Second Life Class

As a part of my graduate studies in communications, we had a virtual classs meeting in the Second Life game environment. This involved becoming a Second Life resident, choosing an Avatar, and showing up at a specific location “in-world”.  I think most of the class managed to attend.

It was fun and yet strange meeting some classmates virtually, before class began. It was interesting to see how people depicted themselves via their Avatars. When the Professor came in, there was some attempt at order. It was a little distracting having people hovering and wandering. There was alot of chat, which pretty much never ceased, even after the Professor tried to formally convene the class.

We all tried to explore the impact and meaning of this virtual interaction. We were busy trying to figure out what we had become online, when I realized that we have become ourselves; our other-selves maybe, but certainly us. This seemed impossible at first considering some of the outrageousness in characters and behaviors. But in reality, we all chose to look the way we looked, and act the way we acted. Even if we chose an “anti-self”, we did, nevertheless, make that choice, consciously or not.

I have spent considerable time exploring Second Life. I find that I’m very much myself in-world. That is a little disappointing on the one hand, but on the other, I guess I’m not so disatisfied with my self that I would need to become something entirely different, even if I thought I could get away with it, such as in a virtual environment. Okay, so there is a possibility that I just can’t let loose, even in a virtual world…I’ll explore that and report back if I become the wild man of Second Life.