Government moves into virtual world

IN OUR increasingly virtual world, Sweden will become the first country to establish a diplomatic representation in a fantasy land, officials have said. Its government has confirmed an embassy will be created in Second Life, a fantasy world that is inhabited by three million people who reside there in the form of virtual residents.
Second Life, created by San Francisco technology company Linden Lab, has all the ingredients of a real world economy, including its own currency – Linden Dollars – which can be purchased using real world money to allow users to buy property in the game.
The Swedish Institute, a promotional body that works alongside the foreign ministry to attract visitors to the country, is running the Swedish Government project.
“We are planning to establish a Swedish embassy in Second Life primarily as an information portal for Sweden,” Swedish Institute director Olle Waestberg told press agency AFP.
The government-sanctioned embassy will provide curious visitors with information about Swedish culture and history as well as tips about places to visit and visa rules for tourists.
However it will not be possible to apply for visas and passports.
Second Life has already attracted several real-world companies, including car manufacturers and sports clothing makers that have 3-D stores users can browse.
Basic membership in the Second Life world is free and the software can be downloaded by visiting www.secondlife.com.