by Tim Hawthorne

Created on: July 05, 2007   Last Updated: January 19, 2011

Second Life is the most popular free 3D virtual world on the Internet at this present time. There are over 7,504,278 people from right round the world. Second life allows individuals to interact by using avatars, which can be controlled through the use of a client program. The users of this virtual world are called residents. The residents are able to socialize, participate in group activities and create and trade in items with other residents.

Residents can communicate in second life through local chat or global messaging. Local chat has different modes such as whisper, shout and normal, each having a different distance which other residents can hear what you have said. Global chat, which can be referred to as Instant Messaging, similar to MSN messenger and Yahoo Chat is used for a more private conversation with residents, with more on a one to one conversation.

Second Life has its own economy and own dollar, which is called Linden Dollar ($) and like most currencies it fluctuates with exchange rates. This economy allows residents to buy and sell items in Second Life using the Linden Dollar; some residents earn an income solely made out of the Linden Dollar. Free membership allows the residents to interact with each other and be able to do most things in Second Life; however a free membership cannot own land. To own land in Second Life you must be a premium member. Once a resident has brought land they are able to sell and use the land for any purpose they choose.

Since you have to rent land to use it, you find that the majority of buildings in Second Life are casinos or clothes shops. The casinos are huge money earners and allow the owners to get money quick and pay for the land quickly, while earning a nice profit. Clothes shops are for residents to buy clothes for their virtual body, which are created by the owner of the shop themselves. Apart from clothes shops and casinos there is not much else, which shows a lot of people in Second Life are not innovative and thought of anything that residents might like to buy. But you also find nightclubs in Second Life, which happen to be next door to a clothing store, so you get the impression they are working together to make money off the residents.

Other employment opportunities which exist within Second Life include bodyguard, wedding planner, dancer, musician, nightclub owner, tattooist, pet manufacturer, casino owner, game developer, publisher, private detective, writer, gamer, publicist, theme park developer,

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