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Lena147
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Hi there,

I am an undergraduate Sociology student looking for people who would like to participate in a study I am doing on gender in Second Life. I am hoping to find 3-5 residents who have male-embodied avatars who would like to maybe do an interview with me or just chat. Anything really. I am interested in researching masculinity in SL. However I am having trouble figuring out how to find people who are interested? 

 

Thanks!

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I've been approached to participate in studies while at places like New Citizens Inc and Help Island Sandbox-- I suppose anywhere with a diverse crowd of SLers would be a good spot. Otherwise, I'm certain you can find some willing people right here in the forum who'd be interested in helping out.

 

Let me know if there's a female gender study; I'd certainly be up for it. And good luck!

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Thanks for your help Kobuk! I will for sure let you know if I do a study on femininity in SL. And if any other residents with male-embodied avatars would like to participate in this study on masculinity please let me know! Thanks for the help everyone, you guys are great!

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If you asked for guini pigs...would people turn up in avatars of the animal? Strange place for all thes studies, but I do know that some elements work well here (programming, tracking movements and so on) so...yeah, but a funny thought....actual guini pig looking avatars might turn up! Even to be experimented on, some might even make a few scalpels and little disection tables with disectable versions of thier avatars...doesn't sound like a fun role play though...so maybe not.

Uh...yeah...'carry on, good work and all that' (sorry, I am not trolling...though some like to use this word a lot, it is funny how humans use words to try and control societies proponent, components and temporary event participants....among other badly, low vocabularily explained (vocabularily must not be a word...wow, but it goes with the ignorance bit....so, yeah....I will stick with this....wait, did I type this? ah...) hhm....I bid you adiu...but, it is spelled wrong...but still french sounding....right? hhm. Bye.

 

EDIT: oh, forgot...sounds facinating! I can not join, due to NO not the dog eating my homework BUT....stalked by quasi government related entities...yeah, they might be like....robots or aliens...at least some of them. So..yeah, my experience is tainted by thier oddness. BUT, I do observe that many things in real life exist here in some form, people really do seem to project for a sort of ideal that is swept up with a larger population of homosexual males and gamers...hence MASSIVE muscles...but little heads! The little heads part...I assume has to do with camera perspective, and annoys females (not all, but I heard this complaint many times from female avatars!!) and this all might have to do with the odd 3D vision and imagination that men seamingly have more of....very accedemic stuff, so needless to day I am totally not up to date on it all....just almost legendary "right brains can't talk to right brains and you have TWO BRIANS!!!" sort of thinking that art teachers, wannabe philospohers, motivational speakers et al seem to bring up.....I know better, I saw NPR and they blindfolded peopel and messed with thier brains...brains are flexible, to a point, and are sort of....well, they adapt! But, yeah....many successful artists are female and this is due to thier brains beiing taked over by falt 2Dness, from the tyranny of the RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRIAN, IT IS TRUE AND YOU HAVE TWO BRAINS...stuff like that.

 

Anyway....to summerize: more gay men and women here than in RL....I mean, avatars. Why? Well, not only to RL homosexuals seem to be here BUT....some roleplay those types I think! This is all hear say, mostly abotu lesbians (a dear girl who posted on another forum was upset about a female avatar that was controlled by a man in RL that lied to her about RL sex...plus, some other stuff I noticed in forums and on the net....people are fascinated with gay jokes, poking fun at each other when a wrong word or typo ect. So...yeah, people seem to think gay people make up like 25% of the population of the earth, and those are just the ones they see at grocery stores...they are everywhere! In SL, there seems to be more...but his is all opinion. SO, my hypothesis is....a hunk culture gathered here due to the pornographyesque culture that pervaded SL in it's 18+ only early years! Not only that, but really....gamers play all kinds of characters, but many females are very very impossibly curvy, men muscular and very much you see this stereotypical male and female role. I would not be surprised that you could find that this is like a "wow, everyoone is doing it"sort of thing, because I heard exactly that when people discussed why they chose thier avatar, it's evolution and so on. I am not typical, but now I do use a male avatar. It wards people off, though not terribly grotesque...it looks simple, n00bish and is very low lag. The low lag part is profession here, I need the fractions of a second to get better lap times! So....utility. If relationships where what I was after, this guy is so boring looking and not muscular....he looks like I made him after real life to where people turn away....not fat, but just boring and I assuem unattractive. I went for normal, but yeah....not muscular (which must be a in thing, even in RL I guess) and basically....I can see why a guy can sell abdominal muscle workout plans and become a millionaire....regardless of TV, regardless of what women say....they seem to like a little bit more muscle or the stature and confidence it brings males! I mean, streight ones....though, maybe even gay ones like it a bit more? You never know. I get zero respoonse from gay females in RL when I have been around them....just like straight women! I am the most nutering/castrating/unsexing looking person...people forget sex exists when I am there! I am amazingly unsexy! It is a power, could even have been a gift....if only I could use it for good...or even evil....it is worthless though! Even if you rupulse....heck, another person will say "yeah, I can get that one to love me...they are repulsive!" People are around me and sex doesn't exist, all chemicals of lust, love and happiness dissapear!!! I went for a "normal" looking person in SL....so, yeah...I assume it has the same effect....it is so weak and useless....it is great for being ignored!

