"I really think SL had SO many opportunities to REALLY make SL into something relevant and innovative and instead they relied on users to come up with ways to use it as a tool.

I read an article a few days ago listing all of the companies (including previous financial backers) who have abandoned their presence in SL.

It's really too bad. Perhaps they can still do something with this project."

I'm at a loss as to what exactly you're talking about Pingles: SL made the absolutely best decision to let the residents determine the content in-world which is why SL is where it is today, i.e. "relevant and innovative", so I'm not sure what you are apparently mourning the loss of? Unless you can cite sources and specifics, your somewhat premature obituary of SL is simply vague negativism. As to companies pulling out of SL, please provide sources and details: it's worth noting that, as with the Internet, simply creating a passive presence in SL isn't enough, a company or organization needs to be proactive and involved there too.

As to hype, the less the better: eventually SL will no longer have novelty value and merge seamlessly into the available options for individual and corporate global interaction and communication.