So...it's one step more removed than how removed things are already.
Seriously, people ON THIS BOARD finding Second Life alien and perturbing is truly a case where pots and kettles can't tell they're both black.
Yes, that was my point. It's one step further removed. Just something I felt was worth pointing out. I don't have any problem admitting my lifestyle and my social critique are at odds. I totally make my living dealing in reified objects. I am a parasite just like most people. Just as socially alienated as most people. But that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it Oliver. You seem shook that people would even want to have a discussion about this stuff.
I'm not sure "shook" is the right word here.
I'm all for discussion. It's people being judgmental that *annoys* me (though, to be fair, Jesse, you're hardly the worst case offender).
Personally, I think worlds like Second Life are well nigh fascinating so I'd love to see an actual discussion about it. But watching a bunch of folks - on a record message board - passing judgment on how weird and scary Second Life is constitutes something that lies between irony and hypocrisy.
Dog, keeping people in a sweatshop playing a videogame for your profit is sick, agreed; any sweatshop, be it clothes or videogames is sick.
But, acting a fantasy online, in a bordello, in a bedroom, in a car, or wherever between two adults who consent (those last three words are crucial, btw) isn't sick. If they're happy, and no one gets hurt that doesn't want to get hurt, let them do their thing. Who are you to judge?
Its unsettling to me, I used the wrong word. I find it creepy that people live in a virtual world, seems to sci-fi for me and seems like this shouldnt be happening now, it should be happening a couple decades down the line. And its not only the "living a second life" there is a lot more to it. Im too tired to discuss though.
people get really serious about it. As I said, companies like IBM (I think, if not IBM then some other high-level company) have virtual meetings in a virtual builing in a virtual boardroom. There are also bondage rooms and furry rooms, its sickening. Its gunna advance considering the makers are rolling in it, why? Crazy amount of advertisements. Bell had like a "bell skateboarding challenge". They have like cola adds and shit everywhere. Its really scary.
What are you scared about?
Yo teach, this is what I'm scared about. Its one thing to use escape on the interwebz by using forums but using second life for means of having fake marriages, doing bondage, driving a car and wlaking your dog, essentially making a SECOND LIFE is scary. It is an unsettlin thought. Dont you agree?
Honestly, your grammar and spelling are scaring me more.
I suggest we all just need to dine in hell but seriously. All you mad hatters who dissagree dont know what your talking about considering YOU havent played the game, you dont know how seeck it is until youve played it. Just the dewd who posted about the 12 hour shift people in china who sell schitt to make monies, is sick. Its one thing to fapp to prons or play WoW or Cs source but its different in second life.
Edit: Dont front, teach. Go back to class, son. And stop being a grammer nazi. Why would I watch mah grammers and punchs on an interweb forum?
I'm pretty sure I'm not the one who needs to go back to class.
Just saying dude.
I, by no means, consider Second Life some kind of utopia. And yeah, you're right, I haven't played so I can't speak from experience. However, I have yet to see anything written about Second Life that constitutes "scary" compared to the shit in the "real" world. I mean, there's a lot of fucked up things people in China (and elsewhere) do to make money in 12 hour shifts. Playing Second Life isn't an example of virtual and real worlds blurring into one another. It's pure real world capitalism, just with a different kind of product.
Its unsettling to me, I used the wrong word. I find it creepy that people live in a virtual world, seems to sci-fi for me and seems like this shouldnt be happening now, it should be happening a couple decades down the line. And its not only the "living a second life" there is a lot more to it. Im too tired to discuss though.
Ok, that's fair - you find it unsettling. And I can understand that though, again, assuming you spend quality time online, Second Life isn't really that much farther down the road.
Seems to me that most people who've come at you have been, *ahem*, unsettled by what seems like high-horse moralism.
I think we are having an actual discussion about this, O-Dawg. Yes, there is some hypocrisy and irony implicit in my critique. Is that even avoidable when active participants of mediated culture have a critical discussion about an aspect of that culture?
edit: this post written before I read your last comment, which I can more or less agree with.
