What is Second Life and What isn't it?

This is Gem's 'Quick and Dirty' Version. For a more introspective, intelligent glimpse, please read Kel's highly insightful blurb on the nature of the beast that is Second Life.

Second Life is a 'virtual world'. It is something of a 'simulation' of life, with people creating representations of themselves in a computer environment. In Second Life, most of the content (places and things you see, like nature, cities, etc.) are created by the people in it.

Second Life is free to download, and free to play. It will require you to identify yourself as an adult, as Second Life is for adults aged 18+.

Second Life is a fantasy world as endless as the human imagination. There are sights that will dazzle, or dismay. Since people are living their personal version of a fantasy life in this world, they may present themselves as any type of person or thing. You will see people dressed as animals, that may refer to themselves as 'furries', you may see an exotic 'slave woman' and a stern 'Master' who call themselves 'Gorean', and you will undoubtedly witness every shade of thing in between, both cute (as in miniature bunny rabbits, or my little pig avatar with wings), or disturbing (a green slime oozing zombie).

Second Life isn't censored, or rather, is only limited by the Terms of Service, which isn't much. It is possible to find, on the grid, anything the human mind can concoct, so this would include a wide array of fetishes and/or roleplay that are too ugly to even detail, in 'adult themed' mature sims (blocks of 'land' or 'property'). To avoid anything that might offend, there are many rated PG areas to explore, that are devoid of sexuality, or coarse language. This includes educational facilities, museums, government agencies (yes, from the real world!), group discussions, and much more.

Second Life is capitalistic. To have the best of the best in Second Life, and to own their own chunk of pixelated land, people spend real life currency. It is possible to earn this currency (called lindens), if one so desires. If one is an artist, or an entrepreneur with money to invest, it is even possible to earn real income in this 'game that isn't a game', but one should be experienced, for the latter, and even then it's still a long shot.

Second Life isn't a game... or is it? Whether or not Second Life is 'only a game' or not, depends on how you play it. It may be entirely real. There's no denying the fact that real feelings and dollars are on the line in the place. You've just got to realize that what may be 'real' or 'fake' to you, may be the opposite to that other avatar on your screen. As for me? I hope to do many real things in Second Life, that have real and lasting consequences, hopefully most of them positive. Any place on the net where people put pixelated bathtubs and armchairs in pixelated houses.. has a hefty dose of 'pretend'.

And I love it.

Continue on to Kel's article