Where anything and everything is possible
Jeanetta Roberts
– Photo & Online Editor –
Imagine living in a world where anyone can spend their day teleporting from one exotic place to the next in a matter of seconds and fulfill any dream they have ever had, no matter how unrealistic it may be. Believe it or not, this world does exist in the three dimensional virtual world of Second Life.
In this stimulation, anything is possible.
Second Life is a 3-D virtual world created by Linden Lab that was founded specifically to make the stimulation program and was launched June 23, 2003. This free client program is for adults over the age of 18, but there is also a teen Second Life that is available for minors between the ages of 13 and 17.
Residents from all over the world can experience the many different things Second Life has to offer, from living extreme fantasies to falling in love and starting virtual families.
Couples can take their significant others on dates to locations such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or have a romantic dinner for two under the sea with the fish off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii.
Many like to buy their own piece of land and build a virtual home using Second Life money also known as the Linden. Three hundred lindens is equal to one U.S. dollar and can be purchased using a real-life credit card.
If Second Life users don’t want to spend real money, they can get a job and earn their way being an avatar photographer or a bouncer in a nightclub. The possibilities are truly endless.
Tim Linder, assistant professor for STLCC-Meramec’s art department, has been using virtual reality to enhance student learning since 1996.
Linder currently teaches an intro to interactive design class where students use Second Life as a tool for learning how to develop real-time graphics and virtual environments.
Part of this course requires students to meet in Second Life to hear lectures, hold classroom discussions, and create Second Life worlds.
“Because Second Life is a beneficial teaching tool, I hope to have my future Interactive Design students work collaboratively with other professors at STLCC to create additional virtual classrooms covering a variety of topics and interests,” says Linder.
The experience begins after signing up and creating a completely customizable digital persona, also known as an avatar, where anyone can become anything they’ve ever wanted to be.
Finding a friend is not difficult and there are many people who are willing to help the newest members, also known as “newbies” or “noobs,” get accustomed to their second life. Alli Anthony, a real-life personal trainer from San Francisco, is one of the many avatar guides that enjoy teaching ‘newbies’ the tricks of Second Life.
Anthony helps run a newbie training center and freebie shop called Polmarian. This is a place where new avatars can customize their look even further by getting free clothing, shoes, jewelry, and more. “I have been a member of Second Life for a year and a half,” says Anthony.
“I love helping newbies because someone helped me when I first got here. She took me under her wing and showed me the ropes, and I will never forget her generosity.”
Once an avatar has been created and fully customized, the real adventures can begin.
Many people like to combine their real lives into their Second Life experience.
Matthew Perreault is a 35-year-old musician from Dallas, Texas in real life and has been performing since 1991.
In August of 2006, Perreault said he decided to take his musical career to the next level.
“That’s actually why I joined S.L. I saw an article in Popular Science that said some people were doing musical performances [in Second Life]. I was intrigued, especially since I was homebound with a newborn at the time.”
Perreault performs at many different Second Life venues, but every Wednesday he can be found at Luxor Stage, his home base venue. Between sets, he is usually relaxing at his virtual home which was paid for with the money he has earned from his many performances in Second Life.
Others like to escape their own versions of reality and experience some of their wildest dreams by living vicariously through their avatar.
Zoffa Morico has been living his second life as a role player since December of 2006. In real life, Zoffa works in international business, while in Second Life he is a Jedi Master with special abilities and powers. He sometimes chooses not talk with others about his Second Life experiences unless he knows they too are avid game players.
“At my age, some folks consider [Second Life] as a teenage phenomenon, since they don’t understand it,” Morico says. “They don’t know that many global businesses have presences here.”
Second Life is also a marketing tool for real-life businesses. From shoe companies, to soft drink manufacturers, advertisements can be found all over the grid promoting their various products or services.
While visiting the virtual St. Louis, one can even buy a ticket to use during their next real-life visit to view the city from the top windows of the Gateway Arch.
It is truly a world with no limits.
