Second Life as a Collaborative Enterprise

Collaborative enterprise in Second Life revolves around its own economy, which is fueled by the Linden dollar. The Linden dollar enables users to buy, sell, and trade lands, goods, or services through Linden exchange (Investopedia). Second Life users buy and sell Avatars, animations for their Avatars, and accompanying accessories. Second Life’s collaborative enterprise isn’t limited to the Second Life virtual world, either. #FiftyLindenFriday is a weekly shopping event where Second Life Designers place items on sale that are marked down to fifty Linden dollars. #FiftyLindenFriday is as much a social event as it is a collaborative enterprise with Designers livestreaming their stores on YouTube, and providing commentary, similar to that of a Podcast. Followers of a Designer's YouTube channel comment, like, and join the Designer on the livestream as they give a tour of their store, and the items for sale.

#FiftyLindenFriday encompasses Jenkins’ definition of collaborative enterprise because it is, “the ability to pool knowledge with others…the ability to share and compare value systems…the ability to circulate what you create via the Internet so that it can be shared with others” (p. 175-176). In Second Life, #FiftyLindenFriday spills over from Second Life, and YouTube, to Flickr, and Instagram. Second Life Designers use screenshots of the avatars they’ve built to advertise their creations on Flickr and Instagram's visual platforms, demonstrating the Second Life presence, and community on multiple platforms. This is a form of collaborative enterprise as users share their creations with others, linking themselves to one another through the #FiftyLindenFriday hashtag.


#FiftyLindenFriday from Naria Panther YouTube Channel 

#FiftyLindenFriday from SecondLifeSyndicate.com


References

Investopedia. (2018). Linden dollar [Data file]. Retrieved from


Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide. New0 York, NY:

New York University Press.




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