Second Life - more than just a game
By ircurts
@ircurts (112)
United States
August 3, 2011 7:59am CST
Hello MyLotters
I have been involved in Second Life, a virtual world simulation (game) since 5/6/2006 and have loved most of my time there. There is so much one can do in SL that I encourage you all to at least check it out.
I post this discussion in make extra money as SL is more than just a game. If you have skills that you can use your computer for then there is a good chance you can earn income in SL. Even unskilled, there are still ways to earn in SL.
Keep in mind that in SL you can buy virtual currency with PayPal or credit card and you can also cash out your virtual currency into real money. Another thing to consider about SL is that its truly free to play! For absolutely no cost you can create an account, make your avatar, interact with others and even do things to earn that virtual money (and cash out).
Some things that you can do in SL to earn money:
1. Build objects using primitives (simple shapes like spheres, cubes, etc).
2. Create textures with Photoshop or other graphics applications and upload them to SL. This is how much of the clothing is made and many earn good income selling textures that can be applied to objects.
3. Create 3D objects using an application like Blender to create more realistic objects.
4. Make a club, mall or other location and earn income in many ways from these places.
5. Work for other people as a DJ, host, manager or any kind of work you can think of.
6. Perform live music for tips and pay.
I know many that people that do in fact make "extra" money in SL and some that make a living from it.
I would love to hear back from MyLotters about their experiences in SL and also to respond to questions and comments about SL.
2 people like this
3 responses
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
3 Aug 11
I've been in SL for almost as long as you have but there are some important things that should also be mentioned about trying to earn money in-world.
- You can earn Linden Dollars/L$ (in-world currency) and, yes, it can be cashed out for USD. HOWEVER - you cannot sell L$ in the currency exchange until you have first PURCHASED L$. Once you have made a purchase, then you gain the ability to sell. So, while you can create an account for free, there is still going to be at least that one cash outlay before you can start cashing out to paypal.
- Having building skills does allow someone to start creating and selling things in-world or in places like the Marketplace (located here: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/) and other online outlets. Getting in-world jobs, like DJs, hosts, managers, is not as easy. A majority of venues will require that you have a minimum of 60 or 90 days experience in-world before they will hire you. An upgraded avatar - rather than a free newbie avatar - is almost always expected too. You will have to invest some L$ in getting better quality skin, hair, clothing, animations, dances, what have you. There are lots of freebie places for outfitting your avatar (and many designers give away much better quality items for joining their groups) but you have to pick and choose very carefully if you want to cultivate a more "experienced" appearance. Some freebies are really obvious.
To become a DJ, you have to have broadcast software, your own stream (in almost all cases) and your own music catalogue. You should also be prepared to obtain and download music on the fly for guest requests - they won't always want to hear only what you already own. There are similar requirements for broadcasting and streaming if you want to be a live performer. You have to be good at what you do because a lot of venues are "tips only" -- there is not always a base compensation so your income depends on performing well so that you build a fan base who will tip you well (and consistently).
The best thing to do is to get in-world and learn 
https://secondlife.com/ Work on your avatar, explore as much as you have time for -- go to stores, clubs, live music performances, and more. Get used to interacting with people from all over the world and develop a pleasing persona, if your ultimate goal is to work in a social way. Observe how other people work in SL and participate in lots of activities. The best part of Second Life is that it's incredibly fun along the way 
https://secondlife.com/ Work on your avatar, explore as much as you have time for -- go to stores, clubs, live music performances, and more. Get used to interacting with people from all over the world and develop a pleasing persona, if your ultimate goal is to work in a social way. Observe how other people work in SL and participate in lots of activities. The best part of Second Life is that it's incredibly fun along the way 2 people like this
@ircurts (112)
• United States
3 Aug 11
Thanks a ton for your reply. I agree with most of what you say. Earning anything anywhere (SL, the web, real world) is rarely easy. You need to learn things and often also need to demonstrate you can do something before you are hired to do it.
One thing I disagree with in your reply is the part about having to have purchased L before you can cash out L. Unless there has been some changes I missed, all you need to be to cash out L$ into real money is to have payment info on file but there is no requirement have actually purchased L$ to withdraw.
