While many see second life as a place for the anti social and socially awkward (I was once one them) after experiencing the game first hand, I can now say this is not that case. Second life is a community just like any "real life" community. Members are no different then any of the other socially acceptable virtual worlds, like the WOW players, the Call of duty fiends, or the Age of Emipres enthusiasts. After interacting with classmates and strangers it seems the activities happening in second life are more normal then the ones happening in the other "more socially accepted virtual worlds. In second life Avatars take on "real life roles" They are boyfriends and girlfriends, Moms and Dads, Architects, and Business men. People can live out their dreams and fantasies, and explore worlds they thought they would never see in real life.
The game is liberal, encouraging players to take initiative and build their own custom worlds for others to explore. Developers teach players subtly, posting instructions on billboards, and encouraging more experienced second life members to teach in their own unique ways. The game offers Sandbox worlds for developers to practice their skills, and interact with others, discussing building methods and trying new things.
In second life, its impossible to judge a book by its cover because users don't really know who's behind the avatar. It could be a man, a woman, a professor, or a fireman. Diversity is defined in second life, by the interactions and relationships users build. Second life is a great introduction to the world of interactive media, because just like blogs and social networks, relationships are built from communication, and relating to interests. Interactivity encourages diversity and conversation, which seems to be one of the main intentions of Second life. I can now say I'm a proud user of second life :-)
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