What’s in a name?
Dec 31st, 2008 by Alex
When I logged in yesterday, I was greeted with this offline IM:
[2008/12/29 18:12] Chelse XXXXX: (Saved Sun Dec 28 13:24:33 2008) do you want to sell your avatar? been looking for one with the burgess last name
My first thought was no way, not a chance, never, and of course not. But then I thought about it. Did I have a price, even one that no one would pay? Probably.
If I consider the amount of money invested in my account–the land owned, the tier paid, the inventory–it amounts to several thousand dollars. I’m too chicken to attempt to add it all up because I know the total is embarrassing.
I think you could get me to consider it for US$10,000. Times are lean in my household, and that sum could be pretty useful this winter. For that amount I’d still be quite torn and might balk at the last minute. I think I’d jump for US$100,000 and not look back. So my price is somewhere between those two figures. I know, it’s a huge margin, so let’s call it US$50,000. I wouldn’t be able to refuse that.
Of course, no one is going to pay me that for my Second Life identity. It’s only worth that to me. (If I recall, that’s the price the Amsterdam sim fetched in a sale sometime early in 2007 and that was considered ridiculous by many.)
Why does my avatar have that kind of value for me? Well, it’s brand Alex. It’s the bulk of my extension into the metaverse. Outside of Second Life proper I have a blogging history and a number of email and social networking accounts. It’s a fairly cohesive identity. Currently, I have a larger online imprint as Alexander Burgess than I do with the name I was given at birth.
What I want to know is, would you sell your avatar? (And not an alt, your principal av.) What’s your price?
For the record, here’s what current Terms of Service state:
2.4 Account registrations are limited per unique person. Transfers of accounts are generally not permitted.
…You may not transfer your Account to any third party without the prior written consent of Linden Lab; notwithstanding the foregoing, Linden Lab will not unreasonably withhold consent to the transfer of an Account in good standing by operation of valid written will to a single natural person, provided that proper notice and documentation are delivered as requested by Linden Lab.
So it is possible to do it legally, though it appears not without some paperwork. For those of you interested, here’s the rest of the pertinent IM convo:
[2008/12/29 18:13] Alexander Burgess: Hi Chelse - what were you thinking of offering?
[2008/12/29 18:14] Chelse XXXXX: i really have no idea what its worth, i wanted one because i just got married in RL and burgess is my new real last name :) what would you take
[2008/12/29 18:15] Alexander Burgess: well, honestly, it’s not for sale. I just thought it was an interesting offer. It is a good last name.
[2008/12/29 18:15] Chelse XXXXX: ty
…[2008/12/29 18:17] Alexander Burgess: did you go through all the Burgesses in search and send them IMs?
[2008/12/29 18:17] Chelse XXXXX: yes actually lol
[2008/12/29 18:17] Alexander Burgess: and any good responses?
[2008/12/29 18:17] Chelse XXXXX: no none yet
[2008/12/29 18:18] Chelse XXXXX: except you
…[2008/12/29 18:18] Chelse XXXXX: 100000 alts named burgess that the owners forgot the passwords for lol
And as an aside, if any of you are going to be inworld tomorrow night, there will be a party at the Burgess-March loft in Topgol. We’re housebound in physical space so the party is all virtual for us. IM me for a TP anytime after 5 pm SL time, Dec. 31, 2008. Good music, witty banter.
