Second Thoughts on Sale!

Another reason that I find some of the SL merchants interesting is that their spaces are more dynamic than many of the parks. Part of that is due to the shifting nature of the merchandise, but it seems that sellers are more attuned to constantly tweaking or updating their spaces to provide the most attractive or attention-capturing store. It's to be expected, really.

Unfortunately, many of the locations in Second Life are quite static, and this, of course, makes them uninteresting. We're used to living in an ever-changing world, and if it were to stop changing, it would be unusual. Downright disconcerting. So despite the virtual three-dimensionality of Second Life much of it ends up being flat.

I'm not talking about big changes here; they can be subtle, even repetitive. Something to give places a pulse. It never rains in Second Life, the leaves never fall. It's like an idealized Hollywood.

On a less philosophical note, I found a working swingset. I'm sure it's not the only one in Second Life, but it's the first one I encountered. It's in a skatepark behind the Wrong store in Alternation. Wrong has always been a favorite not only for its simple, Gap-like fashions, but also for the clean, unencumbered layout of its store. This makes it easy to scan for and find products. The store is beautiful in a functional way.