Your last paragraph is most certainly true and worth emphasizing. Just like on myLot, I spent a couple days looking around, reading the faq and seeing what kind of questions and answers others make before I got involved. In SL it's even more true that one should spend time getting used to the virtual world, learning about the social graces and learn how to make a presentable avatar.
As for needing to deposit real money to build a presentable avatar, this is far from true but an investment of just 20.00$ US will go a long long long way towards making a very unique persona. I recommend not depositing right away. Instead spend time working with free stuff and learn how things work. Do a lot of window shopping and save "landmarks" for stores you may want to make purchases from. Landmarks are to SL what bookmarks are to your web browser.
Again, thanks for a great and informative reply.
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
3 Aug 11
Yep, there have been changes regarding selling L$ in the Lindex. I first became aware of it when one of my staff wanted to cash out and, in spite of repeat attempts, she couldn't. She had always been able to do so prior to that. Someone told her that she had to have a premium account (which she didn't have) but, if you search the Knowledge Base, you'll find some pretty current postings like this:
http://community.secondlife.com/t5/Linden-Dollars-L/How-to-I-sell-my-L-to-US/qaq-p/757099
They get an error message telling them that their current daily trading limit is $0.00. It didn't used to be like that "back in the day" :( With payment info on file, yes, I'm sure it's still fine... but in the context of talking about brand new accounts, a lot of people don't want to give any payment info until they feel more at home in SL. The staff member I was referring to was one of them ... she wanted everything to be free and refused to just give a credit card. What can ya do, right? 
I don't disagree with you at all that a small investment will go far in-world. Again, a lot of people just won't do it. As a guide and mentor, for about a year, I heard over and over again "I will never put any real money into a game." That's all fine... it's up to individual choice and it's possible to work with free stuff. It just takes time to find out where good quality items can be found. You're right that working with free stuff is good for experience though... learning about all the clothing layers and how to dress correctly, learning how to re-size or modify hair and clothing and how to just place things correctly. Much better to do that (and make any possible mistakes) with free stuff than with items that have been purchased with L$ Best thing, though, is that there are a lot of people in-world that are really willing to help new residents get acclimated... that's what makes socializing worthwhile. You can get a good help network together pretty quick 
I don't disagree with you at all that a small investment will go far in-world. Again, a lot of people just won't do it. As a guide and mentor, for about a year, I heard over and over again "I will never put any real money into a game." That's all fine... it's up to individual choice and it's possible to work with free stuff. It just takes time to find out where good quality items can be found. You're right that working with free stuff is good for experience though... learning about all the clothing layers and how to dress correctly, learning how to re-size or modify hair and clothing and how to just place things correctly. Much better to do that (and make any possible mistakes) with free stuff than with items that have been purchased with L$ Best thing, though, is that there are a lot of people in-world that are really willing to help new residents get acclimated... that's what makes socializing worthwhile. You can get a good help network together pretty quick 
@Mayuko (1268)
• United States
3 Aug 11
Just several days ago I was looking up ways to make money online and I came across a blog that mentioned Second Life. I didn't sign up though because I was a bit confused about it. I wasn't sure if I had to use deposit money into the account first, because that's something I really don't want to do.
After reading your comments though, I'll go give it a try. It's always nice to make some extra money.
1 person likes this
@ircurts (112)
• United States
3 Aug 11
Hi and thanks for the reply.
Please do grab an account, there is no cost at all for it. One thing to keep in mind is that there is a very large learning curve to this type of game/virtual world but I think if you can figure out myLot SL should not be so hard to learn for someone with patience.
Most people use SL as a form of recreation, social interaction and so much more.
If you find you like it enough to explore it, especially if you feel you want to explore earning from it, add me as friend and send a message to get my inworld contact details and I will try to help you out as much as I can.
1 person likes this
@JudgeIronFist (2472)
• Singapore
4 Aug 11
Wow I don't know what users can earn money from SL. Last time when it was first launched, I only knew that it was a fun and real-world based game but seriously, I don't know anything about earning real money! I only knew players can earn and trade Linden dollars. Perhaps I should also try out someday. But I don't know how much I have to invest in Linden dollars though.
@ircurts (112)
• United States
4 Aug 11
Most do not make any money at all. They play for the fun only. Some do earn a little but not much, they just don't apply themselves very much or maybe are experimenting or are easily discouraged. Some make a very significant income in SL but work hard and smart.
