Reality Check

[Paul Hexem]

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Solaria Goldshark wrote:

There is no nice way to put this:

When your real life photo ends up in your SL (avatar) tab, you''ve missed the point.

When your focus is on an avatar's real life sex makes you cringe, you've missed the point.

When you've lost your ability to use your imagination, you've missed the point.

When you make SL a dating service, you've missed the point.

When you make this life similar to your own, what's the point?

If a sense of escape is not the point, let's shut the whole thing down.

If you've been disappointed by your experience, let's shut the whole thing down.

If you've been heartbroken and can't go on, let's shut the whole thing down.

If you've felt cheated, angry or felt that the world owed you something, by all means, let's shut it down.

Grow up dear residents.

I'd be willing to bet that the best of you take chances, make connections, and form lasting friendships despite any expectations of a person's real life situation...and the latter being the icing on the cake.  The real risk being disappointed on what you might find on the other side.  If you are, leave it at the door.....do not judge the pregnant wife, the slave, the wolf, the vampire, the **bleep**, the tranny, the manwhore, the prostitute, the warrior, the saint, the surfer, the slacker, the fashionista, the builder, the players...for they are all us, and we are legion....and we do not make excuses for our fetishes and fantasies, for that is the point.

Welcome to the escape.

 

I'll clear my plate for a serving of humble pie if I'm wrong.

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I was going to say something constructive about online gaming and Internet communities in general, but I'll simply say this.

My friend here in SL calls me by my RL first name, Paul. Because in SL I'm Gadget. Then when we play STO, it's Sirok. In WoW, it's Koraf. In C&C4 it''s Warlocc. And on the Xbox, it's Gothicle. And it would be stupid to use six different names to talk to the same person.

If you try to tell me it's six different people, you're an idiot.

[Solaria Goldshark]

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

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Solaria Goldshark wrote:

 

I'd be willing to bet that the best of you take chances, make connections, and form lasting friendships despite any expectations of a person's real life situation.

 

I don't understand the self contradiction here, Solaria. You give a list of wrongs, then say it's all good.

 

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It was meant to be contradictory by design. 

You are first and foremost your avatar, character, story.  It's an avatar, a conversation, a story that draws you in.  You meet people first as one identity, and then as the other as happens from time to time, a person's real life situation as they choose to share or not to share.

Contradictory because I am not a literalist, and know that both parts of the experience can coexist.  Many choose a complete separation and many choose no separation, and some can have it both ways.

I have always thought that the best part of this nutty social experiment is the way people do meet and connect, and form bonds, and lasting friendships.  But the in-world experience for many is contradictory to their real life experience and there are many who can forget this, or choose not to forget this.  This whole experience is an exercise in contradiction.  and the people behind the scenes are some of the wisest, most caring, funniest, smartest, fun people you can hope to meet.  Not always so, but the majority in my experience.

In minutes after starting this thread I received an IM in world from someone who began to debate me, I'm not sure if it was really a debate but it went on for quite some time.  It was clear to me as the conversation progressed that this person had a few lifestyle issues with people here.  I asked this person to post their remarks here, but they had admitted that they had been banned from the forums. (I thank you for your opinions mystery person).

[Solaria Goldshark]

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Gadget Portal wrote:

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....... you're an idiot.

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Thank you.

I was trying to keep that part a secret, but the cat's out of the bag now.

 

[Solaria Goldshark]

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Ceka Cianci wrote:

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SinfulPrince wrote:

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My god I think I love you LOL.  Where have you been girl?  **APPLAUDS WILDLY. I couldn't have said it better.

And while I know there are a  fleet of people who will agree with Amethyst, I think what Solaria is getting at really is inferred (at least when I hear it) in the name itself ;

Second

Life. She didn't make up that name. Neither did I.  It"s  creators did.  And it smacks of "not your real life", "

other than

your real life". Other wise they could have just called it Pixel Chat, or The Extention of Life. They however, honest to god , named it "Not Your Life" (if you look at the wording itself) since your life is not a "second" version &already being lived.   ....we hope.

Maybe our flaw is that we are literalists.

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do you have a work life and a home life?

which one is the real life? both?

second life for me is the relaxed virtual life away from the other two..second life just means your virtual life..

it can be as simple as going from real version of you to the toon version..or it can be as fantasy as we want..

why people try to put their limits on others as if they are strange and thinking others are doing it wrong or getting it wrong just baffles me..

like they have it all figured out enough to tell everyone else what it really means here..

 someone thinking they have it all figured out for someone else..that's missing the point..

 

the directions someoe can go in second life is like looking at one of those dots on a map where it say's "

you are here

" then taking that dot and turning it into a pin cushion of the directions you can go..

the real point is..we will probably need a bigger pin cushion..more than you guys thinking we need a smaller one..

 

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@Sinfull

I was not looking for applause.  And your last sentence there is spot on.

 

@Ceka

 

Well said.  I like the way you put that.

 

 

[Madelaine McMasters]

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Solaria Goldshark wrote:

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

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Solaria Goldshark wrote:

 

I'd be willing to bet that the best of you take chances, make connections, and form lasting friendships despite any expectations of a person's real life situation.

 

I don't understand the self contradiction here, Solaria. You give a list of wrongs, then say it's all good.

