Second Life Virtual World
A Second Life Virtual World is a virtual world developed by Linden Lab.
- Example(s):
- See: Androgynous, Furries, Group (Online Social Networking), Fantasy Video Game.
References
2017
- (Wikipedia, 2017) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Life Retrieved:2017-11-14.
- Second Life is an online virtual world, developed and owned by the San Francisco-based firm Linden Lab and launched on June 23, 2003. By 2013, Second Life had approximately 1 million regular users. In many ways, Second Life is similar to massively multiplayer online role-playing games; however, Linden Lab is emphatic that their creation is not a game: "There is no manufactured conflict, no set objective". The virtual world can be accessed freely via Linden Lab's own client programs or via alternative Third Party Viewers. Second Life users (also called residents) create virtual representations of themselves, called avatars, and are able to interact with places, objects, and other avatars. They can explore the world (known as the grid), meet other residents, socialize, participate in both individual and group activities, build, create, shop and trade virtual property and services with one another. The platform principally features 3D-based user-generated content. Second Life also has its own virtual currency, the Linden Dollar, which is exchangeable with real world currency. Second Life is intended for people aged 16 and over, with the exception of 13–15-year-old users, who are restricted to the Second Life region of a sponsoring institution (e.g., a school). Built into the software is a 3D modeling tool based on simple geometric shapes, that allows residents to build virtual objects. There is also a procedural scripting language, Linden Scripting Language, which can be used to add interactivity to objects. Sculpted prims (sculpties), mesh, textures for clothing or other objects, animations, and gestures can be created using external software and imported. The Second Life terms of service provide that users retain copyright for any content they create, and the server and client provide simple digital rights management (DRM) functions. However, Linden Lab changed their terms of service in August 2013, to be able to use user-generated content for any purpose. The new terms of service prevent users from using textures from 3rd-party texture services, as some of them pointed out explicitly.
2017
- (Wikipedia, 2017) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Second_Life#Activities_of_residents Retrieved:2017-11-14.
- Residents engage in many activities, just as people do in real life. Unlike real life, there is no biological need to seek nourishment or shelter. Thus, some activities that would be necessary in the real world are purely voluntary leisure pursuits, e.g. living in virtual houses and enjoying virtual food and drink.
Residents explore, interact with one another, and create new "content". Exploration is like travel in the real world. One searches for places which might be interesting, and then goes there, sometimes even at random. There is a plethora of different destinations that one can travel to at the click of a button. Some of these destinations are real places like London or Paris, and some are imaginary places or places from the past. Individuals explore alone, but often small groups explore together. Some exploration is spontaneous, but there are also more-or-less organized tours, and there are even travel agents and reviews that are written about different destinations. [1] Interaction occurs via text chat, text instant messaging, or voice, not unlike popular Internet applications, except that full 3D visuals are usually included. Interaction is also behavioral, such as when friends and strangers assemble at a club to dance or flirt while listening to recorded or live music.
Creation is changing the appearance and behavior of the Second Life virtual world including the avatar itself. Building a house, gardening, creating new clothes, and creating a new dance are all examples of creation. Some advanced examples are publishing a magazine or making a movie or TV show in the virtual world.
The "Community" section of Second Life allows residents to use blogs and forums to share pictures and ideas with other residents. It also allows residents who belong to the same group to chat about current events within the community. The "Events" subset of the Community section gives the resident a calendar to plan upcoming activities or to create their own activity.
- Residents engage in many activities, just as people do in real life. Unlike real life, there is no biological need to seek nourishment or shelter. Thus, some activities that would be necessary in the real world are purely voluntary leisure pursuits, e.g. living in virtual houses and enjoying virtual food and drink.
1992
- (Stephenson, 1993) ⇒ Neal Stephenson. (1993). “Snow Crash [1992].” New York: Bantam-Random