Isn't It Ironic?

There's been some rumbling in the blogosphere about why LL uses less than ideal photographs in their marketing and on the web site.

Here is my theory: Could the reason behind Linden LabL's use of old, poorly photographed avatars be to make Second Life even less popular?

I submit to you that YES! That is the reason! "But Tymmerie," you ask me incredulously (because you never believe anything I tell you), "Why would LL want to make SL even less popular?" 

To attract hipsters. 

Linden Lab also did away with the unique naming system* -- complete with clever and meaningful surnames -- and replaced it with one reminiscent of a sad AOL chat room. Pretty uncool, if you ask me. And what is something that hipsters like? Uncool. 

Now, imagine internet cafes full of hipsters in ill-fitting pants running badly named avatars on their Macs while playing SL ironically.  

And just how do you play SL ironically? By shunning mesh clothing and prim hair. Going Premium since it isn't cool to be Premium - until it is. Moving into Linden Home neighborhoods in droves, and then, once the neighborhoods start to get gentrified, scrambling to move to Mainland. By enjoying lag. And that store where they get all of their vintage 2007 duds? You've never heard of it.  

This is Linden Lab's plan: 

• Step 1 - Make comically bad marketing and website pictures that will catch the attention of the notoriously trend averse crowd in the hopes that they will find the clumsy avatars as wonderfully awful as fingerstache tattoos.

• Step 2 - While everyone lame-stream is off playing Glitch or WoW, hipsters sign up for the terribly unpopular and much maligned Second Life.

• Step 3 - PROFIT!

So there you have it - that's the niche LL is going after. Linden Lab wants a chunk of that mad Urban Outfitters money.

I've cracked the code of LL's Marketing Strategy. What do I win?

*Yes, I know LL is bringing back last names (When? Who knows.) but I'll bet hipsters will still choose awful names. Like, they'll choose the last name resident on purpose.