Social Virtual Worlds And Their Places

This book provides a foundational look at social virtual worlds from the geographer's perspective. How can the geographer's craft be applied to social virtual worlds? This question is addressed through careful analysis of what social virtual worlds are, how interest in these worlds has waxed and waned during the twenty-first century, and the meaning of their concocted spaces. Examining one of the key features of the social virtual world, the avatar, the book focuses on its user's motivations and identity choices. The book draws on the geographical understanding of place to examine where avatars live, work, and roam, and describes how virtual-world places resemble and diverge from actual-world places. A mixed-methods survey conducted in Second Life adds additional breadth to the discussion, whilst a series of vignettes gives extra life to the subject matter. This original exploration of the content and meaning of social virtual worlds is an essential resource for geographers, and for anyone interested in the virtual world experience. Dr. Merrill L. Johnson is Professor of Geography at Colorado State University. He is a former Associate Provost, Associate Dean, Department Chair, and Professor of Geography at the University of New Orleans, and was a Principal Investigator for a statewide university virtual-world initiative. Dr. Johnson is an economic and political geographer who subsequently developed a keen interest in virtual worlds.