"Second Life erases gender, racial, cultural, and geographic barriers in a way that nothing else can"

.......
"Any sufficiently open system to be interesting is going to necessarily have people doing things to themselves or others that are undesirable," Rosedale observed, "but the important question is whether overall the outcome is positive for people. I am totally convinced that it is. "

"Virtual worlds like Second Life offer far more positive benefits to humanity than negatives, which is definitely a big part of what inspires me to come to work every day. I am proudest of the positive social and personal impact that Second Life has had. I dreamed of Second Life more as a platform for building amazing things, without thinking about what sort of effects it would have on the people using it."
"Second Life erases gender, racial, cultural, and geographic barriers in a way that nothing else can"
And it certainly has quite an impact, "Second Life erases gender, racial, cultural, and geographic barriers in a way that nothing else can. It can change the lives of people who are disabled, and teaches people things they didn't know they could do."
"As the space matures and technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, I believe they will be a huge force in educating, creating jobs, and empowering people all over the world." Rosedale said, "To see how Second Life empowers and changes people to become better often can bring tears to my eyes - just ask the other Lindens."
.........



http://www.massively.com/2009/04/14/massively-talks-with-upbeat-second-life-founder-philip-rosedale/