From the article Brave New Virtual World: Second Life

As Tari Triellis, I, the author, set out to explore Second Life for the first time. Selecting a name for my avatar took time, and selecting apparel for her was another task, although not an unpleasant one. I could see how it would be tempting to shop inworld for glamorous clothing for my avatar.

In my inworld wanderings, I visited a bookstore where, if you clicked on the virtual books, you would be connected to a description of the book on a Web site. I wandered into a rental agency and later received a real-world e-mail asking if I wanted to rent inworld real estate.

I also watched a “machinima” – a film made entirely in a virtual world – of a meteor impact simulation on the Martian surface. I floated across empty seas and through deserted museums and lush, mystical forests, occasionally meeting another avatar to whom I could have text-messaged or spoken but didn’t – nor did they to me. I look forward to attending an inworld event sometime soon, however. I hear that avatars gather to attend National Public Radio’s “Science Friday” program every week.

Interested in visiting Second Life?

Visitors can download the program at www.secondlife.com, where they also will learn the computer requirements for the game and find information on membership plans and their costs and benefits. A free-access basic plan is available for those who just want to get their cyberfeet wet. Information is presented on purchasing virtual land and on the value of the inworld currency, the Linden dollar, which represents real-world hard cash.

A presence for your organization?

A platform called Second Life Preview Grid is specifically designed for organizations that are interested in establishing an inworld presence. Providing various channels of communication, including images, audio, video, text and voice, the program enables companies to engage in virtual meetings, job interviews, training sessions, meetings and project collaboration, which could reduce the expenses of real-life travel and downtime. Organizations can establish private or public 3-D meeting spaces where participants can communicate using voice and text in real time, according to the Second Life Web site.