Lively not so lively...yet

Google's new virtual world, Lively, has yet to wow me.  I suppose I had expected more from them, and am still left with the nagging question: what gap, exactly, are they trying to fill?  What aren't people getting through Second Life and other worlds that Google can offer them?  Or is it simply the smooth integration (in theory) of Lively with users' other Google services and apps?  It's not Mac or Linux compatible, from what I'm reading, which seems absolutely ridiculous.  Tech Crunch had some good thoughts on Lively, cynical as mine, which is probably why I like the post.   And Search Engine Watch has a great guide to getting started if you need some basic help.

I suppose that libraries should keep an eye on Lively, to see if it does indeed become a gathering place for people.  Perhaps there are uses for forming "rooms" for virtual interactions and book clubs...or using Lively to design avatars for the library staff, to embed on the website.  There are certainly possibilities, but I think the service has to prove its usefulness and popularity before I'd invest staff time into it. 

The avatars and clothing are very limited right now.  And yes, of course I'm the pasty cat in the black outfit. :)