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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171 Ken M
Join us in the 2G1P Facebook Group!
170 #FreeBritney
Introducing "Table Flipping"
169 Why the Creator of Nyan Cat Could Have Made Millions, But Didn't
168 Dogecoin and the Decentralized Dance Party
167 Ships of the Northern Fleet
166 How 'Blaseball' Fans Help Create the Game They Love
165 Consensus-Based Reality: How Blockchain Communities Could Change the World
164 Why Disinformation Spreads So Quickly in Online Communities
163 The_Donald
[Encore Episode] 111 @MugJerry and the Quest for Instagram Justice (December 8, 2019)
162 Something Awful
161 Buy Nothing
160 How the Internet Is Changing Language (with Linguist Gretchen McCulloch)
159 Blasphemy Fetishes
158 COVID Long Haulers
Your Response to Our 4chan Episode
157 Reddit Gifts (Internet Secret Santa)
[Encore Episode] 113 ClausNet: The Social Network for Santas (December 22, 2019)
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