .. who get introduced to SL but dont take an interest? I dunno .. When I was back home she wanted me to control her avatar for her .. while she just watched .. I showed her how to use the keys to walk & fly & made her do it .. She could .. sortuv .. but I think it was all too complicated for her to care about mastering .. My mom isnt dumb & coulduv figured SL out as well ~if not better~ than i did .. I just dont think she thot it was worth the time & trubble .. Apparently theres 10s uv thousands of ppl like her .. who get an account but rapidly .. if not immediately !! lose interest

So the question becomes .. What could LL & content developers do to keep ppl like my mom interested? I'm really not sure .. but someone needs to give this question some serious thot if we want new ppl w/ their newbie enthusiasm to keep SL vitalized .. SL being a moribund backwater for jaded oldbies is no fun for anyone !!

Jeanne

 

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Are you sure she isn't using an Alt to hide her Bisexual Furry Avatar from you?

[JeanneAnne]

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Perrie Juran wrote:

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Are you sure she isn't using an Alt to hide her Bisexual Furry Avatar from you?

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Would be cool if she was !! Kinda doubt it tho .. :matte-motes-dont-cry:

Jeanne

[VRprofessor]

Applause for Penny!

Retention is a huge problem <thumbs up>

Some of the retention problem will never be solved.  SL simply is not for everyone and it never will be.  But there are folks who would most likely enjoy the place if they gave it more of a chance.   Every effective effort to improve the first impression experience will be financially rewarding for LL.

It is never just one thing. <thumbs up>

It may only be possible to address one problem at a time, and it is useful to try and identify the most important problems.  But there is no one thing that will fix SL.

User experience designers <big thumbs up>

This is  a top tier issue that needs adressing.  User experience is too often brought in after code is relatively fixed and it is too late to do more that clean up around the edges.  This is like bringing in an interior designer when the painter has completed most of the house in off-white.  You could change the colors, but it means doubling the cost and time so you just live with it.

My one question is whether there are enough UX people out there?  Could LL find someone to hire?

 

[Baloo Uriza]

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Perrie Juran wrote:

Are you sure she isn't using an Alt to hide her Bisexual Furry Avatar from you?

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I don't have the hard numbers to actually measure this, but I would hazard to guess the furry crowd is the the least likely population to have alts in SL. ;o)

[Perrie Juran]

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Baloo Uriza wrote:

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Perrie Juran wrote:

Are you sure she isn't using an Alt to hide her Bisexual Furry Avatar from you?

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I don't have the hard numbers to actually measure this, but I would hazard to guess the furry crowd is the the least likely population to have alts in SL. ;o)

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I know a skunk who logs in as a human when he wants a break from his partner.  I think she'd spray him if she knew.