I think what we're going to find is that any strategy that doesn't embrace the community and integrate itself into it is doomed from the beginning. Unless a company simply wants to squat on an island name. Then they should do that and not build anything until their good and ready to allow their brand to be remixed and reimagined by people who have essentially created a brand new world out of nothing.

I don't know about 'doomed', specifically. I think there's a spectrum there, and that there's a sliding scale of success that is measured by a willingness to meet others part way.

Fair enough. There's always a spectrum. Pontiac has built a compelling island...but I would argue that's only because they embraced the communal nature of SL and let people remix their brand. Too many brands are trying to own their brand, as opposed to being curators. I just think that if you tend towards the former, you don't really understand what SL is about. If you tend towards the latter, you "get it."

Companies traditionally have armies of lawyers intent on preventing you from 'owning the brand experience'.