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March 27, 2008
Attorneys Tire of Second Life?
So says Carolyn Elefant at Legal Blog Watch (though if you check the comments, not all lawyers agree with the assessment):
A little more than a year ago, I blogged about lawyers venturing into the virtual world, Second Life, either for personal enjoyment or marketing opportunities. Today, however, you'll find that many lawyers' infatuation with Second Life has already died, with few lawyers giving Second Life a first, let alone second chance to play a role in marketing initiatives.
Future Lawyer Rick Georges is one lawyer who's considered but declined to participate in Second Life. He explains:
I found it difficult to use, very difficult to navigate, difficult to find property, and difficult to build in. Since it was so labor intensive, it stands to reason that serious hobbyists were the only denizens. In addition, the bandwidth and computer power necessary to support 3D online virtual worlds just doesn't fit with attorney client interaction. When the technology becomes easy to use, and virtual worlds are as easy to navigate in as the real world; then, virtual lawyering in 3D might become a reality. However, don't hold your breath.
Kevin O'Keefe of Lexblog also adds that with stagnating user numbers and rampant service interruptions, Second Life should not rank high on a law firm marketer's list of "innovative marketing or networking."
Readers, have any of you ventured out into Second Life for marketing purposes? And what kinds of results have you experienced? Let us know in the comment section below.
[JJ]
March 27, 2008 in Information Technology | Permalink
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Comments
Law librarian here, and actually, I will be running an AALL-sponsored self-paced workshop for law librarians in SL this summer (http://www.aallnet.org/calendar/eventdisplay.asp?eid=220&arc=no) -- sorry for the plug.
I have been messing around in Second Life for almost 2 years now. I agree it can be very hard to navigate, and requires a computer system that most non-gamers won't invest in, so I can see why many who try it are disappointed.
However, there are still a number of lawyers interested in it; take a look at my website and particularly the Galileo Law Directory (www.lawspotonline.com/lawspot/directory.jsp) for an idea of some of the people and groups in SL now, or visit the Second Life Bar Assn website (www.slba.info) -- SLBA has over 250 members, the majority of whom seem to log in regularly.
My personal opinion is that virtual worlds will continue to get easier to navigate and will become a useful way to "teleconference" for free, build models, and run mock trials and educational sessions. I find it fun to play with, and would encourage anyone who also finds it fun to get their feet wet, but I don't think SL is truly ready for prime time.
Posted by: Kate Fitz | Mar 27, 2008 8:47:53 PM
Law librarian here, and actually, I will be running an AALL-sponsored self-paced workshop for law librarians in SL this summer (http://www.aallnet.org/calendar/eventdisplay.asp?eid=220&arc=no) -- sorry for the plug.
I have been messing around in Second Life for almost 2 years now. I agree it can be very hard to navigate, and requires a computer system that most non-gamers won't invest in, so I can see why many who try it are disappointed.
However, there are still a number of lawyers interested in it; take a look at my website and particularly the Galileo Law Directory (www.lawspotonline.com/lawspot/directory.jsp) for an idea of some of the people and groups in SL now, or visit the Second Life Bar Assn website (www.slba.info) -- SLBA has over 250 members, the majority of whom seem to log in regularly.
My personal opinion is that virtual worlds will continue to get easier to navigate and will become a useful way to "teleconference" for free, build models, and run mock trials and educational sessions. I find it fun to play with, and would encourage anyone who also finds it fun to get their feet wet, but I don't think SL is truly ready for prime time.
Posted by: Kate Fitz | Mar 27, 2008 8:47:01 PM
The points made over at Legal Blog Watch about the opportunities that await a lawyer learning about virtual communities and who is willing to add value to the community are well taken.
The problem is that the vast majority of lawyers haven't even mastered RSS feeds, the use of a newsreader, blogging , and other basic online networking tools. Then when media coverage of Second Life hits, law firm marketing folks start thinking they need to get on top of SL when there are more important items that merit their attention.
Sure, for the right lawyer, SL may merit some tinkering around. But not for most.
Posted by: Kevin OKeefe | Mar 27, 2008 10:39:15 AM
