I now learned when SL has run it's course.

[MoiselleErin Teardrop]

Well soon will be my third rez-day.

And in that time I have - built stuff, made friends, lost friends, been in a relationship, bought land, did some verbal griefing and got banned, bought and sold things, did the "poseball" thing, made several looks for my avatar, created gestures and animations, dabbled in sculpts, been in clubs and worked in them.... just whatever stuff. I even made a couple videos about SL

Well now I log into SL and have no idea what to do. My friend who was acting like a brat pretty much blocked me or is at least not responding (she has a habit of doing this to everyone she meets, it just took almost 3 years before my turn came)

I remember at one point I was so hooked on SL that I would put serious life responsibilities on the back burner to play just "a few more minutes" in SL. Have YOU ever said, "just a few more minutes"?

 

It is weird cause at one time, it would take something serious for me to log of SL, say like needing to go buy more cigarettes. Nowadays, well really since July, I log into SL hoping to find something. Kind of like how you sit thru a bad movie hoping something will turn. My time inwoprld went from 15 hours a day to 15 hours a month.

IN some weird way, I feel bad about that. I mean losing 95% of my desire to be in.

I am not sure what keeps some people hooked year after year. Am I just missing something? Have I just forgotten how this SL thing even works? At this point, I might as well be running around bald, asking how to get a job, and wearing a box.

Where did the fun go?

 

[Randall Ahren]

---

MoiselleErin Teardrop wrote:

Where did the fun go?

---

That's like being wildly in love for the first couple of years and then waking up one day and saying "I'm bored, where did the love go?"  

 

 

[Marigold Devin]

Oh yes, "five more minutes" syndrome. I'm familiar with that too. 

Maybe you just need a proper break from SL, and that's all. You just sound like you've reached a plateau that a lot of people reach. There seems to be something about the three year milestone; maybe that's the point you truly realise you're not a noob any more. You get wise to stuff, like what (and who) is and isn't a total waste of money and time, or you've just overdosed on SL and it's become as tasteless as our favourite food would become if we ate it at every mealtime.

You did exceptionally well not getting blocked by your bratty friend for all of this time, if she's got a habit of doing that to everyone she meets by the way.  I think one of my bratty real life friends of 12 years has done the same to me. That can actually put a bit of a dampener on how you feel about things generally.

Believe you're a good person, who just needs and deserves some fun and entertainment. Try things you've not tried yet (I'm currently dressed as a fairy in SL, and as long as no one else sees me looking like that, I'm really really having a good time looking so "sweet" (I've got some kind of grin on my face, but none of the emoticons quite match it).

I say go bald, wear a couple of boxes, remove your AO, waddle around SL. Be noob, and remember what made you fall in love with SL originally.

[Venus Petrov]

I am coming up on my 5th rez day in February.  Like you, I have experienced many things in SL.  The great thing about SL is it never stays the same.  There are always new things to see and do.  Favorite places  get sold or disappear and new places spring up.  While I never spent 15 hours in one day in SL (I think my record was maybe nine when I was building out my sim for the first time and that was over three years ago), I find something to occupy my time even if it is sitting upside down in a favorite chair at home browsing some blogs or this forum.

Do not worry about how you feel.  Enjoy the time you have and find a friend who will not block you.

[Saraya Starr]

I wish I knew Erin    I have been in SL over 5 years now and like you I spent countless hours logged on.  But it seems what once held my interest does not anymore.  So after logging in last week I decided to just leave, I packed up my sim, said goodbye to a few friends and left, I haven't been back since.  I too wish I knew what others find so intriguing about SL, and if you do find out where all the fun went, let me know....

[Randall Ahren]

I have an important follow-up question, specifically is there life after SL? Is there a support group? What does one do after SL?

[Knowl Paine]

I believe I can relate to your sentiments. On more than one occasion, I've lost my Fun in SL. I looked in the Trash and Lost & Found but it was not there. Clearing the Cache did not help, the fun was still missing.

I really enjoy building, I can spend hours working on a project. I can get lost in my work. 

There is a potential for greatness in SL, be it in land, sales, builds or relationships. The possibilities can be activated by applying personal initiative.

I have discovered that the things I think I want, require a great deal of work to acquire. Any half-hearted endeavor is unlikely to yield positive results. 

Not sure what to call this stage of SL. Full circle on the Ouroboros. So... now what? You understand how many things work and the real challenges found in pursuits. It may be time to isolate a skill or talent and refine it to perfection.    

