There's none more devout than a convert!

My initial scepticism about the value of virtual worlds has been gently eroded by the extraordinary innovation and intelligence I have witnessed inside the communities developing the 3D future of the internet.

Nobody knows where this will go, but I want IHD to be at the leading edge of the experiments in on-line learning and this new 3D world. The only way to discover the future is to invent it or wait for others to do so!

One thing that we can predict with some confidence is that technology created for the multi-billion dollar entertainment industry will inevitably trickle down into every-day applications on the web, and into education and business. Gartner, the worldwide technology research group, predicts that by 2011, 87% of active internet users will have some form of 3D avatar. Mine is called Adrian Pathfinder – please look out for me on the islands, and say hello.

We have spent many months working with two of the finest creative minds in 3D design and have produced a whole series of video content especially for this experiment. Over the next few years we will continue to listen, explore, innovate and invest and you will play a vital part by giving us feedback on what works, what doesn’t and what you’d like to see develop.

Second Life is an extraordinary environment, full of contradictions – beautiful, ugly, creative, mundane, intelligent, foolish, erudite, and banal – just like life.  My personal belief is that Second Life itself will remain largely a 'game' and a 3D social networking platform, but with many millions of 'players' of all ages and both genders signing up to 3D virtual world platforms for networking, music, creative interraction, video conferencing, education and games these 3D developments will become pervasive within the blink of an eye.

Open your mind (wide) and invest some time to find your way around and join us at the weird and wonderful cutting edge of 3D communication. Have fun, be inspired, and play your part ...