For my interview  I met a woman named Taffy Taliaferro, from central Virginia who works for a consulting firm called Pyle & Associates in Chilbo. We met initially at the University of Richmond Island, and as we got to talking, she invited me to come see her office in Chilbo for a more in depth conversation as to the nature of businesses in SL.  We conversed about the path SL was taking, how businesses operate and the connections between the real world and SL. What follows is the transcript of our conversation, however I must say that I did get kicked off SL, apparently the system crashed, so this may not be as complete as I would like., but Taffy was able to provide me with a full transcript of our conversation.

 

I would also like to note that Taffy Taliaferro gave me explicit permission to post our interview on this blog. 

 

Transcript:

[7:08]  VinceGold Rexen: Sorry im not a fan of the general chat

[7:08]  Taffy Taliaferro: OK - this better?

[7:09]  VinceGold Rexen: this is better thanks, I'm actually doing a project on Second Life for my English class

[7:09]  Taffy Taliaferro: Great!  Interesting work at U Richmond in SL

[7:10]  Taffy Taliaferro: Have you seen any other university site yet?

[7:10]  VinceGold Rexen: No i have mainly just been around here as well as Mischief and the Nike store. Do you work for a University?

[7:10]  Taffy Taliaferro: U CIncinnati folks have been doig some nice work in community organizing

[7:11]  Taffy Taliaferro: No - I worked with entrepreneurs in Cville recently - brought us to SL a while back

[7:11]  VinceGold Rexen: Very interesting, the subject of my  research is actually businesses in SL and how they get started

[7:12]  Taffy Taliaferro: U Richmond - RObins School sponsored our podcasts, Entrepreneur;s Minute on BGNonline.org

[7:12]  Taffy Taliaferro: Great - there's an Australian fellow doing a PhD on entrepreneurs in SL

[7:13]  Taffy Taliaferro: I'll give you his card ...

[7:13]  VinceGold Rexen: thank you I appreciate it, he'd be a good person to interview

[7:13]  Taffy Taliaferro: Having trouble - have you turned off something?

[7:14]  Taffy Taliaferro: His name is Dexter Aquitaine

[7:14]  Taffy Taliaferro: You can search for him under EDIT> SEARCG > PEOPLE

[7:15]  Taffy Taliaferro: Fleep Tuque from U CIncinnati also knows a grad student working in similar area

[7:15]  VinceGold Rexen: Thanks, I think just found him actually

[7:15]  Taffy Taliaferro: She's easy to find in search as well - very helpful!

[7:16]  VinceGold Rexen: Thank you

[7:16]  Taffy Taliaferro: Welcome

[7:16]  VinceGold Rexen: So what made you interested in SL?

[7:17]  Taffy Taliaferro: I wanted to see if there was interest in central VA  entrepreneurs in virtual worlds - Sl was the most accessible.

[7:17]  Taffy Taliaferro: Besides, virtual worlds are fu

[7:17]  Taffy Taliaferro: "fun"

[7:17]  Taffy Taliaferro: Kaci COronet and I built BGN place in Chilbo -  ow it's Pyle & Associates (Kaci's company)

[7:18]  VinceGold Rexen: Wow, was it hard to start a business in SL?

[7:18]  Taffy Taliaferro: Well - it isn't exactly a thriving business in SL - more like an adjunct to her real-life business

[7:19]  Taffy Taliaferro: There - I gave you a  landmark for Pyle & Assoc.

[7:19]  VinceGold Rexen: Thank you

[7:19]  Taffy Taliaferro: Make yourself at home - there's even a changing room downstairs

[7:19]  VinceGold Rexen: So it was more of just an interesting side project to pursue?

[7:20]  Taffy Taliaferro: Yes - curiousity

[7:20]  VinceGold Rexen: That's part of the reason I am here as well

[7:20]  Taffy Taliaferro: We have considered several actual business venture in SL, but been too busy in real life

[7:20]  Taffy Taliaferro: What kind of venture are you thinking about?

