Is Lively a virtual world like Second Life or a traditional chat room with avatars and 3D camera controls? To me, it feels more like an animated chat room—but then, I’ve never been a big virtual-worlds person. If you’re a Second Lifer, however, chances are you’ll find Lively interesting but not nearly as versatile as other virtual worlds. (And if you’re not familiar with Second Life, go to www.secondlife.com to see how Lively compares.)

However you classify Lively, it’s probably worth taking a look. There’s no cost involved, and no tricky software to download and install. It runs in any Windows-based web browser, and it’s easy to start using, without a steep learning curve. Give it a visit and see what you think!