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Second Life has become an important setting for lectures and appearances by politicians, campaigners, authors and other public figures. US Senator John Edwards chose to announce his intention to run for president in the virtual world, and William Gibson, the author who invented the word 'cyberspace', made his first foray in September 2006. Universities are particularly adept at making the most of the space, and Nature magazine's island provides simulations for the general public to explore.

If the highbrow isn't your thing, there's a range of clubs and gaming facilities for those who wish to follow more social pursuits. Most of these are aimed at new residents, who need some virtual cash to get started.

The bulk of activities advertised read as though they were written by over-excited teenage marketing executives. "!!!FREE LINDENS!!!" they scream, waving their assets high while trying to draw the crowds of cash-poor consumers into their shopping paradises. For at the heart of this virtual world are the underlying tenets of capitalist trade. Thanks to recent real-world headlines of Second Life's buoyant economy, almost everyone who lands on its shores wants to make a quick buck.

Only subscription-paying account holders receive an allowance from Linden Lab as a reward for their dedication to the service, so the majority of gold-rushers who arrived in the last quarter of 2006 chose to join for free, clutching their New Resident windfalls of 200 Linden Dollars.

Cashing in

While you'd probably be surprised how far the equivalent of US$1

There are plenty of options, from retail to entertainment to building. The latter is the most lucrative and offers the greatest skill development opportunity in the virtual world; budding Norman Fosters are responsible for the look and feel of Second Life, contributing to its landscape using the simple 3D modelling tools provided with the platform.

Laws of the land

The general liberalism that pervades most of the online interactions in Second Life is down to the people who populate it. As with most new technologies, the first citizens of this digital frontier were predominantly libertarians wishing to put into practice their political ideals. They established a very open society, yet over the years certain social boundaries have arisen.

Some rules - both socially and Linden-sanctioned - do apply, and the behavioural guidelines displayed during registration are worth reading. A left-leaning ideological sentiment prevails, and in January 2007, when the right-wing French political organisation Front Nationale set up shop in Second Life, they were greeted with a barrage of angry virtual protesters attempting to sabotage their efforts. No actual damage occurred, but the repeated attacks finally drove the organisation away.

The biggest bones of contention are picked when external stakeholders use the space for offline publicity without offering relevant benefits for the already-established and thriving community. "An enormous 3D billboard is a likely turnoff," explains Reynolds, "but providing fun, interactive and playful experiences tends to work well." Still, virtual protest is a regular occurrence at virtual versions of American Apparel, Adidas and Toyota, spearheaded by a core of old-timers keen to keep the community free from outside intrusion.