Text only
中文版
 Print this page | E-mail this page| Add to favourites
British Council IBD Team
Advert for Second Life, image © "Second Life® and Linden Lab®
Trend UK
Trolley Trends - Popup
The party pack
Need to get out more?
Bands battle for musical success part III
Have lads grown up into ‘Ladults’?
The body beautiful
Grow your own
Individual style
Sport in the City
Hooked on books
Mesh and match
Teenage fads
Men’s summer fashion
Where would you tie the knot?
Are you a slave to fashion?
Naked ambition
Graphic novels
Puppy love
Living a virtual life
Craving company?
Brit Art and Design
Shed Style
Yourspace
UK Lifestyle
Cubed
Keeping you up-to-date with the science that’s shaping our society.
Second Life
Teen Second Life
A website devoted to teens aged 13-17 years who want to play Second Life
中文版

- - - - - -

The current poll has expired, however another one may appear shortly.
Living a virtual life
TrendUK
Second Life city, image © "Second Life® and Linden LabA whole new world
Have you ever wished that you could change your appearance, build your own house or set up a business? Well now you can do all this and more without ever leaving home.  Created by Californian firm, Linden Lab, Second Life has become the latest internet phenomenon in the UK and has one million users across the globe. Players can join the website and create their own onscreen graphic character or ‘avatar’. So if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be taller, more stylish or even a different gender then here’s your chance. In fact, Second Life isn’t really a game in the traditional sense; there are no dragons to slay or dungeons to escape from. Its founder, Philip Rosedale, says instead that he’s aiming to ‘build a new country’, where people can make just about anything from scratch.
Second Life speed boat, image © "Second Life® and Linden Lab®Living your dreams
Second Life users or ‘residents’ can use a virtual currency called Linden Dollars to buy land and develop it in any way they choose. Nottingham computer programmer, Jim Purbrik, says this is one of the things that sets Second Life apart from other online games, ‘it’s a virtual world built by the people who use it’. The potential for advertising has caught the attention of businesses. Toyota is giving away free virtual cars and Nike has developed special trainers helping avatars to run faster. Popstars are also getting involved, with British group Duran Duran buying an island so they can perform online. ‘I’m constantly inspired by what people are building here,’ says British Second Life resident, Jon Kossman.
Second Life forest, image © "Second Life® and Linden Lab®

Virtual business, real money
What's more, residents also own their own creations so it's possible to make real life money too. Through her avatar Anshe Chung, Chinese-born Ailin Graef has created a property empire in Second Life where Linden Dollars can be exchanged for real money. Meanwhile, Brit, Chris Mead, is making about £1,000 a week by charging other players to use his specially created software, which allows avatars to cuddle.

But it's not just the chance to meet people, make money and build things that’s attracting 8,000 new users to the site every day. Virtual worlds like Second Life may also become the classrooms of the future, enabling people to study just about any thing at any time. So living a virtual life could help us in real life too.

Louise
January 2007

Trend UK -> UK Lifestyle -> Current Page
The United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland)
Our privacy and copyright statements.
Our commitment to freedom of information. Double-click for pop-up dictionary.		 Positive About Disabled People Download Browsealoud