As a part of our research on "Consuming the Unreal", we are going to take occasional dips into The Second Life Herald, a copious online rag that looks at a variety of facets of not just Second Life but metaverses, games, simulations and such things in general.
The tongue-in-cheek disclaimer on the sidebar states: "The Second Life Herald is in no way, shape or form associated with Linden Lab (the company that operates Second Life), nor with Electronic Arts, nor any other aspect of the Dark Side of the Force."
Founded by philosophy professor Peter Ludlow, the initial aim of SL Herald (rather, its precursor The Alphaville Herlad) was "to observe, record and study ...the legal, social, and economic implications... of life in the virtual world". There were tussles between online world companies and Ludlow, leading to the termination of Ludlow's avatar. But, like Phoenix rising, SL Herlad grew out of these disputes and has now become a major reporter, commentator, rabble-rouser and insight provider for Second Life.
The irreverent style and oft-sensational headlines make it an interesting read. The stuff may appear breezy, but it is being taken dead seriously by mainline media... and I presume by Second Life creators and owners. There are incisive insights interspersed in the mass of rants and flighty reportage. The left bar provides a reasonably good categorization and organization of the vast content.
SL Herald is true to its advertised claims... After all, the tag line for SL Herald is "Always Fairly Unbalanced."
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