Second Life is just an amplified rat race Ever wonder why Second Life residents shell out cash for virtual booze and the latest slouchy boots trends? So do we.

Second Life has some firms second guessing While Second Life is indisputably the largest virtual world in which corporations are setting up shop to reach customers and prospects, limitations such as security and scalability are causing some b-to-b marketers and agencies to re-evaluate the venue’s potential.

Second Life to Be Linked to Web Cory Ondrejka, co-founder and chief technology officer of Linden Lab, the operator of Second Life, said in an August interview with National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation that the San Francisco company wants to integrate Second Life more with the Web and three-dimensional online games, such as World of Warcraft.

Virtual Worlds: The Plan, The Plan, You Have to Have a Plan According to a new report from The Conference Board, virtual worlds like Second Life, Kaneva, and There are rapidly emerging on the business landscape. At the same time, says The Conference Board, few companies have developed strategies to deal with them.

Spanish leader in surprise Second Life launch Independent firm Cuatrecasas has marked a new phase in its expansion beyond its Spanish heartlands after launching a new office in Second Life, the virtual world boasting more than a million users globally.

Cuatrecasas becomes the first Spanish law firm to launch an office in the virtual world, joining mid-tier City firm Field Fisher Waterhouse in boasting a Second Life presence.

Learning via alternative reality Without leaving the confines of a room in the Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts, Terra Sieberman spoke with leaders in her field from Chicago, South Carolina and Texas.

She also went surfing. And showed off her St. Bernard puppy. Oh yeah, and flew.

The Second Life Project Second Life Project provides You with tools to shape Your Dreams into virtual reality! With our collection of software, and connection to leading programmers your idea will be built and shared with everyone visiting Second Life.

Nonprofit Commons in Second Life Survives Griefing Attack Today, the griefers arrived. The Nonprofit Commons was one of several dozen sims attacked with mutant ninja turtle posters. Susan Tenby, on the Second Life and Nonprofits Blog, reports what it is like to be in the middle of it all:

The griefing made it dizzying and unpleasant to be in the NPC sim, but I was still able to talk to avatars. I got bumped around a bit, but it was a little like trying to have a conversation in a hailstorm or a typhoon. The rain though, in this case was hundreds of little square teenage mutant ninja turtle posters. There was also a deafening scream, but I just muted my computer.

Solar Eclipse Planetarium Here is another great spot to visit, the Solar Eclipse Planetarium by Aimee Weber, although there are not any notecards that I can find with any information, the visuals are most definitely worth checking out.

Top 20 Educational Locations in Second Life Second Life features hundreds of fascinating locations for learning and teaching. This is the list of “top” locations as decided by Wiki consensus. Feel free to add and subtract from the list but let’s keep this to 20 places - this format ensures the most up-to-date list.

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Getting the mix right - manga style “I am influenced by Japanese animation, like the film Ghost in the Shell,” says Eunsun, her eyes widening as I explain that I have no idea what she is referring to. She thinks I’m joking as she continues to explain that the car is conceptually rooted in computer games, and visually influenced by manga comics, anime (Japanese animation) and Second Life.

Getting serious about virtual worlds An interview with Serious Virtual Worlds Conference director David Wortley, who answers some questions on what all the fuss is about on virtual worlds.

Are 3D Virtual Worlds The Future Of Global Commerce? ICANN CEO Says “YES” ICANN CEO, Paul Twomey recently told the audience of the 2007 Influence Forum, that virtual worlds are the future of global commerce.

He feels that fields including retail, client services, B2B and advertising would all be using some form of virtual platform to compete in the future.

Zed Essex On Second Life: If Only It Worked! I came across a very thoughtful post by Zed Essex which is well worth the read. There are two paragraphs I’ll borrow from If only it Actually Worked!!!!

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