When I heard that Linden Lab, the makers of Second Life, were releasing a "behind-the-firewall" enterprise-level version of their virtual world, I have to say that my first thought was, "Wow, that's cool. But I don't see how this will be of any help to most nonprofit and public institutions."
Well, low and behold, one of the first applications of this enterprise-level solution will be to help support military amputees in their recovery and adjustment back to society! Here's what Dusan Writer posts on his excellent blog:
Virtual worlds can provide military amputees with an opportunity to enhance their overall quality of life, expedite their reintegration into society, and improve their physical and mental wellness. ADL Company Inc. (ADL) and Virtual Ability, Inc. (VAI) announced today the start of a project to establish best practices and protocols for the provision of on-line peer-to-peer support services to this community, with funding from the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) of the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC).
I'm incredibly excited to see the fruits of this innovative use of virtual worlds. Returning veterans with amputated limbs are a population that can make a very strong case for the public good possibilities of these digital tools.
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