OPEN

Wired
reports on the phenomenon of players of Second Life (one of a number of massively multiplayer online role playing game) literally giving up their real-world jobs to
earn a living in the virtual world.

What?

When
it comes to world of immersive online gaming I confess I torn between two different and  very powerful parts
of my personality. The
free-wheeling geek part of me that is fascinated by online culture and
wants to explore the  ways in which people are using the web today
wants to dive in like an
anthropologist and experience it all. Then report back.

The
level headed time-management drill sergeant part of me (that I’ve created  by reading
Getting Things Done about ten times and sometimes actually sticking to it)
quite sensibly points out that me and games are a bad combination – nothing
else will get a look in. That was fine a few years ago, but now I have a family
and a job.

The
drill sergeant is mostly winning at the moment, so I haven’t played Second
Life, event though I would really love to. Instead I get my online gaming
thrills second hand by reading the frequent articles and posts about new
phenomena among the many thousands of people who do.

Maybe
instead of taking a holiday this year I could… NO! Back to the to-do list.

: : NB:
Wired magazine has also launched a daily podcast. Worth checking out, I would think.