Second Life - Research Paper Example

?Second Life® 1st 1st affiliation 1st line of address 2nd line of address Telephone number, incl. country 1st E-mail address ABSTRACT Second life is the world’s most popular virtual world and a very important application for today’s institutions and businesses. A company or organization that has not realized the benefits that come with second life is not in the 21st century and should consider this as a viable business tool. On the other hand this application cannot be separated from the lives of individuals because it has proved to play an essential part in people’s lives. Any person who is not aware or is not using the application should reconsider his or her or her priorities in social life. Many companies are using this application to conduct a variety of activities ranging from internal communication, conducting meetings, product testing, corporate communication among others. It presents the companies with an added advantage as they are able to conduct various activities using this application in a cost effective manner. Meetings are easily conducted with people in various regions; products are easily tested before they are released to the mass market to assess the impact they will have on the target consumers. An organization is also able to publicize its activities not only to the people in the region where it exists but also to many other people from different parts of the world. Individuals using second life live a very different and interesting life as compared to others who are not using it. They learn entrepreneurial skills through the various business activities that are available on second life. Secondly people are able to socialize and get to know each other in the virtual world. Instead of having friends within the same regions individuals can extend their network of friends and enjoy themselves in the various islands that are available on second life. Another important thing about this application is its use is therapy especially treating people with certain disorders or those who have been abused. It is evident from the above points that second life is an important application that has changed the way people and organizations conduct their activities, ranging from communications, product testing, meetings and PR activities to socializing and entrepreneurial activities. This is done without incurring any costs for any of the parties involved. They can use the application to conduct their activities whenever they are whether for organizational or personal benefit. It can thus be concluded that second life actually plays an integral part in organizations and in peoples’ lives. It is an application that is essential for everyday activities and helps people and organizations in doing a variety of things that would actually not have been possible in the real world. 1. SECOND LIFE Second life as popularly known is the largest 3D online virtual world that was developed by Phillip linden of the Linden Laboratories in San Francisco in the United States of America1. It has tens of millions of Square meters of land considered virtual and more than thirteen million numbers of registered members or users also called residents and a very active economy2. It was launched in 2003 by the Linden Laboratories and has changed many aspects of the virtual world industry. Since it was launched way back in 2003 its developers have continued to improve on many aspects of its functionality adding features such as the VoIP that allows various users to speak to one another in the virtual world3. They have also improved on features such as environmental features that imitate the real environment for example the flowing water, wind and tree movements. Figure 1. Number of user hours from 2009- 2011 on second life Year 2009 2010 2010 2010 2010 2011 Months (Quarterly) Oct- Dec Jan- March April-June July-Sept Oct-Dec Jan-March User hours In millions 113 116 109 105 105 104 Source: http://www.metaversejournal.com/2011/05/12/first-quarter-2011-results-for-second-life-steady-sailing/ The users or residents of the second life exist in the virtual world in the form of personal avatars and are allowed to move and spend time in various areas of the virtual world4. They are allowed on locations such as islands and other social areas. There exist other locations that have been created for various purposes and these functions include education, socializing, entertainment and commerce5. Members are also permitted to form groups, create and trade virtual property and other services with one another. This program is intended for use for people who are above the age of sixteen6. 2. WHO USES SECOND LIFE Second life category has been debated for a long period of time without arriving at a possible category to place it. It is argued to be a virtual world, a computer game or a talker. Contrary to the traditional games second life does not have a specific objective, nor the game play mechanics or rules and this disqualifies it from the games category because any individual cannot talk of losing or winning in regard to second life7. Second life provides an extensive world that can be discovered and interacted with and on the other hand it could be used purely as a creative tool because people can change who they are to fit different personalities or things It is actually difficult to say who plays or uses second life. To become a member of second life an individual will need to sign up for an account on its website. The user will then be required to download the second life application that is about twenty megabytes in size. Any person is allowed to register as long as they are sixteen years of age and above. Virtually everyone is using second life; this is because in second life different categories of people exist and have established different things in the world; artists have established their galleries, musicians have held concerts and even authors have read their works in the world. Churches have established their world here as they have conducted services here8. There are other services offered such as counseling where the user in the form of an avatar visits these places and interacts with real therapists in the form of avatars9. Second life has a place known as the Diplomacy Island, here the governments of many real nations found in the world for example Sweden, Estonia have established virtual embassies here and this provides the user with the opportunity to speak to the embassy representatives of those nations about various aspects including history, culture, visa applications and other issues that pertain to those countries and help people travel to those countries to explore in the real world10. There are many people who take part in the Second life economy. These range from the small entrepreneurs to established business people who participate in different commercial activities on second life. The economy is based on the Inward currency of Linden dollars and this allows people to participate in business exchanges, where they exchange real money with virtual assets11. Apart from the normal businesses there are non-profit organizations that have virtual islands in the second life where they share resources and organize for various activities for their