Defining Second Life

A few days ago, a discussion popped up on the Second Life Educators mailing list about how to define Second Life in relation to other online virtual communities, specifically World of Warcraft. Though there are many different buzz words used to describe the various types of virtual communities, most agree that there is one specific difference between a world like WoW and one like SL: the presence of goals. Here are some quotes from the members of the list:

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The basic distinction between SL and WoW for me is that SL is a simulation, and WoW is a game. Here are a couple of quotes from Akilli (2007):

"A simulation is defined as an interactive abstraction or simplification of some real life, or any attempt to imitate a real or imaginary environment or system (p. 4)"

"According to Prensky (2001) simulations and games differ in that, "simulations are not, in and of themselves games. In order to become games, they need additional structural elements--fun, play, rules, a goal, winning, competition, etc. (p.5)"

So while SL may contain games to play, it is not a game in and of itself. Akilli also uses the term game-like learning environments, "authentic or simulated places, where learning is fostered and supported especially by seamless integration of motivating game elements, such as challenge, curiosity, and fantasy. (p. 5)."

Finally, I'm noticing lots of folks using the term MUVE to refer to SL in literature, or immersive virtual world environment.
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If you look at WoW and SL as virtual worlds, there is no difference.
Every MMORPG is also a virtual world. But not all virtual worlds are
MMORPGs.
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I'd suggest that the common terms used are Social Worlds and Game Worlds/MMO/MMORPGs.
Social worlds are those where ludic elements are not coded into the system, they stem from tinyMUD, LambdaMOO etc, and go through to Second Life, There.com etc.

Game words are those where game elements such as character classes, levels etc are coded into the system, they stem from DikuMUD.

Yes people play games in social worlds and are social in game worlds, the distinction is more about the artifact and its intended purpose rather than necessarily about the emergent practices.
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There was also a source cited by two people that I'm going to try to get hold of:

Akilli, G. (2007). Games and simulations: A new approach in education? In D. Gibson, C. Aldrich & M. Prensky (Eds), Games and simulations in online learning (pp. 1-20). Information Science Publishing: Hershey, PA.

Found it on Amazon, but hopefully I can find it in a library.

- M