11 November 2008

Linden Labs attempts to join the first and second life

Linden Labs, creators of the alternative reality known as Second Life have announced a new annual award known as the Linden prize. If you've ever dreamed of winning a Nobel Prize but spent far too much time playing computer games, then the Linden prize may be for you. The winner of the $10,000 grand prize will be the person or team whose project has the largest positive impact on the real world.

Depending on how integrated you are into the physical world, you may not have even be aware that there was a second world to visit. With 2.4 million virtual residents, Second Life has the growing population of a small country, somewhere in between Latvia and Oman. The virtual reality is exactly as the name suggests; a virtual replica of reality, with only a few minor changes.

So if you do happen to travel into the Second Life, here are a few recommendations of the best places to visit. Top of the list is sightseeing in 'New Berlin' or 'Virtual Moscow, but if you're looking for a more relaxing evening why not visit the Blarney Stone bar? With three 'live' concerts per week, the digital watering hole is constantly growing its fanbase amongst the virtual community.

You would be forgiven for thinking that Second Life is just another cult game with a large geek following. There are of course two million people who would disagree with you however. More than just a computer game, Second Life is more akin to a community of idealists and visionaries, all avid believers of the Linden Labs utopian mission; to 'connect all people to an online world that advances the human condition'. Enter the Linden award, which of course only awards people whose achievements have a positive effect on the real world as well as the virtual.

The main opposition to any cynicism will come from organisations such the universities and museums which have already taken residence in this virtual world. Both Harvard and Stanford universities are already holding classes, while the Dresden Museum is running a major exhibition with works such as Raphael's "Sistine Madonna" or Giorgione's "Sleeping Venus" available for virtual viewing.

Seeing the branding potential of Second Life, large companies such as Vodafone, Nesquik and Lavassa coffee have all entered the digital dimension. So far these efforts have shown reasonable amounts of success, with many members of the digital community even spending their virtual Linden dollars on the company's products.

While it's easy to poke fun at online communities such as Second Life, it's impossible to deny that a community that strives to 'advance the human condition' is a positive thing. The niggling question is; has Second Life really connected people to an online world that 'advances the human condition' or just disconnected people from the real world where the possibility of advancing the human condition is more than virtual? Excuse me while my Second Life character pops of for a holiday in New Berlin to ponder the question. . .

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