Second Life

Ok people, today I'm going to talk about a world I have recently discovered. I affectionately call it "middle aged fat chick paradise," but most people just call it Second Life. No, it's not some new church, it's a facinating multi-player game on the internet. Sounds weird, huh? What's a 40-something, relatively intelligent, single woman doing playing a video game on the internet?

Having a ball.

Second life (SL) is what is referred to (in layman's terms) as a "virtual world." Believe me when I tell you that anything you can do in this world, you can do in SL and then some. For example, in SL you can fly or teleport from place to place, like something out of a Star Trek episode....you can ride a flying carpet, battle a dragon, drive a bumper car, dance a waltz or a hot salsa, or be a Cruise Director on a virtual ship! You can also rent a virtual condo, a virtual escort, or hang out on a nude beach.

SL has an economy and it's own currency, which can be purchased online either through PayPal or your debit card at the present rate of 1000 Linden Dollars for approximately $4 American, and the residents are actually allowed to keep their intellectual property, i.e., whatever they might create in this virtual environment, which can be in the arts, music, fashion and even things like engineering and medicine belongs to them, not the creators of SL (Linden Labs). Harvard actually conducts classes in SL, and companies like IBM have meetings in virtual conference rooms where the attendees are represented by what is known as an Avatar or AV.

An AV is the virtual manifestation of you. The picture above is my AV, Duchess. She's a leggy, lovely blonde with great personal style and a huge collection of clothing, and the other is Duchess and her boyfriend, Gat. It is essentially a cartoon, but it is a cartoon that the player puts together, limited in scope only by their own imaginations. You can be a humanoid, an animal, a robot or any combination of all of them. You choose your skin, your shape, your clothing or not, and you learn at your own pace. Word to the wise...you only get one shot at your name, so think carefully before you push that button to name yourself. I once met a guy who called himself Pimpin8ez, and he couldn't understand why I didn't really want to talk to him.

There is a huge learning curve, so it's very easy to get frustrated and quit, but if one sticks it out and learns, it opens up a world of opportunities that average people might not otherwise have. There are people from all walks of life, and all the countries of the globe traversing SL, meeting under circumstances that were unavailable to past generations, and possibly opening the eyes of us all to other cultures. I declare it marvelous!

The basic premise of SL is willing suspension of disbelief. It can be a fantasy world or a world of dark torture. The player chooses everything and essentially controls the quality of the experience. SL is basically a sophisticated chat program, like Yahoo Messenger or Skype, but with the most amazing graphics and gadgets! You can have a virtual home, a virtual car, horses and even a baby! I cannot describe all the experiences you can have in this relatively small blog post because to describe it completely would require a book....which exists already. Hopefully my words will tickle your curiosity bone and you will investigate it for yourself.

And did I mention shopping??? Ladies! Lemme tell you.....I got hooked on SL when I got my first ballgown. I confess...it's like being 12 years old again, and actually getting to BE Barbie! With an unlimited digital wardrobe, to boot! There are the most amazing ballrooms where you can dance the night away in a lovely, designer ballgown, have scintillating conversations with handsome men and never leave your living room! You get a huge bang for your virtual buck, and the designers are incredibly creative, and friendly! They'll actually talk to you, and are interested in your feedback....

There is also a live music component in SL. I have been to symphonies, classical recitals and blues rock concerts. The musicians stream their music live into the game, and the AVs are gathered in one venue or sim (short for simulator) to listen and dance. There are slam poetry venues, DJ venues where there is a live person choosing the music, and even a ballet company. Some of the more popular musicians and merchants actually cash out of the game at the end of the week. It is possible to make real money in SL, if you have a marketable skill or talent.

It's truly a world worth exploring, as there is a surprise around every corner.