Second Life.

Originally, I dismissed Second Life (henceforth SL) out-of-hand some time ago as worthless. I considered that I had so much to do in my "First Life", that I didn't want to divide my efforts into a second.

My university (which has an extensive campus in SL) invited me to create an avatar there to attend certain events in a virtual fashion. This I did. I can be found, by the way, under the name of "Styles Evermore").

Quickly I found several things.

1) This is very user-driven, which means that while many things are poor, there is ridiculous scope for its potential.

2) This could be a very first-phase step towards uploading. Second Life now... The Matrix next? Ditching the absolute need for biologicals after that? For those who think that it's quite a step to go from SL to the Matrix... it's actually not too far a conceptual leap. We already have EEG machines being used as game controllers; enhance that technology, and hook it up with some decent VR kit, and we're on the way. Crude, yes. Very un-stylish, yes. Very limited, yes - for the time being. But the point is that the tech is rolling in and step by step we're getting there. Three words in that last sentence are really important, so I'll repeat them: "step by step". Of course it's a huge leap to jump from the tech of SL to the tech of the Matrix, but each of the small steps in between? Easy. Here's to the movers and shakers who are making those small steps. Me? I'm no software developer; no electrical engineer. But I'm right there in their shadow and I want to benefit from every shiny new tech advance they make. Lest the relationship seem parasitic, I point out that such developments need consumers to indirectly fund future R&D. I'm happy to take on that role and support the cause as I may!

3) It's a great tool to get one used to the idea that one can operate from a fabricated body with an entirely different set of benefits. Or even change one's body like one would change a suit of clothes. People can suddenly be a different build, colour, gender, species even. People can change their image and use that changed image to change their reality.

Me, I'm a touch narcissistic, so I'm just trying to make my avatar look like my biological for the moment. I've got the dress sense (frankly, my avatar isn't wearing anything that can't be found in my physical wardrobe), the build, the eyes... Now for my condamnably simple hairstyle that doesn't seem to be gay enough to feature in SL shops! The hair my avatar is wearing is just too long and gelled, despite it being the shortest simplest style I've been able to find.

Ah well, every God-from-Man must suffer his bad hair day on the way, it seems.