Second Life might be the next Web

by J Scott Christianson, Columbia Daily Tribune Columnist

One of the occupational hazards of working with computers and advanced technology in my job is that I have little time, tolerance for or interest in dealing with technology outside of work. This wasn’t always the case. I used to play and program computer games for fun. Now I find that time spent with a computer seems too much like work. So when friends show me their new Blackberries, PCs and video games, I do my best to be polite and pretend I’m interested.

However, a colleague recently showed me a new technology so intriguing that I find myself spending as much time as I can with it. Second Life is an online virtual world that is available to anyone with a modern computer and a broadband connection to the Internet. This is not a gaming platform but a social network that allows people around the world to interact as they see fit.

When you log in to Second Life, your presence is represented by an avatar — a 3-D representation of yourself that you can modify to look as realistic or as far-out as you want. Using your keyboard and mouse, you can control your avatar’s actions and movements. You can walk, fly or teleport around Second Life, exploring a variety of places from virtual stores and bars to classrooms and museums. There are so many places to visit that you would never be able to visit them all, even if you spent 10 hours a day exploring this world.