members. An example of a Non-profit organization on Second life is the New Media Consortium. There exits colleges and universities in the second life world, some of these have moved from the large university to departments or faculties12. They have established themselves in second life and are majorly for educational purposes. Apart from education these colleges and universities allow users to visit the university, they also engage in recruiting activities for prospective students and conduct fundraising activities. These universities have set up distance learning centers in the second life world and offer courses in the world. The rationale for this is that the sense of presence and live interaction among a class of students from remote areas is more fascinating than when done through any other mode of communication13. Second life offers a variety of social places for residents to interact and get to know one another as if they are in the real world. There are social places such as entertainment joints or clubs where users can access and enjoy themselves while in the virtual world. They can also engage in other activities that they find interesting in order to live in the world14. Some of these activities include games such as racing skiing among others. People can chat interpersonal or in groups and discuss various topics as it occurs in the real world. These topics are not limited and therefore anyone can find anything to talk about thus keeping them engaged for a long as they can manage15. Second life also offers the users especially companies an opportunity to create virtual workplaces that allow employees to virtually meet, to hold events, practice every aspect of corporate communications, conducting training sessions for new employees, simulate virtual business processes and develop sample product prototypes16. There are research centers established here and these include SciLands, American Chemical Society and Virginia techs among others. 3. HOW IT WORKS The mechanisms of operation of second life are very simple. The first step required is to register on the second life website and provide your personal information. This is in line with the company’s policy of ensuring only people of the recommended age have access to Second life17. After the registration process is complete the users are expected to select an avatar from a list that is provided to them during the sign up process. After selecting the avatar and completing this stage, the user is then expected to down load the second life application that runs locally on the computer and communicates with the second life servers that host the entire virtual world18. The avatars initially chosen by the user are the default ones but can be changed to suit the users taste. This can be done through the built in options that allow them to change aspects of the avatar such as hair and clothing. Another option of changing or customizing the avatar is by items that have been created by other people in the second life19. Figure 2. Second Life user Interface Source: http://epa.gov/osp/futures/SecondLifeReview_May07.pdf The basic accounts for new users are usually free but have a few restrictions as concerning land ownership. Premium accounts in second life provide a weekly stipend of linden dollars and allow other features. In order to participate in the second life economy all users are required to purchase Linden dollars that enable them make any transactions20. If a user has all the above they can now start searching for places, people and activities that interest them. The avatars have the ability to teleport to any location available in second life and can navigate either by walking or flying. In order to communicate the developers have enabled chats and other text media, the latest improvement is the VoIP that allows people to speak to one another. As a user continues to interact with others in the virtual world they get things that are stored in the inventory and these can be given to other user or used by the user. Anything is possible in second life ranging from basic day to day functions, gestures to complex activities21. 4. PROBLEMS IT INTRODUCES Although there are a number of positive sides that come with the use of second life a variety of problems exist that spill into our world through its continued use. Some of the advantages of using second life are that it enables for experimentation where simulations can be carried out to test workability of a given approach. For example educator can easily come up with and modify learning spaces to test how different strategies for a physical space affect learning. If positive results are arrived at they can be used in the designing of real world classrooms22. The second advantage is that it allows people from various geographical locations to meet and interact. The third advantage is that it can teach people how to effectively work in groups by giving them an opportunity to experiment with behaviors that they may not be comfortable trying in the real world23. The first problem that spills into our world is the criminal activities that go on in the second life. In second life there is no individual that has authority over the other. There is no jurisdiction over virtual activities and therefore people engage in criminal activities such as gambling, child pornography and pyramid schemes that eventually spill into the real world. Such activities cannot be controlled because the people engaging in the activities are remotely located and use avatars and thereby hiding their true identities. This in the long run leads to increased crime rate as people will tend to think they exist in the law less virtual world and want to practice those activities24. The second problem is that the economy of second life is a sex based economy and this could easily spill into the real world. Most of the land in second life is used for recreational purposes where the users are allowed to engage in economy based activities that include gambling, night club hoping, and sexual activities among others. These activities occur in the real world but they are regulated by laws, and therefore they do not pose a huge threat. These activities could slowly be brought into the economy in case there is laxity in enforcing the laws25. Another problem that exists is the overdependence on technology could lead some people to forget that they exist in the real world. Overdependence on second life erodes their thinking and slowly they start to forget they are in a real world and thus behavior change is bad to individuals as it will result in other problems in the society26. For example when selecting avatars people may choose a different gender and want to see the effects of living in that gender. Continued use of this may start changing an individual into thinking like that gender. This brings about the increase of cases of homosexuality which is has of recent been seen as a big problem in society27. 