Text and Photos by THANE MACBETH

This was one of the two winning entries in the Health category of the magazine article writing contest for November.

The strength of Second Life is its ability to bring together diverse people from all over the world with all of their varied backgrounds, ideas, and issues. One of the issues that looms large in the lives of many of those people is health. Naturally, because of its virtual nature, Second Life lacks the ability to affect people’s health in a physical sense, but by that very nature it is perfectly positioned to address this issue with the dissemination of information that can enhance the lives of those seeking advice regarding their health.

Health information is readily available in Second Life, mostly in the form of informational headquarters of organizations dedicated to inform people about a single health issue. These issues run the gamut from mental health to HIV prevention. These organizations, or sometimes individuals, create resources or kiosks that either direct interested people to websites that address that particular issue or distribute notecards or other devices that put the information directly in the hands of those seeking it.

In the case of Healthinfo Island, an entire sim is devoted to the distribution of health related information. A walk down what is labeled the Path of Support, which “displays the variety of healthcare support groups available in Second Life,” yields dozens of signs which can be clicked to reveal information about groups in Second Life devoted to such diverse health issues as wellness, disabilities, depression, and autism, among others. There are dozens of more signs that can be clicked to connect a person with various groups dedicated to give support to those suffering from different health related issues such as cancer survivors, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and many more.

RezLibris had a chance to interview Knoh Oh, the person responsible for creating and maintaining the Path of Support. Knoh was most accommodating in answering the following questions:

RL: How did you come up with the idea of the Path of Support?

KO: The Path was actually a going concern before I came upon the scene. Drangea Lynnhurst had the idea of posters along a path, instead of the list of support groups that was kept until then. It's a really brilliant idea -- such a super metaphor as well as visually appealing and informative. Drangea did a great job, making over 60 posters, but she got busy with other things. I took over maintenance in August of 2008. I've put up more posters, added a monthly calendar, grouped posters according to categories, included a slide show, created a few nifty freebies, and some other things.

RL: Do you have any kind of estimate of how many people visit the Path?

KO: I have been tracking stats of the number of visitors to the Path for about a year now. I do not record avatar identities, just that someone visited. The Path gets around 10 visitors a day. But it really varies. Occasionally there will be one, and then a tour or a class might visit and there will be 30.

RL: What are the two most common questions about the Path?

KO: Many are similar to the ones you are asking, the Path's origins, and the like. However:

1)How do I get my group on the Path?

Just send me an IM (Knoh Oh) and we'll see about getting a poster up. I like to have all the posters have a similar look and feel so end up doing them myself, but would be happy to put up others if they conform. I also want to be sure there are no “spy-like” scripts as I want visitors to the Path to be as anonymous as possible.

2) Is there a group about “X”?

While I do not recommend groups, and being on the Path is certainly is not meant to be a recommendation, I am happy to give folks information about the groups that I know of inside and outside SL.

RL: What kind of feedback do you receive about the Path and how do you receive it?

KO: There is a note drop box that I check. Plus my name, Knoh Oh, is plastered all over the place so folks can find me easily.

RL: Does the Path remain unchanged or do new groups get added, and if so, how of ten?

KO: Oh, there are so many changes it is hard to keep up! As I mentioned, I am happy to add groups. I have taken away a few, if there seems to be no activity, or their leaders ask me to delete them. There is not enough room to cover everything, so I try to display the variety of groups avaialble.

RL: What do you do to promote the Path?

KO: I have a promotional poster that people put up on their sims. The Path had a booth at the Dreams Fair. I have written about the Path on my website (john-norris.net) and there have been other articles in SL focused blogs/periodicals. Turning on search for the posters helped. Be sure to stop by for your free Smilie Chat Badge. And if you can find them, there is a nice spot to meditate with a free teapot "Abode of Mists" and tea bowl "Depth of Oceans" to take home.

RL: Do you have any other projects in mind for HealthInfo Island?

KO: I have many more ideas for the Path of Support. I have plans to include information as to how effective online support is as well as information for those who have started, or are interested in starting, their own groups. Upkeep on the Path is a constant job, and it is also coming to the point that I need to go searching for the new groups as well as culling through the old ones. I am thankful for the folks on HealthInfo Island, especially Carolina Keats and now Virtual Ability (w/ Gentle Heron) for the opportunity for this sort of thing to be out there. There is such a great community of support folks and the need is very real. So I am quite excited about the future.

As is the case with much information a vailable on the internet, an interested person must consider the source of the information. However, some very cursory research reveals that most of the sources of health related information in Second Life are reliable. For example, an informational sign on the Path of Support about autism leads to the website of the Autism Society of America, which describes itself as the nation’s leading grassroots autism organization. An examination of the website describes the group and its mission, tells about the condition, provides information about ongoing research in the field, leads readers to other resources dealing with autism, and provides a means to make donations to the society.

In fact, many of the groups disseminating information provide the means for making contributions. However, that does not appear to be the main purpose of those groups. They seem to be genuinely interested in serving the needs of the users of Second Life who are looking for answers to important questions regarding their health.

Thane Macbeth

In general, it seems that SL can be a valuable resource for anyone with an interest in health related issues. The availability of information shows how SL can be much more that merely a social site and confirms its value as an asset to serious-minded people concerned with serious issues.

Path of Support, HealthInfo Island

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