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    The Making of Second Life: Notes from the New World
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    The Making of Second Life: Notes from the New World
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    The Making of Second Life: Notes from the New World
    Ebook323 pages5 hours

    The Making of Second Life: Notes from the New World

    By Wagner James Au

    4.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    The wholly virtual world known as Second Life has attracted more than a million active users, millions of dollars, and created its own—very real—economy.

    The Making of Second Life is the behind-the-scenes story of the Web 2.0 revolution's most improbable enterprise: the creation of a virtual 3-D world with its own industries, culture, and social systems. Now the toast of the Internet economy, and the subject of countless news articles, profiles, and television shows, Second Life is usually known for the wealth of real-world companies (Reuters, Pontiac, IBM) that have created "virtual offices" within it, and the number of users ("avatars") who have become wealthy through their user-created content.

    What sets Second Life apart from other online worlds, and what has made it such a success (one million-plus monthly users and growing) is its simple user-centered philosophy. Instead of attempting to control the activities of those who enter it, the creators of Second Life turned them loose: users (also known as Residents) own the rights to the intellectual content they create in-world, and the in-world currency of Linden Dollars is freely exchangeable for U.S. currency. Residents have responded by generating millions of dollars of economic activity through their in-world designs and purchases—currently, the Second Life economy averages more than one million U.S. dollars in transactions every day, while dozens of real-world companies and projects have evolved and developed around content originated in Second Life.

    Wagner James Au explores the long, implausible road behind that success, and looks at the road ahead, where many believe that user-created worlds like Second Life will become the Net's next generation and the fulcrum for a revolution in the way we shop, work, and interact. Au's story is narrated from both within the corporate offices of Linden Lab, Second Life's creator, and from within Second Life itself, revealing all the fascinating, outrageous, brilliant, and aggravating personalities who make Second Life a very real place­—and an illuminating mirror on the real (physical) world. Au writes about the wars they fought (sometimes literally), the transformations they underwent, the empires of land and commerce they developed, and above all, the collaborative creativity that makes their society an imperfect utopia, better in some ways than the one beyond their computer screens.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 13, 2009
    ISBN9780061747243
    Unavailable
    The Making of Second Life: Notes from the New World

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    Reviews for The Making of Second Life

    4.5/5

    7 ratings5 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This book was written in 2007. Some predictions might be not relevant today but it is still interesting to see what people had thought about the metaverse. As discussion about the metaverse is getting more attention nowadays, reflecting on our past notion might give us better picture what works and what does not.
    • 5/5
      I haven't been part of this brave new world for too long, and feel I am still finding my way. I turned to this book because I wanted, above all some sense of perspective. I found this book by "embedded" Reuters journalist Wagner James Au absolutely fascinating. Au covers the early history, subsequent developments, and possible future paths that Second Life might take, painting a portrait of a complex and constantly evolving society. Much of the story of SL is told through interviews with the remarkable individuals who helped to shape the early community in-world, and Au treats his subjects with the respect and affection they merit, but always with an amused eye. I am keener than ever to be a contributing member of this new society and not just another "blingtard"!
    • 4/5
      Pulling together the history and community of a world like second life and wrapping it up in book form is complicated, but Au does an amazing job. For those, like me, who have spent a treasure of time in SL it was quite enjoyable. There was a lot of history I was unaware of, some history that I remember experiencing, and even bits of history that I have unknowingly lived through. His accounts of this virtual world hold true in practice, and as with most users, inspires me to spend some more time exploring the ever-changing landscape that is SL.
    • 4/5
      Not only is this book a good introduction to and history of Second Life, the popular 3-D online community and "virtual world," it's a solid cultural anthropology. Au's outlining of themes such as bebop reality, mirrored flourishing, and impression society are thoughtful, as well as thought provoking. This book has changed how I think about the virtual world, which has had more impact on the world and people's lives than I realized. Now I just need to spend more time there.
    • 4/5
      Au’s book is inspiring! Admittedly, I have always been curious, yet skeptical about Second Life. I have never taken the time to really explore the virtual world –sure, I have logged in a few times, but I have never really “lived” in SL. After getting a glimpse behind the scenes at SL, I am completely in awe of what can be accomplished in SL. I am left with more questions than answers…and as Martha would say, that is a good thing! My avatar is now ready to explore SL!