Second Life is a 3D virtual world. Just tried it and was absolutely amazed by its functionality (including a virtual economy), customisability, and the whole “feel” of it. We hear at the CWF about how are residents using this world to do things that they wouldn’t be otherwise able to, even at work. I’ve tried not to use it too much because it is quite addictive.

Talking with a friend of mine about it he came to the conclusion that the danger of it (exposed in many cyberpunk novels before) is that people would use these kind of virtual worlds to escape reality. Whereas I’m sure that some will do exactly that, I believe most people will learn to live with it, as it is a tool to engage imagination and create something new, which in the physical world may not exist.

Could anybody with more experience on it share their insight?