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Poenald Palen wrote:

Well, not only to RL homosexuals seem to be here BUT....some roleplay those types I think! This is all hear say, mostly abotu lesbians... plus, some other stuff I noticed in forums and on the net....people are fascinated with gay jokes, poking fun at each other when a wrong word or typo ect. So...yeah, people seem to think gay people make up like 25% of the population of the earth, and those are just the ones they see at grocery stores...they are everywhere!


I'm not entirely sure what your point is in all this, Poenald? I'm assuming that if the OP wishes to do a gender study in SL and is calling for "male-embodied avatars" she's very aware - and interested - in the fact that some RL women choose to have male avatars and vice versa.

If you play SL you have to accept that everyone has the right to represent themselves as they wish --  male, female, furry, neko, quad, whatever. Sexual preference, on the other hand, is generally considered an innate part of who we are, and therefore unless a person identifies as either bi or pansexual in RL, any RL straight guy in a female avatar who's interested in relationships will tend to identify as lesbian in SL, and and any RL straight girl in a male avatar will tend to identify as gay. Equally there are plenty of straight avatars played by gay people, straight avatars played by straight people, GBLT avatars played by GBLT people -- etc etc. What does it matter?

You did bring up the issue of a girl being distraught upon finding out her female-avatar-partner was a RL male. That's something probably everyone here can empathize with, but it brings me back to my first point: if you're here, you shouldn't be believing that every pixel in front of you translates literally to how a person is behind the screen. If that were true we'd all be gorgeous, and about 10 feet tall. :}

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Poenald Palen wrote:

If you asked for guini pigs...would people turn up in avatars of the animal? Strange place for all thes studies, but I do know that some elements work well here (programming, tracking movements and so on) so...yeah, but a funny thought....actual guini pig looking avatars might turn up! Even to be experimented on, some might even make a few scalpels and little disection tables with disectable versions of thier avatars...doesn't sound like a fun role play though...so maybe not.

Uh...yeah...'carry on, good work and all that' (sorry, I am not trolling...though some like to use this word a lot, it is funny how humans use words to try and control societies proponent, components and temporary event participants....among other badly, low vocabularily explained (vocabularily must not be a word...wow, but it goes with the ignorance bit....so, yeah....I will stick with this....wait, did I type this? ah...) hhm....I bid you adiu...but, it is spelled wrong...but still french sounding....right? hhm. Bye.

 

EDIT: oh, forgot...sounds facinating! I can not join, due to NO not the dog eating my homework BUT....stalked by quasi government related entities...yeah, they might be like....robots or aliens...at least some of them. So..yeah, my experience is tainted by thier oddness. BUT, I do observe that many things in real life exist here in some form, people really do seem to project for a sort of ideal that is swept up with a larger population of homosexual males and gamers...hence MASSIVE muscles...but little heads! The little heads part...I assume has to do with camera perspective, and annoys females (not all, but I heard this complaint many times from female avatars!!) and this all might have to do with the odd 3D vision and imagination that men seamingly have more of....very accedemic stuff, so needless to day I am totally not up to date on it all....just almost legendary "right brains can't talk to right brains and you have TWO BRIANS!!!" sort of thinking that art teachers, wannabe philospohers, motivational speakers et al seem to bring up.....I know better, I saw NPR and they blindfolded peopel and messed with thier brains...brains are flexible, to a point, and are sort of....well, they adapt! But, yeah....many successful artists are female and this is due to thier brains beiing taked over by falt 2Dness, from the tyranny of the RIGHT SIDE OF THE BRIAN, IT IS TRUE AND YOU HAVE TWO BRAINS...stuff like that.

