Whenever I am asked to tell people what is so great about the virtual world of second Life, I struggle to begin. the list of possibilities of the virtual world of second Life is seemingly endless. Needless to say, if I were to elaborate on them all I would be here all day. I tend to break my top reasons for loving second Life down into four.

Creative Expression

From designing and building an architectural masterpiece, to sharing your poetry on live microphone with a group of people from across the world, second Life is king for online creative expression. Everything in second Life is art, from the buildings, to the clothing, to the landscaping. And all the content is user created. So what you see really is what the residents have dreamed up. I love the fact that you can give a hundred different residents the same resources, come back a couple of days later and take a walk around 100 very different imaginations. It is amazing. Artistically, musically, in terms of literature and vision, this platform allows for the ultimate in creative expression.

Business

Although some people make money in second Life to such a degree that it becomes their real life income, the reality is that for most people, this will never be the case. Being creative enough to earn a little bit of cash to treat yourself or even just for the game to pay for itself for you, if you like to spend money in world, is great. But what cannot be underestimated about second Life is the fact that, as a platform for business simulation, it is almost unrivalled. You can conceive of, consider, develop and put into practice your business on a smaller scale, without risking your home and your child’s university fund And the principals of business in this virtual world are exactly the same as in real life. second Life never gets enough credit for this, in my opinion.

Education

Most major US colleges and universities now have campuses in second Life. that speaks volumes. Many of the UK institutions are now following suit as well. the ability to replicate a classroom setting from the comfort of your own home, enables teachers to share their skills with students from all over the world. And even outside of the official institutions, there are organisations in world who are offering free classes in all sorts of skills, not just second Life related ones You can learn any one of a number of languages for free at these virtual institutions. You can learn web development, marketing skills and a whole host of others too.

Socialising

I would never give up my real life socialising for second Life socialising. Never. But second Life should not be underestimated as a platform for socialising, particularly for those who cannot get out much, such as single parents or those who struggle financially. I went into second Life to find out what it was all about. I insisted I would make no personal ties in there. But two years later and I have a group of people in second Life I would consider very much friends, and these are people I would definitely keep in touch with even if I stopped using second Life.

Boundaries online are always lowered. People are less defensive, have fewer inhibitions and so on. Particularly with the addition of voice communication, this has made second Life a great platform for meeting and getting to know people from all over the world. So there. that is what, in my opinion, is so great about second Life. try it