Other Virtual Worlds

This week our assignment was to read some articles written about Second Life and their potential in an educational environment.



Games Like Second Life
http://www.virtualworldsinfo.com/games-like-second-life.html 

This article discussed how Second Life can be considered as a game.  Then there's the aspect of non-competing and no prizes to win, so it really isn't a game.  It is a place to be whomever you want to be and discover what you want to.  Although there is role playing in Second Life, that aspect does not appeal to me.  I am more curious about the educational aspects of it and what it has to offer from a worldwide view.  I think that Second Life provides a "game-like" atmosphere through the use of an avatar, but the possibilities are endless when it comes to what can be learned in a virtual environment.


Army Virtual Worlds Expert Forges Ahead Without 'Second Life'
http://www.afcea.org/signal/articles/templates/signal_Article_Template.asp?articleid=2990&zoneid=353
This article discussed how MiLands has now been moved to MOSES (Military Open Simulator Enterprise Strategy).  I was not surprised at this as any branch of the military would want to work in a secure environment.  I'm not saying that Second Life is not secure just that it appears that branches of the military would have more control over their security by having complete control over their own virtual environment.

Virtual Worlds Are Getting Second Life
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jul/29/virtual-worlds 
This article discussed the growth of Second life and the amount of users it currently has.  I was surprised at the comparison of how girls that used to grow up with dolls are now growing up with Second Life.  I had never really considered how much of an impact Second Life has with girls.  I would have thought that it was more popular with adults.

Mayo Clinic Explores the Virtual World of Second Life
http://medcitynews.com/2010/05/mayo-clinic-explores-the-virtual-world-of-second-life 
This article discussed the advantages of using Second Life for health conferences, hospital simulations, etc.  I think that this is a great way to educate people about health matters and can see why so many people in the healthcare industry are turning to a virtual environment to teach people about healthcare.  There is also the advantage of people from anywhere in the world being able to access the same information.

Virtual Worlds Give Musicians a Chance to Showcase Music Around the World
http://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2011/10/virtual_community_second_life.html 
This article showcased how musicians are taking advantage of what Second Life has to offer when it comes to playing music in a virtual environment in real time.  I do believe that playing in a virtual environment truly has its advantages over playing in a real environment.  In a virtual environment there are no instruments to drag to different locations.  Music can be played from the comfort of your home.  Building a fan base is also easier due to performers being able to interact with every fan instead of hoping to meet a performer in real life.

After Frustrations in Second Life, Colleges Look to New Virtual Worlds
http://chronicle.com/article/After=Frustrations-in-Second/64127 
This article discussed how colleges seem to be abandoning Second Life in search of other virtual environments to educate students in.  Although I can understand why they would want to find another virtual environment, no matter where you go, there are always bugs and these bugs will have to be worked out.

My exploration of another virtual world
I tried to find another virtual community to join to compare it to Second Life.  I came across a virtual community named, "ActiveWorlds."  I joined as a tourist and found that you had to be a citizen to take advantage of all that it had to offer.  It costs $6.95 monthly to be a citizen.  I did not want to pay to be a citizen so I quickly looked for another virtual world to join.


I came across a virtual world called, "Meez."  I was able to create a user name and password and was then instructed to give my cell number so that they could send me a pin to finalize set up.  I did provide my cell number but never received a pin so I moved on in search of another virtual world.


I found a virtual world called, "Gaia online" and was able to join for free.   Here is a picture of a community that is in my Zipcode.  I did wander around but wasn't able to interact with anyone or figure out anything.

 

Here's what it looks like when you go to town:

One of the first things that I did was to create a fish tank.  You can add backgrounds and fish and feed them daily.  Here is a picture of that tank:

There is also a gaming atmosphere here.  There are several types and kinds of games to choose from.  Here are pictures that I took while playing Blackjack and Jigsaw:

There is also a "car rally" that users can go to to show off their cars.  I did try to interact with other users but received no response.

Overall I was not very impressed with this virtual world.  I think that it would be better served by teenagers as compared to adults.  I much prefer Second Life to this virtual world as it is much more straight forward to me.