Second Life ready for primetime at Gingrich event
By Eric Reuters
In a high-profile test of Second Life’s viability as a political forum, Newt Gingrich held a question and answer session on Thursday that went off nearly without a hitch.
The former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives spoke at Second Life’s virtual Capitol building, a recreation of the same spot where he debuted the Republican Party’s “Contract with America” 13 years ago. Attendance at the invite-only event maxed out at 56 avatars, near the technical limit imposed by Second Life’s infrastructure, according to Clear Ink, who coordinated the event.
Five protesters were confined to an area behind the main seats, waving banners like “Conservatism Kills” and typing a steady stream of anti-Republican slogans. The former Speaker, whose avatar name, like his real one, is “Newt Gingrich,” was using Second Life’s new voice function; the protesters were using the chat channel.
Under the watchful eye of Gingrich’s all-female security force, disruptions that have plagued other high-profile Second Life interviews were to kept to a minimum. One protester was ejected for rezzing a giant sign that grew to dominate the virtual Mall.
“3D Internet will be one of the next big breakthroughs,” Gingrich said. He talked at length about the importance of technological innovation before taking questions on topics ranging from nuclear power to Medicaid fraud to America’s relationship with China.
“Let me make a commitment right now, we will work out a time to have a Republican Party meeting in Second Life,” Gingrich said. He also said a region in the virtual world called “Legislative Life” was in the works where state legislatures could share ideas.
