An Animated Lifestyle

A friend of mine with the nickname "Captaincrunch Hax" wrote this article:

Apparently he wrote this after discovering a Journo within SL from one of the Aussie newspapers, may have written something nasty [as they do] about Secondlife... I have not read this yet but will get a copy soon.

Wolfie!

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There are some very interesting aspects of SecondLife that show us a lot about humanity, and how we (as a race) respond to new things, and how we drive to experience and benefit from them.

SecondLife is incredibly open for new building and experience, but is limited in a number of ways that are (for the most part) unavoidable.

In my view, the biggest limitation in SL is that the PEOPLE that use it, are limited in their understanding and perception of the virtual world by their requirement to view it through both their own world-view, and their understandings of reality.

This means that houses in SL have Kitchens, and bedrooms - I have even seen toilets in SL (and not just for the kinky)

Yes, a lot of SL is based around sex - and if that is what you are keyed to look for, you will see it everywhere.

SL is also:

- a place of communication (rather like the LINK list in many ways);

- a place of exploration

- a place to share hopes and dreams with others who think the same as you

- somewhere to meet people you would never otherwise meet

- a place you can create art, architecture, interfaces, imagery that are not possible in real life. (search for "npirl" - and trawl through some of the landmarks there)

You have to get off the beaten track - and, sometimes, talk to some scary avatars. these are from avatars I know

- that blue humanoid fox may actually be a research scientist,

- the pale be-winged androgene may be a Senior intellectual property lawyer,

- the brown bear may be a specialist in wooded-terrain fire-fighting

- the cute little fem in purple and green knee-socks (who yesterday was a boy) may be one of the leading pyrotechnics technicians in the US

- and the 8yo holding the teddybear just might run a large restaurant
chain in the US mid-west.

- the red demoness is just as likely to be a professor holding a chair in Sports Psychology as any thing else,

- and the steam-punk gentleman could just have been doing packet-switched networking when Vaxen and PDPs ruled the roost.

However, you have to talk to them to find any of this out.

I have over 20 years of professional experience in networked systems, and there are groups in SL where I am "the young whipper-snapper", where I talk (often in awe) with people who did wire-wrapped circuit-boards and a for whom "patching the system" involved a soldering iron, a CRO. and a length of wire.

I am continuously amazed, not by finding 40+, 50+ or even 60+ year olds, but when I come across the 20-somethings....

In summary - SecondLife - is like the rest of the Internet: it is a place in which you can blow down barriers that may otherwise exist, OR you can make barriers stronger than any that physically exist, admitting only those who agree with your views.

CaptainCrunch Hax [Posted with permission]
* I once met a 70 year old and someone else close to the same age, and why not?