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Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts

Monday, August 7, 2023

Dolla Dolla Bills Ya’ll – Samuel Roberts Reporting






Money makes the world go around, right? Apparently, this is not only true for the world we live in outside of Second Life but also the Grid world we all know and love. It seems Second Life is far more than just a video game but its own country with a GDP larger than some countries. Yes, that’s right, with a GDP of over 600 million USD Second life could literally be listed as a country in the range and scope of its free market power. 






The question this reporter set out to answer was “Can you Make a decent Real-World Wage in second life?” I went out and polled the citizens of Second life with this very question on my mind and before I asked, while I was asking and after I Had asked the answer was unequivocally the same, a resounding yes, I spoke to Coders, Scripters, Graphic Designers, Musicians, Artists, Painters, Visionaries, Sim Builders, Breeders, Escorts, Real Estate Agents, and Event Managers. 





The question was so undeniably answered with a “yes” that the question itself began to demand an upgrade. It was Organically morphed into the natural follow up question of “What’s the most and least Lucrative?” This is where the answers became subjective, some people claiming that escorting was by far the most guaranteed long term while others stating that real estate has given rise the grids first real-world millionaires. Close look at the facts reveals that while real estate is the most lucrative on paper it’s also one of the hardest to gain a footing due to the monopoly on the market held by older names that are quite frankly giants in their industry whereas escorting guarantees an average of 20k-100k per day depending on hours per day, that’s up to 400$ USD per day. But others I spoke to claimed that the escorting market was flooded with more workers that clients due to its easy access and lucrative nature. Musicians come in as the idle of the road, descent wage earners with anywhere from 4k to 40k per day depending on your popularity, even your intrepid reporter here himself sits in that category. Sadly, the answers I got for the least Lucrative was overwhelmingly photographers, those that take your pictures and photo shop the magic in to give you that professional look, on average a photography shoot commission is around 5k however rarely do you find a photographer with back logged work, most have it as an uncommon thing except for a few exceptions.





My Verdict: the verdict simply is Second Life is the best kept side hustle secret on the planet, with a few career paths that can be utilized as a main income source, in short, do not underestimate the power of getting involved in the free market of Second Life,  if could turn your income stream in the real world from your 40k USD per year to a healthy 60k per year if utilized correctly and a last thought from your Australian reporter. “None of this is possible with the consumer, is the every man buying shoes, commissioning a portrait, booking a band, renting land, tipping a stripper or buying a rare breed able cat.





Friday, March 18, 2022

GeekSpeak – Extreme Capitalism! Join the discussion Saturday March 19th at 12pm SLT

 


A few weeks ago we talked about a world without money, this week we will go to the opposite extreme and talk about a world where people are charged for absolutely everything.  Let’s imagine that the Ferengi from Star Trek landed on Earth and bought the world presidency.  Would that lead to a fairer world?

Everything would have a price.  You would have to pay for a chair in a bar or restaurant.  You can visit your friends if you pay them for every minute.  Standing in a bus shelter costs money and all bridges are taxed.  Country walks cost so much per mile and you can charge the neighbors for admiring your garden.

How would we be changed by such a world?  Would it be simpler than the mixed social setup we have now?  Come and discuss the world of money in GeekSpeak at noon SLT on Saturday.   Bring all your friends with money!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

Thursday, February 17, 2022

GeekSpeak subject for Saturday 19th February at noon SLT: Can we live without money?

 


There are some people who firmly believe that humanity should stop using money.  They point to those who are homeless or starving or dying from lack of medical care and say that all these problems would be solved if we lived in a society that did not depend on money.

Many different forms of money have been used through the ages: beads, shells, cigarettes, gold.  But has there ever been a society without any form of money at all?  What would happen to us if we stopped using it?  How would society work?  Or perhaps you think it would not work at all? 

Join us in GeekSpeak on Saturday at noon SLT to discuss a world without money.  Would it be a utopia or a dystopia, or simply chaos?  Bring your friends and something to barter with.

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

Friday, January 15, 2021

GeekSpeak subject for Saturday 16th January at noon SLT: GeekSpeak – The Future of Money

 


Last week there was a huge drop in the price of bitcoin and serious inflation is threatened in all currencies.  So now is the time to dive deep into the subject of future money.  What will we use as the basis of value?  Bitcoin, gold, fiat currencies?

