"It's not that Second Life itself will become a dominant Internet destination like the Web. Instead, it represents a model that is likely to become the next approach to online content."
[Holtz, S. (2007). Another World. Communication World, 24 (3), p. 16-19.]
Second Life has off and on generated a buzz by sheer dint of its existence. The concept is simple, to take a platform similar to the MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role playing games) and turn it into a networking site. It's like Facebook meets World of Warcraft. Bigger than just a website, it allows both private parties and corporations to create an online presence, a "storefront," in a three dimensional world, rather than simply generating a website. Allowing for interactivity at levels previously unimagined, Second Life (and other platforms like it) bring users to companies in a fashion unprecedented by previous Internet technology. Among these capabilities include real-time presentations, conferences and meetings as well as protests (for example the Italian worker protest against IBM in 2007). Although it has its flaws, it provides a promising look at the future of Internet communication, not only where companies can generate a presence, but where consumers can interact in real time with the company and other users.
No comments:
Post a Comment