SL Visit and Reflection: 6 June 2009

Connecting, or not, on SL…
Internet’s down, so I’m typing offline and oozing empathy for Jacob’s recent troubles with the internet at his house…
I met d.i. and a cluster of classmates in Second Life Tuesday evening. I read class instructions and postings regarding SL prior to Tuesday ; assured that my colleagues would help me navigate the terrain, I eagerly embarked on my journey…encountering a few challenges along the way:
Downloaded SL software to my PC which promptly told me my four-and-a-half-year-old PC didn’t have the right hardware to run SL….shift scene (and cables) quickly to laptop…
Reread d.i.’s instructions for SL (which NOW made a lot of sense – sign in ahead of time, make sure everything works…)
Went to SL, logged in (finally) and saw immediately that I didn’t know where to go
After a series of moves entailing Ethernet cables, PC, laptop e-mail/posting from this class, AND picking up Aunt Grace from the bus station, arrive at the designated site a few minutes before the nine o’clock bewitching hour.
Yippee! I’ve got SL names written on paper…looking for “friends” on the site, ready to extend an offer of friendship or to accept.
Lo and behold, there’s a cluster of comrades in view and a commanding dude with a wand… (enter d.i.)
Excitement! I’m in the right locale! E-gads! I can hear everyone and they can’t hear me. Sooooo…typing fingers, get ready to rock and roll! (and Jacob’s right: at least I got to stay!)
I liked learning about the site directly, having an on-site guide (thanks, d.i.) and welcoming classmates who seemed to watch out for me and ignore my shortcomings (far too prevalent for one who’s 5/2”…)
I’ve never been a video gamer, never owned a Nintendo game stick, never purchased any game (I did play Pacman perhaps a dozen times, but don’t think that counts), so I had no preconceived notions or any valid idea about what to find on the SL site.
My navigation skills reflected my status as a “newbie” to SL and gaming… someone asked me why I was in the air, why I was hovering? All I could do was laugh on my end and descend. I was so focused on everyone else I didn’t realize I was still in the air! (Geez, the parallels in life might be too “real.”) Shortly after that I had trouble getting into d.i.’s photo. Attempted to sit on a couch, only to be told there were already two people there…Hey, I bet you two didn’t even get to consider whether you’d be willing to squinch over and let me fit in there… So I listened to d.i.’s encouraging words (we’re waiting, Anne!), had limited success getting my avatar to move, and instead enjoyed the razzing of classmates …(“There’s one in every class!”) Because I have a playful spirit, I enjoyed the moment, even if I was “left out of the picture” so to speak1
I reflected on the Avatars for my classmates as we “shopped” for clothing and accessories afterwards. I didn’t see shops for Birks or hiking paraphernalia, but I’m confident there’s someone in SL with exactly what Avitar Digfoot needs to complete her SL self!
I gave some thought to d.i.’s wand and whether that can meet with resistance in SL. Something I read this week prompted me to question whether avatars selected in SL reflect the key characteristics/personality traits of the First Lifer. I see myself as a free spirit; small in stature (yet mighty in presence!); I selected my avatar without much forethought but gravitated toward the wild-looking one because she reflected my own free spirit. If Twitter responses can be analyzed to reflect a persona/the person behind the persona, will SL activities and actions provide the same insight into an individual?
I find the micro economic society of SL intriguing and can envision how students can experience and understand economics in a Second Life world.
The Second Life experience was fun – especially the flying part. I adored that, relished the perception, until I’d zoomed so far away from the group that I was “lost in space” (my apologies for the reference – just couldn’t resist!). Although I recall d.i. saying one had to be close to others to hear them, that didn’t become reality until I flew away and entered a silent space.
I was grateful for invitations to teleport back to the group; I accepted an invitation, joined the group, received a second invitation, and also accepted that. (Although I was already where I wanted and needed to be, I somehow didn’t want to refuse the invite…maybe that’s a Southern thing.) That resulted in a frame freeze – d.i. kept asking if I’d returned; I was unable to type a response as my CPU would allow me to access the space for communicating via typing, so I canceled my “acceptance” response, and things returned to normal.
All in all, it was a pleasant first Second Life experience. I’ll see if I can meet a classmate there and try out the mike/headset I purchased so I can participate vocally next time.
Is Second Life Web 2.0?
While Second Life is certainly dynamic and interactive, for the moment, I would initially classify it as an outlier of Web 2.0. It’s possible that when I learn more about the site and the opportunities for creative work there that I may say it’s in the mainstream of Web 2.0, but I don’t yet see that. Yes, we can interact and collaborate on the site; and there are opportunities for social networking. But I don’t see it as a medium that promotes quick and easy access for sharing and collaborating. I may be reacting to the complex nature of the site, but it contrasts mightily with wikis, blogs, and other web 2.0 applications that are designed for information sharing and interactivity. Interactivity? Yes. Information sharing? Through written and spoken conversation, yes.
If I'm waaaay off base, I'm ready to be enlightened!
Anne