I went to a conference at SL URBIS last night. The lecture was broadcast live into a Second Life room in Second Life URBIS.  There were 200 people there in real life and about 20 in SL. The experience of being in the SL environment offered numerous benefits.

First You can chat while the lecture is going on, at the same time checking out the avatars' profiles.  This is great for networking (At the event was someone from the British Library and another from environmental health) and great for stimulating debate. The experience was a little like listening to Radio 4 whilst reading subtitles, only the subtitles were being generated in real time.

Secondly, I think the SL aspect to the event (the event is now happening in two realms) is made richer.  I was able to work up a question to ask Peter Saville with the URBIS facilitator in the SL room.  She then asked the question to him. Asking the question, and composing it in SL removed the nervousness that I feel about asking questions at events where the famous / intellectual crowd are in  attendance. The lecture was recorded so I am holding out for the time when I can get a copy and extract my question for my artist research file.

Thoughtful, a 'new ideas agency for the 21st century' have links to video footage of the event here. I have been unable to find the questions section of the event, but left a message : "Hello there,I was one of those who asked a question in Second Life.  I would like to locate the second life questions as I am writing about them in the context of avatar design."

 The chatroom in SL seems to have a lot of implications and applications.

In the internet chess club (ICC) you can view master games in progress, and take part in spectating (kibbitzing).  These tend to be discussions of some infantility, but the principle is fine. There are various instructions ('whisper' is one I like).