Second Life

Teen Life

SL also has a network for teens (13-17 years of age), free of charge, where adults are not allowed to enter unless they have a special matter with teens such as educational projects. An adult who wants to enter Teen Life (TL), also known as Teen Grid, has to pass a security check through real checkup services. Only after an approval an adult can enter TL, but solely to the project limits (Shalev, 2007). Much like the adult SL, TL is a world of endless possibilities and dreams, constant change, and virtual excitement; a place where teens can express themselves, be creative, and run a business without worrying about all the expenses involved.

Capitalism

“Linden Labs, the creator of Second Life, has welcomed the entrepreneurship inclinations of its community in two important ways” (Tiffany, 2007). One way is by implementing the currency in SL, Linden Dollars, which can be purchased with American Dollars; one dollar is worth 250 Linden Dollars. Later on, members can convert their Linden Dollars by using their credit card at online currency exchanges. The second way SL has become an entrepreneurship instrument is through in-game design copyrights given to members. In SL this idea is called IP rights, and members are able to sell their creations as they wish. Every month, an estimated $2.8 million (real US Dollars) worth of goods is being exchanged in SL (Dror, 2006).

Members can create goods such as food and clothing, and even provide services to other players to gain money. People can “open a nightclub, sell jewelry, become a land speculator; the choice is yours to make” (Second Life, n.d.). Land can be bought with real money, and the owner of the land has the freedom to decide who can build on the property and which items exist on it. In some islands, for example, it is possible to get money just for staying on them. Most of the activity in SL consists of shopping; members buy virtual objects, there are many incredible shopping malls and a variety of stores, but most businesses use their SL entity to promote sales of services and goods in the real world.

Real World Connection

Many people decide to start up a business in SL in order to gain real dollars after an exchange from virtual money. Commercial businesses, media networks, and others take SL seriously. For example, CNN created a news desk, Reebok lets players to wear its shows for free, and Nissan lets members ride its cars. In 2006, Wells Fargo bought an Island. Wal-Mart and Intel designed a new business model, and have training classes in SL, as a way to save money (Wise Geek, n.d.). Well-known brands, such as Coca-Cola, IBM, Sony, and BMW participate in SL. Companies are setting up accounts hoping their customers will have a greater experience by trying their products before shopping for them online. Universities, media networks, and giant corporations build libraries, offices, and private centers, where they can have business meetings, seminars, and even a full day of work on SL (Shalev, 2006).

The advantages of SL in the business world are enormous. SL is a friendly, multi-user simulation which supports decision making. Therefore, companies can test their products before making the decision to sell them in the real world. The growing number of members in SL makes it easy and cost-effective for companies to gain access to a big market (not to mention a global one). In addition, companies buy islands for their own employees, build office buildings, and expect their staff to meet there. This method save money that otherwise be spent on flight tickets and hotel bills.

A University of Utrecht research showed that “Dutch companies feel they have a strategic advantage on competitors. Also, they find themselves innovative and feel it gives them a better insight in the behavior and preferences of tomorrow’s customers” (Wilt, 2007). Companies that utilize SL tighten the relationship with their customers; companies can let customers be engaged and involved with the business through SL experiences (create forums, parties, games, etc.). Similarly, companies have started using SL to increase employees’ productivity. According to Linden Lab, “it would take a paid 4,100-person software team to do” what SL’s residents create in nearly 23,000 hours a day for free. Therefore, companies realized that people can be more productive when dealing with complex assignments within games – their workers will be having fun (Hof, 2006).

Gartner Inc. predicts that by 2011 80% of all internet users will have virtual life in one or more worlds. Moreover, 80% of the companies will have presence and activity in virtual worlds (2007). Gartner recommends companies to enter virtual worlds, but advise to do so carefully until the trend grows and matures:

1. “Virtual worlds are not games, but neither are they parallel universe.” One should not condemn virtual worlds, but should not think sales will increase by 100%.
2. “Behind every avatar is a real person.” Real people exist and form communities with inner rules, expectations, and acceptable and unacceptable behavior that one should know of, understand, and, most importantly, behave accordingly.
3. “Be relevance and add value.” SL is a different platform, experience, and interaction. Therefore, the creativity and the making have to be different. Opportunities have to be utilized to form something new that will breakthrough.
4. “Understand and contain the downside.” On the one hand, one should surprise and renovate. On the other hand, one should remember there are also limitations to opportunities and results.
5. “This is a long haul.” SL is a new idea that is developing and renovating itself all the time. One should keep an eye on changes, see how things develop, and find a way to integrate and gain from SL in the long run.

As time goes by and technology improves, more people will have access to internet, and as such, to information. Virtual worlds are becoming more familiar to people and are being utilized not only for socializing and networking purposes, but also for virtualization in the workplace.  In addition, SL is very significant for enriching education experiences. SL encourages “constructive learning, virtual teamwork, and new media research, such as investigations into online identity” (Clark, 2008).

