The title's more than a rhetorical question. Some well known people* take what they have learned in Second Life and turn it into real life careers, designing spaces and experiences, organizing events, creating clothing and other objects to be used in the virtual world.
But now something new is evolving, Others are taking what they've done in their first lives and moving to segue that into a Second life presence.
Writers, designers, publicists, artists, musicians, podcasters, educators, marketers, therapists and the vast array of people who are interested in Social Media don't want to be left behind as the virtual universe spins on ahead without them.
For every IBM, or Sun that joins Second Life hundreds of people just like me are making the same decision.
But we face challenges
- We don't all know if this experiment called the 3-d web is really for us
- Many of us don't have the time to learn enough to put together a house much less an office that looks and is functional and reflecting well on them
- As small businesses and one wo/man bands we don't need the same kinds of things the big guy need - at least not regularly.
- We not only don't know what we don't know - but think of all that stuff we wouldn't need to know if we had a network of people to fall back on.
- Research where to build, what to build, who to trust? It can take months and we don't have a "department" that does that for us
- We don't need skyscrapers, asphalt parking lots, security systems, billboards, flashing lights, paid staff or glitz but we do need good neighbors and adjacent no drama zone islands
- We don't all have thousands of dollars to develop a space at which to get together with a friend, hold a more formal meeting, show something we've created, give a class, meet a potential client, stream some videos or just feel like we belong.
- We might need a casual room to work in and more formal areas too. We need room for six at a table every so often but other times deck chairs for three of us could be just the thing.
Which is where my shared office space idea comes in.
By a stream, under a tree, beside the sea, up in the clouds, in a low glass and stone building, or away from it all in a modern steel skybox. We can use all the options we can get.
First set up in September, Reynolds Clary and Associates offices have been on a shakedown cruise even since.
But Wait . . . Who's Reynolds Clary and since when are there Associates?
I'm doing double duty as Reynolds and my Second Life avatar who has been learning the ropes during the past year along with me is Tynan Clary.
Then there are the associates; namely the community of people who twitter along with me every day and with whom I'm glad to share not only a name but spaces, ideas, resources, challenges and all that entails.
Although I put up the initial money for the land, outfitted the offices and keep tweaking things, if we need some staff, some backup, or some cross marketing we'll be counting on who? Each other.
My job is to keep thinking about the concept, the big picture, and especially the associates.
The associates use the office as just another part of their own small businesses. Their job is to help me know what they need.
Their other roles include sharing their knowledge for the good of the others. To let it happen gladly when good fortune and thus the job overflow come knocking. To contribute towards monthly fees I pay to Linden Labs. To be good stewards of community.
And to evolve and help us do so, or move on with our support and good wishes.
And then there are the little things -
It seemed important to me to add the touches that make the spaces un-corporate. So I started accumulating - and casually placing - fireplaces, footbridges, the odd lamp or throw rug, pumpkins, a newspaper and glasses on a table.
Oh - and the essential red Swingline stapler. Because we're not a big corporation. We're just people.
But more about that next time.
As always: It's all about community. And I personally welcome your visit.
Psst: I swear anyone in Second Life longer than a couple weeks will tell you this. We all need a private place too - not a public park or some woods where the wild things are - to adjust our hair, try on the new jacket we got, and see if new shoes make us look like a hoochie-mamma or a head honcho.
