What is “Second Life”?

'Second Life' the Internet based virtual world was launched by San Francisco based Linden Lab in 2003.

The site is inspired by the cyberpunk literary movement, which in turn was influenced by the virtual world movement in Japan.

'Second Life' enables MMORPG gamers called "residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars.

Residents are free to move around virtual worlds exploring and interacting with other residents.

Many 'Second Life' residents participate in-group activities and create trade items to sell to other residents.

Residents can cash in 'Linden dollars,' which can be converted into real cash, as well as virtual shopping malls, store chains, and even virtual stock-market investments in 'Second Life' businesses.

Senior computing software engineer Jim Purbrick, of Linden Labs says 'Second Life' is a 3D virtual world that's built by the people that use it.

He says Its like the online game like 'World of Warcraft' were thousands of players are online interacting with each other.

People log on to 'Second Life' and create their own avatar character.

Linden Lab provides a free basic avatar, a 3-D virtual representation of the user in male or female form.

Everything else costs real money.

A 16-acre virtual island costs $1,675 plus monthly maintenance fees of $295. Virtual money, called Lindens, can be exchanged with real dollars at an average rate of about 270 Lindens per $1.

Avatars can be equipped with flowing gowns and tiny tattoos, and users with programming and Photoshop skills can reshape themselves into a virtual Greta Garbo or just about any shape imaginable.

Purbrick first got into computers playing on Spectrums, Mega Drives and Amigas.

He moved into software development and now works as a senior software developer for 'Second Life'

Purbrick's online avatar in 'Second Life' is called Babbage Linden.

Purbrick says his avatar wears a 19th century long tail suit and has a steam punk twist with a mechanical arm.

Craig Brown, 'Ministry of Gaming' shop owner believe that online gaming communities like second life 'World of warcraft' Ever-Quest' are good social events.

He says people come to the shop to play MMORPG games and enjoy the social aspect of meeting people with the same interests playing the same games.

Keith Nelson, a gaming journalist for the website www.gamingmoments.net, says gaming is no longer the preserve of children.

Tim Guest, Author of "Second Lives a Journey through Virtual Worlds' says 'Second Life' is an expression of individualism.