I give the story as they told me, omitting the names but not the facts. In Second Life a couple of Italian players, well known in the world of "virtual fashion", has decided to open a luxury sim a bit "special". I would say very special, a kind of "high society" brothel where people who want to have fun can simulate highly erotic sessions with or without use of voice and different poses, from sex in a villa to orgy in the dungeons of the mansion.

So, brilliant idea, the couple turns to one of the best-known agencies for promotion/marketing of the virtual world of Linden Lab, which has a proposal: to create a "gossip" blog, take pictures initially glossy, then more "spicy" to reveal the "dark secret". That of course must involve a wellknown name otherwise would it gossip? And in fact, have performed the operation some "familiar faces" of Second Life's fashion industry, fashion designers and models, without any knowledge of the respective agencies owners that now threaten to expel the people involved because of the discredit the operation risks to thrown on the same agencies. Needless to seek confirmation or denial by the those involved, also prepared to deny the evidence given by the fact that in addition the "compromising" photos published on the blog (actually, cutlery and designed for advertising purposes) have also appeared on a wellknown site for sharing photos and digital images.

What can I say, everything seems a lot like viral marketing operations launched every day to bring the attention of the web on products and services that you would like to consider "alternative" to the system or for a small circle of friends very well informed. It remains to be seen whether such an operation can bring significant results in a "niche" social media like Second Life, though perhaps in addition to the "exclusive club" the authors of this whole operation hope to launch the sim also for fashion shows and "borderline" events in lingerie, latex clothing, burlesque or high-class escorts outfits, perhaps with the same male and female models "thrown away" by other more "mainstream" agencies. Do they have found a niche within a niche?