Final Reflections

So I just wanted to finish my look at the smester and SL. I was truly impressed with the possibilities that SL present for the future. I belive the creation of SLeuth was a really good way of giving the class first hand experience in dealing not only with SL and 3-d worlds, but also with helping us to understand how to use SL and future 3-d worlds as a medium for reaching coustmers. I think that had we had more time we may have been able to accomplish more, but I still think that we build a solid base for SLeuth to possibly grow from.

I not only learned alot for the class and the creation of Sleuth, but I had fun experiencing the 3-d part of the internet that I have never really seen before. I now feel far more confident in 3-d worlds, and how to possibly use them and the internet to help promote a buisseness. I am also now very aware of the internet and 3-d worlds as a marketing medium, and I am constantly amazed to see the creative ways that other companies have used it to help their buissness succeed.

Reflections Part 2
The Truth About Makreting in SL

So I just finished rereading the article titiled "Welcome to Second Life, Marketers." I felt that the entire article was very true, and it makes me wonder about SLeuth. The article describes how big companies come into SL and create eleborate islands, that all end up empty. This raises a feat I have for Sleuth...will it just become another empty shell with nothing but roaches calling it home?

The article describes how many big name companies just enter SL without first being SL residents...a big mistake, which leads the companies from not fully understanding SL. I feel that we did not make this drastic mistake. We all lived and wandered (roamed if you will) around SL, and got a good solid grasp about what SL is all about. I feel safe to say that we have a decent undersanding about SL and what is really going on in here. The article describes how many SL residents dislike big companies, and that is not waht we want. While the article mentions how big name companies could try to work with "SL grass roots companies" in oreder to recive attention from SL residents, we do not have to do this scince SLeuth is in part just a SL buissiness. I agree with the article that in order for companies to make it in SL, they really should have some sort of local guides. But like the article describes, big outsied companies should first be residents in SL before they try to market in SL.

I belive that Sleuth car really be successful if we pay close attention to what the article talks about. Bussiness from SL that are built and run only for SL seem to gain more attention from the typical SL resident who really to try and avoid big companies invasion of SL. So what SLeuth shoud do is empahsise its "grass rootness," how we really are here for the good of SL (and to hopefully make some money at one point in time). To do this we we could try to act sort of like the Fubu of SL. Litertaly state on our website and in our HQ how we are built by SL users for the good of all SL users. Another thing that we have already done is how we have incorperated SL into our name and logo. We should countinue to do this, and maybe even try to stress the SL in SLeuth even more. I belive that SLeuth can be successful in SL and that one day there may be the possibility of big name companies trying to work with us in order to get a foothold in SL.

Refelections Part 1
Snow Crash and SL...Oh the Simalarities

One of our first readings for this class was to read a scetion from the book "Snow Crash." After sitting down and reading the section, I was confused. And after a few days of learning about SL, I thought to myself how the book could no way be similiar to how a 3-d wrold could really be. BUT...after several more weeks of SL sightseeing, and more importantly the creation of SLueth I slowely began to realize the SL is similiar to the book in so many ways.

I am still amazed how the book was able to so accuratly portray 3-d worlds like SL, even when there really was nothing like it at the time of publishing. At first I laughed at the idea of teens going of dates in a 3-d world, but now, here we are creating a service which is designed to help 3-d dating be more successful. In the book there was also the description of the cheap avatars... and how people with more money could have far more elaborate avatars. Well as I can now say wow, it is true. People who spend more time and money in SL defentily can have cooler looking avatars then the freebie bins could ever provide. And the description of the street reminds me so much of the crowded streets of some of the more poplar sims.

One thing defeintly stands out from theis comparison between the book and SL... Its how through 3-d worlds like SL we really can reach a valuable market, a market with enough money to have high powered computers. This market with this money to spend is a perfect target for us. I belive the SLeuth can really prosper because it is targeting this well off market. This market should have enough spare lindins to be able to afford a small advertiment on our website, or possibley and a future SLeuth membership fee (just some ideas). because this maket is such an ideal one to target, I feel that companies such as Sleuth will be successful (and countinue to be successful) in the future 3-d worlds.

