"Second Life" - or "Get a First Life"?

Hundreds of thousands if not more have a second life in the 3D digital world "Second Life". It's a world that is imagined, created and owned by its so-called "users", who create their own virtual characters ("avatars").

What's in a second life?

Not only fans of virtual games have discovered Second Life.  Large corporations such as Toyota, Nike, Adidas, Sony BMG Music, Ikea, and many more have also seen possibilities in this virtual world. Second Life is quickly becoming a virtual test bed for corporate marketing. Also universities are being attracted to Second Life, even high-browed Harvard has joined in on the fun. And one of the latest newcomers is Sweden.

Swedish embassy in Second Life
The Swedish Institute, an agency of the Swedish foreign ministry, announced, that they plan to be the first country to create an official Embassy in Second Life. OK, you won't be able to obtain passports or visas in the Second Life Embassy, but you will be provided with information on how to get passports, visas, as well as news on Swedish culture and history. The Swedish Institute's director, Olle Wästberg hopes that the virtual embassy will be modelled after the newly-opened House of Sweden in Washington D.C. Asked why they chose to market Sweden in Second Life, Olle Wästberg answers that this is a new way to get into contact with young, tech-savvy, well-educated people. Second Life is a seemingly cheap and easy way to convince Second Life "residents" to venture into real-life Sweden.

Critics point out that one thing is buying Land in Second Life with Linden Dollars, something else is investing in the computer animation of the virtual embassy and staffing it, so that potential tourists get the information they need right away. If they don't carry the embassy through down to the smallest detail, then it may prove to be an expensive billboard that won't reach its goal.

If the Swedish embassy project succeeds, however, then we won't only find Swedish furniture manufacturer IKEA in Second Life, but future scenarios may also include major companies such as ABB, AstraZeneca, Electrolux, Ericsson, Saab, SAS, and Volvo.

Linden Lab
The technology company Linden Lab started Second Life as an online video game. They created the technology and the basic structure with computer-generated residents ("avatars") and a Linden Dollar currency exchangeable for US dollars (US$ 1 = 270 L$). There are no winners or losers in this game; rather it's a virtual world similar to a real place. Residents meet other residents, socialize, participate in activities and buy virtual items and services from one another. On February 1, 2007 there were 30,000 concurrent residents on-line and 3 million registered accounts. In 2005 a Teen Second Life was developed for 13-17 year old teenagers. Both Second Lives are free, but in the Teen Second Life a parent's credit card is needed to register.

Hype
Second Life has gained massive attention the past 4-5 months, one of the reasons being the astronomical numbers of residents (or "avators"). The term residents™ label is easily associated with "users" or "normal residents". If you look the term "resident" up in a dictionary, then the plain meaning is a person who lives somewhere permanently or on a long-term basis. In Second Life a resident has nothing to do with users at all. Here a Resident is an avatar! Confused? You aren't the only one then. Some users have many avatars and identities. In reality, nobody but the Linden Lab knows how many unique users there actually are. All in all the Second Life terms are confusing and numbers are seemingly inflated. So even though New York Times and CNN quote user figures of a million or more, that doesn't make them any truer.

The first companies or organisations to join Second Life, be it commercial as American Apparel, church as the Vatican or official as the Swedish Embassy, make a big media splash and are considered trend-setting. But not all future companies are going to enjoy the same media spotlight, so a piece of conservative advice may be to continue playing with Linden Dollars, but be careful when playing with US Dollars.

An alternative, "Get a First Life"
Canadian Darren Barefoot has made a one-page parody website using Second Life's layout and trademarked symbols. A banner mocks the media darling. Where Second Life advertises itself by saying, "Your world. Your imagination," his "Get A First Life" website makes us remember that maybe the real world does come with a little unfortunate baggage. "Your world. Sorry about that," it says.

What happened to Barefoot and his "Get a First Life" parody? Was he threatened by Linden Lab lawyers or sued? No, he received at note from Linden Lab saying the folks at the company had been enlightened and "know parody when they see it".

Barefoot also has an offer for America's teens. Their First Life dream world is waiting for them, so he advises them to: "Hang out at the mall! Embarrass yourself in gym class! Get acne! Experiment with mind-altering recreational drugs! The First Life world is your oyster."

Related information
Second Life, www.secondlife.com
Get a first Life, www.getafirstlife.com