Research on Second Life:
"Second Life: Uncertain Reality, Uncertain Virtuality".
Research by China Tracy, Zafke Ziemia, Rivers. Translated by Lawrence Li.
This article is published by URBAN CHINA MAGAZINE
*文字提供：曹斐，张安定，方正 《城市中国》2007 5月号别册 “第二人生：不确定的现实与不确定的虚拟” ［中文］
++经济
SL是一个奉行古典自由市场经济的政府。目前美国税务局正在密切关注虚拟经济，征税并不是完全的空想。Linden Lab试图通过调控土地供给来维护虚拟经济体的健康。虚拟经济体在不断壮大，通过汇率和现实经济联系紧密使得越来越多人被卷入。
++广告
SL里面的化身相连的是真实消费者，人们不再面对网页上文字和图形广告，而是直接置身虚拟实景中。随处可见比道路、建筑更宽广的广告，各种悬浮的醒目的电子LED，摩天广告塔。SL目前已成为各机构的文化活动还有最新型产品发布会的宣传平台。
++企业
跨国集团资本渗透SL，SL以自由资本市场的形式蓬勃了虚拟商业平台，各大企业纷纷进驻SL抢占未来资源。小企业更散布各地，超市，服装店、建材城、家具店等百花争鸣，最大限度吸引玩家的虚拟消费。
++房地产
Linden Lab作为虚拟土地的最终拥有者，他们只卖地和每月征土地管理费。目前大型房地产公司加入SL的“二手圈地运动”，但多数为模式化、整齐单一的楼盘社区，网格相连的同形岛屿，毫无美感和差异性的建筑形态，其开发模式与现实世界高度一致。
++地图
SL
的海面、地面、山川不过是冰冷的服务器支撑起的一片平坦的数字大陆上拉伸出的各种高度。无数的象素网格SIM并接成为这个世界，各个地块含有名称，它的用
地面积随供求关系走。相邻的地形之间没有任何逻辑但被有机地组成一个界限分明的超级平面世界，它颠覆了众多单个机构自主制作虚拟环境的规则不统一。
++自然
SL的太阳、月亮是一个可由用户操控的光渲染程式。大自然的各种生态系统、声音系统，天文气象，四季景观，地形与物种被细致刻划入虚拟世界。3D图像的复制和创新，使得基于文字和图像的虚拟世界被高度可视化、拟真化，人们与此赢取了更为丰富细致的真实体验。
++化身（avatar）
人
们以化身形式存在与交往，以所希望的任一种面目出现作为在虚拟世界的完整延伸。人们选择不同肤色、年龄、形象都折射了个人内心欲望与自我期许，对种族、身
份的认同。现实世界里关于完美、性感、年轻、富有依然是SL的主流审美价值。3D化身与空间的存在，恢复了“在场”这一人类交往中最重要的感受。
政治
SL作为新的高度可视化
的政治、经济和社会空间已经形成，它给政治实验等人类梦想与实践提供了机会。目前大量SL用户热衷民主讨论的组织形式，理性而富有激情。无论是地下恐怖组
织、苏维埃集团、共产主义联盟、法西斯阵营等政治团体都相当活跃。居民们更定期聚集一起反全球化，反欧盟，反资本主义，反核战，反现实政府政策，甚至反虚
拟世界。
++暴力
枪支和武器都可在SL里自由买卖，SL通过划分非军事区和军事区来获取SL世界的和平稳定。测试枪支的沙地
和用来械斗的贫民窟都是精通软件程序的高级玩家的聚集地。暴力行为能暂时破坏居民账号或导致部分功能丢失。居民们的暴力抗议也涉及财产丢失，土地规划缺乏
监管等传统公共治理问题。“SL解放军”是一支最为奇特的部队，他们用军事暴力争取自由。
++文明
SL的美国个人主义文化经
历了视听文化“历史性的复仇”，将赋予虚拟世界中主体存在的最大魔力：完整的真实性和无尽的变化可能性。由于SL里的人来自现实中不同国家与民族，因此人
们通过确立营造物的风格来获得文化与民族上的认同感。如故宫、金字塔、玛雅文化等都无一幸免地被复制入虚拟世界中。
++性
有18.6%
的男用户在游戏注册时选了“女性”，为的是一个更容易赚钱的职业：SL性服务者。SL性交是通过附加性器官、使用模拟动态、文字信息互往等来完成。尽管无
法与真实性爱对比，但目前每天依然有无数SL用户热衷享受这种廉价的、安全的、无国界数字性与爱，与此带动了SL性产业的蓬勃发展。
++伦理
SL
制造了许多伦理关系上的新的混乱。居民们在SL里相识，恋爱，同居、结婚，甚至领养，他们默认接受这种新的伦理关系，即不需要验证现实身份、年龄、性别，
不产生现实接触，建立在视觉与文字上的婚恋关系。还有各种一夫多妻，虐性恋、虚拟乱伦、恋童等复杂的伦理关系。目前虚拟家庭破坏现实家庭的事件不断发生。
++国家
各国政府机构、使馆、法院相继在SL里驻扎。甚至美国白宫、政务大楼、2008年总统候选人讲坛都使用了虚拟平台。各国国旗四处飘扬，一个宣称无国界的虚拟世界还是时刻被不断入侵的“界线”提醒着。
++教育
众
多教育工作者和各著名教育机构纷纷进驻SL，目前有如哈佛、国际学院MIT、Princeton等。40个小岛组成的大学城内有教室、图书馆、讲坛、研究
院，书本是电子文档，课程是已设置好的互动电脑程式，更多课程以教师登陆SL对学生的化身进行远程教育。教育在SL更平民化、更开放、逐渐变为公共资源。
也有利用虚拟世界进行内部以及外部的商业合作与教育（SOA Hub以及the GreaterIBM Connection）。
