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Essays Magazine Futurology Information technology Internet and telecoms Popular culture

Virtual worlds and second lives

Over the last year, the virtual world Second Life has grown from a niche activity into a major phenomenon. Thousands are making money from it, and corporations are taking an interest. The distinction between real and virtual worlds is becoming increasingly hazy

By Victor Keegan  
April 29, 2007
April 2007

I am sitting on my patio without a care in the world, contemplating the water as it falls softly down the rocks before splashing into a swirling pool beneath, watched over by gently swaying palm trees. It is an idyllic scene, and it is a shame that not everyone can enjoy it.

Well, actually, they can. This is not the real world, but a three-dimensional simulation created by millions of “residents” in Second Life, the phenomenon that may be taking the internet in a whole new direction. Some say it will be a nine-month wonder, others that it will gradually…

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Victor Keegan

Victor Keegan is a technology columnist for the Guardian. His book of poetry, Big Bang, is published by www.lulu.com

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