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Avatars Need Personal Space Too

Nicola Jones writes to alert us to a study showing that avatars need their personal space. Avatars in the virtual reality of Second Life act like real people in this way: boy avatars stand further apart than female ones, and characters tend to avert their gaze from each others' eyes when standing close together. This result holds whether the avatar is being played by a man or a woman. From the article: "The authors say this means that these online gaming environments are a goldmine of social data as well as a potential experimental research platform." Obviously not all behaviours translate from the real world to the virtual one, notes UIUC computer game researcher Dmitri Williams: "There is no research on what translates and what doesn't.... People's willingness to take risks in online worlds is radically different. Death is not permanent online."

16 of 127 comments (clear)

  1. Second Life Breach by Shakes268 · · Score: 0, Funny

    I wonder if it was a disgruntled avatar that caused the security breach

    1. Re:Second Life Breach by IflyRC · · Score: 2, Funny

      How nice, glad I have never played! I think this is one of the first security breaches of an online gaming system. Usually, people try to crack the system to get more "loot" - not credit card numbers and personal information.

      I guess subscribers just got a third life without knowing it (the identity thief)

  2. Yeah, whatever... by Jeian · · Score: 5, Funny

    The authors say this means that these online gaming environments are a goldmine of social data

    Uh huh. I've had a lot less people ask me "R U 4 SECKS CHAT???" in real life.

    1. Re:Yeah, whatever... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Uh huh. I've had a lot less people ask me "R U 4 SECKS CHAT???" in real life.

      You don't hang out in the right bars.

  3. Anonymity by IflyRC · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think avatars actually act differently than the controller (player) would in a similar real world social situation.

    With the internet things like chat rooms or online games shield the person from most of the social or psychological repurcussions for certain behavior. 30 year olds act like 15 year olds. Accountability goes out the window. The moral boundaries are also changed. How many people do you know that would cheat in an online game but would not cheat on an exam?

  4. "Second LIfe"? by Tarlus · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why do they call it "Second Life" if it's for MMO people who don't even have a primary life?

    --
    /* No Comment */
    1. Re:"Second LIfe"? by ABoerma · · Score: 2, Funny

      Isn't WoW a primary life?

    2. Re:"Second LIfe"? by Frogbert · · Score: 2, Funny

      Because it's at least four times better then Half-Life.

  5. Second Life Sucks... by Aelcyx · · Score: 3, Funny

    It would be cool if your character could get a job in this game. Unfortunately, the game is retarded. They need a way to buy guns in the game so you can mug people.

    Or better yet, just make GTA into a MMORPG.

  6. Re:more than one similarity by UbuntuDupe · · Score: 4, Funny

    Looks like you didn't get as much as you could have out of Second Life. Try the following strategies:

    1) Script a device so it acts like a listening bug and plant it in people's houses. (Make sure to have it spawn a copy of itself every 10 hours so it doesn't get deleted!) Confront them when they talk smack about you, and blame any third parties in the room for ratting.

    2) Name a device after someone nearby and have it make offensive remarks. By default, objects have green text when they speak, while humans have white text, so be sure to have it preface its statements "Hey, check this out guys, I can make my text green!"

    3) Arrange to store your money with someone else before you get your "allowance" so it will think you're poor and given you more Linden Dollars.

    If you just did some of those things, I'm sure you'd have more fun.

  7. Re:I don't read too much into this... by Mattintosh · · Score: 4, Funny

    I hate it when I get bluediculous. I swear the ointment the doctor gives me itches more than the rash itself.

  8. Death isn't permanent online? by kinglink · · Score: 3, Funny

    Tell that to my sims. Swimming to their death.. peeing themselves to their death. Killing themselves when fixing a light bulb.

    Not only is Death permanent but it's humiliating.

  9. Huh? by djupedal · · Score: 4, Funny

    Did you see that?

    See what?

    That avatar looked at me...

    C'mon man...avatars can't 'look' at anybody...

    No, man...I'm serious as a heart-attack. I swear. That big red she-male avatar over there by the elevator looked right at me!

    Listen. Avatars here are on display...that's all. They have no host and no history files so they can't do ANYTHING - get it?

    Ok, whatever you say, but I'm telling you, that 'no-host, no-history' cross-breed stared at me as we floated by.

  10. Re:more than one similarity by Frogbert · · Score: 4, Funny

      *Woosh*
      -=(J)  <-- Joke

       ( )
       _|_  <-- You
        |
       / \

    Lameness filter

  11. Re:more than one similarity by l33t+gambler · · Score: 2, Funny

    >  *Woosh*
    >  -=(J)  <-- Joke
    >
    >   ( )
    >   _|_  <-- You
    >    |
    >   / \
    >
    >Lameness filter

    Can someone please explain this joke to me in detail?

    Thank you.

    --
    Teasing the nobles, and rightfully so!
  12. Re:more than one similarity by arose · · Score: 2, Funny

    Let me fix that:

      *Woosh*
      -=(J)  <-- Joke

    Lameness filter

       ( )
       _|_  <-- You
        |
       / \

    --
    Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.