Air Force hosts Second Life conference tonight

Tonight (March 18th) from 5:00-8:00 PM the Air University Innovations and Integration Division is hosting an educational forum inside Second Life. It will be the middle of the night here, but I'm going to try and make it.

I'm guessing most of you have heard of Second Life, but if you haven't, it's a digital universe created almost entirely by its residents. Real-life users create digital avatars to represent themselves. Second Life is mostly recreational, but it has drawn a lot of media attention in the last few years as universities, corporations, and even governments have set up shop. They recognize the utility that virtual worlds could have for education and training, conferencing, marketing, etc. To its credit, the Air Force jumped on board early and is proactively looking at ways to harness the power of virtual worlds.

I'll be honest: I love the idea of virtual worlds, but I don't like Second Life. I find the interface clumsy and difficult to use, but more importantly, I don't find Second Life at all enjoyable. I'm amazed at how desolate it feels. Almost every time I've logged in to a new location that sounds interesting, I'm the only person there. The only places where people seem to congregate are party spots like clubs and beaches, but the idea of watching my avatar dance or lie on a beach chair doesn't sound remotely fun. The Second Life experience is also overwhelmed by the rampant cybersex and commercialization. I sincerely want to enjoy Second Life (just as I want to enjoy Twitter) but I haven't found a way yet.

Still, Second Life is the best product of its kind out there. Virtual worlds are still an emerging technology, and although I don't particularly enjoy Second Life, I'm glad that Linden Lab is pioneering the field. I'm also glad that forward-thinking leaders and educators are investing in it. Although Second Life might not be the technology that changes the world, its successor might be. Organizations that want to be ahead of the game need to keep up with technologies like Second Life.

I've never attended a virtual conference before, so I'm eager to see what the experience is like. If you're curious about what this "virtual world" thing is all about, you should log in and check it out. Log in nice and early so you can create a character, learn the interface, and get to the meeting (see the instructions linked above). I plan to log in about an hour early... if you want to "meet" me there, look for Fareed Courtois... the guy with the shaggy hair and goatee who most definitely does not look like he is in the Air Force. No, I'm not coming in uniform.