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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188 Delivery Workers of Facebook
187 Online Farmers Markets
186 Geocachers
185 Dead Internet Theory: What If Everything Online Is Fake?
[Encore Episode] 137 Second Life Sex Workers (June 22, 2020)
184 Cereal (with Dan Goubert of The Empty Bowl)
183 Hot Goss, Our "Do Nothing" Group, and Your Emails
182 Welcome to The Omegaverse
[Encore Episode] 160 How the Internet Is Changing Language (w/ Gretchen McCulloch) - Originally Published January 18, 2021
181 IKEA Hackers
180 Sneakerheads
179 The Psychology of Online Sex Work
[Encore Episode] 170 #FreeBritney (April 12, 2021)
178 Otherkin
177 Enterprising Furries Are Unlocking the Future of Cybersex in VR
176 NEW GIRL 1 PODCAST
175 Vore
Introducing "Green Eggs & Dan"
174 LARPing
173 The Satanic Temple (with co-founder Lucien Greaves)
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