Case study Is your life a Second Life ?78 Sally Rao Hill, University of Adelaide Given the extent to which young consumers use the internet, online virtual environments are arguably an ideal place to reach them. In recent years. virtual worlds have taken the internet by storm and become one the most popular applications. There are hundreds of virtual worlds to choose from, each targeting a different segment of the population. There are virtual worlds geared toward children, such as Disney's Toontown. Club Penguin and Pirates of the Caribbean. There are also virtual worlds for teens, such as Whyville, Habbo Hotel and Second Life for Teens And finally, there are virtual worlds geared towards adults, including The Sims, World of Warcraft and Second Life. Thus, there is something for everyone. Second Life, a three-dimensional virtual world created by US company Linden Labs. was released in 2003. While other virtual worlds exist, none has matched the popularity of Second Life. This is due to its strong user base and its attraction to new users, with some attributing its popularity to the wide range of in- world activities. Most virtual worlds allow users to create an 'avatar , which is the user's self-representation or alter ego. This avatar can be a realistic facsimile of their real identity or, in the case of many virtual worlds like Second Life, a robot, animal, mythical creature or other graphical representation. Avatars in Second Life can communicate through chat, instant messaging and even voice chat. They interact with each other in virtual public and private places that mirror real-life settings. such as shopping malls, bars, nightclubs, historical places, and so on, as well as in user-developed alternative realities. Users of Second Life can even buy virtual land, in sizes ranging from small lots to entire private islands. They can then build virtually anything one could want on their land (for a price). What makes Second Life different from other virtual worlds is that residents own the material and content they create in Second Life and may sell it to other users in exchange for virtual money known as Linden Dollars (LS). These Linden Dollars may then be exchanged for real currency via the Second Life Exchange at a floating exchange rate. Income earned in Second Life may be kept in a virtual bank (and earn interest) or exchanged. It can be substantial, even complementing the user's real-life salary. Many companies have created a virtual presence in Second Life that simulates their real-world company. These allow users to find out more about their company or, in some cases, actually purchase products from their virtual outlets. Dell built a computer on its island that allows avatars to explore and see how a computer works. Starwood Hotels created a detailed, realistic mock-up of a hotel it planned to build and invited users to come in' and look around. They received very detailed feedback, which they took into consideration when they built the actual hotel, saving a significant amount of money and resulting in more satisfied clientele. Another group that has embraced Second Life is educational institutions. There are now more than 300 colleges and universities in Second Life and that number is growing. Colleges and universities, like corporations, are looking at ways to reach younger clients and save on operating costs. Given younger Second Life. students propensity for computer technology, many educational institutions are now even offering classes in The next five years will see a dramatic shift in the number of students taking courses online rather than on traditional campuses. Driven by financial as well as social needs, more courses will be offered online including entire degrees at some institutions. QUESTIONS worlds? 1 Do you have a virtual identity in a virtual world? If so, which one? If not, what do you think about virtual 2 Would you go to a virtual class set up by this course? Why or why not? 3 How would you go about marketing a new model of a mobile phone on Second Life