Thing 21 Virtual Worlds

Wikipedia defines a virtual world as “a genre of online community that often takes the form of a computer-based simulated environment, through which users can interact with one another and use and create objects”. Once they create an account, users interact in these communities using an avatar, or a graphical representation of themselves. They walk, stand, sit, fly (!), shop, chat, and more!  Just like all the user-created content we have talked about in the 23 Things program, you may not like this Thing, or there may be content you find objectionable.

There are many virtual worlds: some are free, others require a paid membership. A few are web-based, but most require special software to be downloaded onto your PC. There are virtual worlds for all ages, too, such as:

• For children: Disney’s Club Penguin, Webkinz, Jumpstart  Note:  sites for children generally have safeguards in place to prevent users from sharing personal information.  Even in chat, the users can only select from a set of scripted statements.
• For teens: Gaia Online, Habbo Hotel
• For adults: Simcountry, Twinity, Entropia Universe, Blue Mars, Second Life

Second Life

One of the most popular virtual worlds is “Second Life”, a massive user-created community. Second Life requires users to download special software, a ”viewer”. You cannot download this onto a library PC, so watch this introductory video to take a peek at Second Life. Then view “Learn the Essential Basics of Second Life” here to learn how to move and interact with others on Second Life. Browse through some of the categories in the Destination Guide to see some of the best locations and creations in Second Life and special events being held “in world”.

Avatars

In this Thing, when we talk about an "avatar", we are not talking about the James Cameron movie, or this. We are talking about a graphic representation of you. On sites such as Second Life, your avatar is the embodiment of you – maybe better. It can look and dress practically any way you want it to! Read about “The Daring Librarian” having a custom avatar created here.

Even if you are not active in a virtual world, you can still have an avatar. You can use a photo, or create some version of yourself, or something that represents you. You can use it on the web, add it to your blog, or even use it on our Spark system.

Here‘s a few examples of avatars:

Avatars created at: DoppleMe, Digibody, The Simpsons Movie, Meez

There are many sites to locate and create avatars. Here’s a few that make it easy to create and save your own:

DoppleMe
Digibody
The Simpsons Movie
Meez


Thing #21 Activity: Create an Avatar

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Select a avatar creation site from the list above and follow the site’s instructions to create an avatar. Save your avatar to your PC’s desktop for easy retrieval in Step #2.  HINT: Try creating an avatar and then right-clicking on it to save.  You shouldn't have to create an account.

2. Write a blog post about your experience: Which avatar maker did you select? Add your avatar to your blog post. Here’s a hint: Your avatar is an image. We already added images to our blogs in Thing #11. Be sure to tag your post as “Thing 21”.

3. If you wish to keep a copy of your avatar to use in the future, copy it to a flash drive, or email the file to yourself before deleting the avatar file from your desktop.


Optional Activity:

1. Create an account in, and explore, a virtual world.

From library PCs, you may create accounts and visit Simcountry and/or Habbo Hotel. They do not require downloads.

If you are on your own PC, and would like to explore Twinity, Entropia Universe, Blue Mars, or Second Life, you will need to download their software first.

2. Write a blog post about your experience: Which virtual world did you select? What did you do there? Be sure to tag your post as “Thing 21”.

Additional Optional Resources:

You can find a helpful glossary of virtual world terms here.

For Second Life Assistance, read “Getting Started in Second Life” and the guides on SL for Nowt's “Newbie?” page. To learn about Second Life etiquette, click here. The Help Forum for Second Life can be found here.

To learn more about Libraries using Second Life, view techsoup’s “Using Second Life to Collaborate and Connect”, archived here.

2011 Library Journal Mover & Shaker Gwyneth Anne Bronwynne Jones, often posts about her participation in Second Life on her blog, “The Daring Librarian”.

Special Thanks to Marlena Harold (SBA) and Jennifer Hopwood (FTD) for their contributions to this Thing.