That was the startling assertion I heard from Philip Rosedale, CEO of San Francisco’s Linden Lab, producer of the virtual world Second Life, at a breakfast hosted by Conde Nast’s new business magazine Portfolio at the St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco on Tuesday morning, Sept. 11.
Yet despite such an outrageously hype-filled statement, Rosedale actually came across as humble and realistic. He continually noted that Second Life was in its early stages. He acknowledged that most people who have signed up for the site rarely visit it (count me among them) and that it’s too hard to use. He said it needs to add many more features, including a big improvement of its search capability.
In a way, he could have been giving tips to the Portfolio writers and editors in the audience, including Kevin Maney, the former USA Today columnist who interviewed Rosedale on the podium. I’m very excited that Portfolio has started, as I am still a big believer in print and love to see new venues for long-form narrative journalism. But given the skepticism greeting Portfolio’s arrival, the magazine is still in its very early stages, and is still charting its way in the world.
The first time I logged onto Second Life, I had no idea what I was doing. I walked around for awhile, until someone appeared in a room I was checking out. Ah, I thought, my first Second Life conversation! “Hi,” I typed, and he replied “wanna have sex?”
In my befuddled state, I could only think to say “I don’t know how.”
I haven’t been back.