Not sure why, but I was wondering, in a "does the refrigerator light go out when you close the door" kind of way, what happens to my little-used avatar in Second Life when I'm not logged in. Frankly, it's been months since I've spent some time as my alter-ego; I guess it's simply not a way I like to spend my precious free time.

Is she still sitting in the library on Information Island? I doubt it; I certainly hope homelessness is a social ill that can be avoided in virtual reality. What would happen if the folks at Linden Labs plotted all these offline characters transparently wherever they were when they signed off? What areas and activities would find the greatest concentration of virtual ghosts?