it's a virtual space.. there's not anything you're "supposed to do" because, just like our first (real) life, it's open ended. you do whatever you want to do. some people build stuff, others create apparel, others make scripts... some are artists, making music, paintings, sculptures, etc... some people even have "real life" occupations such as security, hosting, store clerk, etc. there's quite a number of larger companies and corporations with a presence in second life. but in the end, you do whatever you want to do. second life is not a game. a lot of people use it to keep in touch with friends and family around the world, as well as meeting and making new friends. the way i see it, it's a great venue to expose one's ideas and to meet other like-minded individuals. i'm an active member of a social action lobby and have found second life to be a great place to garner support at a global level. people from all over the planet are on there.
the creators of this world describe as this on their website:
Quote:
Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by a total of 8,483,677 Residents from around the globe.
From the moment you enter the World you'll discover a vast digital continent, teeming with people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you've explored a bit, perhaps you'll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or business.
You'll also be surrounded by the Creations of your fellow residents. Because residents retain the rights to their digital creations, they can buy, sell and trade with other residents.
The Marketplace currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly transactions. This commerce is handled with the in-world unit-of-trade, the Linden dollar, which can be converted to US dollars at several thriving online Linden Dollar exchanges.
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so yeah, the linden dollar.. its value fluctuates based on trading, just like any other currency... goods and services can be bought or sold with linden dollars and people can actually make real money. there is a woman, known in the SL world as "anshe chung," who has moved quite a bit of real estate. as of last year, she is a millionaire. her assets are valued at over 1 million us dollars, making her the first virtual millionaire who's made her fortune purely on virtual goods and services which were paid in a virtual currency. if she wanted to, she could cash out a million dollars.
as for predators.. eh... people are too paranoid about that. of course there's bad apples everywhere, but i give everyone the benefit of the doubt. besides, you reveal only as much as you want to reveal. oh, and the second life main grid is for adults only anyway.
second life 
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