Do you already have a SECOND LIFE? if not, what are you waiting? Nowadays, the internet allows us more and more to escape boring everyday routine, meet "interesting" people all around the globe (why be limited to your boring next door neighbours or your uncreative work colleagues?), get to know people with who you have things in common, join different communities with similar interests, date interesting people, etc. The problem with a lot of those is that it is all quite 'virtual' and hardly ever goes 'real'.
Just think of MySpace, Hi5, Tunefeed, Meetic, gaydar, gayromeo, Youtube, MSN, and all those 'virtual communities'. Many of those have become quite trendy and if you don't have a profile there, you're NO one... It goes so far that there are even companies that 'create' fake 'friends' to fill your Myspace page (www.fakeyourspace.com). And not even Wikipedia escapes with 'fake' people writing fake 'facts' about the most different issues.
But now there's SECOND LIFE and that goes even further. With this virtual game (although it's not really a game) you can re-invent yourself or create multiple characters, become the gorgeous one you always dreamt of, etc, do all the things you never had the courage to in real life. And who knows, after all, whether this is not all a dream within a dream. Or if in our 'real world', we are only the 'avatars' of some bored beings somewhere out there in another dimension?
"Second Life (abbreviated as SL) is an Internet-based virtual world which came to international attention via mainstream news media in late 2006 and early 2007. Developed by Linden Lab, a downloadable client program enables its users, called "Residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars [characters or profiles], providing an advanced level of a social network service combined with general aspects of a metaverse. Residents can explore, meet other Residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items (virtual property) and services from one another.
Second Life is one of several virtual worlds that have been inspired by the cyberpunk literary movement, and particularly by Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash. The stated goal of Linden Lab is to create a world like the Metaverse described by Stephenson, a user-defined world of general use in which people can interact, play, do business, and otherwise communicate. Second Life's virtual currency is the Linden Dollar (Linden, or L$) and is exchangeable for US Dollars in a marketplace consisting of residents, Linden Lab and real life companies.
While Second Life is sometimes referred to as a game, it does not have points, scores, winners or losers, levels, an end-strategy, or most of the other characteristics of games. In all, more than five million accounts have been registered, though many are not active, and some Residents have multiple accounts. Despite its prominence, Second Life has notable competitors, including Active Worlds, There, and newcomers such as Entropia Universe, Dotsoul Cyberpark, Red Light Center, and Kaneva."
Second Life is one of several virtual worlds that have been inspired by the cyberpunk literary movement, and particularly by Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash. The stated goal of Linden Lab is to create a world like the Metaverse described by Stephenson, a user-defined world of general use in which people can interact, play, do business, and otherwise communicate. Second Life's virtual currency is the Linden Dollar (Linden, or L$) and is exchangeable for US Dollars in a marketplace consisting of residents, Linden Lab and real life companies.
While Second Life is sometimes referred to as a game, it does not have points, scores, winners or losers, levels, an end-strategy, or most of the other characteristics of games. In all, more than five million accounts have been registered, though many are not active, and some Residents have multiple accounts. Despite its prominence, Second Life has notable competitors, including Active Worlds, There, and newcomers such as Entropia Universe, Dotsoul Cyberpark, Red Light Center, and Kaneva."
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SL is a virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. It has been so successful that it went from 1 million avatars in the beginning of 2006 to some 6 million profiles around the globe, by the beginning of 2007. It doesn't mean that there are as many as 6 million people using SL, in fact some people may create several characters. Indeed, why get bored? But it shows the growing interest it is creating.
As the site says "From the moment you enter the World of SL, you'll discover a vast digital continent, full of people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you've explored a bit, perhaps you'll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or business. You'll also be surrounded by different creations of your fellow residents. Because residents retain the rights to their digital creations, they can buy, sell and trade with other residents."
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So what are you waiting for? Go explore the virtual world of SL...
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