Real Virtual! - "Second Life" a real-virtual world

"Now here's something truly unique, that I only just heard of now: "Second Life". Second life is a virtual online world created and inhabited by real people from around the globe. This is not new in itself ... Online virtual worlds have thrived for years especially in the online gaming world (The Sims, World of Warcraft, Everquest etc.) But the thing about Second Life is that everything in the world (except land and sea) is created by the users ... buildings, homes, shops etc. So this world is really like a real world in regard to people and their social and entrepreneurial behaviour in a "real physical community".

What's more; it's an entrepreneurial paradise! Second Life allows people to setup their own businesses struggling to survive on the premisses of competion and market economy, just as in real life. You can actually claim rights on the products/services you supply (by way of IP ownership). Now Second Life has it's own in-world currency: "Linden Dollars" which you can accumulate through your business. AND these Linden Dollars can actually be exchanged for real dollars by connecting people who want's to sell Linden Dollars with people who want's to buy them! ... Talk about virtual business coliding with real world economics!!!

So you could actually sit at home and be your own entrepreneur, developing your own business ... and really make money out of it ... Fantastic! What's really to seperate the real from the virtual these days ... philosophically speaking ;)

One question: When will advertisers explore the oppotunities of seting up their companies and developing their branding efforts within these virtual worlds? Not long if you ask me!!!

Second Life has about 100.000 registered users. Check out Second Life here: www.secondlife.com "

/Rune Kiowsky
(From Rune Kiowskys blog: http://spaces.msn.com/runekiowsky/)