For those new to Second Life, it is just a virtual environment through which users talk with each other plus a world they generate. Think of it as a social platform on steroids. It’s also a platform for enhancing the way we interact. My goal together with the virtual environment I helped create and then build upon is always to allow website visitors to learn about community, mindfulness, as well as practices in regenerative lifestyle and business.
I know those are typically buzz words, yet it is a focus I work with clients on adopting and signing up to their organizations. There are many issues that go into making a business whether it is a brick and mortar operation or solely Internet-based. Green infrastructure considerations affect both. Increasing efficiency while lowering negative affect on the world around us benefits the planet and everyone inside it. Etopia has become my strategy for demonstrating what we should can do to produce community, live well, and work successfully. The nonprofits and professionals that call Etopia home in Second Life besides appreciate this, but promote it.
How does this translate into real life benefit? Visitors not only discover more about, but communicate with, the ideas I’ve discussed above. For example, when someone is interested in reducing their carbon footprint, but isn’t sure how to make it they will experience it at Etopia. They might ride a bicycle around the Plaza or walk between shops. These are activities which can be done in real life also.
Visitors can discover and communicate with how a cooperative works, what goes into creating a tiny home, starting a solar array, or how you can grow their unique food within an apartment. Visitors get to see how businesses utilize technology, some smart planning, as well as an enthusiasm for environmental surroundings to lower their impact and cut costs.
One great example is just how I work with teams in Second Life and through online forums to construct their organizational capacity. This saves money and provides participants a way to experiment with imagination to satisfy their objectives. Whether developing a vision statement for any new nonprofit or building a project plan, employing a platform like Second Life offers flexibility inside a robust workspace.
Virtual environments aren’t for all. There is a learning curve. There are the ones that see Second Life as another on the net platform like World of Warcraft. However, when evaluated in context of the changing world of business and in light on the educational opportunities inherent in immersive experiences, Second Life, and also by extension Etopia, offer limitless possibilities.