Are alternate universes your thing?
Newsweek’s article on Second Life struck me so profoundly that I got myself an avatar in the virtual universe the moment I got home. My navigation through the 3D universe still clumsy, I accidentally bumped into a “man” who took it just as seriously as if I’d pushed him over in person. The emotions were incredibly real, and I was amazed at how easy it was to get sucked in.
Like Harry Potter, sushi, Facebook, and other wildfire-like phenomena that suddenly attract the masses, Second Life is something you have to experience for yourself to understand the appeal (or lack thereof, depending on your taste for virtual existence).
It turns out that “a recent Dutch study found that 57 percent of Second Lifers spend more than 18 hours a week there, and 33 percent spend more than 30 hours a week.” But that’s not all. Gartner Research center estimates that “by 2011, four of every five people who use the Internet will actively participate in Second Life or some similar medium.”
Clearly, Second Life is huge - as is its potential for connecting people, companies, and ideas. When Harvard uses it to teach classes, you know it’s not just a fad.
So now that we’re blogging over there on Svanemøllevej, don’t be surprised if we soon come to a computer near you as a virtual Eye for Image cafe in Second Life! Will you be ready to join as the virtual you and swap some First Life time for a world where you can fly, travel the world in seconds, and alter your appearance as often as you like?