What will happen when money can carry a program?  When there can be restrictions on how it can be used?  When you can send money to your kids and your grandchildren will not be able to use the money to buy drugs? When punishments for criminals could include restrictions on how they can use money?  When microtransactions are possible?

When we meet aliens for the first time what money system will they use?  And how will we do business with them?

And what will happen to the old money that we all ….. love?  Come and discuss your future wealth.  It might change your life.  Bring some friends!

IM Vulcan Viper, who teaches a meditation class every Wednesday at 1pm SLT in the GeekSpeak auditorium, if you have ideas for new subjects.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Celebrities that love casinos


Celebrities that love casinos 
It certainly isn’t untrue to say that the amount of people that love going to the casino directly correlates with how wealthy they are, because it is inherently more fun to gamble when you know your bankroll is fairly unlimited. Why do you think casinos these days are so decadent anyway? Of course, it’s the rich members of society that end up gambling to play Fluffy Favourites at Wizard Slots
And who are some of the de facto richest people in society? Why, it’s celebrities, of course, a group of people that are proven to absolutely love gambling in casinos. You cannot blame them either – if we had as much money as some of the people we are going to mention in this article we would be gambling 24/7! Here are a few celebrities that love casinos:

Ben Affleck 

Ben Affleck has been a Hollywood hotshot for several decades now, appearing in seminal films such as Good Will Hunting and the more recent Gone Girl. It, therefore, follows that he has a lot of cultural capital, as well as a personal fortune well into the millions. It is no surprise that he is a massive lover of gambling, something that winnings he has made over his career will testify too. 
Ben Affleck has proved himself to be a masterful gambler on many occasions, winning quite a few poker and blackjack jackpots in his time. The great thing about this actor is that he regularly donates all of his winnings to casino staff and charities – what a great guy! 

Pamela Anderson 

The blonde bombshell Pamela Anderson rose to fame due to the iconic TV series Baywatch, something that subsequently allowed her to gamble away to her heart's content. Just like many of us she has been seen to play slots in Las Vegas quite extensively, which is funny because there are more than a few Baywatch themed slot games available in the city. 
This means she may well have encountered herself on a video slot screen, an icon that was almost definitely of high value! Not every day you get a slot payout from yourself, is it… 

Charlie Sheen 

Charlie Sheen has struggled with gambling and alcohol addictions for his whole life and is therefore somewhat of a casino expert. The Two And A Half Men star has long been known to enjoy gambling in casinos, and it isn’t really surprising when you consider his reported salary of more than 2 million dollars per episode. 
Unfortunately for Charlie Sheen a lot of the money he spent in casinos he never got back, as he had a reputation for some pretty daring (and stupid) bets. 

Derren Brown 


If you had the powers of mind-reading, illusion, and persuasion that Derren Brown had surely you would love gambling? It turns out he does, however unlike other celebrities, Derren Brown is in it out of sheer curiosity for the world of mathematics and probability, not really the search for more cash. 
For more interesting facts, check out this infographic which illustrates the most interesting ups and downs of celebrities gambling life.

