Anyways, eBay has made it clear that it could use virtual worlds to facilitate transactions of real objects but not to sell virtuals ones: it was a bold move to forbid in Feb.07 the exchange of virtual goods on eBay.com while this market was generating so much buzz!

Will non-virtual goods work as well? Unless the internet becomes virtual, as in a one-click solution, I seriously doubt it. I think the disappointing visitor figures for Second Life agree with this statement also.

Concerning eBay, there is no better place than virtual worlds for eBay to be in. eBay’s strenght is the community: on SL, eBay community can really “meet”, with a physical appearance, which can facilitate mutual trust (basis of eBay business). On the other hand, eBay weakness, like all ecommerce websites, is that the products exchanged cannot be seen effectively: with 3D, it would become easier. Besides, it would also be possible to see the product in its original environment (in the virtual house of the seller) which would add to the emotional aspect of every sale on eBay. Even the process of auctions can be finally reproduced like in reality. But it implies to re-think all the purchasing process and to decide wether the virtual worl should be an eBay made, or if eBay should distribute its content on SL, so it won’t be soon, that’s for sure.

To answer your question though, I personally think Second Life presents a little too much of a barrier to entry to users. It is so much easier for a casual visitor to go to a website, than go install a program, and then find a museum. If you think of network effects, it just seems to me you want to make access as easy as possible for that to happen. From an interview with Meg Whitman, I do know that eBay is interested in moving to the virtual space, so who knows.

So will art ever be democratised? I think it already is, in the educational sense. Most museums are free or cheap, most art is accessible. Will it seize to be a financial instruments? Probably not, some art will always be perceived as more unique (scarce) than others and generate higher (insane) prices.

Incidentally another great example, next to second life, which I have been following is Saatchi’s free gallery. I tried to get my mother, who is an artist, on there for years.

Of course the real Louvre will always be much more interesting and fascinating. But for me it could be a chance to meet you (and discuss art) without travelling far.