The Economist writes about a virtual world:
Second Life…is not a game. Admittedly, some residentsthere were 747,263 as of late September, and the number is growing by about 20% every monthare there just for fun. They fly over islands, meander through castles and gawk at dragons. But increasing numbers use Second Life for things that are quite serious. They form support groups for cancer survivors. They rehearse responses to earthquakes and terrorist attacks. They build Buddhist retreats and meditate.
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By emphasising creativity and communication, Second Life is different from other synthetic online worlds.
