The deadline (April 16) for finishing all the Things is rapidly approaching, so we have to get on the stick. Part of the problem with getting through the Things quickly is our phone internet connection at work. It is obvious that most Web 2.0 stuff was created for high-speed internet.
I examined Thing 15 at home this morning (am writing this post from home right now, in fact). Thing 15 gave us a choice of two games to check out and I chose Second Life. I’ve heard a lot about Second Life. It’s a game – and I use the term game loosely here – in which those participating are creating an online world. You can go to Second Life and create an avatar, which is your online character. Through your avatar you can build houses and businesses or buy islands and create your own world.
The world of Second Life meshes in interesting ways with the “real” world. For one, Second Life’s currency, the Linden, can be traded for real cash. Advertisers have caught on to the online gaming environment, so you’ll see ads for real products in Second Life. Also, “real” people, for example authors and musicians, can create avatars on Second Life and host readings or concerts in Second Life venues that others can attend.
When you click on the Second Life link above, what you’ll soon discover is that you can’t actually enter Second Life without signing up for an account and creating an avatar. I couldn’t figure out how to just look around in Second Life without signing up, anyway. Maybe I missed something.
There are museums and libraries who have a presence on Second Life. While this is certainly a tool to consider for reaching a new audience, I think that managing a world in Second Life would take quite a bit of time away from managing a museum or library in the real world. If we were going to try something like this, we’d have to have more staff.