For many people virtual worlds in general - and Second Life in particular - have connotations of being somehow sad, as if you don't have a real life, or you're an isolated computer geek. Or they may immediately think of newspaper headlines about virtual sex and real life divorces and their minds become closed to the possibilities.

The reality is that virtual worlds can be everything from simple fun, to challenging collaborative missions. They are far from isolating. Every other avatar you come across is in reality a live human being somewhere in the world. You can meet, chat, collaborate and study just as you would in the real world.

For an overview of Second Life which includes educational possibilities see this film (open in new window).

So how does Second Life work?
First you have to download the Second Life software and register. This is completely free and remains so, although there are also paid options which you may later upgrade to if you wish. You choose a surname from a list they offer you and then give any first name. The idea is that you don't have to be Dave1126. You can be Dave with a Second Life surname. Not realising this, I chose Aristotle for my first name and then you're stuck with it. So Aristotle I am (after the ancient Greek, not Onassis).

2. Your first visit:
When you launch the software and log in you find yourself looking at the back of an avatar which is you. You have arrived at the centre of Orientation Island. There are other avatars around and they are all new arrivals like you. If you press the up, down, left and right arrow keys you'll find that you walk forwards and backwards or turn to the left or right.

There are four paths leading from the central area and each is designed to teach you the basics. One shows you how to communicate by typing. One shows you how to change your appearance. In another, you learn how to fly. And the last one is about media streaming in Second Life.

You can chat with other avatars by clicking on the communicate button (bottom left) and typing into the line that appears. You can also open a window to see the whole conversation.

I spent quite a while on Orientation Island but some people like to get on into the main world quickly. I'd recommend doing all the activities that are on the island as you will then know all the basics. To leave the island, you click on one of the posters which say something like "Ready to leave?" and you will find that you 'teleport' to a beginners' island where there are some shops with free stuff to 'buy'. Basically you're on your own from then on.

3. Technical note:
The avatars and landscape are not cartoons but they're not photographic either. Having said that, there are places which are very beautiful. Sitting watching the sunset in the Lost Gardens of Apollo is actually a very pleasant experience.

But it all uses bandwidth to get the information to your computer and also processing power (particularly graphics) to display it on screen. When you arrive at a new place it can take a while for the graphics to form fully (it's known as 'rezzing' for some reason). There can also be some delay (known as lag) from time to time. It's worth being aware of. My computer isn't fantastic but it does have a basic NVidia graphics card and my broadband is about 2.5Mb/sec. And it's absolutely fine.

3. What's it for?
Some people really don't like the idea of being an avatar. They find it 'sad'. Others love it. I find it curiously fascinating. Every other avatar is in fact a real human being in one part of the world or another and you can talk to them all. Just type 'Hello' when you're nearby and they'll either respond or not. The vast majority of people will chat and you find yourself making friends all over the world. The avatars may be virtual but the human interaction is very real and very meaningful. You really *are* talking with a real person and it can very easily have the same emotion and pleasure as a face-to-face conversation in real life. It just all happens in this fantasy world - which is itself a pleasure.

Some people try to find the quest or something to do but they miss the point. It is simply a Second Life. You just hang out, meet people, dance, find places to visit, etc. I read once "it turns out that people in Second Life like to do exactly the same things that they do in real life - shopping, sight-seeking, meeting people, even having sex."

4. Join me in-world:
I'm sure you'll have many offers to show you SL but if you'd care to meet me in-world I'll show you the basics (moving, dressing, buying, flying, etc.) and I'll show you a few simple examples of the things I've been mentioning.

I hope all this has been of some little use to you. Please do get in touch if you have any questions.

And I look forward to seeing you in Second Life.