++城市
SL有很多城市形态，包括现实城市（复制现实），上层城市（商业新城），未来城市（科幻城市），下层城市（贫民窟），看不见的城市（无法归类的）。这些城市的建造者们把对城市的乌托邦理论放在SL里面进行试验，并形成有现场感的城市系统、乌托邦大都会。
++娱乐
SL的本体也是娱乐，许多SL用户的存在只为了追求最大限度的娱乐，或热衷在虚拟世界以各种方式与人交往。大众娱乐：电影院、歌舞厅、赌场；奇幻之旅：热气球、骑大象、坐飞碟；各项运动：拳击、高尔夫，瑜珈，滑雪；另类的包括跳楼、墓地派对，杀人等。
++建筑
SL
是建筑师的试验田，不用担心地心引力、造价和环保问题，房屋可任意建造于空中、海底、地底。 SL的建筑师热衷复活消逝的建筑，
罗马斗兽场、双子大厦、柏林墙又站起来了。除了异化现实，SL居民更酷爱休闲建筑，在海边、树上建房，亦反映了人类追求与大自然一统的一面。
++死亡
死
亡在虚拟世界是一个不朽的概念，你可以在枪林弹雨下血尽而亡，也可飞上艾菲尔铁塔纵身一跃，或去免费的“自杀亭”，或端着酒杯躺在NBC大楼的车祸现场，
你更可买个棺材当睡铺，如果不是SL服务器崩溃，LL公司倒闭，你对别的游戏感兴趣，你的化身和帐号，可能比真实的你还要活得长。
++媒体
现
实世界的巨媒NBC和REUTUS进驻SL；也有SL自己衍生的“地方”报纸SL-NEWS；还有模拟现实报纸，模仿star的avatar
Star；模仿Lifetyle的Second LifeStyle。居民可通过SL的免费报摊亭直接下载PDF文件到真实的电脑桌面上阅读。
++交通
因为虚拟空间的低重状态，你可以采取走、跑、跳、飞，远程则通过空间转移（teleport)。摩托、汽车、飞机、游艇、热气球等在这里不是必要的交通工具而是一种游戏体验。SL的瘫痪和堵塞都发生在服务器和网速上。
++宗教
教堂，神圣的佛教地成为一些居民探险或游戏之地，甚至成为色情场所，宗教符号、仪式成为娱乐至上的附属或内容。也反映了现代人对传统宗教信仰的遗弃。
++公共机构
众多传统的公共空间、机构正深入虚拟世界中，如美术馆，博物馆，科技馆，天文馆，水族馆，图书馆相继建成，还包括联合国、自然保护、艾滋病等国际组织，它们的出现逐步丰富、完整了SL的社会功能。
++职业
SL
已出现90多种成熟职业，如记者、秘书、DJ、清洁工、花农、舞者、性工作者、赌圣、推销员、服务行业等；无酬的如SL义工、警察，牧师；还有各种挣小钱
的工种，如商家为聚人气所设置的“有偿跳舞”与“坐沙发”。
SL中国玩家开始提供中文教程，汉化版本，新手指南等。在SL中如何挣钱显然是讨论的重点之一。
++公共场所
哈贝马斯曾说，现代
媒体的发展摧毁了传统的公共领域，那些人们理性讨论公共话题的真实空间已消失殆尽。同时，正如随城市化摧毁了乡村社区，眼下人们因互联网丧失了现实中的社
会粘性。SL的出现使得公共场所和城市景观等概念都被重新展现，它适度回归了传统真实交往的空间和场所。
++交友
“交友（add
friends)”是SL编织其虚拟社会网络的关键。沙龙、咖啡馆等传统公共领域因为“会友”而变得繁荣，朋友、亲人、团体都重新回到了可见的虚拟空间。
SL化身所包含的各种行为模式与语音使得现实社交礼仪得以延续。而背后庞大的虚拟经济也需要依托“交友效应”得以繁荣。
++个人
当你有一半以上的时间在虚拟世界里交易、娱乐和社交，那么虚拟和真实就已无法区分。观察家预测未来人类将驾驭真实与虚拟双重身份并努力使其不至于人格分裂。而人类未来的社会关系链将逐步转移入虚拟社会中。
++休闲
“休闲”概念在SL内充分被体现，完美神奇的自然景观，旅游圣地般的度假场所造就了无数
的波德莱尔笔下的“城市漫游者” 。 虚拟实景在某种程度上拉近了现代人类与自然的关系，
亦提供给人们脱离现实生产关系的机会与幻想。
++社团
机构和团体的集体进入，包括在SL内部居民的自制联盟、组织、社团等，其各自的规章制度都有效地制衡了虚拟世界的居民。每个大型的社区都可以是一个国家，但根本的原则是用户建立的政府永远不能掌控服务器。
［english translation］
Advertisement
Behind every avatar in Second Life there's a real world consumer, people are no
longer facing the text- or image-based advertisement on a web page, they are
immersed in a virtual landscape. Ads bigger than the roads and the buildings,
eye-catching LEDs and skyscraper towers with advertisement boards can be seen
everywhere. The ubiquity of ads has rendered Second Life into a promotional
platform for cultural activities and press conferences of the latest gadgets.
Economics
Economics in Second Life follows the classical free market policy. The American