Education

         SL has its own education system, and it emphasizes creativity. Initially, the system was financially supported by Linden Lab, which paid several hundreds of Linden Dollars to each instructor for each lecture. However, today, as in any Capitalistic governance, Linden Lab decided to stop subsidizing the education system (Shalev, 2006).  As SL became popular, members interested in education noticed the multimedia opportunities SL can offer for educational purposes. Within one year, 700 educators came together to form classes in SL. Today, Linden Lab encourages the initiative and offers educators free land for the duration of the class. The company has also decided to give discounted rates to purchase islands for education intentions and non-profit organization (Appel, 2006).

SL has a high-school named "Kindly", where different forms of Avatars exist, and anyone that enters the city limits has to take on a role of a student and speak appropriately. The high-school has a wide playground and a big parking lot where the students can interact. The classes are empty, until one of the players, who takes on the role of a teacher, arrives. Some explain this experience as being in a Democratic school – one is free to choose whether to go to class or stay outside to socialize. Moreover, classes are offered 24 hours a day. The classrooms are designed by subject; a history class has ancient maps and a globe, and the chemistry class is designed as a lab.

In addition to a high-school campus, there is also a library, developed by Alliance Library Systems and OPAL, an International Spaceflight Museum, and GIPPSTAFE, a place where students and teachers create and run a virtual resort. “A main draw for educators in using SL is the improvement in interaction and expression when compared with programs such as distance-education courses” (Appel, 2006). In contrast to the distance-education programs people are use to these days, SL offers a 3-D teaching environment that makes a learning experience much more exciting for both students and teachers.

        A Pennsylvania State University Doctor, Gloria Clark, decided to use SL to teach a virtual Spanish class to get her students experienced with the Spanish language, culture, and atmosphere. Her project revealed that her students were writing more than usual. One group in her class had designed Penn State T-shirts: “it has the Lion on the front and on the back it says, "Estudiar, Aprender, Vivir en Espanol"(Study, Learn, and Live in Spanish) Penn State Harrisburg”. Thanks to her efforts in SL, Gloria Clark has been invited to present workshops at other universities, as well as on SL (Clark, 2008).

Collaboration Tools

Apart from utilizing SL as an educational tool to acquire more knowledge and information, SL can be used for training and collaboration purposes. Besides companies such as Wal-Mart and Intel that use SL for business training, the 3-D virtual world can help save lives in much the same way. C.G Lynch describes in a CIO article how emergency responders, cops and paramedics, can be virtually trained to give therapy in a case of an accident on Interstate 95. The University of Maryland started this research project at the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology to do complex demo exercises using simulation technology (2008). Moreover, for those with real life disabilities, SL can be a useful tool to overcome real life constraints and provide convenient learning environment. For example, Harvard University and Edinboro University perform experiments in which people, who suffer from Asperger Syndrome, a milder variant of Autistic Disorder, create second lives for themselves and try to cope with difficulties in a supportive and risk-free environment (Samucha, 2006).  

Downsides

SL is a very useful tool for businesses, education systems, and different collaborative means. However, as in any new technology, things are not always perfect. Outages sometimes occur in SL, and therefore people should always have a backup plan and an alternative activity.  Another difficulty is running SL on universities’ computer labs and classrooms; various locations cannot download and install the file. In addition, students have the ability and a free will to explore other things while they are in public areas of SL. As Gloria Clark noted in her Penn State blog, some students started flying with their horses instead of walk them down the beach of Mexico (2008).  

Also, the problem with SL is the idea behind it; the concept is different than what people are used to in strategy games. SL looks very much like a computer game, but it has no apparent goals (besides building a second, virtual, world). Therefore, new members have difficulty to understand what exactly they have to do. Also, residents are responsible for establishing the infrastructure of the different settings and strategies to get everything to work right, which requires knowledge about SL and advanced computer graphic skills. According to Will Wright, the creator of The Sims video game, “the tools are the weak spot . . . that limits its appeal to a fairly hard-core group” (Hof, 2006).         

Conclusion

In summary, SL is a three dimensional virtual world, which uses unbelievable technology and enables new opportunities for business, education, training, and collaboration tools. Although the graphics in SL is very advanced, Avatars’ identity can be anything one wishes, and members spend many hours exploring new things, it is important to understand SL is not a game, because it has no main goal. SL is a totally different concept. SL is a second world that its residents can make better than the real world; a world where people can help each other create a better place for humanity.

SL encourages people to be creative and innovative, because they can make whatever they desire or think of. People spend money and make money, just as if they are in the real world. Companies get a lot of publicity thanks to the growing population of SL, and take advantage of the 3-D training tools it offers. Members of SL also benefit from a different and enjoyable style of education, which actually enriches their knowledge in real life. Moreover, the technology in SL enables members to use the virtual world as a collaboration tool; whether if it is a global company trying to gather its employees around the world for a meeting, or a group of emergency responders working together to save lives.

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