Second Life, a virtual world, has a booming population, economy

Second Life is a place where people and companies pay millions for exclusive real estate, designer clothes and luxury vehicles. Nothing is real, though, except for the money. In this online world, residents can create new, improved, digital versions of their lives. After selecting and customizing an on-screen persona, called an avatar, users can choose to become a tall, buff young man or a shapely woman. Some will select furry animals or feathery creatures to represent them "in-world." Ultimately, many learn to socialize with other avatars, build houses and fly around the digital landscape. Launched in 2003, Second Life appears to be the Internet's next big thing. Recently, it logged its millionth resident. The online service has features similar to "The Sims," the all-time best-selling computer game series.

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