 

Anyway....to summerize: more gay men and women here than in RL....I mean, avatars. Why? Well, not only to RL homosexuals seem to be here BUT....some roleplay those types I think! This is all hear say, mostly abotu lesbians (a dear girl who posted on another forum was upset about a female avatar that was controlled by a man in RL that lied to her about RL sex...plus, some other stuff I noticed in forums and on the net....people are fascinated with gay jokes, poking fun at each other when a wrong word or typo ect. So...yeah, people seem to think gay people make up like 25% of the population of the earth, and those are just the ones they see at grocery stores...they are everywhere! In SL, there seems to be more...but his is all opinion. SO, my hypothesis is....a hunk culture gathered here due to the pornographyesque culture that pervaded SL in it's 18+ only early years! Not only that, but really....gamers play all kinds of characters, but many females are very very impossibly curvy, men muscular and very much you see this stereotypical male and female role. I would not be surprised that you could find that this is like a "wow, everyoone is doing it"sort of thing, because I heard exactly that when people discussed why they chose thier avatar, it's evolution and so on. I am not typical, but now I do use a male avatar. It wards people off, though not terribly grotesque...it looks simple, n00bish and is very low lag. The low lag part is profession here, I need the fractions of a second to get better lap times! So....utility. If relationships where what I was after, this guy is so boring looking and not muscular....he looks like I made him after real life to where people turn away....not fat, but just boring and I assuem unattractive. I went for normal, but yeah....not muscular (which must be a in thing, even in RL I guess) and basically....I can see why a guy can sell abdominal muscle workout plans and become a millionaire....regardless of TV, regardless of what women say....they seem to like a little bit more muscle or the stature and confidence it brings males! I mean, streight ones....though, maybe even gay ones like it a bit more? You never know. I get zero respoonse from gay females in RL when I have been around them....just like straight women! I am the most nutering/castrating/unsexing looking person...people forget sex exists when I am there! I am amazingly unsexy! It is a power, could even have been a gift....if only I could use it for good...or even evil....it is worthless though! Even if you rupulse....heck, another person will say "yeah, I can get that one to love me...they are repulsive!" People are around me and sex doesn't exist, all chemicals of lust, love and happiness dissapear!!! I went for a "normal" looking person in SL....so, yeah...I assume it has the same effect....it is so weak and useless....it is great for being ignored!

This is to explain your poptart addiction? I forget that poptarts even exist until I am around you, so your avatar strategy is working.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 I lack information on what thier usage of the study is about, as far as thier end goal and efforts for humanity, so I figure one post of nonsense is not a big deal. If I have swayed the course of that person studious efforts....can't say I didn't exaplify that they where destined to totally mess up thier end results anyway.....those 3-5 people may all have been me, unless they are screening. So, I am attacking them, flaming them or otherwise upset? No.

I assume they screen somehow, if needed, or are simply exploring and looking at a direction...no stats required. I mean, any old random fool can come up with some interesting foder...I think, hey...like even a rambling idiot might say ONE line....or even one word and it might make a tiny difference. Then I thought...like any word hasn't already come up that would spark anything in the persons mind! I MAKE NO DIFFERENCE WITH THIS POST. Thus, it is harmless.

So, I will continue with the bad joking and odd rambling, which was started from a simple "How can I..." question to a "just ask for guini pigs!" and well. I mean, seriously....gender, sexual preferences and weather you like jello or not all go into your choice of style...this is also an influence. I mean, 'clothes' make the man and your avatar is nothing more than something to look at....it has little in the way of set solid non-changable stuff. There is no DNA holding it back, though thier are limits. This makes it rather confusing. I was rambling, the bit was supposed to sound confusing.

BTW, fashion trends DO affect what is masculine in SL. You avatar has zero male and female ability, it is ALL visual! You put into the interactions whatever you want, but the one thing that is different about SL? It is visual and communicative with a point at it NOT being real life. There are few consequences and things are not static at all. You have few needs here, they are tied to your point of using SL. People do NOT use SL for the same things! For all I know, a guini pig controls a avatar here! Why? Research. A real guini pig could do this. WHy? To be masculine? To find a heard to run with? To enjoy the natural environment he yearns for? No. They put a pellet into a bowl if he does task X!!!!!

