Reporter looking for SL players re: "identity tourism"

[Indigo Mertel]

Hi Cecilia. One recommendation: when you write your story please don't fall for the usual sexual crap most so called journalists write about SL. There are plenty of cut-and-paste stories on the web about all the kinks of SL. There is a lot more than sex. You may want to watch some of the Draxtor Despres' videos to get an idea:

[Derek Torvalar]

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

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Pamela Galli wrote:

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Madelaine McMasters wrote:

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Dillon Levenque wrote:

Maybe the way the question was asked; something in the phrasing.

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I've figured it out. It's not the

way

the question was asked, it's where the question was asked... at the top of LL's

Facebook

 page.

So, it's not that the question resonates with the silent majority, it's that the vocal minority of us here in the forum are ignorant of a much larger world.

;-).

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Ah yes, that was Tweeted, too.  No clue how those comments wind up as forum posts tho.

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I don't know about Twitter, but the Facebook post asking for responses links to the OP. So that part is orchestrated. That explains the "flood" of activity from people who've never posted here before. Some of them have been in SL longer than you (2007) or me (2008). It's not that these people are allies/alts of the OP who popped up in support of something in an attempt to garner attention, it's that they saw something on a page that gets far more attention than the forums, and that page pointed them here.

The forums are not on most people's radar. It doesn't bother me to discover that the world I inhabit may be inconsequential to most. That's been the case since I was born. And let this be a lesson to us, or at least me. What appears suspicious may simply be the result of our own ignorance.

I find it helpful to remind myself that

Hanlon's Razor

, "

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity (I think "ignorance" would be a better term)." doesn't require the ignorance to be someone else's.

;-).

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I have always found that Occam's Hammer is appropriate in situations like this.

"Operor non mictum in meus tergum quod dico mihi pluvit."

[MunchkinRUSSEL]

Second life had made me fall in love with someone other part of the world.

Through it i was able to build will power and flew all the way from Middle East to India. Alone

Its been 4 years rl online relationship. we meet once a year rl because of distance. We will get married within coming year in real life

This is a short reply theres lot to share

[Serendipity Weatherwax]

SL is an extension of my rl in so many ways. My rl mother is in SL. My best friend is in SL. My best friend met the person she is with in RL in SL.... the list is endless. For a long time one of my best friends moved to England. 1st thing she did was get an SL account. We all had parcels on the same sim. It was surreal. I have also met friends in SL that have become a part of my everyday life for 6+ years now. I neer knew SL would change my life the way it has.

[Nostoll]

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cecianasta wrote:

Hi,

My name is Cecilia and I'm a reporter with VICE. I'm reporting a story about individuals who have changed important aspects of their IRL identity expression because of their experiences with avatars in games like SL. 

I'd love to speak with players who have had this experience. I'd appreciate it if you could DM me and we can set up a time to talk.

Thanks so much.

Best,

Cecilia

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Interresting,i will contact you

[Isoldel]

There is a good reason to be wary of "reporters/journalists" wanting stories from those who use SecondLife. This reporter is from VICE, the same group that published this lovely article about how video game addictions destroy American lives. So, what is this reporter's agenda? What is their desired end-state for their article? And why haven't they delved into SL themselves when there are many resources for new users that show you how to navigate, find interesting places, things to do and connect with good people?

They are essentially making YOU do THEIR homework.

[Lia Lupindo]

I am an experienced avatar who's Second Life has changed my real life. You can contact me if you'd like to know more. In world, I am Lia Lupindo. 

[Monderas Bristol]

I'm just amazed that the majority of posts include so many details when the OP asks them to Direct Message ^^

[Myrylyn]

Hi, Cecilia!

I'd love to share my story with you. Would you be willing to meet in world? Can I friend you?

[Dillon Levenque]

As one of the people who first expressed skeptism regarding the sincerity of this thread's OP, I want to offer a full and complete apology. The article in question is now finished; I saw a link in a forum across the street.

I only had time to read the first few paragraphs; I'll get to it later in the day. What I did read was very well done. I think most of  you will agree.

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/avatar-irl

[LlazarusLlong]

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Dillon Levenque wrote:

As one of the people who first expressed skeptism regarding the sincerity of this thread's OP, I want to offer a full and complete apology. The article in question is now finished; I saw a link in a forum across the street.

I only had time to read the first few paragraphs; I'll get to it later in the day. What I did read was very well done. I think most of  you will agree.

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/avatar-irl

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Given that the article is less about identity tourism than gender tourism it is hardly surprising that you found it well done, Dillon.

The only SL participant appears to be one that the author probably knew about before she started writing it.

Real connoisseurs of online identity issues (take a bow, Botgirl Questi) will find the analysis she offers rather one- (or should that be two-) dimensional.

[Dillon Levenque]

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LlazarusLlong wrote:

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Given that the article is less about identity tourism than gender tourism it is hardly surprising that you found it well done, Dillon.

The only SL participant appears to be one that the author probably knew about before she started writing it.

Real connoisseurs of online identity issues (take a bow, Botgirl Questi) will find the analysis she offers rather one- (or should that be two-) dimensional.

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While the fact that questions of gender were discussed would certainly have drawn my attention to the article; it would have absolutely nothing to do with whether I thought it was 'well done'. If I was an activist (I'm not) I might even recommend such an article even had it been badly done, purely as a source of information. I wouldn't say I liked the way it was written.

Identity tourism, not gender tourism? I know your various forum personae have to hold to a certain core style (and portraying someone who comes off as a "Return of Kings" idol is part of that) but surely you are aware of the concept of gender identity? Biology does differentiate—via a demonstrable chromosome difference—between males and females, but people who identify as being part of a gender they don't biologically match do exist. Rather a lot of them, in fact. There's even a Wikipedia article on gender identity: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_identity . Given that, I'd say using gender identity as part of an article about 'identity tourism' (a phrase coined by an earlier researcher into virtual worlds and MMOs, discussed in the article) was a valid approach.

Now that I've had time to finish reading all of it I realize the section about the SL avatar is only about a third of the article. The author talks about other researchers and their work for most of the rest, returning to her introductory subject avatar only briefly near the end.

 

ps: I wrote without using a spell-checker, as always. Knock yourself out. I looked pretty carefully but I'm sure I must have missed some.

[LlazarusLlong]

So you agree with me, Dillon, that once again a reporter has come to the forums, asked a question about one topic, and then steadfastly ignored any responses they might have received and written the article about a different topic that they wanted to write - and may even have already written - in the first place.

And not about identity, but about sexuality.

Once again, the press has focused on sex in Second Life - because sex sells, even though LL seem to want avoid acknowledging this basic fact of internet commerce.

I acknowledge that gender identity is one of the issues that internet identity analysis raises, but it is a sensationalist trivial minority interest in comparison with the generally unacknowledged WalterMiddydom of online participants. If anybody is REALLY interested in the subject then I would recommend that they consult the twitter feed of Botgirl Questi (@botgirlq) and her blog as a startpoint to what might be enlightenment regarding the way in which virtual personae are presented, as well as offering potentially startling inner revelelations about your own personal presentation.

Maybe I might "borrow" a few of Botgirl's memes to start a separate thread up.