I think we are having an actual discussion about this, O-Dawg. Yes, there is some hypocrisy and irony implicit in my critique. Is that even avoidable when active participants of mediated culture have a critical discussion about an aspect of that culture?
So what's the problem in folks pointing this out? Isn't that part of said critical discussion?
I think it raises some pretty serious issues regarding how disconnected people are becoming in society - hell, who here actually know's their neighbour? I'm not passing judgement either way, but it is an extremely interesting time that we live in, and I'll be curious to see the long term ramifications from "realities" like this.
As for corporations getting involved, well that's just fucked up.
I think it raises some pretty serious issues regarding how disconnected people are becoming in society - hell, who here actually know's their neighbour? I'm not passing judgement either way, but it is an extremely interesting time that we live in, and I'll be curious to see the long term ramifications from "realities" like this.
As for corporations getting involved, well that's just fucked up.
Took the words out of my mouth. I know this may come strange coming from a teen but technology has taken over so much of social interaction that we havent even realized it. And its not a good thing. Do you know that kids dont use the fucking phone anymore but instead use msn, seems harmless, sure but then you get to next level things like chatrooms then you have second life, what next? Its just a scary build up and discoxion from reality, its like a drug. Kids are addicted to WoW and play that shit from literally from morning to night, yes Im serious. Video games have pretty much replaced social interaction for so many kids, its sick. Society is getting messed up on so many different levels.
And yes I know im bein a hippcrit by posting on a forum, im apart of the problem, so are you.
I think we are having an actual discussion about this, O-Dawg. Yes, there is some hypocrisy and irony implicit in my critique. Is that even avoidable when active participants of mediated culture have a critical discussion about an aspect of that culture?
So what's the problem in folks pointing this out? Isn't that part of said critical discussion?
Wait...what are we arguing over?
Blame me. I mentioned Boscoe first and that always seems to predicate a fight about something or other. It's a highly charged signifier, of what I'm not exactly sure.
I think we are having an actual discussion about this, O-Dawg. Yes, there is some hypocrisy and irony implicit in my critique. Is that even avoidable when active participants of mediated culture have a critical discussion about an aspect of that culture?
So what's the problem in folks pointing this out? Isn't that part of said critical discussion?
Wait...what are we arguing over?
Blame me. I mentioned Boscoe first and that always seems to predicate a fight about something or other. It's a highly charged signifier, of what I'm not exactly sure.
I'm just going to say this out loud (figuratively speaking) so that I can hold myself accountable. I'm going to see if I can go the whole day tomorrow without turning on my computer. I'll let you guys know on Tuesday how it goes. I may need to be sedated.
I'm just going to say this out loud (figuratively speaking) so that I can hold myself accountable. I'm going to see if I can go the whole day tomorrow without turning on my computer. I'll let you guys know on Tuesday how it goes. I may need to be sedated.
Yeah thats tempting, but
With text messaging, when you get in a tiff with your girl, instead of picking up the phone you get stupid texts all night long, Pick up the phone and work it out. Damn.
I find myself emailing people rather than calling them now. Thats bad.
How bizarre, I hadn't heard of this either until tonight at dinner when Voids parents brought it up. They have a friend whose husband is deeply involved in the psuedo reality. Pretty crazy, I actually like the sims games but only because I like to build stuff and design dream houses...I never end up actually playing the game in survival mode. Weird. It has been around for awhile so it will be interesting to see if it reaches myspace status.
I read something a few weeks/months back about how pedophiles in germany were using this shit to be all pedophilesque and pedophilorrific, using the game as a meeting place and displaying childpern in the actual 'game' and shit. Dunno what you cats are on about but that makes my definition of 'scary' no matter how many copies of stilletto I might happen to own.