Masculinity is maybe non existing to some of us. I have no sex here, yet am forced to see a man or a women many times. Why? LL made avatars like real life. The huge lack of reproductive organs screams "what is the point of the rest of this!"  to me.The fact they choose to paint clothes on to a naked body, based upon a commonly used for sexual stuff (not sayign tha tis all it is for, it totaly is NOT!!) softwares assets speaks to what this seems like. It was meant to be a second life to some, not all. So, I find it odd! That is all. BUT, toa  new person...there is a chicken here! here is a Egg also! We have a clear hint, in the beginning of SL, that you are in a world with men and women! They have breasts, they have curves!! This is an 18+ world!!! THIS was SL when I signed up!

Now things are different. Once again, this thought could have lead to a joke of "I am wondering why my avatar was born a neuter....can anyone tell me where to find genetic research fascility please...I mean, you all look like smart people" right? But,yeah...who cares. My mind sees jokes. If I force myself to go beyond saying "Masculine! heck, this guy had some of his bits missing...he is a bit sort of scared and not sure to respond....maybe he could ask anyone to help him with genetics!!! Yeah, that might be funny...I am to tired to care, I will hit the post button" and whatever.....no, you are trying to force me to think to much about all this!

If I am forced to really dig into this and really give you a definitive answer.....we could be here all day! I can sit and type and ramble on and read for 4-5 hours easily! I could spend all week reading up on sociology, pyschology, biology, and even a bit of physics because...well, I will get lost on a tangent. After 6 months, I will have to start doing several studies of my own....I mean, after I hit the scholarly papers research one more time and finally figure that all of this post, all that you have said and everything I was studying is far, far to unimportant until we know X in more detail!!!!

I mean, seriously....there is a lot unexplored! In fact, part of the reason you post seems to have nothing to do with you thinking my post is irrelevent! I mean, there was little reason for any of it really...other than to amuse like 1-2 people, one of them maybe even me! So....why pick on the sexual style effecting people who feel competition and that they are here for sex, mixed with the hilarious paradox that they are unaware thier syle choices might be NOT have been designed for attracting the opposite sex....but to attract the same? It is a basic snowballing affect to do with tipping points and the whole endless feedback loop in the fashion world....you are saying there is only ONE little black dress? Peoples closets prove that there is not, though some will say one started it all and the rest immitate. The gal wearing it doesn't care....which is part of that joking around. We all think to much, to fast and not accuratly.....but, then again...I sort of rambled and added stuff that was irrlevent before I finished a sentence. Massive typo's, obvious thinking style stereotype leaking through and an obvious "DUH, that is totally hypocritical...you are saying it is affecting things, yet....people in real life figure it affects people beacsue there are 25% boogey men trying to fool them and thier buddies are waiting to hasltle them if they pick the wronog style" OH....you wore x, that means you are a gay guy. From ear rings meaning things, to the "if you think pink shirts are gay, you are gay" to the latest "hanky codes" I have an honest beleif that a world with a HUGE fashion industry DOES effect peoples image of masculinity.....because masculinity is based upone hormones as much as mind...I hate to say it, but I almost see your point. I should not joke. I should research more, then not spend time here reading things and joking.

I am not welcome! This is a extension of a breeding grounds for those who wish to catagorise someoe, place them in a box and then use this as a way of furthering thier causes. They are all SO serious that I should not be here! Just as I am sure your point influences me, I am sure my non point making jokes influenced you to be sleepless, wondering around the streets with a poetry book screaming into the night as you slowely drop to you knees, take one last swig of a bottle of wine and then slump into the wet, cold streets and whisper to them for solace......we are all so serious....except me.

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Poenald Palen wrote:

 I lack information on what thier usage of the study is about, as far as thier end goal and efforts for humanity, so I figure one post of nonsense is not a big deal. If I have swayed the course of that person studious efforts....can't say I didn't exaplify that they where destined to totally mess up thier end results anyway.....those 3-5 people may all have been me, unless they are screening. So, I am attacking them, flaming them or otherwise upset? No.

I assume they screen somehow, if needed, or are simply exploring and looking at a direction...no stats required. I mean, any old random fool can come up with some interesting foder...I think, hey...like even a rambling idiot might say ONE line....or even one word and it might make a tiny difference. Then I thought...like any word hasn't already come up that would spark anything in the persons mind! I MAKE NO DIFFERENCE WITH THIS POST. Thus, it is harmless.

So, I will continue with the bad joking and odd rambling, which was started from a simple "How can I..." question to a "just ask for guini pigs!" and well. I mean, seriously....gender, sexual preferences and weather you like jello or not all go into your choice of style...this is also an influence. I mean, 'clothes' make the man and your avatar is nothing more than something to look at....it has little in the way of set solid non-changable stuff. There is no DNA holding it back, though thier are limits. This makes it rather confusing. I was rambling, the bit was supposed to sound confusing.