 

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It was meant to be contradictory by design. 

You are first and foremost your avatar, character, story.  It's an avatar, a conversation, a story that draws you in.  You meet people first as one identity, and then as the other as happens from time to time, a person's real life situation as they choose to share or not to share.

Contradictory because I am not a literalist, and know that both parts of the experience can coexist.  Many choose a complete separation and many choose no separation, and some can have it both ways.

I have always thought that the best part of this nutty social experiment is the way people do meet and connect, and form bonds, and lasting friendships.  But the in-world experience for many is contradictory to their real life experience and there are many who can forget this, or choose not to forget this.  This whole experience is an exercise in contradiction.  and the people behind the scenes are some of the wisest, most caring, funniest, smartest, fun people you can hope to meet.  Not always so, but the majority in my experience.

In minutes after starting this thread I received an IM in world from someone who began to debate me, I'm not sure if it was really a debate but it went on for quite some time.  It was clear to me as the conversation progressed that this person had a few lifestyle issues with people here.  I asked this person to post their remarks here, but they had admitted that they had been banned from the forums. (I thank you for your opinions mystery person).

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What you have described is no different than meeting people in RL, where they are the story they chose to tell, albiet with more limitations. I see no point in stating that there is a point to be missed, when you are not in a position to know their values, their goals, or their capabilities. If the people behind the scenes are the wisest, most caring, funniest and smartest people you can hope to meet, why do you think they are missing the point?

Your argument continues to make no sense to me.

[Perrie Juran]

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Madelaine McMasters wrote

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What you have described is no different than meeting people in RL, where they are the story they chose to tell, albiet with more limitations.

I see no point in stating that there is a point to be missed, when you are not in a position to know their values, their goals, or their capabilities. If the people behind the scenes are the wisest, most caring, funniest and smartest people you can hope to meet, why do you think they are missing the point?

Your argument continues to make no sense to me.

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This (what I have bolded) is so true. 

I moved to a new area a few years ago and what my new friends know about me are the things I have chosen to tell them. 

My closest friend now does know the details, but as far as any one else is concerned, they only know what I have chosen to tell them.

I wanted a 'new life' and I have it now and I am very happy.

There was no 'wrong doing' on my part, I simply wasn't happy with how my life was going and I did what I needed to do in order to change it.

 

[Melita Magic]

This is the age old immersionist vs. augmentationist argument.

I keep it simple. I don't care what other people do in Second Life, whatsoever, as long as they abide by RL law, SL TOS, and not on my land.  LOL

[Kaidin Ulrik]

tahahah... thanks for the time passer... the reality check is we're all real people regardless looking to find a way to stay away from doing stupid bull trash in life by being on sl...... life is becoming less fun for those who woke up years ago and more of a hassle!

[Kaidin Ulrik]

it hurts to try and read all the remarks on this one.... very few actually agree with the thread topic =x

[Solaria Goldshark]

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Kaidin Ulrik wrote:

it hurts to try and read all the remarks on this one.... very few actually agree with the thread topic =x

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Imagine how dull life would be if everyoned agreed.

[MoiselleErin Teardrop]

Talk show hosts would be on the street begging

[Kaidin Ulrik]

tahahaha, this is true, my point was that the creator did a horrible job in trying to create conversation... this looks like a giant slam!!!

[Kaidin Ulrik]

i'd actually paid to see that

[Solaria Goldshark]

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Kaidin Ulrik wrote:

tahahaha, this is true, my point was that the creator did a horrible job in trying to create conversation... this looks like a giant slam!!!

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Don't look now, but there is a converstion going on.  You can participate or do some chest beating about how this is a giant slam for you.  But it's not, and I'll tell you why...brace yourself for it.....are you ready?

If I got easily offended, or took things personally, I wouldn't get out of bed in the morning.

[Kaidin Ulrik]

i'm not chest beating.... i'm pointing at the initial post was chest beating and now the thread creator is getting chargrilled.... and i was agreeing with your previous reply to me about talk show hosts...i once went through a phase of that to see what it felt like getting offended easily and taking things personally and i just realized it's just a waste of time because when u really look at life it's like why are these terds staring at me!!

regarless of you being the thread generator or not... your topic caused people to stray off of talking about anything you had to say, and now you wanna try and toss something at me for 'beating on my chest' when all i'm trying to say is it's hard to enjoy posting when there is no depth to the content and the audience gets lost thinking food!!

[Solaria Goldshark]

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Kaidin Ulrik wrote:

... your topic caused people to stray off of talking about anything you had to say.....

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Pretty much the straying off topic started with you.  Most people took the time to respond with an opinion, whether they agreed with it or not.

Such is the wonderful thing about a conversation; It starts somewhere and can lead anywhere.   What's obvious to me is that you clearly are bored or you wouldn't have started a thread about how bored you are with conversations on the forum.   I'll gladly take it over there if you want to go tit for tat on unrelated comments and digs as to how poorly I've framed things.

[Kaidin Ulrik]

now ur just dragging me into the deep end... i don't mind it really because it's open space to think clear but don't try and turn this on me i never started to talk about anything really except how there was no one who thought to actually share in on what you had to say.

[Kaidin Ulrik]

they may have replied but they did not share the same view