Internal Revenue Service is now keeping close eyes on virtual economics, and
it's not far-fetching fantasy that residents in Second Life will be taxed in the
near future. Linden Lab is trying to maintain an economically-healthy virtual
world by means of centralized land supply. With the expansion of the virtual
economics, more first-life residents are getting involved through the exchange
of Linden Dollar and real world money.
Enterprise
The multi-national capital's entering has made Second Life a prosperous business
platform following the rules of the free market. Bigger companies are moving in
for a slot in the future, and the small ones are all over the place. A myriad of
supermarkets, boutiques, building material shops and furniture stores have
managed to stimulate residents' spending to the maximum level.
Real estate
As the ultimate owner of the virtual land, Linden Lab sells them and charges
monthly management fee. Large-scale real estate companies are joining in the
'second-hand land-enclosure movement' of Second Life, but most of them ended up
developing unified residential communities and grid-like island cluster. The
lack of aesthetic appeal and diversity faithfully reflects the situation in the
first life.
Map
The sea, land and mountains in Second Life are simply altitude created on the
flat digital land made by dehumanized computer servers. Countless pixel- and
grid-based SIMs together give birth to this world, each zone has its own name,
and its usable size fluctuates according to the relation between need and
supply. The neighbouring typography are organised not following any logic but
nevertheless manage to make itself a super flat world with strict borders. The
irregularities of rules followed by individual units when creating their own
virtual environment are undermined.
Nature
The sun and moon in Second Life are light rendering programs which can be
adjusted by the users. The ecological, sonic, astronomical and meteorological
system, as well as the landscape in the four seasons are reproduced in great
details. The cloning and morphing of 3D images have given the text- and
pic-based virtual world a highly visualized outlook, in which a more subtle
experience can be achieved.