[7:21]  VinceGold Rexen: Honestly I'm thinking about pursuing law here in SL, my goal in real life is to go to law school at UVA and then move into corporate law

[7:21]  Taffy Taliaferro: GREAT!  You know there are a few law offices in SL?

[7:21]  Taffy Taliaferro: Not many though, mostly around patent and copyright law

[7:22]  VinceGold Rexen: yeah I went there but there was no traffic yet

[7:22]  Taffy Taliaferro: They  used to be located iin Cybersity, as I recall

[7:22]  VinceGold Rexen: So what does Pyle and Associates do precisely?

[7:22]  Taffy Taliaferro: Well, the odd thing about SL is that it's like lower Manhatten early Sunday  morning  most of the time

[7:23]  Taffy Taliaferro: Pyle and Associates is a boutique consulting house in Cville - she's an iinterim executive - COO mainly - for smaller, gorwing companies

[7:23]  Taffy Taliaferro: She is also an expert in business planning, esp for startups

[7:24]  VinceGold Rexen: Oh wow, so a smaller company would ask her for advice on what the proper steps are to start/run a business in SL?

[7:25]  Taffy Taliaferro: Yes. Her web site is http://pyle-associates.blogspot.com

[7:25]  VinceGold Rexen: I like the format of the website

[7:25]  Taffy Taliaferro: We worked with COsimo, a real-life architect (trained at UVA), whose an urbanist in NEw mexico - he's done lots of building and community development with Fleep in Chilbo region

[7:26]  Taffy Taliaferro: Thanks - I did that!

[7:26]  Taffy Taliaferro: We've been having a great time with her web and Sl presence - good things we're friends too!

[7:26]  VinceGold Rexen: Yeah that has to be fun, how is it working with one of your friends in SL?

[7:27]  Taffy Taliaferro: Great fun - back before voice in SL, we used the phone, and sometimes conference calling while  online

[7:27]  VinceGold Rexen: How do you think SL has influenced corporations and vice versa?

[7:28]  Taffy Taliaferro: On the face of it, many companies are now thinking of the web idfferently - not just a static buy-here or read-here place

[7:29]  VinceGold Rexen: Do you think many companies would benefit from a presence in SL?

[7:29]  Taffy Taliaferro: Only a few corporations have any active presence here though ...

[7:30]  Taffy Taliaferro: Benefit? Hmmmmm.  Mainly from the virtual world learning curve before it is necessary at present.

[7:30]  Taffy Taliaferro: Except for tech companies - altho most tech companies have quitetly shut down for most purposes other than recruiting

[7:31]  Taffy Taliaferro: We though - and still do - that this is a great place ofr portfolios and demonstrations

[7:31]  Taffy Taliaferro: "thought"

[7:31]  VinceGold Rexen: So you think SL is still in its infancy for usefulness with regards to real world companies?/

[7:31]  Taffy Taliaferro: Yes, but I would not be surprised to see virtual worlds become, as IBM's Irving says, the basic format of the web within a few years

[7:32]  Taffy Taliaferro: Since I, like old Irving, remember the internet before the World Wide Web, I can see that  happening fairly soon  myself

[7:32]  VinceGold Rexen: What direction do you see SL going in?

[7:33]  Taffy Taliaferro: Who knows, really.  I've been off-line for much of the summer

[7:34]  Taffy Taliaferro: However, if someone masters SEARCH, things will pick up fast.  You know, one has to pay L$ to include a company or organization listing in the current search - there's no real search engine in SL yet.

[7:34]  VinceGold Rexen: Really? So no one has yet to devise an SL like Google?

[7:35]  Taffy Taliaferro: Mike Huckabee, of Fabjectory in VA Beach, started working on one a while back.  He now makes resin statuettes of avatars, from SL measurements.  You should talk to him, he's a real-life Sl entreprneur!

