Second Life

You need to take a look at Second Life (or 2nd Life) if your own life isn’t what you always dreamed it would be or if you are looking for more social interaction than you can get from a social networking website. With over 10 million users, it is the world’s most popular virtual reality world.

2nd Life is a three-dimensional virtual world populated by residents just like yourself. Users create an avatar and interact with other players from around the globe. Users are not charged for basic set up and play.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Residents in 2nd Life have the option to communicate with each other. Within the virtual world itself avatars can chat locally with each other at different levels. For example, if you want to have a hush-hush conversation with another avatar you chat in the “whisper” mode. Other modes include “shout” and “Say” (Normal). The mode you choose determines who will have access to your chat.

Global chat (IM/Call) is also available. This type of 2nd Life communication can be compared to instant messaging and gives users a means by which to have a private conversation or leave a message. You can also create/join a group and use global chat to communicate with all its group members.

The most sophisticated way to communicate is through voice chat, using a microphone you can speak to other avatars in 2nd Life and they will hear your real voice in-world.

Money Talks

No world can exist without money and 2nd Life is no different. This virtual world has its own economy and marketplace. The currency of the game is called the Linden Dollar. As in real life, the value of Linden Dollars rises and falls due to the economy and the exchange rates of the communities.

Users can use Linden dollars to buy and sell within the 2nd Life community. If you are a paid user you can own land. Unpaid 2nd Lifers rent land and buildings. If a user owns land he can sell it or develop it to make more Linden Dollars.

There are many ways to make money in 2nd Life. nightclubs and clothing stores are popular businesses run by 2nd Lifers. Other users choose jobs for their avatars. Wedding planner, body guard, DJ, event planner, model and dancer are all popular careers in the virtual world.

2nd Life Goes to School

2nd Life has become so trendy that it is now used by major universities to establish virtual classrooms. Open University and Harvard University are just two institutions using this cutting edge technology to communicate with students.

In the News

As with anything new, there has been lots of press concerning 2nd Life. Problems have arisen due the fact that 2nd Life is not moderated or restricted in any way. The media have reported that this virtual world has been utilized by child pornographers and that 2nd Life is unsafe for younger users. To address this issue, among others, Linden Lab has introduced Teen 2nd Life which is restricted to users under the age of eighteen.

2nd Life will, like other forms of internet communication, always have its detractors. Fans of 2nd Life point to the creative mental muscles you can develop as a Second Lifer. It is so fun, say many users, it can easily become an addiction, albeit a good one!