Given a chance everyone would love to be something else than what they are. This chance can be thought of as “Second Life” and it allows you to re-invent yourself. Second Life is another world where you can be an entirely different person with a different name( you can keep changing your avatar and be a rock star one day, a super model another day, eventually anything!!! ).On Second Life, we can meet people, socialize, do business, buy/rent a house or land (for which we pay real dollars and buy Linden Dollars which is SL currency), visit designer stores for shopping and what not!
For the first week in SL, I kept wondering what made them develop a software like this, how and why is this useful in our lives and why do people pay real dollars and buy “Linden Dollars”. It seemed very crazy to me. As I started to explore it, I was thrilled!
On SL, I made some friends, explored islands of some real-life organizations, met some people who do business on SL, went into some shopping centers, clubs and fun places. SL also has some health centers that provide some health care information.
Amongst the real-life organizations, I have been to Dell Island, Siemens, IBM, Amazon Web Services, Centrax, AMD and some health-organizations like Reuters Health and Medline Plus and Vassar College. There were lots of other small businesses which I ran into in SL. These small businesses donot exist in real-life but people make their living by doing these businesses on SL !
Real-Life Businesses on Second Life
IBM - Green Data Center
As soon as you enter the IBM Business Center a welcome message says-- “IBM is using Second Life as a venue for customers to explore its data center technologies through a simulated Green Data Center. You can interact with the exhibits, chat with live IBM Representatives (through their Second Life Avatars)”.
I met an IBM Executive at the center, who has been with IBM since 1981 and right now is a program manager. I had a quick voice chat with him during which he started explaining the genesis of the project Green, which led to IBM joining Second Life. In that project, IBM was exploring how 3D Internet can be used for better business as it gives a sense of presence and allows interaction complexities that we cannot achieve with 2D Internet. It started exploring on 3D Internet since 2007. So, IBM has been into second life from the past two and a half to 3 years. It wanted to make sure that they give the right message to their visitors on SL.
During the conversation, the executive took us (there were some more people around) on a Virtual Data Center tour where he showed us the IBM Green Data Center which had Power Distribution Units, Air- Conditioners, Small Control Room, A blade center and also a UPS just like a real data center. One of the advantages that he has mentioned about using SL was that in reality they can’t let people inside the Data Center due to security issues. Using such kind of a virtualization world with 3D visualization and high image quality, a customer can easily view and understand an IBM Data Center better.
While exploring IBM island I also got a chance to involve in a virtual meeting.
IBM conducts these virtual meetings where they discuss about how SL can be used in their business.
DELL
I have also been to Dell Island on SL but couldnot find any representative from Dell to talk to.
Virtual Business - Interview with Salacia Gustafson in Second Life
Well, the following conversation says it all ! :-) (I chatted with her for like more than 2 hours, so I have just included the important points about her business)
Helen Naminosaki: What do you guys do on SL ?
salacia Gustafson: I have a business here. I'm an animatrix
salacia Gustafson: And we are involved in the Gorean community.So I make movements for the characters in Second Life and then I sell them in stores.
Helen Naminosaki: Oh cool
salacia Gustafson: Gor is a community that is based on a series of 28 books written by a man called John Norman.
Helen Naminosaki: What movements have you made till now?
salacia Gustafson: The movements i am making now are part of a gadget called an animation overrider
Helen Naminosaki: How long does it take to createsuch movements?
salacia Gustafson: Something simple like a stand could take as little as 20 minutes but a dance could take up to 12 hours
Helen Naminosaki: Do you have any clients? Whom do you sell these movements to?
salacia Gustafson: To content creators and I advertise in the classifieds
Helen Naminosaki: From how long have you been here?
salacia Gustafson: ummm Since July....2007
Helen Naminosaki: Where is your store? I would love to see it
salacia Gustafson: One moment and i'll give you a landmark
salacia Gustafson gave you GOR-JUS ANIMATIONS, Gorjus Animations (135, 156, 28).
Helen Naminosaki: How different do you think this is from what we have in real - world
salacia Gustafson: Well, that's an interesting question with a very in depth answer
salacia Gustafson: I feel that SL provides an opportunity for people who perhaps can't get out to socialise...
salacia Gustafson: And of course, internationally, you wouldn't meet people with such ease
salacia Gustafson: Its a developing and relatively new world, of course, so there are constant teething problems.
Helen Naminosaki: 2 yrs in SL ... So how many clients do you have
salacia Gustafson: As for me, i'm a middle fish
salacia Gustafson: There are some who are millionaires from here
salacia Gustafson: I do, however, earn a r/t full tiem living from here.
Helen Naminosaki: wow!
.....................................
I was absolutely shocked to know that people make their real-time living by doing business on SL !!!
All in all had a great experience :)