 

[Jesica Dragovar]

I know I'm only a 2 year-er but the way I do SL sort of keeps the excitement up 

 

first off, as Venus said, the always changing landscape tends to keep things exciting, Mesh is a good example, it's still in its infancy stages right now but the sheer curiosity of "what will people do with this" keeps me looking around the corner

 

now one thing I do with SL seems to run contrary with the nature of SL but it does tend to extend the excitement a bit, I only tend to do certain activities at certain times of the year, I mean SURE you can go scuba diving or ice skating at any time, and do both in the same day, but when I limit my scuba diving to the summer months and ice skating to the winter months, I start to look forward to them all the more (as everyone's jumping in on halloween right now, I am too but at the same time I'm really looking forward to November 1st where I can change my outfits to cozy sweaters grab a cup of hot cider and spend my time walking around the Aero Pines and Upstate New York sims watching the leaves change and start looking forward to the Macy's Parade sim starting up)

 

I think what burns out people on SL is part of what makes it awesome, the ability to gratify your adventures right here and now, we just gotta pace ourselves

[Randall Ahren]

Is getting burned out on SL such a bad thing? Is life in the real world so empty that there is no better way to spend these moments except in a virtual world? Wouldn't it be better to get out of the apartment? Get some exercise. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Do some actual work at a real job. Perhaps it's time for the OP to reclaim his humanity before he becomes another statistic.

[Jesica Dragovar]

---

Randall Ahren wrote:

Is getting burned out on SL such a bad thing? Is life in the real world so empty that there is no better way to spend these moments except in a virtual world? Wouldn't it be better to get out of the apartment? Get some exercise. Meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Do some actual work at a real job. Perhaps it's time for the OP to reclaim his humanity before he becomes another statistic.

---

I can't speak for everyone but well for a lot of us, and I have noticed a lot,  SL does seem to cater to the people who have health problems in RL and so can't do a lot of those things 

 

using myself as an example, I'd love to go out and "get some exercise" but as I have among other things a severe spinal deformity which leaves me in constant pain,  doing fun things like jogging, playing sports, driving, ect are things I can only accomplish in Second Life (and rest assured shopping and sex make up about 3% of the activities I do in SL) I do have a real job, however luckily as I can telecommute and work from home (and set my own hours) it leaves me the ability to do my RL job and my SL job at the same time (and no my SL job does not involve pole dancing or escorting) 

 

your post may have been meant in earnest but it does come across as a bit patronizing

[Jenni Lefevre]

I've sort of gone through the same metamorphosis.   When I first joined SL I was on about 5 or 6 hours a day minimum.   But my RL has changed drastically in the past 3 years.    Now I drop in once or twice a week for maybe an hour per visit to hang out with friends if they're on.    

I still keep in contact with most of them through email or texting.   And once in a while we'll arrange a party in SL to get together.  I still enjoy  it and all, but for the most part I'm just too busy working and going to classes to devote much time to SL anymore.

[Tormented Twilight]

I've been a resident for nearly 8 years now and I take frequent hiatuses lately.  Everytime I come back hoping that SL will run better, faster, less laggier, have less bugs, be less of a wasteland full of empty stripper clubs...and everytime I come back...well...you know.

[Tamara Artis]

Nothing lasts forever and everything is changing. 

I'm in SL for a year and a half, and since July I am on a break. When it gets colder here in rl, I know I'll be too lazy to go out so my plan is to go back to SL and find some interesting stuff to do.

For now I am planning to make my avi really old and fat, wear tons of make up and jewelry, buy a drunk AO and act like an old drunk grandmother lol

Maybe find some new job and come to the job interview like that, it will be my new rp haha

[Conifer Dada]

I've been in SL for 5 years now, and I recognise the idea of burn-out.  I think SL is pretty good at keeping interest, with new features or new places cropping up from time to time.  There have been times when I've bordered on SL addiction, other times when I've been days without logging in, even when I could have done.  If I do go a few days without logging in, SL seems fresher and more vivid when I return.

I've done most of the things I've wanted to in SL - made things, made textures, made clothes etc.  I don't have a great desire to create stuff any more and I'm wondering if it's still worth spending a few pounds a month on tier for my home.  

I think there comes a time when the novelty of SL (like any other computer activity) finally wears off - that's no criticism of LL, just that maybe after a while it's natural that people might want to step back and reduce their SL involvement and readjust their SL/RL balance a bit.

Having said that I've got no work today so I'm looking forward to a morning in SL - or half a morning, maybe!

[Pamela Galli]

Four years next month, not anywhere close to being tired of it. :matte-motes-inlove:

[Sy Beck]

"Familiarity breeds contempt" so they say, well I'll probably make no friends at the lab, but my advice is to take a break.  I've had two long breaks in my time on SL and I can't explain it, but after a long break each time I had an itch to return.  Each return has coincided with a major innovation in SL, namely sculpts first time and mesh this time.  This was good for me as building is my passion in SL so it gave me something new to learn and try each time.

