Today the Chronicle posted Educators Debate Voice in Second Life – Chronicle.com in their wired campus blog. The addition of voice has many positives as Alan Levine identifies but also lessens the experience of Second Life community members that are hearing impaired. A point at Andrea Foster raises. To know its true value we will have to see how it plays out.
What is more interesting is the First and only comment -
This stuff is getting out of hand. People who spend all of their time in Second Life, need to get a life. This is not social interaction, it is hiding behind a computer screen so you donâ??t have to interact with other people. To play a a game in a virtual world is one thing, but to participate in a virtual world just to exist is pathetic. Why donâ??t you spend you time doing something useful and become a productive member of society. This wasted time could be spent doing volunteer work or helping others in some way. This type of activity is doing much more harm to society than anyone realizes. People are spending too much time on their fake lives and not enough on their real lives and this creates problems when they have to deal with others in the real world. Stop hiding from life and live it.
â?? anonymous
First, the angry tone and signing it anonymous, How does that benefit society?  I am fine with people thinking Second Life is fluff because the decision is still out on practical applications of Second Life. What is clear is that interesting things are happening in Second Life. Individuals are drawn to it and find something there that keeps them coming back. Is this phenomenon fueled by ones need for a sense of community/engagement with others? Or is the draw because it allows one to be the person they wish to be through their avatar? If it is either of these then how do we as educators/community members develop similar connections with our fellow man(or woman) in the non virtual world?
Secondly, I am not a Second Life disciple by any means but the assertion by the commenter that all interactions in Second Life are fake is presumptuous. I have experienced very real and practical interactions with instructional technologists and educators from around the country through Second Life. For the regular user of Second Life it is clear that their interactions are very real and rewarding for them as they continue to invest time, money and emotion into Second Life through their avatar.
More thought and less inflammatory comments are necessary.
I think to presume that people’s reactions and interactions are “fake” devalues them. Are my interactions with my friends and family less real because I choose to use email/cell phone instead of visiting with them in person? I assure you when I write to friends who are serving in Iraq, the sentiment is just as real as if I were sitting next to them. So too, the reactions and feelings of the people in Second Life are just as valid and real. People do find love, real life love, so too they find heartache. The demeanor of the original post suggests someone who has had a negative experience directly with someone in second life, or more likely has been jilted by someone who found something more rewarding for themselves in second life. I think the practical applications of Second Life are as yet untapped, but just because it is virtual doesn’t make it any less real.
Comment by nicolamicheline — June 8, 2009 @ 11:43 am