I pay my real life mortgage helping schools and universities build their virtual presence. Some of them are using it to build floorplans, much like Walmart. The advantage to doing this in SL versus something like a traditional 3D program is that your entire team can come inside and build together at the same time. The architecture department at our local university is getting into SL for exactly that reason, and their philosophy students are having an interesting time using it as a space to meet online (avoiding long commutes) to discuss the nature of virtual life.

Also Drew, you're completely overlooked all of the businesses in SL that are based entirely on sales within SL. There's hundreds of designers making a real life living cranking out virtual product there - clothes, buildings, you name it. Many of them employ people to staff their stores there and handle customer service, and as those people represent their brand, it would be reasonable to set some rules for them.

I think virtual dress codes in these situations are probably a good thing. I'd hope that professionals would understand the difference between showing up as a robot and showing up dressed like a dominatrix, but sometimes people need to be told in no uncertain terms.