Cats Have Nine Lives: Humans Have Two

Anonymity – the state of not being known an identified – is a liberating feeling. It is the same feeling I have when I leave Bermuda – population 70, 000, 20 square miles- and visit New York City – population 8million. That is what I looked forward to as I signed up for Second Life. Ironically, I was self-conscious more self conscious in SL than I was in New York even though I hidden behind my avatar. I attribute it to my unfamiliarity with protocol in SL and how to interact with the environment. One has to dispense with first life codes of behavior, such as crowding someone else’s personal space and common greetings. Codes of behavior definitely change in faceless communities. I soon learned to forgo traditional introductions- you simply begin talking. I wasn’t certain whether other figures standing around were actually “in play”. They did not always respond when I attempted to talk to them. They appeared to be doing nothing. Perhaps the virtual characters were away from their computers and had not indicated this.

At first, I was reluctant to approach anyone except at the Help Institute. There I found a greeter who assisted me with resetting my avatar so that I did not appear as a cloud. At that point I tried to customize my avatar, but only succeeded in adding clothing without removing any. In the end, she looked as if she were dressing for a Halloween party so I settled for “the girl next door” look.
I visited TC Educator a few times, but did not meet anyone else there. I have to say that the replica of TC is impressive. I found my way to Starbucks, took a seat and waited, but no one else arrived. In fact, every professional or educational site I have visited was deserted save one – that was ISTE. I am advised each time I logon to SL that my system does not meet SL’s minimum system requirement, and that I may experience poor performance. I question whether that has affected my experience in SL.

I would need much more time exploring SL to offer an opinion on its potential for educational purposes. My initial forays were not very encouraging. As a librarian, I visited the American Library Association site – ALA Island. I cannot fathom what SL offers that I cannot experience in another platform. I feel encumbered by the avatar.

My previous experience with a virtual community such as SL was limited to Toon Town. My own children participated in this a few years ago and invited me to develop an avatar and join them in various activities. I did so to entertain them but could not understand the appeal except for the competitions which resembled all any other online games. My reaction to SL is no different. I grow impatient trying to navigate around SL or to customize my avatar. I commented in an earlier class that I have little time for my First Life; I definitely have no time for SL. I doubt if I’ll return to this forum after this class.