I have never seen the actual 'game' or whatever we may call it, but about a month ago there was an article about this fenomenon in a belgian magazine (Humo). How unsettling the thing in itself may be, there was one part in the article that really was crazy. They wrote about how you supposedly could make real money from selling virtual minerals or something that you could dig up in the game. Apparently some guys in China I believe it was, had people living in a cellar working 12 hour shifts being paid very small wages. Their 'work' was pushing a couple of buttons all day, digging up the minerals for their bosses..When their shift was over, they could get some sleep in another room, while the next guys took over..true online digging
This wasn't referring to Second Life, but to "World of Warcraft", where players are paying Chinese "cyberslaves" (not my terminology) to do the boring work needed to advance their character's level. A bit of Googling should bring up a few links to articles and documentairies about the subject.
an month or so ago the city of The Hage (NL) spend 20.000 euro on promoting their beach town scheveningen on second life. this is where your tax money is going.
an month or so ago the city of The Hage (NL) spend 20.000 euro on promoting their beach town scheveningen on second life. this is where your tax money is going.
My company has set up a few 'branded' properties for corporate clients in Second Life over the six months. Music labels, promoters, nightclubs, media owners - they all want to reach the audience there and the audience responds to the marketing just as they do in real life. Second Lifers will go to a virtual Ministry of Sound nightclub over one whose name they don't recognise.
So, in a virtual world where you can do anything you like, people still gravitate to the same dull brands as they do on the outside. No imagination.
I'll play grammar police too...I think you meant to say, "Disco Xian". Thanks for making this about records again, however cryptic you may have made it.
I haven't joined it, mostly because it looks like the kind of thing you could get addicted to, in that Grand Theft Auto type way. And because one life is about all I have time for.
I do think that of all the brands doing well off it, American Apparel has to be the most
I mean, paying real world dollars for a plain red pixelation on an avatar.. or what have you.. is simply, bananas.
They're making serious cash off it.
I also read that sunglasses / eyewear are a popular way to make a roaring trade - rayban / oakleys / all of that is available
its not addicting unless you enjoy playing with dollies. If you search on youtube, there is a interview in second life with kurt vonnegut. Its wierd. U2 did a live concert in the game and so did like my chemical romance or some shit. But seriously, kurt vonnegut on second life.... I just dont know what to say.
Actually, in the context of this discussion, Dr. Grammar makes a great point. We're talking about computer-mediated communication as stand-in for real-life interaction. Different platforms offer different levels of expression due to the nature of the medium: video chatting allows for the elements of communication provided by tone of voice, gesture, and facial expression; speaking on the telephone only provides for tone of voice; texting only provides for the meaning communicated objectively by your words. In this forum, your words are the primary reflection of your entire being. As such, you may want to bone up on your spelling, grammer, and punctuation, or you'll simply appear stupid.
Fun fact: a classic UCLA study found that 93% of communication is non-verbal. That means that 93% of what you think you're conveying when you type isn't reaching the target. That's why emoticons were invented--as a stand-in for the communicative nature of facial expressions. Can you get with that?
You make a good point seonny. But we are becoming disconektd on account of the maess usage of technology. Stop using your telephone now, do it how I do it, be real, be fresh, be old school. Dont have no VIRTUAL cofee with ur VIRTUAL girlfriend then cop a VIRTUAL feel, do the real thing. Be old school. Dont go to a VIRTUAL club and dance the VIRTUAL tango, do it in real life, be old school. Dont hate the VIRTUAL sayer, hate the VIRTUAL player.
Comments
I'm not sure "shook" is the right word here.
I'm all for discussion. It's people being judgmental that *annoys* me (though, to be fair, Jesse, you're hardly the worst case offender).
Personally, I think worlds like Second Life are well nigh fascinating so I'd love to see an actual discussion about it. But watching a bunch of folks - on a record message board - passing judgment on how weird and scary Second Life is constitutes something that lies between irony and hypocrisy.
But, acting a fantasy online, in a bordello, in a bedroom, in a car, or wherever between two adults who consent (those last three words are crucial, btw) isn't sick. If they're happy, and no one gets hurt that doesn't want to get hurt, let them do their thing. Who are you to judge?
