My Second Life

At first glance at the title, some will no doubt think I've gone and had some religious experience.

And, they would be not too far off!

I've gotten hooked on an online experience called Second Life.  I call it an online experience, because I have a great deal of trouble classifying what it is.

According to the Second Life History Wiki, Second Life is a a virtual world in which most (around 90%) content is user-created.  That doesn't quite do it either.

Sci fi fans would know that Neal Stephenson wrote a genre-bending book called "Snow Crash" in which he imagines a virtual 3-D world called the Metaverse.  This alternate reality, like those of author William Gibson, is characterized by vivid representations of real people and organizations by "avatars", or cartoonish, animated representations of you as an agent in this world.

Here's my avatar.  He's a biker, of course, and I am standing in front of one of two motorcycles that were created and scripted such that my avatar can go for a virtual ride in a place called Lil Sturgis.

Some familiar with games like World of Warcraft, or even The Sims, might recognize some of the concepts I'm describing.  However, Second Life has no goal, no way to win or lose.  It is simply a virtual world that literally allows one to create any type of life or experience they desire.

There are those SL'ers who have built private islands, on which they live out their fantasies of existing like the Swiss Family Robinson, or Bill Gates.  Others have figured out how to script experiences like skydiving, scuba diving, car racing, flying...

The Second Life environment is 3D rendered, so the user-side "client software" uses a lot of bandwidth, graphics card capabilities and RAM.  Objects can be created in world and completed designed and "fabricated" and marketed to other residents.  There is a robust economy consisting of Linden Dollars (L$), that are exchangable to and from US dollars through an exchange called LindenX.

People who are good at creating landscapes, houses, vehicles, clothes or simply providing services like party planning, concerts and dances, sell their wares online. 

I went to a terrific architect and purchased a pre-built house that I "rezzed" on my 1,024 square meter plot of land.  I have neighbors and we hang out in each others' homes, go to clubs, visit the race track.  Here's my house in my neighborhood, Hughes Rise.

I have a virtual job as a security guard in a club.  I let the owners manage the customers and the other employees (dancers, escorts and a DJ) while I watch for "griefers" or people who like to spoil everyone's good time.  I earn Linden Dollar pay for this, and can use it to buy services, goods or objects.  Or, I can trade my L$ for US$.  I haven't done that yet...

 In short, all of this "playing" has robbed me of the time I normally spend doing other optional activities, like writing.

Very absorbing, and the main explanation for why I haven't been Gathering for a while.