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Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

Virtual Worlds are where users can create, connect, and chat with others from around the world using voice and online interactions. In most Virtual Worlds memberships are free, but players use real money to exchange for virtual currencies, used to buy digital products. In "No Budget, No Boundaries: It's the Real You" Ruth La Ferla states that roughly 250,000 items are created daily by residents using a built-in modelling tool to construct 3-D objects to sell in the virtual marketplace such as the one in Second Life. These items include shoes, coats, furniture, and possibly anything you would normally buy from Amazon.Virtual Worlds have encouraged many users to become more creative. For example, Jonty Glaser, a partner in Stiletto Moody, a Second Life shoe brand have become a super successful entrepreneur through this Virtual Reality World. He has sold more than $1 million dollars since 2007 and has earned the nickname the "Jimmy Choo of Second Life." According to the article, virtual item sales have been steadily increasing due to people spending less on real items. Virtual Worlds have definitely increased creativity and created opportunities for many virtual entrepreneurs. Aside from benefitting innovation and design, Virtual Worlds have benefitted many companies. According to "Going to the Virtual Office in Second Life" Mark Tutton states that as travel budgets are restricted and slashed in recessions, companies have begun hosting corporate conferences are Second Life. Employees were asked to create avatars and join the company's private network. This feature has encouraged many companies to use VR Worlds because of the privacy, convenience, creativity, cost, and effectiveness. However, professor Surinder Kahai has discovered many issues arising from VR Worlds. For example, many people developed useful Virtual interactions skills but are not applicable to the real world and vice versa. Kahai also states that users may develop a sense of isolation from lack of human interactions. These are all problems that must be solved before Virtual Reality Worlds becomes more mainstream.

I think that the future of Virtual Worlds is bright and will lead to other virtual technologies. However, developers must also consider privacy issues, cyber security, cyberbullying, transaction protections, and many other issues when creating their software.

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