Avatar
People exist and communicate with each other as avatars - chosen proxies and
complete extension of themselves in the virtual world. The choices made by
people on complexion, age and image reflect their inner desire, self-aspiration,
identified race and identity. The universally-recognized favourable values, such
as perfection, sexiness, youth and wealth, still apply in Second Life. The
existence of 3D avatar and space restores the sense of 'being there' - arguably
the most important feeling in human communication.
Politics
Second Life has enabled a new kind of visualized political, economical and
social space, which provide arena for human dreams and practices such as
political experiment. Many Second Life residents are engaging in democratic,
rational and passionate discussions and have formed a wide range of active
groups: underground terrorists, soviet and communist alliance, fascist camp,
etc. Gatherings of various agenda - anti-globalisation, anti-EU,
anti-capitalism, anti-nuclear war, anti-current government policy, even
anti-virtual world - are held on a regular basis.
Violence
Guns and weapons can be traded without restriction in Second Life, whose peace
is maintained by planning military and non-military zone. The sands for
weapon-testing and the ghettos for armed combat became the hangouts of hackers
and geeks. Violence can disqualify resident's account or cause it to
malfunction, on the other hand, the violent protest of the residents can lead to
property loss and other traditional public management problem such as anarchist
land planning. The 'Second Life Liberation Army' is one of the most unusual
armed forces, they are trying to obtain freedom by means of military violence.
Civilization
After the 'historical revenge' of audio/visual culture, the American
individualism has endowed the subject in the virtual world with maximum magical
power: intact realness and endless flexibility. Coming from different countries
and nationalities, residents in Second Life retain their cultural and national
identification by creating objects of their particular style. The Forbidden
City, the Pyramids and the Maya Civilization all end up cloned in this virtual
world.
Sex
According to statistic, 18.6% of male users register as female in Second Life,
they do this for a better career option: sexual worker.
Sexual intercourse in Second Life is accomplished through optional sexual organ,
simulation and text messages. Although the experience feels compromised compared
to real sex, countless residents are enjoying this affordable, safe and
no-frontier digital sex, and love, thus boosting the virtual sex industry.
Ethics
Second Life has produced a lot of new confusion in terms of ethics. People meet
in it and go out, live together, even get married, they accept this new ethics
by default. It is a new kind of visual- and text-based romance/marriage which
requires no identification, no age or sex limit, no real contact. Polygamy,
sadomasochism, virtual incest and pedophilia go virtual in this brave new world,
where virtual relationship has been jeopardizing real world families once in a
while.
Country
Governmental bodies, embassies and courthouses are built in Second Life, there
is even a virtual White House and a podium for the 2008 candidates of American
president. With national flags waving everywhere, the self-proclaimed
world-without-border is inevitably infiltrated with 'boundaries'.
Education
Educators and renowned educational organizations work for a slot in Second Life,
Harvard, MIT and Princeton have already secured their virtual land. A University
zone consists of 40 islands is filled with classrooms, libraries, podiums and
research centres. Electronic version of textbooks and interactive curricular
make possible long-distance education between teacher and student avatars.
Education has become more democratic and open and is gradually evolving into
public resource. There is also collaboration between Second Life educators and
real world commercial bodies. (SOA Hub and the Greater IBM Connection.)
City
There are many new forms of city in Second Life: City of Reality (clone of real
city), Upper City (commercial new town), Futuristic City (sci-fi city), Lower
City (ghetto), Invisible City (cities defying categorization). Utopian urban
theories are put into test in Second Life, creating living urban system and
utopian metropolis.
Entertainment
Second Life is essentially entertainment. A large percentage of residents are
only in it for maximum enjoyment or novel types of human communication in the
virtual world. Popular entertainment includes cinema, disco and casino. Hot air
balloon, elephant and UFO are among the most welcomed vehicles. Boxing, golf,
yoga and skiing are on the top of residents' sports list. For more edgy
activities, there are building jumping, graveyard party and killing.
Architecture
With no gravity, environmental issues and limitless budget, Second Life has
become the architect's playground. Houses can be built in the air, under the sea
or underground. The architects in Second Life are keen on revitalizing
disappearing buildings, the Colosseum, the Twin Tower and the Berlin Wall
reincarnate in the digital land. In addition to the alienated reality, however,
the residents also love to build leisure houses by the sea and on the tree,
which reiterates human kinds' affection of nature.
Death
Death is an immortal concept in the virtual world. One can kill himself in the
battle or jump from the Eiffel Tower. There is even free 'suicide booth'. Other
close encounters with death include lying on the ground of the car crash scene
near the NBC building with wine glass in hand or purchasing coffin to sleep in.