[7:35]  Taffy Taliaferro: Nope - in fact, that's what Phillipp Rosedale said he was gong to work on when he stepped down as CEO of SL

[7:36]  VinceGold Rexen: Really? I had no idea he was in line to step down this soon, I just read an article about him in Rolling Stone

[7:36]  Taffy Taliaferro: Just realized it was getting dark, so I re-set the sun to midday.

[7:36]  Taffy Taliaferro: Yes, he stepped down in MAy - new CEO is from AOL - Kingdon, as I recall.  Need a pointer?

[7:37]  VinceGold Rexen: Sure that would be great

[7:37]  Taffy Taliaferro: BTW, you know about setting the sun?

[7:37]  VinceGold Rexen: I actually do not

[7:37]  Taffy Taliaferro: Top menu: WORLD >ENVIRONMENTAL SETTINGS >Midday (or other time)

[7:38]  Taffy Taliaferro: Let me find the article I was reading this am

[7:38]  VinceGold Rexen: Oh fascinating that even the sun can be changed here

[7:39]  Taffy Taliaferro: Technology.timesonline.co.uk

[7:39]  Taffy Taliaferro: Search for Mark Kingdon

[7:40]  Taffy Taliaferro: The link is too long to write out - I wish I could cut-and-paste back and forth!

[7:40]  Taffy Taliaferro: Isn't that neat about the sun?

[7:40]  VinceGold Rexen: Thank you for the article I just pulled it up, and I will definitely remember about the sun

[7:41]  Taffy Taliaferro: So, will you give me your card? Right-click on my avatar, MORE . GIVE CARD

[7:42]  Taffy Taliaferro: Want to go meet Fleep - she just asked for some help in CHilbo

[7:45]  VinceGold Rexen: I am so sorry about that

[7:45]  Taffy Taliaferro: Want to teleport here?

[7:45]  VinceGold Rexen: Sure that would be great

[7:47]  VinceGold Rexen: Thank you for the TP

[7:47]  Taffy Taliaferro: Welcome VInceg

[7:47]  VinceGold Rexen: Thank you

[7:49]  VinceGold Rexen: So where were we in the questions?

[7:51]  Taffy Taliaferro: SOmeting about  impact/furture, I think

[7:51]  VinceGold Rexen: oh yes

[7:51]  Taffy Taliaferro: Fly up here

[7:51]  VinceGold Rexen: still not a huge fan of flying

[7:51]  Taffy Taliaferro: Here we are - this is a sketch building Cosimo desinged for us

[7:52]  Taffy Taliaferro: That's OK - you'll get the  hang of it

[7:52]  VinceGold Rexen: this is a sketch?

[7:52]  Taffy Taliaferro: Those images of CHilbo - an old slide show

[7:52]  VinceGold Rexen: oh i see

[7:52]  Taffy Taliaferro: Yes, a sketch, because it isn;t finsihed (cracks, colors, etc)

[7:53]  VinceGold Rexen: I like the whole layout so far

[7:53]  Taffy Taliaferro: I love it though - very handy

[7:53]  Taffy Taliaferro: We did a simulcast in SL and Cville from one of the garden "rroms" a few months back

[7:53]  Taffy Taliaferro: Behind you

[7:53]  VinceGold Rexen: oh really? what is a simulcast exactly?

[7:54]  Taffy Taliaferro: Presentation n real-life and Sl - the presenter came into SL while presenting a talk on SL - I wateched it from here, along with Fleep and our dear neighbor, Rachel

[7:54]  Taffy Taliaferro: And some Linden folks as well

[7:55]  VinceGold Rexen: Oh that sounds fascinating, the integration of SL and the real world

[7:55]  Taffy Taliaferro: We set up a big screen, and off he went

[7:55]  Taffy Taliaferro: Yes - about 100 people attended in Cville, and half a dozen or so here in SL

[7:55]  VinceGold Rexen: Do you think that SL and the real world can be mutually beneficial to one another?

