Get job training, and never even go to work? Sign me up! No it is not your fantasy of getting paid to do nothing, it is one of the many practical uses for the online program, Second Life.


According to this article in fastcompany.com, IBM has been using Second Life as a means for training new employees as well as bringing them together with other employees across the world.

In the United States, we're using Second Life to create a mentoring community. So if you're interested in talking to somebody who has 25 years in the business, we've built a connection environment--a social-networking tool where you profile yourself, then meet in Second Life.
~Chuck Hamilton. Director, Center for Advanced Learning, IBM

I think this is one of those good parts of the internet, you know using it for good, not evil. Using Second Life this way is an amazing opportunity for people around the world to not only meet each other, but also to grow and learn from each other. It provides a forum for interaction in a situation where physical space is impossible.

Of course, as with all things, there are risks and downsides. There are questions of security and validity. But in IBM's case, they have found a way to control those risks and use Second Life to their advantage. And that's exactly the way I think the internet should be used.