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Technology

Virtual worlds offer far more than just escapism

By Anil Ananthaswamy

22 August 2007

WILLIAM WISE had always felt he should have been born a woman. A year and a half ago, he finally got the chance to live as one. He chose a provocative new look: a cute, contemporary hairstyle with bangs, a tank top with spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline, and bare midriff. There was one twist, however. He had to live inside an online virtual world called .

This alternative persona (pictured above), which goes by the name , allowed him finally to understand what it was like to live as a woman – something he…

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