Thoughts on SLeuth...
Well we have been working on this project for a while now, and I belive we have come along way. I personally realize how much things have changed, because I finally spelled SLeuth right (Yes I have been spelling it SLuth the whole time-forgive me, I cant spell). I strongly belive that this class project was/is an extremly difficult one, that involved alot of creative thinking in an area that I am not very confidant in. While I feel that I have a good undesrstanding of basic marketing principles, applying these principles to a virtual world (both SL and the general internet) has not been easy at all. I belive that this is because I do not spend much time on the web or in 3-d worlds/games.
In general I am very impressed with how well things have come togather, espically under the time constraints. I did not belive that we were going to develope our service as far as we did with so little time. I really thought that we would get no where, and still be arguing about the name of our service by this time next week, but I was wrong. It is impressive that such a large group of people all with knowledge in different area could work togather to organize the company. I felt that everyone had useful skills, and knowledge to add to the group.
One problem that I noticed was how we seemed to be unefficient at certain times (ex: like choseing our name). If we had one "CEO" or a small "council" that had the job of making the final decision we could move faster, instead of having the entire class spending alot of time arguing over things.
I belive the creation of SLeuth was a great learning experience that not ony gave us an insight in to the world of online buissiness, but also good practice learning how to work as part of a team under tough time constraints...both of which will be very important to our future.
After spending a semester working in SL, I can now say that I belive that SL is just the beginning of the "Next Big Thing." I do not think it will be used as an alternative to the web, but I could see its uses in 3-d maps of buildings/schools/themesparks/cities, etc. I could even see a map quest version of SL where you could acutally watch how to get to your location, and whan you may pass along the way. Once the program get a little bit more user friendly, and the graphics get even better I really do belive that 3-d worlds will play a part in most people's everyday life.

Summary of a Summary...

Kathryn C's summary's of the readings she was assigned to were very well done. In fact I now felt like a slacker after reading her well written summarys.

For all three of her assigned reaings, the key words mentioned in her summary were extremly helpful. They really gave a good idea of the summarized reading's topic. Her wirting in all three of her summarys was well thought out, but what I liked most was her opinion and style that made the summaries easier to read. For example in her summary of "Improving Online Dating," she mentions other dating site's advertising and uses the word cheesy to describe them. She also wrote very intelignetly and professinally. In her summary of "Our Future Market Place," I was impressed at how well written her paragraphs were and this made me feel as though I had the writing skills of a fourth grader. She was also successful in creating a good summary. I feel as though I was able to get the full meaning and messages from the readings she summarized.

In addition I thought she did a good job of pointing out the potential relvance to class. In her concluding paragraphs she efficiently describes how the reading can apply to our class and service. She also uses things direct from her summary to point out how we can improve our service. She mentions how we need to focus on targeting the baby boomer age group and try to avoid only targeting people from our own age group. This is very important idea that she bring up, and we should defientily keep this in mind for our service.

Kathryn C's summarys, and more importantly, the revelance to our class paragraphs were vey well done and should be a good refrence for anyone wanting to find more information on the subjects her readings covered.

Title: Assorted Furry Readings (Multiple Titles)

Article Author: Multiple Authors

Full Citation: Assorted Furry Readings

Sumary by: Jeno “Kicker” Kalozdi

Key Concepts, Terms, and Buzzwords:
*Gamer
*Furry
*Gamers discrimination towards furries
*Anthropomorphism
*Furry Fandom
*Furry Lifestyle

Summary:
These various text begin with several comic strips that joke about the discrimination towards furries. The next text is a good summary of what furries are, what they believe in, and the conventions they attend. The last text is a summary of the different kinds of furries and details about what makes each kind unique.

( Read more )

Title: “Symbolism.” the Culting of Brands; Turn Your Customers into True Believers

Article Author: Douglas Atkin

Full Citation: Douglas Atkin (2004). “Symbolism.” The Culting of Brands: Turn your
Customers into True Believers. pp. 111-119.

Summary by: Jeno “Kicker” Kalozdi

Key concepts, terms, and buzz words:
*Symbolism
*Icon
*Brand
*Lifestyle
*Cult brand symbols
*Identity

Summary:
This article focuses on how important symbols are to every day life. It begins with a brief history talking about the evolution of the brand to what it is today. The article then goes on to describe how symbols and brands allow for one to live a certain lifestyle and to be able to identify with other users of the same or similar brands and symbols.