As long as the servers of Second Life are sound and healthy, Linden Lab is still
looking good financially and you are not bored with the metaverse, you avatar
and account would probably live longer than yourself.
Media
Real world moguls such as NBC and Reuters have entered Second Life, who also has its
own home-brewed local newspaper Second Life News. Simulation of first life
newspaper, pop stars ('avatar star') and lifestyle ('Second LifeStyle') are also
booming. Newspapers are freely available as downloadable PDF files in
newsstands.
Transportation
The low gravity in the virtual space enables residents to fly (in addition to
walking, running and jumping). For longer distance, you have the choice of
teleporting. Tools like motorbike, car, aeroplane, yacht and hot air balloon are
not transportation machines that you can't live without, but gaming experiences.
The only congestion in Second Life happens with servers and bandwidth.
Religion
Churches and the sacred buddhist venues have become targets of adventure or
game, some are even used for erotic business. Religious symbols and rituals are
both subjected to entertainment purpose. All these manifest modern people's
abandoning traditional religious belief.
Public organization
Many public organizations and spaces are exploring this virtual world. Museums
of art, science and technology, planetarium, aquarium and library are built, the
United Nations and nature-protection, AIDS-fighting organizations are also
trying to extend beyond the real world. The digital realization of these
institutions has enriched and completed the social function of Second Life.
Vocation
More than 90 vocations have matured in Second Life, including journalist,
secretary, DJ, janitor, flower farmer, dancer, sex worker, gambler, salesperson
and other service provider, as well as voluntary social worker, police and
priest. Business owners would also build pay-to-use objects such as dance
machine and couch. Chinese residents begin to write Chinese tutorial and primer,
as well as producing the Chinese version of the client programme. How to make
money in Second Life is apparently one of the most discussed topics.
Public Space
Jürgen Habermas once said that the development of modern media had destroyed the
traditional public spaces, people are deprived of real spaces in which public
topics can be discussed in a rational fashion. Likewise, just as urbanization
has put rural community in danger, the internet is deconstructing the real life
stickiness between people. The birth of Second Life reclaimed concepts such as
public spaces and urban landscape, and restored the spaces in which people can
have the good old physical contact.
Friendship
In the centre of the Second Life virtual network is the simple action of 'adding
friends'. Traditional public spaces such as salon and café have been revitalized
by the need to meet these new friends, who, along with relatives and group
members, regain visibility in the virtual spaces. The voice chatting feature and
the various models of behaviour manage to extend the socialize manner of the
real life, and the potentially lucrative virtual economics also needs the
support of this 'friendship effect'.
Individual
When you spend half of your time dealing with, entertaining and socializing in
the virtual world, the boundary between the virtual and the real starts to blur.
According to observers, human beings in the future will shuffle between the two
worlds and identities, striving to keep themselves from schizophrenia. The chain
of social connection will be gradually shifted to the virtual society in the
future.
Recreation
The notion of recreation is perfectly manifested in Second Life: the magnificent
natural landscape and vacation spots helped to produce countless 'flâneur'. To
some extent, the virtual landscape has shortened the distance between human
beings and mother nature, as well as the opportunity and fantasy of breaking
away from the relations of production of the real life.
Community
The entering of various kinds of groups and organizations, including those born
within the metaverse, maintains the order and balance of Second Life. Every
large community can be considered a country, with the fundamental rule being
that the resident-elected government can never take full control of the server.
Virtual soundscape
The sound in Second Life consists of mostly music. Land owners play music live
in the virtual spaces and expand online radio into 3D theatres. Shut these music
down and you'll hear in most places the system sound of the Second Life client
programme, the sound of wind, footstep, insect and ocean waves, as well as sonic
fragments uploaded by residents. Together, these short, looping, cheap
electronica mono snippets comprise the basic sonic system of the virtual world.
They are, to some extent, the projection of the emotion, memory and imagination
of real world soundscape in the residents' subconsciousness. Here the visual,
spatial and emotional dimension of the real world is replicated in the virtual
one, which nevertheless lacks the ability to generate sound. An organic sonic
environment is mission impossible. Absent at the other end of the keyboard is
fresh air - the essential embryo of life and sound.
Text by Cao Fei, Zafka, Fang Zheng.
