It's not different. The first couple attempts to pioneer something will always fail just due to being new and unfamiliar. When it's computers you also have the

It's not different. The first couple attempts to pioneer something will always fail just due to being new and unfamiliar. When it's computers you also have the nerd/weirdo stigma, which was still around in the early 2000s. Not to mention the sexually charged content of second life. If the average person back then was connecting to second life for polite, socially acceptable content, it would have taken off. Later, giant megacorps, who always recognized the potential in the tech, figure out when their masses will be ready for it. It's almost more about getting the people ready for the tech rather than getting the tech ready for the people.