Article 4: Second Life

The virtual 3-D world, known as Second Life™, announced its release of Showcase today, a tool that guides users to the most exciting and unique virtual hot spots.
Showcase has been in development close to a year, allowing time for revisions based on user feedback. Showcase acts as a tool for users by directing them to the best resident-created areas, for arts and culture, music, fashion and nightlife. It will also guide users to education and nonprofit institutions, display the best Second Life™ films and provide users with over 240 tutorials that can help them understand how Second Life™ works.
Second Life™ residents are the sole creators of every virtual venues and other destination. In Second Life™, new areas are created daily and there is real-time voice-chat for user interaction. Users are depicted in Second Life™ by their avatar. Second Life™ has found that users find it important to personalize their avatar, as well as their avatars home and apparel. It is the first of its kind because now residents can profit from their virtual world businesses. While some avatars design clothing, others sell real estate and their profit is real. Linden™ dollars are the currency of Second Life™, equal about $270 to every $1 in real U.S. currency.
Patia Eaton
November 20, 2008
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Second Life™ has proven to serve as more than recreation and as a tool for a supplemental income; it is also a valuable resource for corporations. Businesses with distant offices can collaborate virtually. Teachers can hold virtual class sessions for distance learning programs and networking can take place in any venue with Second Life’s™ real-time voice-chat and text-chat. Tourism bureaus are also creating Second Life™ destinations for users, hoping their virtual experience will spark interest in pursuing a real life experience.
The possibilities in Second Life™ seem virtually endless. People from all walks of life, in any place in the world, can socialize on Second Life™. Brett D. Atwood, Web Editor for Linden Lab, said Second Life™ has “an amazing artistic film-making community.”
Second Life™ is a product of Linden Lab, based in San Francisco, California. A membership to Second Life™ is free, but there are fees for upgraded accounts that allow the ownership of land and other abilities.