Second Life a pyramid scheme?

January 24, 2007 — Leave a comment

Valleywag claims that Second Life is a pyramid scheme. They’re in part right. When I was a lot more active in SL (I’m down to maybe once a month these days and I’ve long since cancelled my paid account) pyramid style banking schemes were common and I probably lost $10-$20 investing some of my money in them. But before you say sucker, I was willing to lose the money, and the schemes always presented in a legitimate way, usually as banks or land investment schemes promising reasonable returns. I’d acquired a far few Lindens and was looking to park some of them somewhere, and hence I did…and subsequently lost them. The ability to cash them out is also a problem, as Valleywag notes, SLby no means has a properly constituted liquid market. Having said all of that I don’t share the general dislike Valleywag has towards SL, but really so much of it is based around porn and gambling I’m not sure that it’s fair to hold it up as being the wonderful thing so many people hold it to be.

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