DreamWalker has been working on using existing functions within our OpenSim 0.6.9 sims to create an in-world vendor
i believe there is an OpenSim PayPal module but that would likely only be installed by individuals running a sim(s) in the OsGrid network or their own sim on their own box/server
that is different than what DreamWalker is working on. her system is completely built by her and she has a working in-world vendor that allows shop keepers and creators to place items to be either delivered to buyers after the customer has purchased it. that’s where the setback is atm (!)
the customer must pay first and then wait for the creator or shop owner to come in-world and set their item in DreamWalker’s vendor. her vendor can either deliver the item to the buyer once they log into the world or they can come to the vendor and pick up their item(s) by touching the vendor
now she is very close to having a true “buy it & get it” solution. you buy the object, it brings you to the PayPal page, you pay, and then it is delivered to you in-world right away
the only hurdle she has left to conquer is that the item keeps getting delivered to you every minute! oops! =p
now that suits me just fine if it is martinis or poutine!!! =D
she is very close and i have a feeling it has to do with the Instant Payment Notification that PayPal pings back. it will ping for 24 hours or until it is answered as successfully completed
there is no doubt she will work that out soon =)
in OpenSim 0.7, it sounds like some of the functions she uses have been improved
PayPal micropayments are ideal for many in-world objects because it is designed for payments under $12 USD. the percentage taken is much less than normal PayPal. however, for some kooky reason, as a PayPal merchant (iliveisl is an official certified merchant btw) you have to have a separate micropayment PayPal account. it is very difficult to set up two PayPal accounts with the same email and bank (impossible i believe)
but as far as the buyer is concerned, it’s just another PayPal transaction
coming from the Second Life paradigm, i think of the privacy issue with PayPal. people like to buy with in-world currency because it protects their anonymity
but you can use any email for a non-verified PayPal account. i used my avatar for SL projects and that worked fine even in situations where the PayPal deposit limits were reached
personally, i like using PayPal because it is far more regulated than any in-world currency (from the LL TOS: “You acknowledge that Linden dollars are not real currency or any type of financial instrument and are not redeemable for any sum of money from Linden Lab at any time.)
PayPal is real money - Linden dollars or Inworldz money is not real (from the Inworldz TOS: “InWorldz currency named I’z is fictional . . .”)
once payment systems become as straightforward as any online retail experience, virtual worlds will see a growth spurt imo
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bella Bellini, Ener Hax. Ener Hax said: PayPal micropayments in OpenSim – http://bit.ly/dmT8PI by @iliveisl [...]
Tweets that mention PayPal micropayments in OpenSim at i live in science land -- Topsy.com
27 Jul 10 at 12:48 am
Any currency system on our public world needs to be approved by our team http://reactiongrid.com/Register/TOS.aspx . We are happy to see Gridizens innovating but until our TOS changes you must have your own separate world for e-commerce to happen on our educational virtual world.
Kyle G
27 Jul 10 at 8:12 am
yep, roger that – this is in no way an in-world currency system – it’s paypal
she is not implementing anything in Reaction Grid and we have reached out to Chris in the past about this
and to be very clear – this is not endorsed by Reaction Grid
caveat emptor
Ener Hax
27 Jul 10 at 8:23 am
i removed the reference to Reaction grid in the post to alleviate any concerns
even though we often mention Reaction Grid in our blog posts, we are not spokespersons for Reaction Grid
we simply blog what we think and what our experiences are – Reaction Grid is a great OpenSim hosting solution
there are many options out there for OpenSim, including hosting it yourself
the OpenSim community is filled with wonderful and innovative people, providers, and vendors
in fact, many of our science builds are being included in an educational presentation to teachers and that is pretty neato burrito in our books =)
Ener Hax
27 Jul 10 at 9:51 am
That is a very neat way to do this! I will be implementing PayPal as a means to purchase the Environmental Science workbook, but it’s a real world purchase that could be launched from an in-world URL.
Nothing like being able to purchase it on the spot!
Even with what DreamWalker is working on, I don’t see that as an in-world currency?
You are not given back virtual tokens. This is not an in-world currency and you are not paying an object or paying an avatar.
What is the difference between the flow Ener outlined and being sent out to a PayPal page, purchasing an item, and having it delivered as an importable file, either by email or a download link off a website? (similar to what Rexxed.com does)
This is similar to buying the BrainBoard. I understand that automated delivery of an item could be a concern and reflect on Reaction Grid. The adoption of an in-world currency is a huge headache and comes with international law and a host of regulatory nightmares.
In the final analysis, a boundary needs to be clearly delineated and perhaps no items should be delivered in-world? For example, in moving from private to public grid, I lost my BrainBoard. Is that a liability of Reaction Grid? Or between the creator and the customer?
David Miller
27 Jul 10 at 11:16 am
[...] guess it could be construed that i was promoting an in-world currency system with my post about one of our scripters’ work. and i guess some people will think i work for Reaction Grid because i blab so much about [...]
why i blab about OpenSim at i live in science land
29 Jul 10 at 10:33 pm
Too bad all your other “Reaction Grid Rocks” posts don’t get commented upon!
I think DreamWalker is incredibly talented and was not trying to implement e-commerce. It’s not like we get a lot of traffic!
Besides, all her stuff was blown away the other day. Ding! Ding! Ding!
Maybe because of this post? Conspiracy theories, gotta love ‘em!
David Miller
29 Jul 10 at 10:46 pm
great subbie, get me in more trouble! this post was written AFTER all her stuff disappeared (which it really did and she did not do it)
i chalk her stuff poofing to OpenSim (although her pod home did not poof?)
Ener Hax
29 Jul 10 at 10:48 pm
Trouble is your middle name, what a trouble maker you are!
David Miller
29 Jul 10 at 10:52 pm
If you want real-world delivery — by postal service, or by email — then PayPal, Google Checkout, Amazon payments, or any other Web-based service works great.
You set up your 3D object, and when someone clicks on it, they go to the webpage for that object.
PayPal Micropayments is particularly nice for this, since the charges are lower for small amounts.
The problem is the in-world delivery. You need some way to tell the vendor that the payment has gone through. PayPal has a secure API for doing this, that websites use before they, say, let you download the digital product you bought.
For this to happen right now in OpenSim you need to have a module running on the server that takes care of the payment acknowledgement. There are PayPal modules available from a variety of hosting companies, including Dreamland Metaverse. When they set up your region, they also set up the payment module.
You need a secure, server-side module on any open grid. The OMC currency, which works on multiple grids (something like 14 grids now), also uses a server-side module to confirm that the payment was made.
If you have a completely closed grid — like Second Life, for example, or one of the private grids with in-world currencies where every region is operated by the grid owner, then you can have the confirmation happen on the vendor level.
Maybe, someday, we’ll have some kind of secure pipes from in-world objects to the Web, but for now modules are the way to go.
- Maria Korolov
Editor, Hypergrid Business
Maria Korolov
2 Aug 10 at 12:50 am