Second Life (SL) is a virtual world developed by Linden Lab that launched on June 23, 2003 and is accessible via the Internet. A free client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called Residents to interact with each other through avatars. Residents can explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade virtual property, products and services with one another, or travel throughout the world, which residents refer to as the grid. Second Life caters for users aged over eighteen, while its sister site Teen Second Life is reserved to users aged between thirteen and seventeen.
Built into the software is a three dimensional modeling based around simple geometric shapes that allows a resident to build virtual objects. This can be used in combination with the Linden Scripting Language which can be used to add functionality to objects. More complex three dimensional Sculpted prims (colloquially known as sculpties), textures for clothing or other objects, and animations and gestures can be created using external software. The Second Life Terms of Service ensure that users retain copyright for any content they create, and the server and client provide simple digital rights management functions.
Second Life's status as a virtual world, computer game, or a talker is frequently debated. Unlike a traditional computer game, Second Life does not have a designated objective, nor traditional game play mechanics or rules. As it does not have any stipulated goals it is irrelevant to talk about winning or losing in relation to Second Life. Likewise, unlike a traditional talker, Second Life contains an extensive world that can be explored and interacted with, and it can be used purely as a creative toolset if the user so chooses.
However, the vast majority of users use Second Life primarily as an entertainment medium, and for most of them the ability to interact with other users is critical to that. "Clubs" where users engage in generic chat, and sexually themed areas, are consistently the most populated.
There is no charge to create a Second Life account or for making use of the world for any period of time. Linden Lab reserves the right to charge for the creation of large numbers of multiple accounts for a single person but at present does not do so. A Premium membership (US$9.95 per month) facilitates access to an increased level of technical support, and provides a stipend of L$300/week.
Avatars may take any form the user chooses, animal, vegetable or mineral, including being made to resemble the person whom they represent. A single Resident account may have only one avatar at a time, although the appearance of this avatar can change between as many different forms as the Resident wishes. A single person may also have multiple accounts, and thus appear to be multiple Residents (a person's multiple accounts are referred to as.
Avatars can communicate via local chat or global instant messaging (known as IM). Chatting is used for localized public conversations between two or more avatars, and is visible to any avatar within a given distance. IMs are used for private conversations, either between two avatars, or among the members of a group, or even between objects and avatars. Unlike chatting, IM communication does not depend on the participants being within a certain distance of each other. As of version 1.18.1.2, voice chat, both local and IM, is also available on both the main grid and teen grid, using technology licensed by Vivox, a provider of similar services to other MMO worlds.
Instant Messages may optionally be sent to a Resident's email when the Resident is logged off, although message length is limited to 4096 bytes.
Second Life has an internal currency, the Linden dollar (L$) that can be used to buy, sell, rent or trade land or goods and services with other users. Virtual goods include buildings, vehicles, devices of all kinds, animations, clothing, skin, hair, jewelry, flora and fauna, and works of art. Services include “camping”, wage labor, business management, entertainment and custom content creation (which can be broken up into the following 6 categories: building, texturing, scripting, animating, art direction, and the position of producer.
NOTE: I am a member of SECOND LIFE and the experience is very realistic and earth shaking. Sometimes you forget where you are. SECOND LIFE allows you to speak with other Avatars (privately or as a group) make obnoxious sounds, fly like Superman or Supergirl and transport yourself anywhere on the SECOND LIFE grid.
This is not a computer game or talker, but a virtual world that has everything imaginable. In SECOND LIFE you are allowed to live out your fantasies. I have been to sports events, concerts, movies, dance clubs, strip clubs, red light districts like Amsterdam, nude beaches, whore houses, restaurants, gambling establishments (now outlawed), theme parks, mockups of cities and countries and thousands of small and large business establishments.
The first thing that you do after you join SECOND LIFE is to purchase clothing, modify your appearance, purchase “skins” that allows you to look like Brad Pitt (guys) or Angelina Jolie (gals) or a thug with an automatic weapon. And one more thing, you can have virtual sex on SECOND LIFE , but you need to buy a penis (guys) or vagina and nice pair of boobies (gals). I have changed my Avatar appearance so many times, it is often difficult to figure out how to change back to what your apperance was before. I can be a midget one day or dragon the next.
SECOND LIFE is multi-cultural with members from all over the World. It can get interesting when you are talking with someone from Japan, Russia or Germany. I don't know any of those languages, so we use sign language or load the translater software. I love anything Brazilian, and I tend to "hang out" at a couple of Brazilian locations.
My SECOND LIFE avatar name is TURK XENO . I got burned out on playing around on SECOND LIFE although I did develop a few relationships. You are going to need a fast computer processor, SL-compatable 3-D graphics card and sufficient memory to run the SECOND LIFE VIEWER.
My biggest complaint about SECOND LIFE is that it constantly shuts down due to technical problems and the system logs you out and you may have a long wait to log back in. When there is a problem sometimes you cannot transport yourself to another location. You also need to update the VIEWER regularly to get the whole experience and avoid shutdowns.
I strongly recommend SECOND LIFE for entertainment, relieve stress, making business contacts and, if you are so inclined find a mate. In SECOND LIFE you can actually get married. I have three wives, something I could never do in the REAL WORLD. I have met a few clients and prospects on SECOND LIFE and had to run them through the paces.
Courtesy of Wikipedia
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