I've been a big fan of this whole Web 2.0 business. I've been an Internet buff since its inception (that is, when Al Gore invented it...), and always tried to keep myself ahead of the curve. I have to say, though, that recent events are not helping me keep up. Seems like you have to be on the web 24/7 in order to really keep up with all the new stuff coming out. It's not enough to be registered to the Google friends newsletter any longer...
In a recent bike trip with some friends someone mentioned Second Life (aka SL). The guy, who was no big maven was then bombed with questions in the form of "are you serious? what does a grown up, a well established contributing member of society (first life society, that is) have to do in a virtual world, and why on earth would you be messing around in kids' games?
Well, from mockery I turned to curiosity. It was right around the time he told us that the reason he got himself an "avatar" on SL was that his company - one of the largest companies in the world in its field - had asked him to snoop around and see how they can get themselves an "Island" in SL, so that their presence in the virtual world is just as real as in the real world.
Wow - now that sounds weird. A virtual world so "real" that real companies would actually want to open a branch there? I'm intrigued.
Well, those of you who know SL are probably laughing right now. When I finally got myself an avatar I found a "world" that is as large as the country I live in (Israel). It has the same amount of residents, and the citizens are taking all very seriously. My initial thinking about this whole business being a kids game vaporized the minute I walked into a place called Erotic Sinful Desires. Keep your kids away...
Bottom line - SL seems to be pretty darn real. And if it's real - I want a piece.
My name is Itai Hax (they don't let you choose your last name in this world. I didn't bother to ask why). I'm an avatar.
