Immersive Virtual Reality

Immersive virtual reality has started an internet revolution that is not even close to maturing. Linden Lab, the creators of Second Life, has broken new ground by allowing users to develop their own virtual world. In the Second Life environment members build and create the entire world in which they operate and own their creations.

Better than the Rest

Second life is considered by many to be the best immersive virtual reality site on the internet. Part of the reason for the site’s popularity is the unique concept of allowing Second Life members to control the environment. Linden Lab oversees the entire operation and is there to help but they are not an active world presence. This allows a spectacular level of growing and unlimited creativity.

In the past immersive virtual reality was not malleable. Users could enter the worlds but did not have the power to change or develop the environment. Earlier virtual experiences were controlled by mega-gaming corporations and you were limited to certain movements, comments, and expressions. Everything was predetermined.

Second Life has changed all that by removing many of these limitations. This has led to the creation of a remarkable site where members can roam freely as customized avatars. Member creativity is encouraged by the site which has its own powerful economy based on the Linden Dollar (L$).

Join In

Becoming a member of an immersive virtual reality site is easy. Second Life has the most streamlined membership process. First, new users fill out information such as name and user name on a registration page. Once completed, you have to choose the starting look for your virtual representative – your avatar.

The form is sent and you receive an email asking you to confirm it. After confirming your email you are taken to the download area where you can download and install the second life viewer/interface in your computer. Apart from Linden Lab viewers there are alternate viewers from 3rd parties available.

As soon as this step is completed you can enter the immersive virtual reality world using your avatar. Second Life is made up of separate islands. Each island has a different theme, some are public and others are private. Private islands require an invitation to enter.

You can find most of the public islands through the search option of the second life viewer/interface. In some cases, you can use “search” to find private groups that accept members paying an enrolment fee; once this fee is paid you will have granted access to their private islands. You can also ask the owner of the group for enrolment and access if the theme interests you.

Free or Paid Memberships

2 separate types of membership are available in Second Life, free or paid. A free membership allows you to chat and interact with members, socialize and visit sites, attend classes, network, play games and much more. Many users are satisfied with the free membership option.

Other users may want to buy and sell land or become land barons and have their own businesses. This option is only available to paying members. A paid membership comes with the option to purchase a 512 sqm parcel of land without having to pay any monthly land fees (tier fees). Paying members can own as much land as needed over 512 sqm but it’s subject to tier fees.

Immersive virtual reality is becoming a hot topic in the most unusual places. Students and teachers are studying it in college classes, big businesses and corporations like IBM allow employees to communicate via Second Life, and it is on the tip of many tongues around the globe.