Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

We think of the Internet as the virtual world but it is more than that. Second Life is a website that literally provides a second life on the Web. You can create your own avatar or virtual representation of yourself and stroll around virtual towns, businesses and meet other individuals like you. Some people create businesses where you can create a product and sell them for virtual dollars as well as for real money. These products can vary from art to exercise equipment. These businesses help foster creativity as well as that you can design your avatar to look like anyone even they look nothing like you. People can purchase their own land and build a castle if they choose. People can voice their opinions and help make the site better. This is similar to the article Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers, where many individuals are encouraged by Twitter to help the site grow.

Some people even pursue relationships with individuals from Second Life. Though these things sound good, relationships on the internet can be dangerous, especially since Second Life shows nudity and sexual encounters virtually. These things need to be regulated so if young individuals join the sites, they are not subject to these encounters.
Maybe in the future, we can enter these Second Life and connect on the internet and do things
that we would not normally do in our real lives.

Sources:
Twitter Serves Up Ideas From Its Followers by CLAIRE CAIN MILLER, the New York Times, October 26, 2009. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/technology/internet/26twitter.html

Picture:http://www.westcomm.org/publications/news/october07/secondlife_1.jpg