While cruising around the Internet, users may stumble upon secondlife.com. This virtual world features 3-D digital life that is gradually seeping into the real world lives of people around the globe.
The San Francisco-based Linden Lab owns the online community. The world inside the website is called Linden, and land, items, avatars, houses, cars, etc. can all be purchased using the currency of the realm: Linden dollars. According to the site, “The Marketplace currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly transactions[….] the Linden dollar, can be converted to US dollars at several thriving online Linden Dollar exchanges.” This powerful claim suggests a thriving bank account of a software engineer somewhere.
An interesting aspect of the site is its appearance in professional arenas: several large corporations have used it as an aid in the recruitment process. In May of 2007, a job fair was hosted on the site by an international advertising firm, and featured several other large corporations. Among them were: Hewlett-Packard Co., Microsoft Corp., Verizon Communications Inc., and Sodexho Alliance SA. It was a massive turnout for a place that has no material basis in reality.
Employers already use web-based marketing, recruiting, and communications to both attract and weed through applicants. Facebook, Myspace, and YouTube have social networking capabilities that allow users to begin communications with potential employers. Databases such as Monster and USAJobs allow companies to post openings and review resumes.
Second Life allows for a virtual interview process where images appear, as well as, audio. Avatars representing human counterparts are manipulated on the screen, and text is used to communicate thoughts, conduct interviews, and otherwise carry out dialogue. It allows interviewees more time to collect their thoughts, with less pressure on immediate responses.
A question that arises is the level of preparation it provides (or doesn’t provide) for the work force. Can an advanced chat room truly measure the level of skills a person has in daily life? If problems have arisen with fake identities, misrepresentation, or illegal activities in normal Internet usage, is a virtual world where real life is mimicked really a place for job recruitment and interviewing?
Aside from its push into the corporate world, Linden also hosts a number of interesting social events. Kurt Vonnegut, renowned author, was interviewed via Second Life before his death. It proved an interesting method of bringing literature to the web, as well as, radio. The interview was conducted live from the “Infinite Mind” studio, and is easily accessible to audiences around the world.
Anything designed by Linden residents is retained as their property and may be bought, traded or sold at will. Learning to maneuver around the world can take some practice, and several Second Lifers have confessed malfunctions during their interviews or job fairs.
Attaining a second life is relatively easy, and details may be found at secondlife.com.