Regular People in Community: Where Being is the Point

"It's a gigantic, user-driven, massively-multiplayer 3d virtual world. It's never going to be as simple as a 2-slot toaster."

Second Life is a lot more fun than making toast though. It's a place where regular people gather in community where just the "being" is the point.

No dragons to slay in a challenge for rank. No fair maidens to rescue. . .  unless you want to dream one up or engage someone to play the part  And that's because although there is no quests, no points nor any prizes built in, you CAN create anything in Second Life.

Maidens, word games, walking fish, space ships, fountains, and your dream house.

My thing is attending educational or networking events like the one pictured at NonProfit Commons with Anika Pastorelli, DonPaul Cale, Saitek Landar and others.

Even simple things like decorating homes or planting gardens are among some of my favorite virtual activities.

Others friends would prefer to change hair color twelve times in an hour and that's fun too. Why not after all. I don't chose to add wings or fins to explore new ways to express my personality but it's all there available to us.

Others who use the Second Life platform:

• tour Dell and other islands
• raise funds for their favorite charity
• attend a support group
• take a ride in a virtual gondola
• make a living from creating content for other users to buy 
• dance while listening to music while chatting with people from around the world
• drive race cars
• listen to a live music performance

It's all possible. I've even got a toaster in second life. A designer created that content and I bought it.

So that makes Second Life's appeal about creativity and ingenuity and a small business economy. It's about a community. It's about learning.

It's about life, but on another level.