Online slot myths how and why they first appeared


Everyone who plays free online slots wants to win, and if they are truly serious about it, they might well have searched online about how to do it. This is where the problems start. Although there are some useful tips online about how to play slot games (although not necessarily how to win since they are a game of chance) there is even more information that is simply not true – myths easily grow up around online slots, and it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. 
Here are some of the biggest online myths, where they came from, and what the truth is – if there is any truth at all. 
The More You Bet The More Chance You Have Of Winning
On most online slot games there will be a button that says ‘max bet’ or something similar to this. It can be tempting to press that button and have one big roll of the virtual dice because, after all, isn’t it true that the more you bet the more chance you have of winning? So if you bet the maximum you can on each spin you’re sure to come away with a profit? 
Unfortunately, this is not true. It would be wonderful if it was because everyone would win a lot of money every time they hit the button, but the truth is that the only thing pressing max bet is sure to do is reduce your bank balance. It won’t give you an extra edge, and you won’t be able to play as long as you’ll run out of money much more quickly. 
Avoid Slots That Have Recently Paid Out
One of the myths that have been circulating for decades now, not just relating to online slots but to all slots in general, is the one that states that if a machine or game has just paid out it should be avoided for a while because it’s not going to pay out again. 
It makes sense that this myth has prevailed. After all, in logical terms when you think about how likely a game is to pay out, those that haven’t given out any winnings for a while look like the best bet (literally); they must be due a payout any time now. 
That’s not how slots work, though, so it makes no difference whether a game has paid out recently or not – they all have the same chance of giving you a win. Each spin is entirely random, so there’s no way the machine can ‘know’ that it’s time to give a win or take a loss. So go ahead and play your favourite games even if someone has just won big on it; you could too. 
You Can’t Improve Your Chances Of Winning
At the opposite end of things from the previous myths, some believe that there is nothing at all you can do to improve your chances of winning when you’re playing online slots. That’s because, as mentioned above, all online slot games (and physical slot machines, come to that) are completely randomized. So how can you have a better chance of winning? 
The truth is you can improve your chances, although you can never guarantee a win at any time. Take a look at the RTP (return to player) percentage of each game and you’ll see that some have higher RTPs than others. If you want to improve your chances of winning, playing a slot that has a high RTP compared to others will help you. 
Often, the slots with the highest RTPs are the ones with the lowest jackpots, but don’t let that put you off. A win is a win, even if it’s not up there in the tens or hundreds of thousands like some games can offer. 
The Time Of Day Makes A Difference
Some players will categorically state that it is better to play slots at night time, in the morning, at lunchtime, on Wednesdays, at the start of the month, at the end of the month, and so on… they will believe this to be true, and they’ll play at those times. They’ll think that the casinos have created machines that work better at this time rather than that time, or maybe they’ll simply be superstitious about which games they’ve always been more successful on at specific times. 
In reality, there is no ‘good time’ to play a slot game, nor is there a ‘bad time’ to play. There is just any time you want – online slots are available 24/7, so if you fancy a game you can go online and play, and it won’t make any difference to your ability to win or your chances of losing if you play first thing in the morning, the last thing at night, or on a day that ends in a Y. The games cannot be programmed to change their RTPs at specific times or on certain days; they just won’t work like that. 
There Are Tight and Loose Slots
A story has been making the rounds for a good long time now, and it tells players that some machines are ‘loose’ and some are ‘tight’. That is, some pay out more than others, even if the games are exactly the same. This started with the physical slots, where the myth would spring up that one machine, in particular, was looser or tighter than the others in the room or row. 
When online slots came about, the myth kept going, suggesting that some games were easier to win than others. The truth is that there are so many restrictions and watchdogs involved in the gambling industry that it would be impossible to deliberately make it harder to win on some games than others. If it was true, the gambling industry would be in serious trouble, and many casinos would lose a lot of business. In the end, the RTPs are all published so you can check them out and make your determination yourself.

Saturday, March 30, 2019

GeekSpeak – modern money theory- Join the discussion Saturday March 30th at 12pm SLT



These days in politics the term ‘modern money theory’ (MMT) pops up now and then.  Basically, it means solving economic problems by printing money.  Why are we doing that and why is it doomed to fail?  If you live in Europe you may not realise that your money lost a lot of its value last week.  What will happen in the future?  Will we end up like Venezuela or will we be able to stop the loss of value before it gets out of hand?  

We may see bread lines in America soon.  Anything is possible and, if you are not paying attention and not being careful, you could be standing in a bread line yourself.  So come and discuss the quality of our money, our oxygen, in GeekSpeak.  Bring all your glass beads.

IM Vulcan Viper if you have any ideas for new subjects.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

Saturday, October 27, 2018

GeekSpeak – Where is money going? Join the discussion Oct 27th at 12pm SLT




This week is the 10-year anniversary of the invention of Bitcoin.  Let’s take this opportunity to explore what bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have brought us.

Many countries around the world are now ditching the US dollar.  What currency will they take up instead?  Could this be the best chance for cryptocurrencies?

What will the financial future of the world look like?  Will we end up with a world currency?  Will all our present currencies disappear?  What effect will the change in currencies have on the world economy?  Which parts of the world will thrive and which will perish?

