A Second Chance
By Kylie Holland
“We human beings have often been referred to as social an
imals. But we are not yet community creatures. We are impelled to relate with each other for our survival. But we do not yet relate with the inclusivity, realism, self-awareness, vulnerability, commitment, openness, freedom, equality, and love of
genuine community. It is clearly no longer enough to be simply social animals, babbling together at cocktail parties and brawling with each other in business and over boundaries. It is our task--our essential, central, crucial task--to transform ourselves from mere social creatures into community creatures. It is the only way that human evolution will be able to proceed.”
The Different Drum: Community-Making and Peace (1)
A man named Abraham Maslow proposed a theory on the basis of human needs called ‘Maslow's hierarchy of needs’. In a triangle from bottom to top he lists the most important needs in a human’s life.
Reingold explains that ‘People in virtual communities do just about everything people do in real life, but we leave our bodies behind.’ Therefore to establish a true representation of the real world, a virtual community would have to include the majority of Maslow’s triangle of needs. Second Life allows a user to experience this life and is an example of a successful virtual community that includes these needs virtually and realistically.
Created by Lincon Lab in 2003, Second Life ‘is the leading virtual world development platform for the creation of virtual goods and immersive, engaging and productive 3D spaces u
sed by individuals, artists, corporations, governments, academic institutions and non-profits.’(2) The name Second Life is a true representation of itself as it offers just that, a chance to start over. The chance to have a new life, a better life. Reingold’s theories of s virtual community are not far from Maslow’s triangle. He states that a virtual community should include three things.
Firstly, individuality where people have ‘perceptions, thoughts, and personalities’ that can be adapted to certain situations. Second Life allows users to choose the look of their avatar, control their actions, buy them property, clothes, and much more. It encourages users to use the Linden Scripting Language, which allows users to personally help develop the virtual world through programming. The sky is the limit. Users can program and animate any object imaginable. They exercise individuality and creativity to create the unimaginable– a stock exchange, virtual clubs, clothing accessories, emotions, create games, London fashion week, businesses and so much more. The expansion of virtual worlds is due to the contribution of worldwide users. Together, they create Utopia.
Secondly, the ‘level of person-to-person interaction where relationships, friendships, and communities happen.’ (1) Second Life encourages users to interact with each other avatars
and explore their surroundings. The platform creates a worldwide interaction opportunity like no other. Avatars can inhabit and interact with each other as they can talk via chat or voice over’s, become friends, flirt, cuddle, join a variety of organizations and be introduced to diverse culture’s from around the world. Simulation programs have been created in Second Life. DeGast-Kennedy explains, ‘Learners
have the opportunity to become much better equipped to handle real life situations and to make more appropriate decisions on matters of urgency because Second Life gives them a tool through which they can develop these skills in a safe yet virtually real environment.’
(3) This learning tool has not only helped improve grades but has allowed learners to interact and explore actual places, landmarks and scenario’s through virtual tours. Historians can see an imitation of the Egyptian pyramids, Avatars can fly up the Eifel Tower, practicing doctors can experiment on virtual patients and Avatars can attend virtual classrooms while their user controls them from the comfort of their own homes.
It has taken Google learning and surfing the web to a whole new level by disregarding traditional learning methods. It has expanded the possibilities and boundaries of learning to a virtual encounter of real situations and scenes that books and the web alone, cannot provide.
Thirdly, a social level must be achieved– ‘a combination of communication and physical power and the role of communications media among the citizenry is particularly important in the politics of democratic societies.’ (1) Second Life has incorporated these qualities in many ways. Users can create and sell virtual good’s inworld for actual money and have full ownership of their virtual creations. ‘A recent report from market research firm Strategy Analytics predicts that the adult social virtual world population will grow from 11.5 billion in 2009 to 32.5 billion in 2015.’(4)
As the number of users continue to grow, so do the figures. Strategy Analytics predict ‘that microtransactions are expected to grow to $17.3 billion in 2015 accounting for approximately 86% of the revenue generated by virtual worlds.’(4) This virtual community is creating money out of thin air– literally. An online user and successful virtual entrepreneur, Chuang, explains ‘"This virtual role-playing economy is so strong that it now has to import skills and services from the real-world economy."(5)
Businesses have the opportunity to enter the virtual world. Live conferences, meetings, PowerPoint presentations and other learning simulations create a business friendly environment for all. They are encouraged to use the advertising advantages of Second Life and the space provided to create virtual goods.
Second Life is a useful way of understanding contemporary online life as it includes social network basics, games, music, education, business development, personal achievements, shopping, entertainment, the power of expansion and an ever growing community. Created with qualities from leading sites– Facebook, Ebay, Skype, Google, MSN and YouTube– I believe this community will continue to expand (with time and better broadband connections) into a true representation of a Utopian-ized idea of life.
Word Count: 1077
References
1.) http://www.rheingold.com/vc/book/intro.html
2.) http://develop.secondlife.com/develop-in-lsl/
3.) http://education.secondlife.com/successstories/case/loyalist/
4.) http://www.strategyanalytics.com/default.aspx?mod=PressReleaseViewer&a0=4745
5.) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15163036/
6.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs
7.) http://work.secondlife.com/en-US/
8.) http://education.secondlife.com/whysl/
10.) http://develop.secondlife.com/whysl/
11.) http://secondlifegrid.net/
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