Wyoming's Ruby Vegas Designs (custom jewelry) to join Business Incubator in Second Life

Robbie Bustos is a native of Rock Springs, Wyoming and an expert jewelry maker and talented artist.  Amongst the seemingly over-crowded world of jewelry artists, Robbie stands out. And not only as an artist, but as an entrepreneur.  She understand how to use web-based sales channels like Etsy, website and Facebook, and she founds her sales efforts upon sound business practices.

Robbie's jewelry creations are unique and interesting, even to a man like myself who knows little about jewelry.  But I do know quality, whatever the product.  And, I can recognize entrepreneurial talent.

Ruby Vegas designs is found at: http://www.rubyvegasdesigns.com.

In time, the earrings, necklaces, shawl pins, and hair accessories will be available to purchase in Second Life as real and virtual products.  Robbie envisions selling the real stuff to be worn by humans, alongside virtual products to be worn be avatars.  Of course, avatars are people too!  (some of them).

Keep an eye on Wyoming Entrepreneur Island in the coming weeks to see Real Life products for sale by our incubator clients.

Offering Small Business Classes in Second Life

I have taught two small business classes in Second Life at Wyoming Entrepreneur Island in the last 3 weeks.  Both were attended well enough all things considered, and brought clients to us so that is great.

However, during the first one, a business startup class, a griefer posted some objectionable materials.  This nearly shook my faith in Linden Lab and made me wonder why the coding of the program allows for this.  Answer? Companies are more concerned with their bottom line than anything else and griefers I suppose, spend money too.  Thankfully, all of the attendees were zoomed in on a Google docs board and I was able to eject the griefer and his garbage before anyone noticed.  But still, it interrupted the class and shook me up quite a bit as it was my first experience with an inworld terrorist.

Anyway, the second class, taught yesterday, went without a hitch and evaluations are good.

What did I do different and what is my advice for teaching formal classes in Second Life?  Here goes:

• Advertise using email marketing, your website, and other media, but NOT INSIDE SECOND LIFE.  Griefers are just waiting to come and ruin your event, and watch mostly inworld.  They can find you in real life certainly, but this is an important consideration.
• Require pre-registration in a system outside Second Life, then lock down the classroom and verify each person that comes in.  How unfortunate, that this must be so.  But...it must be so.
• Have security ready to eject and ban, with estate banning screen open.  If you just right click on the griefer and eject and ban, they leave the parcel but not the estate.  Banning from the estate is the only way to fly...
• Should you report griefers to Linden? Nope, waste of time.  The person who terrorized my first class is still in Second Life and it does not matter anyway because this person can make another avatar in 5 minutes and come right back if removed by Linden.  Also, just my opinion, Linden Lab does not care.  After reporting the griefer, the email they sent to me reinforces this opinion.  They will never even tell you if they investigated.  I understand privacy issues and why they would not reveal whether someone has been ejected, but this is going too far.  Linden should capitalize technology and strategy to ensure a much more secure environment, especially for universities.  Closing down our entire sim is not a solution.

Here are some snapshots of one of the classes.  Some of the common learner problems are people using old computers, not buying quality headsets, and not taking the time to practice before coming to a class.  All these things a university can overcome with a good plan.