There are a lot of ways to earn Lindens, in-world. Traffic generation systems are some of the most popular. But there’s something missing, when you bounce around at random, focused entirely on the next payout; it becomes a job.
Second Life should be a game!
SL Mining is more than just another way to line your virtual pockets, although it’s certainly a great way to do that. I’ve never had to do something else, because I was bored of Work With Access. There is so much to do, within the sim, that I can completely change up my pace (from exploring, to researching, to mining, to dancing) and I’m always doing something productive.
Even when I plow away tirelessly at one task, I’m always opening new doors. Experience in one skill unlocks another. My yields are always going up, as my stats grow. In the beginning, I could keep all my profits, by crafting my own replacement tools. Now, I’ve got enough resources and crafting experience, that I can make all the tools I need and have some left over to sell, at an excellent price, to other players.
The more people get involved, the more abundant resources will become. It’s the only traffic system I’ve found, which actually turns the economy over to the players. We have the tools and resources. We set the prices.