Second Life observation: Will the virtual world replace the Internet?

Recently, the media on the Second Life "virtual World" (Second), the current, the United States, IBM, Bank of America, General Motors, BMW and other 100 multinational companies, the Swedish embassy, Reuters and other organizations, as well as 4.5 million registered residents settled Second life. The virtual world has gradually become a combination of technology, economy, society and politics. Linden Labs Laboratory, Second Life will overwhelm (dwarf) the Internet over the next decade.

What is a "virtual world"? What is the charm of the "virtual world" represented by Second Life? For the IT industry, such questions are needless, but for the average person, we need to define the next popular definition. I understand the "virtual world", is based on computer simulation environment, with virtual characters as the carrier, the user habitat, life in the world, the exchange of the network. We would like to call the virtual world's users "residents." Residents can choose the virtual 3D model as their embodiment, to walk, fly, by means of transport, such as mobile, text, voice, audio, video and other media exchanges. We call such a network environment "virtual world". The world is "virtual" because it originates from the creation and imagination of the computer, the world is objective, it still exists after the "residents" left, which is different from our previous design such as World of Warcraft network games, RPG games and other virtual scenes. The real human unreal existence, the time and the space truly blend, this is the virtual world biggest characteristic.

The virtual world, represented by Second Life, has created a new network virtual environment for its residents, and it has also become a platform and tool for interactive communication among the giant netizens. And this represents the future of network development! From a commercial point of view, Second life has shown great commercial potential. Second Life Pioneer Linden Labs says they already have 2 million resident, active, and trade-friendly residents. The virtual world has its own currency, Linden (the Linden), and is convertible to the dollar. Several well-known U.S. banks offer the service, and some even allow second life to use credit cards for virtual transactions. Linden Labs earns money by selling "land," and buyers have property rights over their territory. They can use the land as a home, as a store or as a market. IBM, for example, has 5,000 employees working in the virtual world to open up the market. It is reported that Second life in 2006, the turnover reached 600 million U.S. dollars.

It can be foreseen that the virtual world will become mature with the current "network generation" growth. The virtual world, will no longer be a simple game, it will become a new social venues, business new battlefield, and even human star ball. Linden Labs Lab Second Life will overwhelm (dwarf) the Internet over the next ten years. Now, we are cautiously skeptical, because the current virtual world is still a spark. Of course, no one wants to refuse the future. We welcome the Internet 3D up, we welcome the Internet to move up, we welcome the Internet humanization. Maybe one day, we read news, watch movies, love, date, go shopping, share everything, enjoy life in the virtual world, and put the real life to the robot.

Remember that the science and Technology Review magazine has made a special report on the theme of "Second Life+google earth=second Earth", the article on the development of the virtual world of a bold and constructive ideas, proposed network virtual world and satellite overlooking the real planet together, Generate a 3D Virtual Earth. Human beings build avatars in this virtual world, and everyone has a virtual self. In such a world, the real me and the virtual I coexist, each other, enjoy another life. Such an assumption, like science fiction, is full of imagination and temptation. The history of technology is precisely under such a vision to rewrite, we do not need to criticize Linden Labs's raving, because or 10, or 20, "virtual world = Internet", the virtual world to replace the Internet dream may come true.