Let’s get one thing straight before we start: Second Life is not a video game; it’s a virtual world. There are people who will become upset if you neglect to make this distinction. And lite this virtual world, people lead lives remarkably similar in depth to their «real» lives, or at least to the potential depth they could achieve in real life under different circumstances. A man who is a tax accountant in real life may develop a Second Life character — an avatar — who lofe a year-old female fashion model. The store, the art auction house, the apartment building, the night club — these are all run by other avatars. And these avatars are earning money from shoe sales, art sales, rent or co-op fees and cover charges though no doubt the fashion model gets in free. As far as virtual worlds go, this is impressive, but it’s not revolutionary. What is revolutionary about Second Life is that it’s not only legal to make real money from your cha...