Second Life Goes to Washington

As the Democrats were taking control of both houses of Congress, two firms were helping launch a concurrent event in Second Life, ushering politics into the virtual world.

Marketing firm Clear Ink partnered with Sun Microsystems (SUNW Quote) to produce streaming video of the opening of the 110th Congress, where Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) became the first woman to hold the position of speaker of the House.

Through a virtual simulation of Capitol Hill, PC users across the globe could watch as the Democrats assumed simultaneous responsibility of the House and Senate for the first time since 1994. ...