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Library/App & software/Second Life
Grade B22 sourcesHIS-01574

Second Life

App & software · 2003 · Niche

34Editable slideCertificate

A virtual world reached one million registered accounts as newsrooms moved inside.

Clip · People Make Games on YouTube
Current Second Life promotional scene from the official product site; not a launch-era screenshot.
Panda Banana / Second Life
An avatar in Second Life, photographed in 2015; CC BY-SA 4.0.
Froukje hoorenbeek
Second Life displayed on a computer in 2010; CC BY-SA 2.0.
Mack Male
If Second Life isn't a game, what is it?
NBC News

Spread Score

How it works
Reach39Contagion10Breadth50VelocityNo data yetLongevityNo data yet34

Numbers

30-day logins in WIRED’s July report, approximate
1M
As of Jul 24, 2007 · Open web · Self-reported · WIRED
Peak proxy date
Week of Oct 21, 2006
Apr 28 ’03 to Week of Oct 21, 2006
Platforms
4
Started on Open web
Origin
Mixed
Technology

Mechanics

  • Platform jump
  • Press loopPrimary
  • Political adoption
  • Controversy

How it spread

Trace the origin

Second Life opened its public beta before its commercial launch. A BusinessWeek cover and Reuters bureau accompanied the media boom. US search share rose in Reuters’ announcement week. Registrations grew, while reporting exposed empty corporate sites.

Proxy date; not a directly measured attention peak. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Monthly logged-in accounts, male2003-09-01: 1,8662003-10-01: 1,4842003-11-01: 1,8762003-12-01: 1,8202004-01-01: 2,3072004-02-01: 2,4982004-03-01: 2,6862004-04-01: 3,6512004-05-01: 4,2182004-06-01: 6,5072004-07-01: 5,6732004-08-01: 6,5772004-09-01: 7,3202004-10-01: 7,7922004-11-01: 7,6672004-12-01: 8,3002005-01-01: 9,1932005-02-01: 9,6842005-03-01: 10,5842005-04-01: 12,0372005-05-01: 12,0232005-06-01: 14,2852005-07-01: 17,2052005-08-01: 17,2602005-09-01: 23,8862005-10-01: 30,0732005-11-01: 31,4362005-12-01: 33,2342006-01-01: 39,2602006-02-01: 39,7622006-03-01: 42,2562006-04-01: 55,8522006-05-01: 59,4462006-06-01: 82,2842006-07-01: 99,6482006-08-01: 140,7372006-09-01: 167,9842006-10-01: 272,1232006-11-01: 345,7862006-12-01: 399,2402007-01-01: 611,5572007-02-01: 720,5762007-03-01: 745,6072007-04-01: 752,7252007-05-01: 823,3302007-06-01: 811,1782007-07-01: 785,8282007-08-01: 722,2622007-09-01: 657,0862007-10-01: 714,9442007-11-01: 674,9552007-12-01: 645,484Aug ’02Jul ’03Jan ’05Jul ’06DecJan ’08Aug ’09Apr ’12Jun ’15Dec ’18Oct ’21Nov ’23Peak proxyOpen webPressAudioYouTube
Open webPressAudioYouTube

13 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

Monthly logged-in accounts, male: 52 dated figures from Linden Lab, each checked against the source. Measured at the time, not estimated.

Timeline (16)

  1. April 2003

    Linden Lab seed · Apr 28 ’03

    Linden Lab opened its beta to the public; residents could download the viewer and keep their creations after launch.[1]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. thehossman / Slashdot platform jump · Apr 30 ’03

    A Slashdot reader recommended the public beta, and commenters debated its credit-card requirement.[2]

  3. June 2003

    San Francisco Chronicle press · Jun 23 ’03

    The Chronicle covered the commercial launch, reporting roughly 6,500 beta players and a monthly subscription.[3]

  1. owner response · Nov 14 ’03

  2. press · May 2006

Join free to see the other 13 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

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Why it worked

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Technology
Region
US
30-day logins in WIRED’s July report, approximate
1M
As of Jul 24, 2007 · Open web · Self-reported · WIRED
Evidence
Grade B

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