The Second Life Liberation Army (SLLA)

Second Life

Its hard to argue with the popularity of Second Life. The completely immersive 3D interactive world created by Linden Labs currently has 2 million plus users, which are known in game as avatars. This is very different from just a couple of years ago, when membership was hovering somewhere around 100,000 folks.

In the game users are able to create a virtual representation of themselves: their avatar. They are then able to explore massive three dimensional virtual world. They can buy land, make new friends, and shape the world to their liking. Combining elements of roleplaying games with more traditional chat rooms, Second Life has brought online interaction to a whole new level.

One of the things that attracts so many people is its openness and its credo: that Second Life is a world "imagined, created and owned by its residents." The tagline on their web site reads "Your world, your imagination."

Trouble in Paradise

For many this promise of a world of their own creation is very attractive. A fun and exciting escape from the hassles of the real world. A safe haven that they can shape into their own desires.

Some, however, see this virtual Utopian dream challenged by the rise of commercial interests in Second Life. Watching as Second Life has become a powerful online phenomenon, many companies such as Reebok, American Apparel and many more have begun to create their own Second Life presence with their own Second Life headquarters and Second Life stores. Political candidates have also entered the Second Life ring, most notably Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards.

For some longtime Second Life residents such as the avatar going by the name of Marshal Cahill, such moves do not bode will for the citizens of Second Life. Instead of being a user-created virtual society, Second Life will see itself taken over by commercial interests, just as commercial interests already dominate the real world.

The Second Life Liberation Army