BTW, fashion trends DO affect what is masculine in SL. You avatar has zero male and female ability, it is ALL visual! You put into the interactions whatever you want, but the one thing that is different about SL? It is visual and communicative with a point at it NOT being real life. There are few consequences and things are not static at all. You have few needs here, they are tied to your point of using SL. People do NOT use SL for the same things! For all I know, a guini pig controls a avatar here! Why? Research. A real guini pig could do this. WHy? To be masculine? To find a heard to run with? To enjoy the natural environment he yearns for? No. They put a pellet into a bowl if he does task X!!!!!

Masculinity is maybe non existing to some of us. I have no sex here, yet am forced to see a man or a women many times. Why? LL made avatars like real life. The huge lack of reproductive organs screams "what is the point of the rest of this!"  to me.The fact they choose to paint clothes on to a naked body, based upon a commonly used for sexual stuff (not sayign tha tis all it is for, it totaly is NOT!!) softwares assets speaks to what this seems like. It was meant to be a second life to some, not all. So, I find it odd! That is all. BUT, toa  new person...there is a chicken here! here is a Egg also! We have a clear hint, in the beginning of SL, that you are in a world with men and women! They have breasts, they have curves!! This is an 18+ world!!! THIS was SL when I signed up!

Now things are different. Once again, this thought could have lead to a joke of "I am wondering why my avatar was born a neuter....can anyone tell me where to find genetic research fascility please...I mean, you all look like smart people" right? But,yeah...who cares. My mind sees jokes. If I force myself to go beyond saying "Masculine! heck, this guy had some of his bits missing...he is a bit sort of scared and not sure to respond....maybe he could ask anyone to help him with genetics!!! Yeah, that might be funny...I am to tired to care, I will hit the post button" and whatever.....no, you are trying to force me to think to much about all this!

If I am forced to really dig into this and really give you a definitive answer.....we could be here all day! I can sit and type and ramble on and read for 4-5 hours easily! I could spend all week reading up on sociology, pyschology, biology, and even a bit of physics because...well, I will get lost on a tangent. After 6 months, I will have to start doing several studies of my own....I mean, after I hit the scholarly papers research one more time and finally figure that all of this post, all that you have said and everything I was studying is far, far to unimportant until we know X in more detail!!!!

I mean, seriously....there is a lot unexplored! In fact, part of the reason you post seems to have nothing to do with you thinking my post is irrelevent! I mean, there was little reason for any of it really...other than to amuse like 1-2 people, one of them maybe even me! So....why pick on the sexual style effecting people who feel competition and that they are here for sex, mixed with the hilarious paradox that they are unaware thier syle choices might be NOT have been designed for attracting the opposite sex....but to attract the same? It is a basic snowballing affect to do with tipping points and the whole endless feedback loop in the fashion world....you are saying there is only ONE little black dress? Peoples closets prove that there is not, though some will say one started it all and the rest immitate. The gal wearing it doesn't care....which is part of that joking around. We all think to much, to fast and not accuratly.....but, then again...I sort of rambled and added stuff that was irrlevent before I finished a sentence. Massive typo's, obvious thinking style stereotype leaking through and an obvious "DUH, that is totally hypocritical...you are saying it is affecting things, yet....people in real life figure it affects people beacsue there are 25% boogey men trying to fool them and thier buddies are waiting to hasltle them if they pick the wronog style" OH....you wore x, that means you are a gay guy. From ear rings meaning things, to the "if you think pink shirts are gay, you are gay" to the latest "hanky codes" I have an honest beleif that a world with a HUGE fashion industry DOES effect peoples image of masculinity.....because masculinity is based upone hormones as much as mind...I hate to say it, but I almost see your point. I should not joke. I should research more, then not spend time here reading things and joking.

I am not welcome! This is a extension of a breeding grounds for those who wish to catagorise someoe, place them in a box and then use this as a way of furthering thier causes. They are all SO serious that I should not be here! Just as I am sure your point influences me, I am sure my non point making jokes influenced you to be sleepless, wondering around the streets with a poetry book screaming into the night as you slowely drop to you knees, take one last swig of a bottle of wine and then slump into the wet, cold streets and whisper to them for solace......we are all so serious....except me.

I think our dna is made of prims. No, mesh. Mesh dna. Baby, I was rezzed this way.

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