I think I'm getting more contact with the "Metaverse" in a couple of days than I'd have imagined - the TOP people in Virtual 3D Worlds are all here, in Lower Manhattan and I spoke to a few of them for 1:1 interviews this afternoon - here's the first with Ben James of Rivers Run Red, one of the leading companies in 3D Virtual Worlds that also is working on Web Metrics for Second Life.

If I got this right, the Analytics that Rivers Run Red are developing is based on the behavioral theories of a company called Synovate that measures customer loyalty in what appears to be an 8 point process.  I'd say more about Synovate but the details of their measurement process don't seem to be clearly stated in product literature I found on their site.

Anyway, Rivers Run Red uses Synovate to break down all 3D Virtual World interactions based on one of 8 reasons you might have had to come in the first place.  It appears 4 of those reasons might be Vitality, Control, Belonging and Recognition (but Ben would not tell me all 8 reasons or levers for human behavior as work is still being done that they don't feel they can speak about right now).

Therefore, Metrics for each Rivers Run Red client are different - based on reason why customers might want to come to say…. RockChick vs BBC Radio vs Avalon Film Festival - some of their recent clients.  The campaigns of each client can only be compared on the broadest of terms and if the customer is happy or not…and I find that a problem for me.

Also, at this time, there's nothing I can look at from Rivers Run Red which don't really match what we generally understand as Web Metrics.

Now, the customers of Rivers Run Red appear to be happy with what they're getting so…maybe it's good stuff and we just need to wait till Rivers Run Red is ready to let on what they're doing in a more definite way.

All I got out of Ben James, who was trying to be as helpful as he could be, is Metrics is a customer centric process.  To me that means the customer gets whatever kind of information they might want - but without some kind of overall standard …. I find the approach problematic. 

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and wait till they have something to show me before saying anymore.

Thanks Ben, for spending 20 minutes talking with me today.