Inglese - Second life - Riassunto esame, prof. Rainey

Experience of the professor in Second Life

This text was taken from “The Economist”. In the first part, the writer describes the experience of the professor in Second Life. How Second Life helped him to explain to his students how their patients suffer. It was written by a professor of psychiatry at the University of California. He teaches about schizophrenia but he was never able to explain to his students how his patients suffer.

So, the professor went online and downloaded some free software and entered Second Life. The professor created hallucinations using Second Life. The web improved understanding of schizophrenia. After the professor leases an island in Second Life where he has built a clinic. He gives his students “avatars” so they can attend his lectures inside and then experience hallucinations.

What is Second Life

After the writer explains what Second Life is. Second Life is a 3-D virtual world created by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it isn’t a game; many people use it for things that are serious. Many people use it as a communications medium (for example, it is possible to give an interview in Second Life). The users can create and be anything that they want. Second Life connects people.

The history of Second Life

Second Life was born 3 years ago by Linden Lab and its founder, Philip Rosedale, had the idea to construct something that would allow people to extend reality by building a virtual life. In Second Life, the residents can build what they want and they can copy, modify and transfer the objects, and so can create a trade in world-currency (moneta virtuale), the Linden Dollars. The Linden Dollars are exchangeable for hard currency (valuta reale). The residents should own the intellectual property inherent in their creations.

To enter Second Life, one needs to create an avatar and download the software that has to be installed on the computer. Linden Lab does not sell advertising; it makes money when residents lease property.

Conclusion

Second Life is unique in which the users conceive what they sell; so it is defined as the only example of a self-sustained economy on the internet.