Second Life is an online virtual world. Residents can explore the world, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade virtual property and services with one another. Second Life is intended for people aged 16 and over, and as of 2011 has more than 20 million registered user accounts.
Second Life is not a classic massively multiplayer online role-playing game, but is a virtual space inhabited by billions of individuals. All content is user-created through the game’s built-in software. Overview Avatars may take any form users choose (human, animal, vegetable, mineral and other) or residents may choose to resemble themselves as they are in real life. While some “Lifers” do their best to create miniature versions of their offline bodies, most use the opportunity to make themselves look as strange as possible. A single person may also have multiple accounts.
Avatars can communicate via local chat, group chat, global instant messaging and voice. 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.
Second Life has an internal economy and internal currency, the Linden dollar (L$). L$ 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 and works of art.
Residents can also earn their own money by working for other members or starting their own business. They can create new goods and offer services, and sell them to virtual-life customers. A small percentage of Residents derives real-world net incomes, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand U.S. dollars per month.
Second Life users spend an average of L$50 to L$100 a week. They buy property and other merchandise, playing games for money and doing whatever any programmer can dream up for.
Since its debut in 2003, Second Life has been referenced increasingly by various popular culture media, including literature, television, film, and music. In addition, various famous people in such media have used or employed Second Life both in their work and for private purposes. Live your second life.