This page is designed to take away some of the mystery of SL without reading volumes of material.  You can visit the official Second Life website at www.secondlife.com .

One thing we can promise though, is it's like nothing you've ever seen before. Whatever preconceptions you have are most likely wrong.

What is Second Life?
SL is an enormous virtual world hosted on thousands of servers with over 12 million inhabitants. Around 30,000 new people from across the world join every day.

How much is it to join and download all the software.
Nothing.  And its not a web browser so you don't have to worry about spy ware etc.  It only costs money if you want to buy things in-world, and even then it's very cheap, e.g. a new house costs about $5.

Is it a game?  How do you win?
It's not a game. There is no goal. It is a world full of challenges, emotions, beauty and chaos, just like the one you're living in now.  But in this new world, you can be whatever you want to be.

So it's like a chat room?
No. Comparing SL to a chat room is like comparing a pocket calculator to a super computer.  It's a 3D world, a free program you download to let you interface with SL's servers.

You have a physical body , which you can tailor to your own design, clothe, accessorise, whatever.  You can type or talk to other people, have relationships, build your dream home, explore other worlds, or live out just about any life you choose.

But why do it?  None of it is real.
Why do drugs?  Booze?  Go to movies?  Buy a tub of ice cream?  Everything you enjoy in life is about how it makes you feel.  Second Life is no different.  People go there for many reasons, to experience new things, to meet people, to find romance, and to escape.  And yes to fall in love.  Many of us also go there to create.  For an artist, SL is the ultimate canvas.

Where else can you look like Brad Pitt and build your dream home on a tropical island for under a hundred bucks?  This is why its called Second Life.  For many residents, it isn't a false life at all, but an extension of their first lives.  It is no less real, and nor are the people you meet or the things you feel, than your life of flesh and blood.

In fact we have two weddings to attend in the estate this month alone.

I'm not sure if it's for me.
Cool, SL isn't for everyone. But it's free to join and explore the place, so what have you got to lose?  Give it a try, then come say hi to us on Boyfriend Beach.  Chances are you'll never want to leave :)