Swedish users of Second Life ahead of their country's government
The opening of the Embassy of Sweden in the online game Second Life , the message of which swept through all the news feeds of the world, is scheduled for the coming months. A “construction project” commissioned by the government is led by a foreign company, Swedish players were not even invited to participate. Meanwhile, “ordinary citizens” are actively building a powerful national community: they are not so benevolent towards the future official representation of their country.
At the head of the "virtual Swedes" are a few people who some time ago bought the island and called it Second Sweden. Swedish citizens in Second Life appear more and more, says its founder Johan Howard: already now several groups headed by "pioneers" number 400-500 people each - and their number is growing every day.
The game is attended not only by avid Internet users obsessed with web technologies: among the "virtual Swedes" there are bank clerks, and private entrepreneurs, and housewives.
')
What attracts them all - no one can probably answer unequivocally. Johan Howard himself and his friend Kaja Lurra spend 6-8 hours a day in Second Life. Both of them came to the game as usual interested beginners, but now their passion has grown into something more. For example, Kaja is a web designer and professional photographer; her skills were useful in SL: a gallery of photos opens in Second Sweden, where anyone can get her works. In the "second Sweden" has its own store; Johan does not cover his financial success, but during the conversation he mentioned that he would soon hire a manager, because he doesn’t have enough time himself.
Left - Kaja Lurra, right - Johan Howard
Business in the “virtual Swedish state” has not yet become profitable, but it is already approaching self-sufficiency. Work on the island of Second Sweden is active: in addition to the store and gallery, it is planned to open new commercial objects; part of the land on the island is being leased, part of it will be sold (apparently, to compatriots). The founders were taken care of and the search for sponsors; given the diversity of objects in the game, the Second Sweden community has good chances to work with companies of the Ikea level.
Kaja Lurra politely evades questions from the Swedish Embassy, ​​and Johan Howard tries to be diplomatic. Both are convinced: the very fact of the appearance of the embassy will demonstrate to the whole real world that the world of Second Life has ceased to be just a game. And of course, the presence of official representation in the popular online game will be a good advertisement for the country. Although, Johan remarks, it will be interesting to look at the work of the embassy a couple of weeks after opening, when the “PR-wave” subsides.
The Swedish authorities did not turn to their citizens for help. By the time the representatives of Second Sweden decided to independently establish contact with the government agency Swedish Institute, it was already decided that an American company would be involved in organizing the virtual embassy. Although the official institution and the community will not compete with each other: the work of the embassy will be limited to providing information on Sweden, its history and cultures, visa procedures, etc., to potential tourists, while Second Sweden will focus on “working with its citizens” .
For the founders of the Swedish community, by their own admission, the world of Second Life is no longer just a game, but really a second life. Its attractiveness for Internet users is beneficial to both enterprising players and developers - Linden Lab , and actively exploring the possibilities of SL-shopping at IBM, and some US presidential candidates ... Apparently, the game has gained serious momentum - and the “second life” is still waiting not one state.
At the head of the "virtual Swedes" are a few people who some time ago bought the island and called it Second Sweden. Swedish citizens in Second Life appear more and more, says its founder Johan Howard: already now several groups headed by "pioneers" number 400-500 people each - and their number is growing every day.
The game is attended not only by avid Internet users obsessed with web technologies: among the "virtual Swedes" there are bank clerks, and private entrepreneurs, and housewives.
')
What attracts them all - no one can probably answer unequivocally. Johan Howard himself and his friend Kaja Lurra spend 6-8 hours a day in Second Life. Both of them came to the game as usual interested beginners, but now their passion has grown into something more. For example, Kaja is a web designer and professional photographer; her skills were useful in SL: a gallery of photos opens in Second Sweden, where anyone can get her works. In the "second Sweden" has its own store; Johan does not cover his financial success, but during the conversation he mentioned that he would soon hire a manager, because he doesn’t have enough time himself.
Left - Kaja Lurra, right - Johan Howard
Business in the “virtual Swedish state” has not yet become profitable, but it is already approaching self-sufficiency. Work on the island of Second Sweden is active: in addition to the store and gallery, it is planned to open new commercial objects; part of the land on the island is being leased, part of it will be sold (apparently, to compatriots). The founders were taken care of and the search for sponsors; given the diversity of objects in the game, the Second Sweden community has good chances to work with companies of the Ikea level.
Kaja Lurra politely evades questions from the Swedish Embassy, ​​and Johan Howard tries to be diplomatic. Both are convinced: the very fact of the appearance of the embassy will demonstrate to the whole real world that the world of Second Life has ceased to be just a game. And of course, the presence of official representation in the popular online game will be a good advertisement for the country. Although, Johan remarks, it will be interesting to look at the work of the embassy a couple of weeks after opening, when the “PR-wave” subsides.
The Swedish authorities did not turn to their citizens for help. By the time the representatives of Second Sweden decided to independently establish contact with the government agency Swedish Institute, it was already decided that an American company would be involved in organizing the virtual embassy. Although the official institution and the community will not compete with each other: the work of the embassy will be limited to providing information on Sweden, its history and cultures, visa procedures, etc., to potential tourists, while Second Sweden will focus on “working with its citizens” .
For the founders of the Swedish community, by their own admission, the world of Second Life is no longer just a game, but really a second life. Its attractiveness for Internet users is beneficial to both enterprising players and developers - Linden Lab , and actively exploring the possibilities of SL-shopping at IBM, and some US presidential candidates ... Apparently, the game has gained serious momentum - and the “second life” is still waiting not one state.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/4014/
All Articles