Using virtual worlds - Essay Example

Using Virtual Worlds In the present world one of the most important and trendy issues isto do with the interactivity of people. The demands for interaction between people has led to the development of online platforms through which people can interact with each other. The one which is in question in this case is Second Life. This refers to an online virtual world through which users, called residents can be in a position to interact with each other, socialize and also create virtual property and trade virtually with each other.

For the purpose of getting to understand the issues involved, it may be of the essence to examine some of the pertinent facts related to the site. The sign up process is one which is rather easy and one which a person can easily comprehend. This is because the things which are demanded are within reach of the person who is interested. For starters, a person has to come up with an avatar, which is the equivalent of a photo. The user then has to choose a preferable username and check whether it is available for use or whether it has been taken by another user.

After this, the user has to give some personal information such as the date of birth and the email. After this is done, the account can be activated. Some of the issues which were encountered in the course of this is the fact that it may be difficult for an individual to set up an avatar because some people may not prefer to use their own photos. Coming up with a username may also be a difficult affair because identity is something which people may want to safeguard.In as much as there are good things associated with the site, especially on the side of an individual’s social life, there are some security concerns which may come up in the course of using the site.

The first one in this case is when an individual gives out too much information to an extent that another party may use this information to bring harm to the person. The second one is that there may be unscrupulous individuals who may pose as authentic users when in actual sense they may be having ill intentions and in the end up causing harm to the user. There are limited privacy settings which may still be surpassed by people who may want to cause online harm. For example, the passwords of the users may be hacked.

This online interaction platform is one of the many internet platforms which are being developed for the purpose of boosting the way people relate with each other. There are those people who prefer to interact over the internet as opposed to doing so in private. This is where the aspect of online social media comes in. Ideas can also be shared through such a platform for the benefit of those who interact with each other here. An account which has been set up here may survive in the future if it is used for the right purpose.

At the same time, too much information should not be divulged due to the fact that not everyone on the internet is genuine.Works Cited Mark & Robbins, Sarah Second Life for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Pub., 2008. Print.Rymaszewski, Michael. Second Life The Official Guide. Sybex Inc, 2008.