A fantasy island populated by sex-obsessed shopaholic gamblers might not seem the ideal place to get people together to work on a project, but 'Second Life' has its uses. THE FIRST QUESTION that occurs to you on landing in the animated virtual world that is Linden Labs' 'Second Life' is: where is everybody? Helpful hints tell you that you are on an island, separated from the core of a virtual world that currently simulates an area about the size of Washington DC. It is meant to get you acclimatised to the new world and no-one hangs around here long. Sooner or later, having worked out that you can fly as well as walk, you find the teleport pad that will take you to the main landmass of 'Second Life'. With luck, you'll find some more people, or at least 3D models of them. The people you find are often hanging out in simulations of bars. Some dance non-stop, St Vitus-style. Some look like Xena the Warrior Princess or a bipedal badger, What do they do? They stand around seeming to do face-to-face what millions of people do every day sitting at their computers: head for the chat room.
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