Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

A virtual world is an interactive simulated environment accessed by multiple users through an online interface. (www.virtualworldsreview.com) 

Virtual worlds can be used for several purposes. I will cite the most relevant to me:

• commercial gaming (most common use): it tends to focus on a singular fictional theme and consistently follow formal conventions such as character-focused avatars, progression through an interactive narrative story line  and a series of competitive events. It is strongly influenced by fantasy, science fiction, and anime genres of literature and film. Webosaurs is a good example. 
• online socializing: forums, blogs, wikis, chat-rooms, instant messaging, and video-conferences. These commercial community-focused virtual worlds emphasize socializing rather than gaming and have their own rules, topics, jokes, and even language. clubcooee is a perfect example of a commercial community-focused virtual world. 
• education: some virtual worlds have been created for educational purposes. They come in a wide variety of forms, including 3D recreations of museum and gallery spaces, computer programming tutorials, virtual libraries, and meeting spaces for online university courses. Blackboard is a perfect example. 
• business: virtual worlds can be used for conferences and workshops. 
• tourism: virtual worlds can help in sketching hotels, landscapes and such. 
• medical: virtual worlds can also be used to help hospitalized children to create a comfortable and safe environment which can expand their situation, experience interactions they may not have been able to experience without a virtual world, healthy or sick. Starlight Children's Foundation is one good example. 

Other interesting uses are eCommerce, political expression and military training. 

In the article "In Room 100, It’s Sid and Nancy All Over Again" by Saki Knafo , we read that Hotel Chelsea was remade by a former customer, Mr. Brown, on Second Life (a computer program that lets online users construct settings and hang out in them). It shows that people are creatively creating a whole new world to live in on a virtual platform

Another example is in the article "I’ve Been in That Club, Just Not in Real Life" by Dave Itzkoff. In this article, we read that a virtual website was built of the lower east side in Manhattan portraying stores, streets, trains, etc... and looking exactly like the real thing. It is known as VLES which stands for virtual lower east side. Almost like a game, people are allowed to go into these virtual stores, hangout with users, dance, etc. It creates almost another life of just fun and fantasy. 

The pros that are listed below explain some of the reasons why people enjoy virtual worlds so much.

Virtual worlds, like almost everything, have pros and cons. 

Pros:

• people who share similar interests find a common ground across differences in age, location, culture and language.
• people can escape real life when needed
• virtual worlds supplement traditional teaching
• virtual worlds supplement traditional military training 
• virtual meetings help save money (since travel, meals and accommodations are eliminated), reduce disruptions and such
• and more... 

Cons:

• virtual worlds can turn people into techno-addicts and sociopaths
• the best interaction remains the real face to face interaction which is one impossible in virtual worlds
• virtual worlds do not allow to identify users. They can be unsafe for kids as child molesters can use them to commit crimes. 
• and more...

Virtual worlds foster creativity: “If You Can Imagine It, You Can Build It!”, “Your World. Your Imagination.” As we have seen virtual worlds expand, there have already been some incredible creative expressions emerging. People use their imagination to create unique avatars, houses, landscapes, etc...  Take my example, I used to play The Sims (life-simulation video game). It offered me endless creative possibilities and believe me I used them to have the cutest family and nicest house! 

For the future, I believe virtual worlds will be used much more in tourism, education, business, military training, etc... I wouldn't mind attending a virtual business meeting! 

THANKS FOR READING!