Second Life

The book I read to research this post was Second Life For Dummies which is an excellent book which I read at

http://safaribooksonline.com

Second Life is a social media site a little like World Of Warcraft but it isn't a game but a virtual world on the internet. Users who are called residents visit this website and hang around with friends or explore the virtual world. Apparently 16,000 acres of virtual land are added every month. There are other virtual reality sites like Virtual Business but Second Life is the most popular. Users can create an avatar, an animated character that represents you. You design this character and can even animate it in animation software and import it. A basic account is free. If you want to buy land you need a premium account which includes 1,000 linden dollars to start and then 300 linden dollars per month. Linden dollars are a virtual currency unique to this site that can be bought and sold for real currency or used to buy virtual gifts. Some people get virtual jobs on the site where they don't get anything like a living wage but if you enjoy doing it, it's a bonus. Some people even pay people to play the part of their virtual children. Many organisations like businesses and universities are cashing in on the Second Life craze. Businesses sell virtual gifts and universities offer virtual copies of there campus and also the fact that it's a virtual world lets you explore virtual educational models. They also often let you listen to and join in on lectures for students. I really enjoyed this book and am tempted to join Second Life.