In his weekly Consumed column in the NY Times magazine, Rob Walker has provided a great back-to-basics guide to Second Life – for all you folk who just need a recap – with some insights into how brands (real world and Second Life) can benefit the residents. Rob says:

Second Life is not linear or goal-oriented (kill five dragons and seize the treasure or whatever), and users like Lancaster are attracted by this open-endedness. They use building and scripting tools provided by Second Life to build and modify the structures, clothes, games and objects in this virtual world. It’s a labor-intensive form of escapism, but these user creations are exactly what make the place interesting.

Selling to Avatars – New York Times