[7:55]  Taffy Taliaferro: That's were most of us see real potential

[7:56]  Taffy Taliaferro: Oh yes - one can try out all sort of things here, without worrying that the consequences will be expensive or otherwise really damaging

[7:56]  Taffy Taliaferro: There are folks working on self-government, as well as a few self-proclaimed leaders of states

[7:57]  VinceGold Rexen: So you see SL as a means of experimenting with any idea without much risk?

[7:57]  Taffy Taliaferro: PA Associates is a large European consulting house with a strong SL presence - and someone in Sl 24/7 to "mind the store"

[7:58]  Taffy Taliaferro: Yes - experiments don't always work froma rl point of view - virtual elements become to significant.  However, disaster resonse training is underwy in SL, as well as health issues training

[7:58]  VinceGold Rexen: Disaster response? Such as?

[7:59]  Taffy Taliaferro: Oh - PA Consultants maintained several gas station and similar sites for disaster practice (oil spills); the US is training border guards somewhere here

[7:59]  Taffy Taliaferro: I don't recall the blog that covers this though

[7:59]  VinceGold Rexen: Wow much cheaper than doing it in the real world first

[8:00]  Taffy Taliaferro: Exactly! Even when it takes longer than one might expect to build/design the practice (that pesky learning curve), it's still cheaper in everything except time

[8:01]  Taffy Taliaferro: Do you now about the Linden economics stats on their web site?

[8:01]  Taffy Taliaferro: "know"

[8:01]  VinceGold Rexen: I've seen some of them but I wouldn't say im familiar

[8:01]  Taffy Taliaferro: That gives a clue how people are working, and earning money, in SL

[8:02]  Taffy Taliaferro: Interesting - a few folks are making a decent RL living here.  Of course, I have to say, they deal mainly in land and flesh, I think

[8:02]  Taffy Taliaferro: secondlife.com - there's an economic section

[8:02]  VinceGold Rexen: Flesh? as in the sex trade?

[8:02]  Taffy Taliaferro: So it would seem

[8:03]  Taffy Taliaferro: Tht's one reason Universities buy entire islands - independent of the seamy side of SL.

[8:03]  VinceGold Rexen: Yeah that would make sense

[8:03]  Taffy Taliaferro: And why we like Chilbo - -it's mostly academics and nice folks

[8:04]  Taffy Taliaferro: That scaffold-like building behind you is owned by Wainbrave Bernal, an educ  tech specialist at U of ORegon - very creative guy!

[8:04]  VinceGold Rexen: Wow thats incredible

[8:04]  Taffy Taliaferro: That place changes every few months

[8:04]  Taffy Taliaferro: He's terrific - the best avatar design I've seen

[8:05]  Taffy Taliaferro: BTW< like our dome?

[8:05]  Taffy Taliaferro: We decided to leave it in mid-air - no need for supports here!

[8:05]  VinceGold Rexen: beautiful dome

[8:05]  Taffy Taliaferro: Thanx- needs new texture (surface decoration) though

[8:06]  Taffy Taliaferro: If you need an office away from U Richmond, you are welcome to use our board room if it's not in use

[8:06]  VinceGold Rexen: that would be great, if i actually had anything to do here other than learn right now

[8:07]  Taffy Taliaferro: Well, the teleporter is downstairs from here - that medallion shape

[8:07]  Taffy Taliaferro: Help yourself

[8:07]  VinceGold Rexen: Alright thank you for your time

[8:07]  Taffy Taliaferro: OK - I need to return to RL - anymore questions before I go?

[8:07]  VinceGold Rexen: No, thank you very much for taking time out to speak with me.

 

Below are several pictures of myself speaking with Taffy. I had forgotten that I returned to her place of work in my Race Switch skin, but never the less she did not seem phased by it at all when a different VinceGold Rexen asked to take some pictures with her.

 

 

  

 

 

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