Some Real Life Reactions to Second Life

Being in Second Life for almost two years, there comes the question. What do my family, friends, and coworkers think of it?

One of my relatives uses the computer to work online, making a fair amount of income. The idea of a “chat room on steroids” she found appealing. But her computer wasn’t powerful enough for the Second Life client, and the chat rooms she used to conduct business worked well enough. So she never did touch Second Life herself, just found it good that I did.

Among friends and co-workers, I mention it sometimes when the subject of computers comes up. Some have heard of it, but more often than not they haven’t until I mentioned what it is. Some express interest, others couldn’t seem to care less.

One man I thought would be interested was a UFO buff, and wondered what he would think of a place where one could virtually take on a non-human appearance. So one day in some casual conversation when he asked me what I was up to this weekend, wondering if I’d be listening to “Coast to Coast.” I told him most likely I’d be meeting up with some friends online. He asked if it was on a game, and I mentioned, “Maybe a little ‘World of Warcraft,’ but also on ‘Second Life.’ “ He thought for a moment, “I think I heard about that on TV. ... The program told it was some weird porn site.” I gave him an odd look, “What? It surely must’ve told you more than that?” “Nope, porn site.”

“It’s a vast three-dimensional virtual landscape,” I told him, “Unlike games such as ‘World of Warcraft,’ almost all the content is created by other players. Sure you’re going to have a few people create some adult-themed areas, but most places on Second Life aren’t like that. People have created wilderness areas, castles and villages, even science-fiction areas with aliens. You can find just about everything there.” “Porn site.” “Oh come on. Just because a few areas there are a little wild does not make the whole place dirty.” “Porn site.”

I thought for a moment, recalling he was in the US Navy, “Someone created a replica of the Vietnam Memorial there.” “A what?” He seemed more interested. “Someone recreated ‘The Wall’ in Second Life. Right down to every one of the fifty thousand names.” “No way.” “Yes way.”

I then explained how I came across it, describing how from the point of view of one’s computer, one appeared to be at a replica of the Vietnam Wall. One that was highly detailed, right down to the squirrels in the park, and with a system to find individual names. My friend seemed impressed, and hearing about the article I wrote asked to see it. I showed it to him after work before we left for home. He thought it was very interesting. Still, he continued to call Second Life a porn site as a joke once in a while.

I mentioned SL to a few other coworkers on some occasions. Most hadn’t heard of it, more familiar with “World of Warcraft,” but some were interested. I thought someone might be curious enough to give it a try. Still, it was a surprise when my supervisor told me he was going on it. I talked a little about what I did there, my doing articles for an online newspaper. He didn’t think anything about my avatar’s foxlike appearance there, as he was familiar with my sense of humor and saw the “Fox News” joke. I expected that I would soon be helping him out some, but as it turned out he gave it up as the “lag” took the fun out of it for him. So my worry that I’d soon have to explain one of the weirder aspects of SL to the man who hands me my real-life paycheck never materialized.

Then there was one story about Second Life that made the news in the local paper, though not in the best light. It seems a man in SL broke off a relationship there with a lady, and her response was to come after him in real life with the intention of detaining him for a while whether he liked it or not. One coworker who was more into computers and games than most others found out about it and went to me, “Hey *****, hear about that woman who met a guy on Second Life and tried to kidnap him? Maybe if you keep running into girls there, maybe someday soon one will be knocking on your door with a pair of handcuffs. (chuckle).” Perhaps I should have reminded him of when he told me he stumbled into a Star Trek club, and got tackled by a Klingon girl.

Not everyone reacted positively. Once I was talking with a couple friends of my Father, a man and a woman. The subject of the future came up, and they had a rather pessimistic view of it. The man mentioned an old science-fiction story in which people were afraid to come out of their tiny apartments, interacting with each other only through a computer world. I then mentioned, “Well, something like that exists now, Second Life.” Before I could say more, the woman promptly told me, “Stay away from there!” “Too late,” I answered. She wasn’t too happy, explaining how she heard of people having relationships online, and how she thought they were completely out of their mind. I then asked her, “So which is worse, people having relationships online, or guys going to hookers?” “Well, at least a hooker would be *real.*” It was obvious there was not going to be any changing of their minds.

And so, a few reactions of real life friends, family, and acquaintances to Second Life. It would seem more positive publicity is needed.

Bixyl Shuftan