Inside the World of Second Life
Meet seven residents of this virtual world who wheel and deal in a real economy. Some are even making good money
by Rob Hof
Virtual world Second Life, created by Linden Lab of San Francisco, is a place to socialize via one's avatar, or onscreen graphic character. Second Life "residents" can build just about any object from scratch, using LEGO-style building blocks from onscreen menus, and use them on virtual plots of land for sale or rental.
Unlike in any other virtual world, residents own their own creations, so they can buy and sell them freely with virtual currency that is readily convertible into or out of U.S. dollars. A real economy has sprung up inside Second Life, in which more than $5 million worth of transactions -- in real U.S. dollars -- are conducted each month among the 165,000 participants. Several thousand people run real businesses inside Second Life, some making enough to earn a real-world living. Here's a look at some of the most prominent Second Life businesspeople.