What you are feeling is only natural and you sound like the sort of person who needs fresh environmental, physical or intellectual stimulation, which is nobody's fault not even LL's/SL's or yours.  It comes to us all at different times in our lives in many things.  If your relationship with SL was like a RL love relationship you could talk with your partner to spice things back up, but sadly your relationship with LL/SL is one way and don't hold your breath waiting for them to come round with chocolates, flowers, cruise tickets or some exciting lingerie anytime soon.

Take a break, go find other MMOs, take up a new hobby, take a course, Hell, go buy some exciting lingerie (my number's in the book)!  Then one day in the future when you are feeling at a loss for what to do then login and see if SL appeals to you all over again.  I can only speak from my experience that twice now I've returned and both times it's been a new and exciting world I've returned to with the familiarity of old friends who were/are still around.

Good luck in whatever you choose to do.  :smileyhappy:

[Pamela Galli]

Good point about building -- SL is like RL -- if you have something really fascinating to do in either world, and are always in the process of learning new skills, it never gets old.

[Willow Danube]

I 'detoxified' myself once or twice a year as part of my mental health maintainance program. Right now I'm on SL-Diet plan for a month. My home is currently Computer and Internet free and I still have 14 more days to go.

To be honest, it feels a whole lot better not to sit in front of the computer for hours wasting my life away when there are so many things I could accomplished. At 34, and physically fortunate, I should be out there climbing Mt. Everest or something. But I'm lazy, plus Mt Everest is too cold. So instead I just settle for a visit to the local spa and a short vacation.

So taking a break from SL is highly recommended. Or you could do something like what I did. Canceled my account, went on months of hiatus and come back fresh with a new account. You'll build your way up again only this time using a completely different method from last time. That probably would generate a new interest in you.

[Ceka Cianci]

i take summer off..i think if it wasn't for that i would have left long ago from being bored out of my mind..

then when i come back it's a nice kind of refreshed feeling and i start to dabble in a bunch of things again..

then start to get bored once i start seeing the days are getting nicer again..

 

take breaks..if you come back you come back if you don't then chances are you found something better to do anyways hehehe

[Perrie Juran]

---

Randall Ahren wrote:

 What does one do after SL?

---

Get laid?

[Jo Yardley]

I've been in SL for about 3 years I reckon and am loving it.

Not enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do.

And I spend 99% of those 3 years in the same sim with many of the same people.

I guess it has to do with the depth of your passion for what you do in SL or the level of community amongst your friends.

In RL I am run a company and have plenty to do, so to me SL is relaxation, entertainment.

I have no television, don't enjoy clubs and bars or going to the cinema.

SL for me is saying hi to friends, building and doing that what I've wanted more then anything; Time Travel.

Mind you, I have build an entire city and manage a full sim, so that keeps me busy as well.

If my sim would end, I'd probably spend a lot less time in SL as well.

You have done a lot in your time here but have you ever tried setting some sort of venue up?

A club, bar or even full region sim?

I'm always building, researching, updating blogs, adding to our flickr group and helping out with events.

Never a dull moment!

[greek Wingtips]

so bloody true

SL has lost its shine, thats for sure, it not what it was its what it has become,

many factors come into play,

1: The Viewer, well that has had so many problems people just left.

2: Lag,crashes, all that too.

3: marketplace, the days when the was an abudent of shops on sims, this allowed sims owners to buy huge chunks of

land, create malls ,rent out shops, create clubs, allow peoploe to create shops and rent ,you had the people going shopping, that all fell to the wayside since marketplace,.

4: since we arfe in a resession, why has LL not lowered the tier for exsisting accounts and cheaper for newbies, surely that makes sence to keep exsisting members and also help create new members.

 

5: like all empires, they come and they go,  LL needs to look and see what it wants to do.

[Marigold Devin]

---

Randall Ahren wrote:

I have an important follow-up question, specifically is there life after SL? Is there a support group? What does one do after SL?

---

 

I thought this  was the support group :matte-motes-wink:

There is no "... after SL", because even those who say they've given it all up, said goodbye inworld, are here, on the forums, either logged in or just lurking (and I wave at .... well, no names, because they know who I mean)

 



[Marigold Devin]

---

Knowl Paine wrote:

I believe I can relate to your sentiments. On more than one occasion, I've lost my Fun in SL. I looked in the Trash and Lost & Found but it was not there. Clearing the Cache did not help, the fun was still missing.

 

 

---

I laughed out loud at this.  I thought my fun in SL had been rezzed inworld somewhere for a while, and it took several months before I realised, it had actually been placed in a box, and put at the bottom of my very large inventory.

---

Knowl Paine wrote:

I really enjoy building, I can spend hours working on a project. I can get lost in my work. 

