Originally postedJune 28, 2008
As someone with a pretty full first life, I've not felt the need to interact with the cyberpunk phenomenon known as Second Life. With 13 Million users mostly concentrated in the US and UK, second life has become an online community in more ways than one would expect. With a similar feel as a Massive Multi Player Online Roll Playing Game (MMPORG), yet more interactive and personal, it is part Sims and part MySpace. Essentially, one has an avatar that can live out a life in a virtual world populated by, created and shaped by other users. While my first impressions of this program not very positive, I began to notice how expansive, involved, and interactive this world is; providing services and integrated web links to users.
In an effort to reach out to a web 2.0 world, the VA Health Administration has opened up a branch office in Second Life.While I still find the whole thing creepy and weird, I think that the effort to reach out in new and innovative ways is the important point to take from this. The VA is genuinely making an effort to improve its outreach and support to the growing and younger veteran's population.
The VA branch in Second Life is pretty basic. It consists of a 3 story office building in a corporate office park surroundedby virtual branches of other companies and agencies. The VA info center itself is pretty basic with posters that link to corresponding VA.gov web pages. Additionally, there is a Fitness video playing on the wall and a memorial out back. While not an overly impressive interactive environment, it is a good start and a genuine attempt to raise the profile of VA services. As the population of Veterans with combat related physical and mental wounds increases, every effort to make the VA more accessible is a step in the right direction. Despite the creepiness.
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