Today I was goofing around the Internet Archive "Wayback Machine" looking up some old archived web pages that are long since gone from the internet itself. I thought to myself I'd try to find some gold from the earliest days of Second Life and found this gem from 15 Feb 2003, which is before Second Life was even open to the general public. Now, for context, I originally signed up for Second some time in 2005, stayed five minutes, thought it was rubbish, and left. Then I came back in 2006 and tried again with a bit more success. "Katta" was born in 2007, the result of me coming back a third time (and never leaving again!).
What has me going 'huh' is the section about Social Structure. I had no idea that Second Life was going to be so judgmental but I guess this was the start of the "social media" revolution and getting likes and follows and thumbs-up thumbs-down was just becoming a thing. I do have some vague recollection of a ratings system on profiles but I certainly don't remember it being a source of performance-reward or kick backs in L$...anyway have a read of this, it's amusing, though not very surprising, to see what LL thought SL would be compared to where it's at.:
"Linden Lab has created Second Life as the next evolutionary leap in the formation of virtual communities. Participants will truly take on a second life, an escape to a place full of people, activity and possibility. From the freedom of creating a personal identity and claiming virtual land to the responsibilities of earning money and maintaining one's health to the social implications of joining a community and collaborating with others, residents of Second Life will face a host of choices daily. Second Life is a multi-layered boundless universe that is constantly changed by - and constantly changes - its inhabitants. Key features of Second Life include:A complex social structure:Through a real-time reputation system, players can comment favorably or negatively on each other's personas and property, creating a rating viewable by other Second Life Residents. A series of positive comments confers financial rewards as well as social status upon the beneficiary. A player with a low reputation rating may have to be content with their small, unadorned home, whereas a player with a high rating might find him or herself with extra money to build an addition, or be invited to an exclusive party limited to people of equal status. As in life, players will likely seek a balance between actively participating and watching from the sidelines.A fully functioning economy:Second Life has an internal living economy with land ownership, property rights and player-player transaction capabilities that will help promote the creation of interesting content. Each player will begin with a stipend, but by constructing proprietary content that is pleasing to others, can charge usage or purchase fees to earn additional money. A group of players might invest their money together to construct a funhouse and charge a fee to customers who want to experience it. In both examples, real-time collaborative creation and the internal world economy will directly impact a player's experience.Limitless opportunities for self-expression:From changing one's appearance to changing one's surroundings, Second Life lets players express their creativity through simplified but sophisticated 3D creation tools. Players can customize their avatar's appearance in an infinite number of ways, allowing them to completely change identities whenever the mood strikes. When players decide to put down stakes, they can build a home from scratch or personalize a pre-designed home with objects and textures from their inventory. They can also bring their creations to life with scripts that add behaviors and special effects. And for those players who think on a grand scale, or who want to construct a major civic work, Second Life's streaming 3D allows any number of players to join together to collectively build anything they can imagine."LindenLab Announces Name of New Online World 'Second Life(TM)' And Availability of Beta Program: SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- October 30, 2002 | Linden Lab(TM) announced today the name of its interactive service, Second Life(TM). A new form of shared 3D entertainment, Second Life presents a remarkably immersive and self-expressive world to its online residents. Users who want the opportunity to enter Second Life can register and begin their new life with the beta program at www.lindenlab.com.