Socially|Mundane

Linden Lab CEO Mark Kingdon's interview with C|Net news about his Linden Lab economic report has journalists all over the place all giddy and fuzzy-warm feeling.

However, just like the real world, reports of the virtual world's economy are spun to make it look better and stronger than it really is. No, I'm not slamming Mark ("M" Linden") because he's doing his job to run the company so it makes profit and is represented in a good light, especially when investors with venture capitol are looking for places to put all that money.

In other words, Mark is a corporate politician, just like any other CEO of any other company. And, like the public at large, most journalists either just eat it up or push their agenda.

Virtual world Second Life is out with its Q1 2009 Economic Report and things are looking up. In fact, Second Life economics look much better than the real world.

Users are spending much more time on the site despite a drop in land ownership. In an interview with CNET News, Linden Labs CEO Mark Kingdon estimated "user-to-user monetary transactions in Second Life may hit $450 million in 2009, up from $350 million."

[via Second Life's economy is the envy of the real world | Software, Interrupted - CNET News]

Big numbers to be sure. But the main think to remember is that the majority of all that is 'hot air'. Specifically: play money that has no value whatsoever until it is 'cashed-out' for real money credit. So even though the "value" of play money has changed hands, that value is hollow and a reference only. There is no money that has changed hands. Only a "point" system.

It's just like the ridiculous, ludicrous over-spending President Obama is throwing around, proclaiming it will "create" job and "save 6-million" jobs (or whatever that ridiculously false number is.) The fact is: there is not way to show that even a single job was "saved" because of any of that money.

It's spin of the best (it works to 'protect' him) and worse (it fools the 90% gullible population at large) kind.

As for Mark's report: it's basic spin to sound really good, and it's not bad. We just need to keep perspective on what it is we are actually talking about.