Making Money on the Internet : Second Life or Second Thoughts
I just attended a job search seminar where the speaker emphasized one thing. In this economic climate, the emphasis has shifted from finding a job, to creating one. Rather than going out, hands empty, to find an employer, you are now the president and CEO of your own company. Prospective "employers" are actually your "clients." You are, as our seminar leader put it, "Me Inc." The line between being employed and running your own small business of one, is becoming very blurry.
As I researched this post on how to make money online, I realized that "Me Inc." is, increasingly, the mindset you need in order to compete in the online workplace. Or, for all the Trekkies out there - boldly go to seek out new work in new work environments. Which is great if you are south of 30, but really hard if you are a wrinkly like me.
However, for those of us wrinkly or not, in whom the fires of exploration still burn, here are some thoughts about making money on the Internet. A caution – most reputable sources I looked at did not promise millions from working on the Internet. There are some scams out there offering big bucks to work online. But they want money up front from you. Caveat emptor.
Here are some articles and books to get you thinking about online work:
8 Ways To Make Money Online; You won't get rich (probably), but you can pad your income by turning your knowledge, skills, and talents into blogs, online videos — and cash money. provides great tips on how to make money with online videos and blogs.
How to Make Money Online. deals with the increasing popularity of instructional videos on the Internet. So far, most of these videos are free. However, charging for online content such as videos and magazines is not far away.
Do I need a Second Life?
Second LIfe is a virtual world that allows people to socialize, find entertainment, collaborate on a variety of endeavours, learn things, and yes, do business. Money in the form of Linden dollars can be made or earned in a variety of ways in the Second Life world. Linden dollars can'then be converted into real U.S. dollars. Check out What is Second Life to learn more.
One of the "Frequently Asked Questions" on the Second Life site is "Can I Start My Own Business in Second Life?" The answer is : Yes. Shopping is a big part of the Second Life experience for many Residents. You can buy and sell anything that can be made inworld, from clothes, skins, wigs, jewelry, and custom animations for avatars, to furniture, buildings, weapons, vehicles, games, and more. Once you’re ready to bring your products to the market, it’s simply a matter of buying or renting property, and opening up a shop. There are also Resident-owned malls which charge rental fees, or take a cut of your proceeds. As in the real world, your challenge is to build a reputation for quality or creativity that earns a steady stream of customers. As mentioned above, the Linden Dollars (L$) you make from providing virtual goods (or services) in world can be swapped for real U.S. currency.
Here are a couple of books to explain more about Second LIfe
Interestingly, Second Lifer's can also make money in much the same way it is made on the stock markets.
“The Linden dollar fluctuates daily, as real money exchanges do. Because of this, SL and its residents can make money through exchange on the LindeX by buying when the exchange rate is low and selling it back when the rate is high, just as you can make money on RL (real life) exchange notes.”: The L$ made in this way can'then be translated into real money through exchanges such as the LindeX. (From the book, How to Get a Second LIfe.)
Of course, as with any business venture, we can't stress enough that you should find out as much as you can about Second Life before attempting to make money in this, relatively new, commercial venue.
Second Life appears to offer some exciting alternatives for Me Inc. types. The drawback is that Second Life, being a brave new world, requires users to develop other worldly skills such as creating and manipulating avatars. It also requires a high level of comfort with virtual culture. I have not ventured "in-world" yet, so at this point I don't pretend to have an answer to the question, Can you really make a living on Second Life? If anybody out there can answer this question, or at least give an informed opinion, we'd love to hear from you. We'd also would love to hear, comments, brief anecdotes and advice from anyone who has experience in doing business online in general.
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One thought on “Making Money on the Internet : Second Life or Second Thoughts”
Everyone wants extra money and if it is possible through internet without moving here and there then this will be the best medium to earn or to lead second life.