Governments worldwide are also eyeing opportunities in the virtual world...
Balaji Sadasivan, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Information, Communications and the Arts, told participants at the State of Play V conference held there that a handful of government agencies in the island-state have established presence in Second Life. They include the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and the Economic Development Board (EDB).
Earlier this year, IDA procured a small island in the virtual world, and partnered with Nanyang Polytechnic to “experiment hands-on experiential learning” in these online environments.
When contacted by ZDNet Asia, an IDA spokesperson declined to reveal more details of its stake in Second Life, while an EDB spokesperson said the agency is adopting a wait-and-see approach. STB did not respond at press time.
Singapore is not the first or only country to make a foray into Second Life. Several U.S. government agencies, such as NASA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. House of Representatives, also have stakes in the virtual world, which are used for education, collaboration and outreach, according to a report on a U.S. government Web site.
In Japan, lawmaker Kan Suzuki has set up an office in Second Life to reach out to voters, according to a recent BBC report.” ..
More to come..
