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The Elevator Effect In Second Life
There is an good video on NPR about how real human reactions translate to the virtual world. It's interesting in view of the question posted here about rape in Second Life. The video covers a little experiment in SL where a reporter gets together with a psychologist to see if some unspoken human rules apply in the virtual world — such as staring or standing too close to someone. Perhaps surprisingly, in this world where you can be or do just about anything, you can't break these unspoken rules with impunity.
To me she sounds like a girl who knows exactly what she wants, and what she wants to 'pay' for it.
(leaving out that they are going to see each other again and obviously both enjoyed 'the transaction')
Now what's wrong with that?
If you mod this up, your slashdot background will turn into a beautiful sunset!
> To me she sounds like a girl who knows exactly what she wants, and what she wants to 'pay' for it.
> Now what's wrong with that?
I didn't say there is anything "wrong" with it, I just said it was prostitution... which it is. Prostitution is perfectly legal in many countries. You can make up your own mind whether it is wrong or not.
I'll probably be modded down for this...
Problem is , people think that when they are in their car they also can happily break these rules. Even though they know it's not just rude anymore but outright dangerous. Standing-too-close = tailgaiting. you can KILL people with that behaivoir. and honestly, upset the guy in front of you and he can jam on the breaks and teach you a lesson.
All that studies like this prove is that if you are not close enough to punch the person in the face for their bad behaivoir or to keep them under control, fellow humanity becomes raging jerks. Something that almost all of us old farts learned a while ago.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
I imagine the fact there is some real world interest in Second life beyond playing a game being one of the main reasons why it keeps popping up on Slashdot.Dear God, next we'll find out that people are offering sex on MUDs and MUCKs!
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
The really interesting thing about such virtual, anonymous worlds like Second Life is, that although we *could* be someone else, we decide not to. Newbies in these world often try to be a completely different character, however, over time they get very, very close to their real character.
I'd say, it's quite simple: In normal life, we chose who we are. Most people have fixed patterns which affect their behavior and therefore their daily life. Over time, these patterns get more and more restricting and make people lose their authenticity.
So, there's certainly a wish to break out, and that's what these virtual worlds promise us - but changing or breaking patterns can never be done by changing worlds. We see that every day, when people change their jobs, their partners or their homes - after all, most end up the same.
Even if there's a "Third Life" and a "Fourth Life", maybe hundreds of them, they will in the end be all the same, simply as we are who we are.
However, if we are shaken up so much, that we have to drop some patterns, or really decide to make a change, this and all other worlds will be different - instantly...
I interpreted it is meaning it is "nothing more [interesting] than prostitution" -- ie, there's no particularly compelling reason it would be featured on slashdot because there's no novel social or technical thing involved. Perhaps your reading is the one with unintentional bias?
Recursive: Adj. See Recursive.
I thought that at one time. Then one night after a function, i was having drinks and a few of the others from the function was there.
Well, to make a long story short, they started talking about some asshat in an online game they all played and after chiming in, I found out they were talking about me. Or at least a character name I used everyone in a while when I wanted to piss people off.
I don't think they knew they were talking about me because some words were pointing out that I wouldn't be having a good time if they did. The entire night i had to wonder if they knew who i was or was it just coincidence. I was usually drunk during the times I used that name so i could have done way more then i remembered. I kept thinking they were coming over to start a fight whenever I heard their voice chatting away close to me.
Anyways, I didn't sweat it much but I never went online just to piss people off after that. The chances of meeting someone from the same game without organizing it is unreal, or at least I thought. I think the only thing that grouped us together outside the game was a charity function I got roped into going to. It wasn't in my town and they weren't in their hometowns. But there we were all together from different parts of the state and had something in common without trying to know it.