Definition – Virtual worlds are computer-based simulated environments intended for users to inhabit and interact via avatars. This habitation usually is represented in the form of two or three-dimensional graphical representations of humanoids (or other graphical or text-based avatars) (Wikipedia). Virtual worlds differ in many respects – whether they are goal-oriented or open-ended; the mode of communication – text, voice, and/or otherwise; whether they require honesty about users’ real identities and/or allow for the creation of virtual identities; the degree of ‘writeability’ (user-created content); and the system of intellectual property rights over content; among others.

Examples – Second Life, There.com, Kaneva (these are virtual worlds that have/could be used for activism/philanthropy, though this is debatable)

Why Use It? – Goal-oriented virtual worlds tend to be used for entertainment or educational/training purposes. More open-ended ones, like Second Life, are used for the same reasons along with a variety of others, such as business meetings, music concerts, job fairs, marketing, political campaigning, and philanthropy. Ultimately, virtual worlds are media for immersive social interaction, and are therefore useful for communication, collaboration, and other social purposes.

Use-Cases – Because it’s the virtual world I know most about, the following examples are drawn from Second Life:

• Linden Lab formerly taxed avatars for objects created and in July of 2003, residents staged a successful tax revolt and managed to change Linden Lab’s policy. Avatars similarly used Second Life to change Linden Lab’s policy on property and human (i.e. resident) rights (Herman et. al, 2006, Swaine, 2007). There exist several groups in Second Life dedicated specifically to in-world governance, such as the Second Life Liberation Army.

• IBM workers strike in Second Life – the virtual strike of almost 2,000 avatars was part of a broader strategy for higher pay. And although its impact on the success of the broader strategy is unclear, strike organizers called it a success and one month afterwards, a new contract with IBM Italy was signed.

• There are numerous groups in Second Life dedicated to social justice and environmental sustainability, but most offer information rather than using Second Life as a participatory medium for collective action. I know that members of Commonwealth Island circulate petitions via Second Life, but I have yet to hear of a real-world strike, boycott, protest, etc. that was organized via Second Life.

Ratings
Cost: $$$ (requires fast internet connection and video-card)
Start-Up Time: TTTT (potentially steep learning curve for UI)
Maintenance time: TTTT (comparable to a medium of communication, e.g. email)
Complexity for Creators: *** (initially steep learning curve but then easy)
Complexity for Users: *** (initially steep learning curve but then easy)
Broadband required for effective use?: Y
Read Accessibility: 1
Write Accessibility: 2
Traffic: 2
Bling: 4 (note: large range, e.g. Second Life is almost entirely user-created and therefore may have less bling than There.com and Kaneva)
Blingability: 4 (note: large range, e.g. Second Life is almost entirely user-created vs. There.com and Kaneva)

How-To – Virtual worlds are similar to Social networking tools in that a user must register for an account, start a profile, and start engaging. However, their learning curves tend be initially steeper – users must learn to navigate, become accustomed to the GUI, etc. Also, some Virtual worlds charge fees for registration, some only for certain activities (e.g. Second Life only for owning land), and some are entirely free.

Helpful Links
Virtual worlds:

• Second Life
• There.com
• Kaneva

Virtual worlds as pmca:

• IBM workers strike in Second Life (blog post on New World Notes)
• Pop Cosmopolitanism in Virtual Worlds, or How Second Life Can Save the World (blog post on McArthur's Digital Media and Learning blog)
• Possibilities for market-based environmental governance via Second Life (academic paper by Stephanie Gerson)
• Second Chance Trees (mixed-world reforestation project)