Business & Games: The Blog

“Result Z has been a trend for the past 12 months, and our research confirms this. However Result Z counters the predictions made in article B in early 2006 and sheds new light on the actual facts in Second Life.”

Result Z has rather large implications for (outdated) assumptions C and D, and the University of W will continue its research. Does this mean extrapolation E or are we seeing the beginning of popular assumption F?

I thought I’d do a couple of news websites a favour by providing a template to use for any ‘amazing discoveries‘ done within Second Life by companies or universities. To use this template to its full effect, I provide you with the following guidelines:

1. ‘C‘ and ‘D‘ have to be related to assumptions made in 2005/2006 during the peak of inflated expectations
2. ‘Y people‘ can never exceed the minimum required participants for extrapolatable results
3. ‘Z‘ has to have the least impact on those with half a brain, but all the more on media looking to score some cheap shots against Second Life or virtual worlds as a whole.

You’re welcome.

Over the years the picture above has been the icon of Second Life in mainstream media. The Press Kit picture became synchronomous with poorly done research, assumptions and extrapolations. While 2006 the ‘flying Phallus’ made headlines repeatedly as the perfect example of what typically happens within virtual worlds, nowdays its seems every month some university or research firm publishes their ‘research’ into virtual worlds (and Second Life in particular). Take for example this German article (translated) which covers the ‘amazing discovery’ Second Life is ‘out’ amongst the ages 11 to 12 demographic… Are you as shocked as I am?

Original Post: http://digado.nl/university-w-has-researched-x-amongst-y-people-and-found-z-gasp.html