First: Congratulations to Pooky and Hydra's latest 1st Question episode with special guest star M. Linden (I poke some fun at M. below....so I hope he doesn't get mad and turn this into a 'grey matter.")

Controvery:

You'd think we were dealing with the Greek debt issue the way conversation has been regarding Viewer 2.0 (also known as the CryPad and SLVistaViewer.) Besides all the functional difficulties with it there is its 'non-immersive' quality. It appears to be the "You Tube" version of SecondLife. My handler says it doesn't bother him but it's me living in a virtual world not him.

Viewer 2.0 makes me think the M in M. Linden stands for 'mistake.' And mistakes aren't something we can well afford as SecondLifers right now.

Think of this 'Zynga' the Facebook game maker (I think the founders aren't old enough to get off the Teen Grid.) has sold $480,000,000 (dollars...not Linden) of Virtual Merchandise over the past year. Now that's a lot of sculptie skirts.

I've heard, rumor, Microsoft's X-box players get a still cartoon image for their player. Apparently, last year, they bought little emblems (school, football, baseball) of teams they like to stick on their breast pocket. Total dollar sales for MSFT $250,000,000

Three years ago I remember firstlife friends in shocked disbelief (no not because of my avie) but when I said I owned virtual land and bought virtual clothes. Well, those numbers above simply shout out, "Who's laughing now."

If only SL was a web based immersive world tied to the various social networks. Example, when you opened Facebook a small window below would actually be you in SL and you could maximize that if you wanted to. No need to download a program.

And, when virtual merchandise has a 'digital watermark' and therefore can be 'owned' by the buyer to keep or sell we will see 'virtual merchandise' trading at Sotheby's and/or Christie's auction houses for serious money. (Ok.....maybe not them but you get the idea. Everything you buy would be YOURS' to wear, stain, keep or sell.

Perhaps there will be a day when my SL avie can walk into WOW (World of Warcraft) and ask, "Do you know where I can get inoculated against the 'corrupted blood plague' or do you know where the "WalMart" store is in WOW (yes WalMart is getting into the Virtual clothing business.)

Anyhow, thanks to all of you who support me regularly and for those who made my 300th show on Tuesday. I ended the Third Season and am now doing only 'specials' and 'reruns' until September 1st when LaurenLive will start the "Fourth Season"