I'm pretty sure I'm not the one who needs to go back to class.
Just saying dude.
I, by no means, consider Second Life some kind of utopia. And yeah, you're right, I haven't played so I can't speak from experience. However, I have yet to see anything written about Second Life that constitutes "scary" compared to the shit in the "real" world. I mean, there's a lot of fucked up things people in China (and elsewhere) do to make money in 12 hour shifts. Playing Second Life isn't an example of virtual and real worlds blurring into one another. It's pure real world capitalism, just with a different kind of product.
Ok, that's fair - you find it unsettling. And I can understand that though, again, assuming you spend quality time online, Second Life isn't really that much farther down the road.
Seems to me that most people who've come at you have been, *ahem*, unsettled by what seems like high-horse moralism.
edit: this post written before I read your last comment, which I can more or less agree with.
And we are having a fairly good discussion.
So what's the problem in folks pointing this out? Isn't that part of said critical discussion?
Wait...what are we arguing over?
As for corporations getting involved, well that's just fucked up.
Took the words out of my mouth. I know this may come strange coming from a teen but technology has taken over so much of social interaction that we havent even realized it. And its not a good thing. Do you know that kids dont use the fucking phone anymore but instead use msn, seems harmless, sure but then you get to next level things like chatrooms then you have second life, what next? Its just a scary build up and discoxion from reality, its like a drug. Kids are addicted to WoW and play that shit from literally from morning to night, yes Im serious. Video games have pretty much replaced social interaction for so many kids, its sick. Society is getting messed up on so many different levels.
And yes I know im bein a hippcrit by posting on a forum, im apart of the problem, so are you.
Blame me. I mentioned Boscoe first and that always seems to predicate a fight about something or other. It's a highly charged signifier, of what I'm not exactly sure.
Boscoe will do that.
Yeah thats tempting, but
With text messaging, when you get in a tiff with your girl, instead of picking up the phone you get stupid texts all night long, Pick up the phone and work it out. Damn.
I find myself emailing people rather than calling them now. Thats bad.
I love my computer.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology...8390390098.html
This wasn't referring to Second Life, but to "World of Warcraft", where players are paying Chinese "cyberslaves" (not my terminology) to do the boring work needed to advance their character's level. A bit of Googling should bring up a few links to articles and documentairies about the subject.
this is where your tax money is going.
My company has set up a few 'branded' properties for corporate clients in Second Life over the six months. Music labels, promoters, nightclubs, media owners - they all want to reach the audience there and the audience responds to the marketing just as they do in real life. Second Lifers will go to a virtual Ministry of Sound nightclub over one whose name they don't recognise.
So, in a virtual world where you can do anything you like, people still gravitate to the same dull brands as they do on the outside. No imagination.
I'll play grammar police too...I think you meant to say, "Disco Xian". Thanks for making this about records again, however cryptic you may have made it.
I do think that of all the brands doing well off it, American Apparel has to be the most
I mean, paying real world dollars for a plain red pixelation on an avatar.. or what have you.. is simply, bananas.
They're making serious cash off it.
I also read that sunglasses / eyewear are a popular way to make a roaring trade - rayban / oakleys / all of that is available
madnesssssssss
hahahahahahahaha
perhaps I do..
spooky...
Actually, in the context of this discussion, Dr. Grammar makes a great point. We're talking about computer-mediated communication as stand-in for real-life interaction. Different platforms offer different levels of expression due to the nature of the medium: video chatting allows for the elements of communication provided by tone of voice, gesture, and facial expression; speaking on the telephone only provides for tone of voice; texting only provides for the meaning communicated objectively by your words. In this forum, your words are the primary reflection of your entire being. As such, you may want to bone up
Fun fact: a classic UCLA study found that 93% of communication is non-verbal. That means that 93% of what you think you're conveying when you type isn't reaching the target. That's why emoticons were invented--as a stand-in for the communicative nature of facial expressions. Can you get with that?
Sayin'.