One other issue that I dont see anywhere is this...
The 1-in-10 finalists each month will be asked to go into Second Life to continue in the contest (8,000 a month). It is true that you can get a free Second Life account, but performing in Second Life requires some investment in equipment. Most every performer in SL I know of has 100's of real live US dollars tied up in their equipment in order to broadcast music, some in the 1000's. Also, it is somewhat of a process to stream music, and a new SL citizen with a free account will most likely be unable to do it.
Step #6 below sounds like a no brainer to anyone not already in SL, but it is a HUGE next step. I'm thinking A LOT of people who submit their $25 will hit a brick wall here, and will be done and over. The Rules are very clear that you have to jump through a lot of hoops to not get disqualified, so it should be really clear UP FRONT what these people are getting into before they get involved.
I would really like to see on the VStarr site the requirements clearly stated on what it takes to continue in the contest besides the "Go to SecondLife and sign up for a free account". If you are going to perform and stream music in SL, you may be surprised at what is required to do so. Being a citizen of SL doesnt mean that you will simply walk into a virtual world already set up for you to perform in the contest.
Also, Step #7 says see the "Contact Us" section of the website if you have questions, which for the life of me I can't find. I guarantee they wont like having 8000 people a month contacting them with "How Do I Perform now that I'm in SL?" questions.
Step #8 is very Profetic, IMO.
The steps for Entering the contest are listed as...
1. Click on 'Register & Audition Now'
2. Complete Registration Form and click 'Submit'
3. Clicking 'Submit' takes you to Paypal. You can pay with either your credit card or your Paypal account.
4. You have the option of submitting your mp3 now or at a later time. If you elect to upload your mp3 now, enter your login information you provided on the registration form. Then click 'Submit Song' under the heading "User Control Panel." You can access the 'User Control Panel' at a later date by entering your login information on the main page.
5. You may enter additional profile information if you wish by clicking 'Edit My Info' under the heading "User Control Panel."
6. Once all your VStarr information is completely entered and registered go to: Second Life and create an account and walk through the steps for creating an avatar.
7. If you have any questions and need assistance please use the 'contact us' feature on the website.
8. Good Luck!
AI
