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Second Life | Governance | The Flat World

Second Life

Second Life is a virtual world launched by Linden Labs in 2003. People participate by downloading an application to their computer and registering for a free or premium paid account. This online virtual world represents an early, somewhat primitive version of what could eventually become a virtual reality. Current technological infrastructure has trouble handling this type of simulation, with Second Life suffering from interruptions in service due to bandwidth issues and programming bugs. However, with the advent of technologies such as cloud hosting (which load balances between many different servers, significantly increasing computing power), bandwidth improvements due to increased proliferation of fiber optics, and more powerful home computers, a more encompassing, realistic virtual reality is on the horizon.

One particularly interesting aspect of Second Life is that it has a virtual economy in which Linden Dollars can be traded for real world currencies. In fact, Second Life has developed a significant economy particularly due to investment from corporations which seek a presence in Second Life (which they see as cutting edge and important to their strategic positioning).