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VU @ Second Life: A Report on Experiences with the Development of a (Virtual) Community of Learners

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Virtual Social Networks

Abstract

Online virtual worlds have been present for more than ten years and the recent substantial media attention on Second Life can be considered an indication that virtual worlds are no longer the domain of a selective group of fanatical online gamers. For example, the number of registered residents in Second Life increased from two million at the beginning of 2007 to more than 12 million in February 2008, at times even reaching a growth of 1 million new registrations a month.1 Big companies such as Reebok, IBM, Philips, Randstad, and ABN AMRO organize press meetings to announce their presence in virtual worlds. Even governments, municipalities, and NGOs have entered Second Life with an eagerness comparable to the ‘don’t miss the boat’ feeling experienced during the early days of the Internet.

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© 2009 Frans Feldberg, Anton Eliëns, Sarah van der Land, Marleen Huysman, and Elly Konijn

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Feldberg, F., Eliëns, A., van der Land, S., Huysman, M., Konijn, E. (2009). VU @ Second Life: A Report on Experiences with the Development of a (Virtual) Community of Learners. In: Panteli, N. (eds) Virtual Social Networks. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230250888_3

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