5. HOW CORPORATIONS USE IT Corporations can do virtually anything on second life. Second life at the moment can be considered to be similar to the internet in the 1990’s where everyone wanted to develop a website in order to accomplish many tasks. The difference is that with second life a user actually interacts with the company as if in the real world, communicates with them and can do a lot of other things that the websites do not support. Many of the fortune 500 companies have established presence in second life because of the perceived benefits that come with the virtual world28. There are a number of activities that corporations in the second life engage in. The first activity is marketing initiatives. Second life has evolved over the years since it was first launched in 2003. The high level of interactivity with users makes it a viable tool for marketing29. Corporations can use it to market their products to the virtual community. In the process of marketing these products, they actually test the product on the few people on second life and if the product works well for them, they then launch the product in the real world. Consumer research is also another aspect of marketing that could be done in second life and the results can be used to customize products for different markets30. PR and communications is used in second life to build the brand and company image. The people who interact with the company in second life get a chance to explore the company and in the process they receive information relevant to their needs. There are various people in second life of different cultures, language and origin. If a company is able to maintain good relations with them in the virtual world the same could be transferred to the real world. People can be provide with information about the various aspects of the company and their reactions be assessed in the process the company may realize what they are lacking and thus help them improve in terms of satisfying needs of various groups of people31. Innovation and product development is another area that corporations can engage in, in second life. Companies can come up with innovative products and test them on the virtual market. The reaction of the people within the virtual world will communicate to the company how the product will be received in the real world32. This is a big advantage for companies because they actually come up with products and engage the people on second life at no cost. The fascinating thing is that they actually get to test the product on the people who are going to use the product on a small scale. They thus develop the product into something that will be appreciated in the real world. A company may also conduct internal and external meetings with both the employees and other company stakeholders. People in second life are able to meet just like the in the real world and therefore companies could use this to talk to employees about various issues relating to the company and especially with those employees who are remotely located33. Group discussions are possible on second life and this gives a company an opportunity to engage people in various aspects such as in product launching are in getting their views about their level of satisfaction with what services they offer in the real world34. 6. SOCIAL AND SOCIETAL IMPACTS The continued use of second life has a huge impact on behavior of individuals. This is because they actually replicate what they do in the virtual world in the real world. The behaviors may be positive or negative depending on the kind of activity one does in second life35. If an individual engages in criminal behaviors solely in second life, the person may develop a liking for those activities because they bring him or her satisfaction, in the long run they will end up practicing those activities in the real world. Secondly on the positive side, users create avatars of different kinds, some create avatars that represent them as influential people in the virtual world, and continued use of this may make the person develop positive self-esteem36. Another aspect of behavior change comes in when people are able to alter their behaviors as motivated by the avatars. These behaviors such as physical fitness and health change can be attributed to the motivation people get from the kind of activities that these avatars can do. If by running everyday an avatar is able to fight others and win, people may change and adopt this lifestyle of exercising by running with the aim of having the fitness to wad of enemies37. Second life teaches people entrepreneurship skills which is a positive aspect to society. In second life people learn how to engage in business exchanges using the linden dollars. They buy and sell property, they develop and sell other innovative products such as clothing, vehicles and this helps them develop business skills38. When people engage in the exchange they in the long run acquire these skills and practice them in the real world thus impacting positively on society. Second life has been used in rehabilitation centers to treat people of varied problems that they are born with or that they have developed as a result of abuse by others in the society. Children who have lived with abusive parents have benefited a lot from second life because it provides a hiding place away from people in the real world39. They get to socialize with people whom they have never met. They are thus able to think positively and translate this to the real world which helps them live like the rest of the children. This shows it could be even more powerful in future by helping solve other emerging problems40. CONCLUSION Second life will eventually change the way things are done around the world. From the simple basic things that people do in order to survive to business and other complex issues. It will transform socializing, learning, business and even entertainment41. It will change individuals into more confident and risk taking individuals. The virtual world just like the internet will come to be an integral part of our daily lives in which it will be difficult to work without it. WORKS CITED [1.] Azzara, Mike. "Virtual Worlds, second life and life Events." 1 Novemeber 2007. content marketing today. 9 October 2011 . [2.] Barnetta, Alessandro. "Fortune 500 companies in Second Life." 5 January 2009. Strategic management and Innovation. 9 October 2011 . [3.] Educause. "7 things you should know about second life." 2008. Educause Learning Initiative. 9 October 2011 . [4.] Linden Labs. Second Life. 2011. 9 October 2011 . [5.] Liu, Chang. "Proceedings of the second education workshop at the second life community convention in San Francisco." Second life education workshop. London,UK: The University of Paisley, 2006, pp 6-9. [6.] MC insights. "Marketing in Second Life and other Virtual Worlds." October 2007. Media Contacts Insights. 9 October 2011 . [7.] Tapley, Rebbeca. Designing your second life: techniques and inspiration for you to design your ideal parallel universe within the online community, Second Life. Berkeley, CA: New Riders, 2007, pp 20-143 [8.] Terdiman, Daniel. The Entrepreneur's Guide to Second Life: Making Money in the Metaverse. Wiley Publishing: Indianapolis, 2007, pp 20-150 [9.] Times Science. how second life affects real Life. 12 May 2008. 9 October 2011 . [10.] Weiten. Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century . London: Cengage learning, 2011, pp 100-240 [11.] White, Brian A. Second Life: A Guide to Your Virtual World By Brian . New York: Que Publishing, 2008, pp 10-200 Read More