A brave new Life

Have you tried Second Life? This rather bewildering online world is powered by some very strong software, and as the name implies, once you get into it, it can be addictive. It also extends the power of Internet health information into a realm previously inhabited by gamers. Big guns of health -- from the American Cancer Society to the Centers for Disease Control -- have built their own SL presences.

So what's it all about? I first tried Second Life a year or so ago, and had a wonderful time creating an "avatar" (an image that represents "me" in SL). This part of the experience is great -- I made one that looks a great deal like me in the the real world (or First Life, as it's called in SL). If you've always wanted to be a knockout blonde or a cat-eyed ninja, you can do that, too.

Once you learn how to move around, the choices are almost overwhelming unless you sign up for a paid account and devote yourself to building your own "land." Puzzled by the array of choices and motivated by the fact that I do actually have a "first life," I let my account languish unused for several months. Little did I know! During that time, the possibilities have exploded for turning SL into more than a game or glorified chat room.

Second Lifers have held events including their own Relay for Life and a  health fairs. There are health-related photo exhibits and information displays. Here are a few of the coolest health-related places in Second Life (if you have SL software installed, the links will "teleport" you to those places):

• Ann Myers Medical Center: A real-life doctor in the United Kingdom has named this medical center after her mother. The idea is to explore ways to train medical students online. (Also see the AMMC blog.)
• HealthInfo Island: Contains information from a number of different health providers, including a free three-month trial of Reuters Health and an in-world gateway to do PubMed searches. Most recently, this location was host to a seminar on "Self-Esteem and Empowerment." (Blog: infoisland.org)
• The Gene Pool: Interactive genetic education including quizzes, animations, even the chance to get a T-shirt for your avatar, decorated with the markings of your favorite chromosome.

For those of you who haven't experienced Second Life, you'll probably need a fast connection and a semi-recent computer. Here's an introduction to get you started.

If you're not ready to start exploring, but want to know what it looks like, check out this video.

What are you doing in Second Life? E-mail me at pat@organizedwisdom.com. I'll share the best ideas in this newsletter.