[Genealib] Library-sponsored genealogy workshops in Second Life

[Drew Smith]

Linda Hasting writes: "I have a hard enough time dealing with reality than
subjecting myself to an imaginary life."

While the name "Second Life" might suggest an imaginary life, the truth is
that Second Life is nothing more than a new communications tool.  For those
of us who remember the earliest days of online services such as CompuServe
and America Online, we remember having "screen names" that were used to
exchange e-mail and instant messages and to participate in chat rooms.
Just as each of us has one or more phone numbers that represent us, and one
or more e-mail addresses, the 3-D representations in Second Life are just
another digital representation of ourselves that facilitates communication.

As genealogists and librarians, we spend nearly every day "going" to web
"sites", as if web sites were actual places and as if we were actually
moving somehow to reach them.  And we don't give it a second thought that
we're using "going" and "sites" for things that aren't exactly physical.
Second Life uses the same metaphors, although the 3-D imagery causes it to
more closely resemble its physical counterpart.

In Second Life, you will find a re-creation of the New Orleans Saint Louis
Cemetery Number One.  Any genealogist with enough time and interest could
re-create their favorite local cemetery in Second Life, giving those who
can't easily travel to the real cemetery the opportunity to visit the
re-creation and get some idea of what the cemetery looks like.  And in
Second Life, the virtual stones could be linked to actual photos and to web
pages that document the lives of the deceased.  

Second Life won't be for everyone, just as not everyone is into creating web
pages or using electronic mailing lists.  But it joins our repertoire of
communication tools that let people (such as genealogists and librarians)
communicate with each other.

Drew Smith aka "Drew Rodinia"