Second Life on Social Media

[Gwen Ghostly]

Another of several subjects that have sparked this sort of conversion is the in-world new shopping HUD, though I very much regret that it became one more recently after this form was created (and editing the form now wouldn't work the way I wish it would).

New information and perspectives are what I gain. A friend recently joined SL and benefitted from certain resources with gallery-style images to aid shopping and exploration, especially while getting used to movement and camera controls. Some ways she interacted with and opinions she had on third-party sites were not things I'd considered. Another new user brought up YouTube videos as an invaluable resource but wished for videos about certain content that they'd thus far been unable to locate. These sorts of conversations are also inspirations for the survey.

There's not any singular conversation that sparked the survey. I have a background in SEO, video, digital media, social media, and marketing. In those fields, tons of research is done and information is available. Some social sites, for example, can tell you peak times to post and other analytics. Is that information generally universal, or does it vary for specific communities like Second Life? It's already clear SL does vary in some ways because the most generally popular sites for RL are not the same as the most popular for SL users. The survey can't answer everything, but it was made in hopes of being a start to more analysis of the ways we interact with one another.

What is learned from it depends on the responses given and the interpretation of those responses by various individuals. Speaking for myself, it's the start of satisfying curiosities and forming more informed opinions. Maybe more people will ask and discuss. I'm one brain with limitations, though some others weighed in with suggesting questions, answer options, and formatting. Others may have even better ideas for questions and topics or be better suited to ask them. For example, it'd be fascinating to see how much certain opinions and preferences vary depending on subcommunities within the SL community. Or I'd love to read more about ways users with disabilities use additional tools or sources to benefit their SL experiences. It's easy enough to research and read about these sorts of topics and general internet usage, but it's less often analyzed and presented within SL.

As another example, we have an entire economy with far less readily available information, tips, and analytics than RL counterparts. I've often heard people in marketing surprised at how different practices are in SL compared to RL. If someone wants to open an art gallery in real life they can easily research tips and insights for that subject. People doing the same in SL may not be able to find similar information, think to "share notes," or realize why it may be helpful. All the possibilities that grow in SL make it a platform that isn't just for one type of person or activity, but competitive thinking can limit the growth of others and the availability of helpful information.

I love hearing perspectives outside of my own and outside of my social circles. I also don't want to hoard the information from others who may feel the same, thus responses being anonymous and public. That's at the heart of the survey, vague as that may be. I also want to thank everyone for their comments so far in this topic, because they too offer perspectives. Even by posting this and looking around more, I've been gaining information about these forums I didn't have before, such as finding handy topics and discussions I, and I'm sure others, didn't expect.

[Aethelwine]

3 hours ago, Gwen Ghostly said:

As in you wanted to change your answer? There should be a means to edit your response. Apologies for the design. In an ideal world, I'd have liked something more customizable.

Many people share your sentiments about external social media, duplication, and falling off (myself included). I did, however, find people who shared that view but valued links in group notices and large, clear visuals on external sites alongside in-world content, and other such tools. When I say "accessibility," it does apply to people finding what they want where they prefer, but it's mostly about people with particular preferences for content. Some have expressed wants for and from an external site to aid their activities in SL. Those preferences can be brought on by differences in information processing, neurodivergence, and more that aren't always considered.

Blogs can be a great solution, but some people prefer exposure to various topics in one source, whereas sites like blogs are often more limited in content to specific subjects.

i) More that I wanted to answer Yes and No not just No

ii) I have started using Gyazo for quick snapshots to illustrate menus, or just something I am seeing on screen to share in conversations or notecards. I know I am several years behind everyone else with that regard.... but it isn't really a social media so much as a tool to enhance the social systems in the viewer.

 

[Gwen Ghostly]

20 hours ago, Aethelwine said:

More that I wanted to answer Yes and No not just No

Wanted to answer Yes and No to "Do you view or interact with SL content on at least one external site or app?" I'm not sure I have ideas on when a "both yes and no" answer would apply to this question, but it's also one or the other to send people to different pages depending on their responses. I'll try to think of examples when both yes and no might apply when I write a summary and analysis.

20 hours ago, Aethelwine said:

I have started using Gyazo for quick snapshots to illustrate menus, or just something I am seeing on screen to share in conversations or notecards. I know I am several years behind everyone else with that regard.... but it isn't really a social media so much as a tool to enhance the social systems in the viewer.

That's a really good point. Gyazo is a great tool. I'd love to see a collection of tools and resources like that, especially for new users.

[Gwen Ghostly]

Thanks again to all the participants! I just finished up some graphs summarizing data, but the raw results are public.

I'm still thinking over a lot of the individual responses, but an example of a takeaway I had was that Flickr makes you log in to view Moderate or Restricted images, so some people prefer an Instagram preview option as well in things like group notices. These are the sorts of convenience and accessibility things I'm glad were pointed out, and I hope the info is beneficial to others.