Intel brings devs to Second Life

Dubbed the Intel Software Network Area, streaming webcasts will enable Second Lifers to get a grounding in Intel technology, and their avatars can meet the avatars of Intel people hanging around in the area. On Tuesday, a 'meet the experts' panel on multicore processing and threading attracted a stunning 60 attendees.

Rumours that half the audience was dressed in leather and was looking for the 'Meat the XXXPerts' panel were not confirmed.

Scott Apeland, director of the Intel Developer Network that also runs the IDF events worldwide, said: "We see that Second Life is becoming a popular area for our audience, it provides a new, rich environment for training and exchanging information as well as entertainment... As the developer base grows in Second Life, we want to be there and grow with them and provide the information they need to get the most out of Intel platforms."

Intel is reportedly measuring the return on investment by listening to developer feedback. That rather assumes that any developers are paying attention.

Second Life has attracted a lot of attention from the mainstream world as 'the next big thing' in marketing, and has even led to theories of the '3D visual web', where we'll all navigate around our favourite sites using our own avatars, interacting with people. Ignoring the fact that many of us enjoy visiting websites where, er, we'd rather not be found. And that includes the Intel Developer Network, you filthy people. µ