 

---

It's definitely exploring and seeking for things that can make me lose track of time.  Someone on the forums asked where to find something called a crispinette the other day.  I had never heard of one of these before, but after consulting with my best friend (google), I found myself at some amazing sims and stores.  It made SL fresh all over again.  And that is what I think keeps me hooked on SL, although I've still got a massive "SL to do" list to work my way through (the thought of having to do things though has removed the fun, and I need to just adjust my attitude about my to do list, I know).



[JeanneAnne]

I've only recently passed my second month since discovering sl back in August. I certainly don't claim to have sampled all that sl has to offer but I do feel that I have sampled enough to have a pretty good idea of what sl is & what it is not.

To my mind, the two features that make sl worthwhile are the music and making friends. While the sound quality is often poor in sl, the variety of music is phenomonal and the best DJs stream thru Winamp so that I don't have to listen to the crappy inworld sound. (In fact, I often listen to my favorite DJs stream while dancing in a club, ignoring the music playing locally.) I have learned a lot about music in the past two months and have heard a lot of new (and old) stuff I almost certainly would not have heard outside sl.

I have met a lot of weirdos in sl and am already on my second boyfriend but I have also met some very cool people and made some amazing new friends. Most of the people who have befriended me are DJs or people I have met in clubs, or are people who share my Pagan beliefs. Already I call a handful of people dear friends and many others have made it onto my friends list who I would like to get to know better. It amazes me how many very intelligent and well educated people hang out in sl. I might've thought that it was only pervs & weirdos & kids who hang out in a "mere game" world like sl. While it's true that there are plenty of these types to be encountered, there are also some very interesting & good-hearted people to chat with and get to know, especially if one hangs out in the coolest jazz or blues or class rock clubs. I give thanks to all the people I've met so far, who have made sl interesting for me.

Some things that I originally thought might be of interest to me in sl have turned out to not be worth my time. Building and scripting, for example. When I first came to sl, I intended to learn to build so that I could build a shrine to Freyja, who I believe led me to sl. Towards this end I learned to bring an object into being, move, rotate and stretch it. I built a simple rectangular house, with a flat roof and all 90^o angles, but with interior walls and rectangular openings for doors and windows. I even changed the plywood texture to brick. Pretty basic, huh? But at least it was a start.

But then I discovered the Freyja Castle in Folkvangr, on the Lexicolo sim. It's gorgeous! The shrine to Freyja I had envisioned already exists! In fact, it would take me months or years of practice to ever create something so beautiful, granted that I'm even capable of learning to build so well. But the thing is, nearly every time I go to Folkvangr, the place is deserted. The same is true of so many other really well done & beautiful places in sl. So what would the point be in me building? It would take a long time for me to get good at it and even when I did, what's the use of adding one more nice place to sl, that no one frequents? I would rather spend my inworld time socializing than bother with mastering building.

The same is true of scripting. I took C++ in college & am familiar with html code. I've looked at the LSL and am convinced I could learn it. But why should I go to the trouble? People who already know how to script for sl provide scripts for things and friends give these to me for free or I acquire them in other ways. I don't need to join the ranks of these folks. It's too tedious. Once again, I'd rather send the time chatting & making friends.

One thing I am learning to do is DJ. For a variety of reasons (primarily hardware related) I'm not quite ready to start DJing yet. In the meantime, a friend has suggested that I serve as hostess for her when she DJs. I like to greet people but I can't really see myself gesturbating & saying "Show some Linden love" all the time. I don't really care about earning $L anyway and only want to DJ in order to share music. I don't even intend to put out a tip jar. In my opinion all the worst features of sl boil down to it being owned by a corporation that only cares about profit. I would like to see sl run by its residents as a Marxist utopia.

SLex is another thing that had an initial fascination for me but has already become boring. At best, it can be a mutual masturbation session for two people who like one another. But I seldom have the privacy for this, on my end. I still like to please my partner but there's only so many creative ways to fake orgasm while watching avatars hump repetitively. Last night while endeavoring to get my partner off all I could think about was how boring this is & how much I'd just like to log out & go to bed.

I've met vampires & Goreans & nekos & all sorts of rp stuff in sl. None of it interests me too much. I used to rp a fighting dinosaur in the now defunct Neoraptorics rpg and had fun doing so, so it's not that I'm averse to rp. It's just that I haven't seen anything in sl even that much fun. Or maybe it's just that I'm a bit older now. I see people with boats & motorcycles & helicoptors and I just don't get it. Why bother with such things when you can fly? Flying is actually one of my favorite things to do in sl. Same is true of weapons. What's the point of them when an avatar can't die?

These are just some of my thoughts about sl, from the perspective or a relative gnu bee. I will probably burn out on sl, perhaps long before several years are up. But for the time being, it's still fun. Maybe if you can just focus on the people you meet, the friends you make... you can still enjoy sl, even after all the time you've "wasted" inworld.

Jeanne