introduction

It is human nature to desire another. Deep inside all of us there is a twinge to be close to someone else that we can care about or love. Some people find that going out and pursuing their partner works best, while others find that waiting for someone to come into their life has been successful. So are these the only two choices we have? Are there no alternatives to the ordinary? Actually, there happens to be a viable option that can connect you with thousands of other people, many looking for the exact same relationship fix as you and me. I am talking about Second Life. The question is, do people use Second Life for dating, and if so how serious are the relationships?

Research Question

Do people use Second Life for dating, and if so how serious is the relationship?

Peer Editing Week 1

Tonight I looked at Sarah Nanney's introduction to her paper. I felt that it was strong, and could perhaps only greater specify what she plans to focus on in her paper.

Peer Editing Week 1

Yesterday I had a chance to look over Sarah Nanney's thesis statement. I found that she has chosen education in Second Life to be her topic.

Second Essay Introduction

Second Life is an online world full of exciting things to do for even a person seldom logging in. It's a vast expanse of different people, places, and things. It really doesn't matter what kind of entertainment you're looking for, chances are that you'll find more than you bargained for and more. There are those who log in to SL to interact solely with others, as well as those who find time on SL only for exploring the scenery and different locations of the world. Then there are the majority of us, who log in to SL to not only enjoy the company of the many others, but also take in all that SL has to offer in the sense of the visually stimulating. There are great deal of clubs, with a huge variety of themes and music for the avatar thats an avid dancer. SL also offers many movie theaters, with movies from a while ago, all the way up to movies that are still in theaters. However, there is a less orthodox type of entertainment for all of us SL goers, something that doesn't fit the mold of your usual evening out. I'm talking about sports in SL. In these sports you'll find some SL goers giving it their all to win it all, and showing all the competitive spirit they have. So lets discuss now the SL lifestyle, and all the entertainment that comes with it.

Second Paper Thesis

Second life is a virtual world, which almost makes it a form of entertainment already. However, there are still a great amount of exciting things still left to do in this vast online world. Movies, clubs, parks and paradises. SL is full of places to be and people to see. I believe that interacting with people is only half of what second life has to offer. I feel that SL can offer not only brief interaction with others, but an entire night of entertainment. The versatility of SL allows goers to start in one location, and several hours later end their long, but enjoyable, night in a totally different location across the map. I will explore SL, and experience these places for myself.

Essay Introduction

As this world of ours evolves, and we develop new and ever changing technology, our ways of communication and interaction change as well. From the old-school of shaking someone’s hand, to the new-school way of being socially active, which is online avatar interaction, Second Life (SL) has shown us new ways to meet new people. SL, which is quickly becoming the most intensely social online community in the world (McGraw-Hill), is a way for people to reach each other from one computer to another. SL has shown me interaction that takes place between people, individually as well as in groups, online. I have found as well that SL can show us all entirely new and different ways to interact. And with 561,000 active users of SL, there are surely plenty of people to interact with. We can be who we wish to be as well. Shape ourselves, dress ourselves, and act however we feel is fit in this world of virtual excitement we know as SL.

Thesis Statement: Social Interaction

Thesis: Social interaction in a virtual world such as Second Life is much different than that of everyday real-world life, as you cannot feel the same physical attraction, see the real face of the person, or truly know the person by meeting them.

Topic: Online interaction with a person can be exciting and fun, but does not fully deliver the experience that real world confrontation delivers. On the other side of the coin, you can never truly tell someones true intentions online, as much as you can in person. This occasionally makes online interaction occasionally risky.

Exploration Assignment

As I continue to explore SL on my own, I am starting to reach a point of standstill by myself. Luckily, this assignment with its slurl links and advice, has shown me even more of this bizarre and interesting world we are currently exploring. I was looking forward to begin.

The first destination I decided to visit was the slurl named Chakryn Forest in Dreamworld. I must say, it is an interesting place. As the landscape loaded, I started to be surrounded by large trees and foliage, as well as almost glittering snow. I walked around and came upon a statue of what seemed to be an old soldier or even a knight.

There was only one other person on the island, a female avatar. Her name was Nikkie Devin, and I chose not to interact with her, as for some reason I had an ill feeling about her. I can't explain why, but she seemed to be someone that wasn't worth associating with...

The purpose of this island I believe was simply to provide a nice place for Second Lifers (?) to reside. They really promoted the peacefulness of the place, and the lack of outside distractions. There was also an emphasis on the small amount of lag on the island, from lack of overly large buildings.

The second place I visited was Pondex. This area was vast and open, made for building and showing off building skills apparently. It took a great while to load, though I don't know if that had anything to do with the landscape.

While I was here though I met some very interesting, yet vague individuals. Two people that live with a master and mistress. They were beautiful people, even for a virtual world. I was intrigued with the detail that they had assembled their avatars, and the time they must spend in the world of Second Life.

The girl I became friends with, Jinx Jua. She explained to me how her and Ty her brother were owned by this couple. She also explained her process of making herself look that way. It was interesting, as well as informing.

On info island, I met up with Sarah Nanney, also Sublime Mnemonic. There we took a picture in front of the inaugural poster for President Barack Obama. We didn't find anything interactive at this particular site. But this seemed like a good way to honor President Obama for his endeavors.

The second place we visited was a room full of maps of continents. This room was full of interactive information about all different continents and current events. This room was definitely a great place for information about the world and its geography.

Then we visited a place dedicated to the performing arts. There was an interactive portal listing movie sites on the Internet. I felt this location was a place that a movie lover would have enjoyed, purely because of the amount of information on the silver screen available.

The last place we visited was the library. Here we met the librarian Gray Pennel, and he was very helpful and very cooperative. He directed us to all the events posted in the library and was quick to snap a picture with us.

Info island, aptly named, is a great place to go if you seek knowledge of some kind. I could have spent more time there, but alas, homework.

My Avatar's Appearence

I have chosen to keep my avatars look simple for now. I feel that a simple wardrobe fits my personality in the real world. I don't usually feel the need to express myself through what I wear, and I haven't really felt any different hear on Second Life. I haven't spent any money changing my appearance yet, but I don't believe that I never will at any point during the semester. I'm currently not as apt with this program as I'd like to be, but I plan on asking for help from someone such as Kirk, who seems to know whats going on. Right now I feel okay with the way I look, but I'm sure as time goes on, and I become more involved and skilled with SL, I will feel the need to become more creative with the way I look.