Can you see a future world without money at all?  How would such a world work?

Come and get some insights into our financial future.  Your retirement depends on it.

IM Vulcan Viper if you have ideas for new subjects

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

Saturday, September 1, 2018

GeekSpeak – in the future, will virtual currencies become real life currencies?


Will it be possible in the future to go to the supermarket and buy eggs and milk with WOW gold?  Or linden dollars? Maybe it will be possible in the east, where the exchange rate will give virtual currencies greater buying power.  

Are people playing games now (apart from child slaves in sweatshops) just for the in-game money?  How much would you have to earn in a game to make it worth playing?

If you owned a RL store would you ever accept game money?  Will there be WOW banks in the future?

Would you feel safe trusting game creators and their currencies, whatever promises they made?

Come and discuss this new field of economics in our new digital age.

IM Vulcan Viper if you have any ideas for new subjects.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

Saturday, June 3, 2017

GeekSpeak – the future of money Join the discussion Saturday June 3rd at 12pm SLT




Has money any future?  Will the time come when it does not exist?  How would the world work without money?

This week in GeekSpeak we will be discussing whether it would be possible to live without money and what form money will take, if we do still have it.

Will you get paid by the hour, carry your hard earned paper to a place where it is digitised and loses value every year?  Or can you imagine getting paid by the minute and by the time you need your credit it has gained in value because you asked it to?

Will there be central bureaucracies that control all money transactions?  Computers that warn insurance companies when you buy a burger?  Will we be taxed on every transaction?

Will there still be a place for coins and notes in the future?  Will cash mean freedom in a world where all transactions are monitored?

Rich or poor, we all have an interest in money.  So come and discuss its future.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Super Intelligence or Super Rich?- Piers Diesel Reporting...


Being super intelligent is something which we cannot buy. You can gain an education to become knowledgeable but this will not make you super intelligent. Being Super Rich does not promise happiness and with more money can bring more problems But it can reduce some stresses associated with paying bills and helping others.


We are lead to believe that if we are intelligent we can on this alone make ourselves rich. Which can be the case with CEO and founders of many companies in Real Life such as Bill Gates who was educated at Lakeside school (1968-1973) and Harvard University (1973-1975) and with this knowledge created Microsoft. However, you do not need to be super intelligent to become rich or even super rich, for example Sir Richard Branson owner of Virgin Airlines never went to university. However, he made his money and built his company from the ground up and would be classified as being super rich.

So I ask this question to residents of Second Life to see which one they would choose if they had the options to pick

Friday, March 9, 2012

$200K USD in Bitcoins Stolen -- Allen Eppenberger Reporting

I learned last evening from Technovelgy.com that an amount totaling BTC 46,000 in the digital currency called “Bitcoin” was siphoned away from a cloud service called Linode.com. That company issued a statement on their site, which I found on Facebook: http://status.linode.com/2012/03/manager-security-incident.html The story first broke March 1st on Bitcoinmedia.com.


VirWoX.com, a currency exchange site who trades in Linden Dollars, also does business in Bitcoins. I contacted them for a comment. Their anticipated reply was “...given that this event is completely unrelated to Second Life, (it) did not affect us”. This is fortunate, as it does speak of the incident being completely isolated. I'm sure there are many other sites that deal in Bitcoins that are unaffected as well.

What makes this story important is the fact that the default world is increasingly leaning towards virtual currencies as the global economy continues to fluctuate. The fact that we occupy Second Life means that we all deal with Linden Dollars. Many of us also will also be dealing with Facebook Credits soon. We will expect our virtual wallets to be secure. Just because our digital currency has no physical paper equivalency doesn't mean that it is any less of a medium of trade. Most of the global wealth is actually traded in ones and zeros. We use credit and debit cards. And many third world countries rely on cell phones to do their transactions. All of these mediums are heavily dependent on a secure digital system of exchange.

While Google's Eric Schmidt has stated at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, that Bitcoin is unregulated and therefore undesirable (my paraphrase), we will still be trading in Bitcoins, Linden Dollars, and other digital currencies in the foreseeable future. It will be vitally important to treat these every bit as respected as US dollars, Euros, Yen, or any of the physical currencies that are traded.

 
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