To compare the differences between instant messaging services (MSN, AOL, etc) and 3d chat-room (second life, imvu, active world) is really quite simple. Despite the obvious visual addition 3d chat allows you, they both aim to allow you to communicate. However it is who you communicate with that separates these two services in different worlds (almost literally). MSN, most commonly, allows you to add people to your contact list, by entering their email address- which means you must have some knowledge of who the person is. How else would you obtain the address silly?
3D chat-rooms however is almost free-range in the way it works- you log on, create an avatar, and go about meeting new people, building houses and doing all sort of other things in a strange virtual world. The avatar you select is not meant to be a replica of your face, in fact, its encouraged that you create a new persona- maybe you’d like to be “Lyd Vicious, the non-conforming, atomic-pink hair coloured punk”, or perhaps “Destiny Sizemore, the sexy stripper trying to break into the acting game”. The point is to create a new person, meet people you have absolutely no idea of who they may be, and the fact is Brad Witt, the more handsome, funnier version of Brad Pitt, could really be some 54 year old, greasy haired, Slovakian man.
Personally, I think both are equally safe and not safe, as I use MSN for people I know, meaning that my personal details are relatively safe being displayed. The 3d Chat, which I do not actually use, but if I did, it would be using a character, which means you’re not actually allowing people to access your personal information.
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