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Second Life is a highly imaginative, creative environment. Visiting Second Life is like stepping into a Dali or Magritte painting in 3D. The "fully textured high-resolution" avatars are customizable to the "nth" degree, with dozens of sliders to change every micro-pixel of your avatar's shape, size, and color. While some "Lifers" (the preferred nickname of Second Life citizens) do their best to create miniature versions of their offline bodies, most use the opportunity to make themselves look as strange as possible. You never know what (or who) you'll see in Second Life, which is part of the fun.

While many gamers visit Second Life, it is not a "gaming" world per se. The main in-world activity is the building of interactive objects using a scripting language that is theoretically designed to be simple enough for those with no previous programming experience. This fits in with Second Life's stated goal of encouraging widespread group participation and creativity. Objects can be either donated to the world or can be sold for "Linden Dollars."

Second Life's often bizarre "waking dream" atmosphere may appeal more to creative artist and techie folks than to the casual social chatter. The world is so rich in features there is a bit of a learning curve to overcome to get started, which is somewhat alleviated by well-written help files available at the site and a first-visit tutorial. The very name "Second Life" conveys the idea that this is more of a rich, complex online experience than a place to drop by every once in a while for a quick game of "Tringo" with some buddies. If you get freaked out by seeing odd things that you can't explain, this world is not for you. But postmodern surrealists will love Second Life's ever-changing landscape with its stunning scenery and interesting creations. Plus, you can fly!

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