Sweden plans embassy in Second Life

News Type: Event — Seeded on Mon Jan 29, 2007 8:40 PM EST

Article Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

world-news, technology, sweden, second-life, virtual-reality, eurovine, scandinavia, linden-lab, swedish-embassy

Sweden is to become the first country to establish diplomatic representation in the virtual reality world of Second Life, officials said.

"We are planning to establish a Swedish embassy in Second Life primarily as an information portal for Sweden," Swedish Institute (SI) director Olle Waestberg has told AFP.

The embassy would not provide passports or visas but would instruct visitors how to obtain such documents in the real world and act as a link to web-based information about the Scandinavian country.

Published to:

Aine MacDermot's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: Second Life
Regions: Sweden

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9.7

{"commentId":501733,"authorDomain":"aine"}

Aine MacDermot

Here comes the Metaverse, folks! woohaw!!

{"commentId":501733,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"aine"}

4 votes

#1 - Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:03 PM EST

{"commentId":501810,"authorDomain":"aneckelmann"}

Alex Neckelmann

This is like the second article that I was going to seed, and then you got first. All in the same day too.

{"commentId":501810,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"aneckelmann"}

2 votes

#2 - Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:50 PM EST

{"commentId":501825,"authorDomain":"aine"}

Aine MacDermot

I'm sure there's plenty of stories to go 'round, Alex. ;)
(I took the whole weekend off, btw.)

{"commentId":501825,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"aine"}

2 votes

#2.1 - Mon Jan 29, 2007 10:02 PM EST

{"commentId":501849,"authorDomain":"aneckelmann"}

Alex Neckelmann

Haha, I'm sure there are. I took off four days because my internet was screwed up. It was torture. I'll just try to be a step ahead of you next time.

{"commentId":501849,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"aneckelmann"}

2 votes

#2.2 - Mon Jan 29, 2007 10:19 PM EST

{"commentId":502044,"authorDomain":"ZenAid"}

ZenAid

A whole new world for me to discover. And how cool are the Swedes.

{"commentId":502044,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"ZenAid"}

2 votes

#3 - Tue Jan 30, 2007 1:52 AM EST

{"commentId":502249,"authorDomain":"rrobbins"}

rrobbins

I tried to play Second Life. You cannot do anything without money or land and they make it too difficult for new players to get either. It is a waste of time.

{"commentId":502249,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"rrobbins"}

#4 - Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:36 AM EST

{"commentId":502267,"authorDomain":"aine"}

Aine MacDermot

It's not a game that you play. It can take, literally, months to become part of the world economy. It's not like World of Warcraft.

{"commentId":502267,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"aine"}

2 votes

#5 - Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:49 AM EST

{"commentId":502293,"authorDomain":"marilynl"}

Marilyn L

Then, Aine, how does a country like Sweden open an embassy in Second Life?

{"commentId":502293,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"marilynl"}

2 votes

#5.1 - Tue Jan 30, 2007 9:12 AM EST

{"commentId":502413,"authorDomain":"aine"}

Aine MacDermot

They can buy an "island" for a couple of thousand dollars, and if they're not skilled in creating Second Life objects with which to build their offices/architecture, they can hire experienced modelers and builders to do it for them (paying via paypal cash). There is even a virtual "employment office" in Second Life (from what I've read).

I don't have the computer hardware to even enter the world, but I know what's there and what's possible because I've helped manage another world in another virtual reality system. I've also been reading up on Second Life, and I have a good friend who is a Linden Lab employee. :)

{"commentId":502413,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"aine"}

2 votes

#5.2 - Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:33 AM EST

{"commentId":502424,"authorDomain":"aine"}

Aine MacDermot

PS - My friend who works there is considered by the residents as Citizen #1. She and I and a couple of our other friends had many deep discussions about virtual reality with the CEO of Linden Lab, Philip Rosedale, just prior to and during the BETA testing phase of Second Life. My friend was one of the first BETA testers there.

{"commentId":502424,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"aine"}

2 votes

#5.3 - Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:37 AM EST

{"commentId":502714,"authorDomain":"marilynl"}

Marilyn L

I haven't tried it, but am very interested in it, especially as a social network, and as a sociological phenomenon. Is Newsvine there yet?

Who owns the islands? Can you not create them, too?

{"commentId":502714,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"marilynl"}

1 vote

#5.4 - Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:44 PM EST

{"commentId":502725,"authorDomain":"marilynl"}

Marilyn L

Sounds fascinating. Love to chat more about it sometime, if you'd like.

{"commentId":502725,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"marilynl"}

1 vote

#5.5 - Tue Jan 30, 2007 12:48 PM EST

{"commentId":503194,"authorDomain":"aine"}

Aine MacDermot

Marilyn - There is a Second Life Group here at Newsvine, where you can follow all the news stories about it... or join and seed some of your own to it... or put it in your watchlist. :)

Who owns the islands? Can you not create them, too?

Second Life itself (or rather Linden Lab) is the only thing that can create new land. If you go to the Second Life site and rummage around for info, you can see a chart showing what kinds of islands are available. You don't have to buy an island, though... you can buy land on the mainland (which is cheaper). The advantage (and expense) of having your own island, though, is that you decide how the island is developed and there are no encroaching builders nearby. This is why islands are more expensive than other land. But for a country like Sweden, the expense is really a drop in the bucket. It's expensive for individuals to own their own island, but not so for a large entity, like an organization or a country.

{"commentId":503194,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"aine"}

1 vote

#5.6 - Tue Jan 30, 2007 4:16 PM EST

{"commentId":503260,"authorDomain":"marilynl"}

Marilyn L

Thanks, membership applied for!

{"commentId":503260,"threadId":"72057","contentId":"543559","authorDomain":"marilynl"}

#5.7 - Tue Jan 30, 2007 4:46 PM EST

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"72057","isPrivate":false}

AINE MACDERMOT

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Sweden plans embassy in Second Life

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