In June 2003, a new community appeared on the Internet. It wasn't a Web forum or a hot new blog. It was a fully 3D virtual world where people could create an avatar, buy a house, wear fancy clothes, fall in love, and fly. For context, this is months before the world would ever hear the word "Myspace."
Twenty years later, Second Life remains one of the most vibrant online spaces ever created. While small compared to other social juggernauts, Second Life is home to thousands of fascinating subcultures and creators - many of whom make a fantastic IRL living from selling their art, clothes, and animations in-world. The financial symbiosis between the platform and the players who make everything on it remains unique to this day, even in a world of endless MMOs and live service video games.
Alli and Lindsey speak with author and journalist Wagner James Au, who has been covering Second Life and other virtual worlds since their inception. They're also joined by Sparkle Skye, a Second Life creator who quit her job in finance to make virtual wedding gowns full-time. They discuss the legacy of Second Life, its unique place on the Internet, and what's next for the platform in a sea of new "metaverses."
Check out James' new book, Making a Metaverse That Matters: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Metaverse-That-Matters-Fighting/dp/1394155816
See Sparkle's amazing designs: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sparkleskye/
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139 "Darknet Diaries" with Jack Rhysider
138 "Animal Talking" with Gary Whitta
[Encore Episode] 54 Tay Zonday (Originally Published October 15, 2018)
[Encore Episode] 87 Birds of North America (Originally Published June 10, 2019)
137 Second Life Sex Workers
136 THE 2ND-GREATEST PRANK IN PODCAST HISTORY!!!!1!!
135 Cheap Old Houses
134 WeRateDogs (@dog_rates / Matt Nelson)
133 A Group Where We All Pretend to Be Ants in an Ant Colony
132 Online Standup Comedy With Josh Gondelman
131 Dating in 'Animal Crossing'
130 Building College Campuses in Minecraft
129 Zoom Memes for Self Quaranteens
128 Medical Fetishes (MedFet)
127 The Spot: 1995's Online Reality Show
126 Self-Isolation Checkin
125 Chris Dancy, The Mindful Cyborg
124 Biohackers
123 What If YouTube Had Failed in 2006?
[Encore Episode] 51 The Birth of Online Dating (September 24, 2018)
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