What I have found interesting in the discussion are the very different ways
in which Second Life is regarded - mainly by employers. Some see it as an
opportunity to engage with clients, customers and users in a different
arena. Others see it as an opportunity to promote themselves and their
services, others again view it as a resource that can be experimented with
and so on. Most depressingly, and incorrectly it is seen as a 'game' - and
to be honest that is the very last thing that it is!

These attitudes do mirror very closely the general approach to the whole
range of Web 2.0 resources that are now coming on-stream. At one end of the
spectrum they are being embraced and utilized, while at the other end they
are being banned for various (and mostly spurious) reasons. 

What does through most however is that people do have an interest in
learning about Second Life, which I think is exactly what professionals need
to be doing - picking things up, exploring them, putting them down if they
don't fulfill a function and using them if they do. I have played with
Second Life a few times - I wouldn't claim to have much experience, but I
can get around the place and chat to people, though the ability to actually
create items has so far passed me by. One of the reasons that I have no
spent more time there is that in the morning (British time) it's fairly
quiet, and in the afternoon it only livens up slightly with American
librarians who are not yet onto their first cup of coffee!

I wonder if it would be worth trying to arrange a specific time when British
colleagues could try and log on in order to stumble around together, perhaps
in conjunction with others rather more experienced? Is there any merit in
trying to do this? I'd certainly be happy to turn up on a Friday afternoon
for an hour or so to teach people what (very little) I know and in turn
learn from others. 

Rather than cause another flurry of contributions to the list I'll simply
say that I'll be in Second Life this Friday (May 24th) from 2pm in order to
see what there is to see. Feel free to add me as a friend - my Second Life
name is Phil Bradley, which I know is terribly dull and pedestrian but there
you have it. My avatar also looks like me as well!

Phil.

Internet Trainer, Web designer, SEO, Speaker, Author
Visit http://www.philb.com for free articles on many aspects of the
Internet.
My weblogs: http://www.philbradley.typepad.com/ 
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