Stephanie Strickland – Xova Mocha

Video:  Ethiquette

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Storyboard:

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Final Thoughts:

As I spent more and more time in the virtual world of Second Life, I found that ethics does not seem to bear as much significance as etiquette.  That is to say morally questionable actions or activities seem to be expected and dealt with in most areas I visited.  Etiquette–in this case how one person treats another–is much more difficult to regulate.  Overall, I found people to be nice, helpful and generally pleasant, but of course there were the inevitable bad apples.

An interesting phenomenon which I encountered many, many times was the one in which other Second Life users seemed intent on finding out my “Real Life” information, almost to the point of being obsessive.  Every time this happened, I couldn’t help but be annoyed.  Wasn’t the point of Second Life to recreate one’s self in a fashion aligned with whatever we can dream up?  Instead, I found it more like a One-and-a-Half-Life, in which I was simply a 3D graphic representing my Real Life self.  Perhaps this is why Second Life is so commonly referred to as a “glorified chat room”, since most participants seem unable to transcend their First Lives within the virtual world.  I did, however, encounter a few locations that were “true” Second Lives.  Commonly known as RP (role-playing) zones, these are places in which players will assume fictional roles appropriate to the environment, and remain “in character” while they are in these zones.

Overall I think SL has a TON of potential.  I often found myself logging on, becoming bored within 15 minutes and logging off, only to return a few hours later to see what else was new.  Despite the horrible lag, slow rez-times, cheap-looking animation, advertising and spam EVERYWHERE, and overall bad interface Second Life remains–for whatever reason–addictive.

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Initial Thoughts:

In a virtual world, ethics become a very curious animal for several reasons. First of all, there is usually no “law” like we might have in the real world, which is to say that there is no entity which defines what is “right” or “wrong”. Of course there are certain actions that might warrant “slap-on-the-wrist” punishments such as an account ban, however characters within the world are given no ethical parameters otherwise. The only limitations are those which the user brings with him or her from a cultural background.

While a virtual world may lack real world “laws”, it can also lack many of the real world’s “problems”. For instance, there are no starving cultures, no injury or disease and no death. Conventionally “right” acts in the real world, such as donating food or giving blood, may manifest themselves in other ways in a virtual world. For example, users may find themselves helping others by “enhancing” their playing experience, either through sharing items, giving instructions or simply spending time together.

Of course the single biggest factor that governs the conduct of the users in a virtual world is ANONYMITY. In Second Life, each user is given an avatar which they can name and dress in an infinite number of ways. They can even become different species if they so chose! The result of this anonymity is a lack of accountability. Unless you chose to forgo a certain amount of anonymity, you can pretty much say or do whatever you want to whomever you want with little or no consequence.

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If I could keep just one island on Second Life, it would be Angel Manor, home of the Rose Theater.  A very stunning building with lots of rooms to explore, a very large ballroom (dancing is essential in Second Life!), a couple of stages, and lots of beautiful seating.  It’s easy to see that it took a lot of time, talent and patience to build this place, with TONS of attention to detail.  And even though it takes a loooonnnnggg time to rez, it’s totally worth sitting there for 15 minutes just to see this place.

I would like to create a massive island where people could rent out tiny plots of land for their tiny houses for tiny fees (1$ a year maybe).  The rule for this island would be simple; whatever character you have created for your avatar, you must also play the role of.  For instance, if your character is a ninja, you must walk around doing backflips and hiding in shadows.  If your avatar is a domestic horse, you should allow people to saddle you up for a ride.  It would be up to the user to assume a look and a role, however they would not be allowed to discuss aspects of real life or ask other users about theirs.  The result would (hopefully) be a series of small neighborhoods in which people could interact with eachother in their “true” Second Life.

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~ by Stephanie S on 2009/09/28.