'Second Life' radio station emerges

CHICAGO--One of the predictions in the lead-up to this weekend's Second Life Community Convention here has focused on the potential for lots of talk about organization.

There are plenty of critics who claim, however erroneously, that Second Life is a mess both structurally and technologically. And Linden Lab's decentralized and laissez-faire approach to the largely user-created virtual world, it could be argued, has allowed its identity to be shaped by its most prominent and press-worthy residents--who are, on occasion, blowing up buildings, stealing identities, and barraging lectures with oversized flying man-parts.

We won't really know until tonight at the earliest (more likely tomorrow) if there is indeed focused discussion about an evolution toward more order for Second Life. But one announcement timed in conjunction with the convention has hinted toward a "yes": the launch of the Virtual World Radio Network, which aims to be a hub for Second Life news and financial information as well as cultural programming. A live stream is available both in-world--the VWRN is giving free virtual radios to interested residents--as well as over the Web.

"The need for a truly professional, state-of-the-art media operation in Second Life has become apparent by the sheer number of unconnected blogs, podcasts, and other random bits of information in SL," a VWRN press release said.

Sounds like they have order on the brain.

The VWRN is not an official Linden Lab creation, but it's a positive sign to see that residents of Second Life are also catching onto some of the tactics that could help the virtual world move into maturity.