( Read more )

Title: “I’m Evil” Confessions of an Online Guerilla Marketer

Article Author: Russ Pitts

Full Citation: Russ Pitts (2006). “I’m Evil. Confessions of an Online Guerilla Marketer.”
The Escapist Magazine, 62. September 12, 2006.

Summary by: Jeno “Kicker” Kalozdi

Key Concepts, Terms, and Buzzwords:
*Guerilla Marketing
*Buzz
*Shills
*OGM
*Online community
*Web 2.0
*Advertising
*Ethics
*Morality

Summary:
This article focuses on an anonymous online guerilla marketer (OMG), and his personal story of infiltrating online communities and chat rooms. He talks about how he successfully is able to influence people to visit the web sites or buy products from the companies that hire him. He also talks about the negative effects of what would happen if he was discovered as being an agent for one of these companies. The article is concluded with the OMG’s ethical beliefs about what he is doing.
( Read more )

Digital Workspace:

So we needed to create a digital workspace... Well while I use computers all around campus, I remain very biased towards my personal Apple laptop, which tends to be the workspace I use most frequently. While I have created a mobiel workspce that follows me around campus (useing the personalized google home page), I feel my Apple, with its clean, efficient, simplicity is definitely my most valued workspace. For awhile now I have depended on the use of Safari with numerious tabs/bookmarks located beneath the address bar in order for me to quickly get work accomplished. But for this class I have added several important tabs. In order for me to commuicate efficiently with the rest of class, I have needed to add a Google Groups tab next to my email tab. This allows me to qickly look up due dates and other important information to keep me up to speed with the rest of the team. One tab that has proved its use is the one that links me to the Dr. Delwich's web site and the class's schedule. I found that before the creation of this tab i frequently was searching through my notebooks and class folders in search of the hard copy of the class's daily reading. That was truly ineficient, when now I can simply go online with one click of the mouse, and with a second click of the mouse I can have the entire schedule in frot of me, and it is in color and has links.
Being linked so efficiently to the class allows for instant access to what I need to know without having to bother typing in anyoing web addresses or search words. In addition to being very fast, the tabs also eliminate my tendency to procrastinate. By seeing the tabs right there and realizing how easily I can begin getting work done, I no longer delay my work by checking out weather.com or visiting ebaums world. I am a beliver in making things eaiser if you can, and creating an efficient wrokspace has allowed for me to get more work accomplished faster, and stay better connected to class.

Branding...

So after having numerious classes with intense conversations about our service's name, we still remain with hardly anything except a few ideas, and even more complaints. I think it is important to list some of the brand names that have been mentioned so far. SLAMM, SLUM, the Space, Second Space...
I personally belive these are strong names.
After reading the class material, some important ideas abour branding were raised, but I have taken several maketing classes, and they have all helped me understand how to make a good brand name. In my consumer behavior class we talked about somehting important to brand recall: if a brand has a larger TAP (total activation patteren) then there is a higher chance that the brand name will allow for images to be formed. What this means is that if we use a brand name that creates an image rather than a made up word, there is a significantly better chance that a person will more easily be able to retrive the brand name from their memeorey. So a word a brand name like SLUM would therortitcally be more easily remembered than SLAMM, because a person will have an image of a run down area (the slums) in their memeory which will help them recall the word itself, while SLAMM really does not have a concrete image or emotion associated with it.
One problem though SLUM creates a negative image, slums are usually thoght of in a negative way, which may result in negative feeling being created, which may result in making a person more likely look at our service in a negative way. Poisitve feelings make one percive a product or service in a better way while negative feelings work in the opposite way.
I think that is is important that I point out how very important it is for people to be able to form a schema around the brand name. A schema are all the associations that go along with the brand name. So if we choose the SLUM as our brand name, we will want to give it a cool logo and slogan to go with it. In addition we will want to present the service in a certain way as to create a type of image or culture that people are buying into. That way when people think the SLUM they then think about our logo, and the image connected with the brand. For example if we make the buliding itself look very cool, upbeat, modern and trendy, and we make our logo look modren and trendy, then ideally a person in SL that thinks of the SLUM will associate it with being that cool, modren, trendy place. They will then hopefully want to have that same image, so they may then choose to use our service over any other service or company.