Assignment 9- Brianne Wingate

I have known about Second Life since I saw an article about it on CNN during my freshman year (2006). I was curious about this new online environment, but after creating an account and playing around for a couple of days, I decided that I had neither the time nor the patience to devote to learning about an entirely new world. Since then, the only exposure I've had to it was from the episode of "The Office" that shows Dwight's Second Life as a paper salesman named Dwight.

However, it appears that Second Life does have several advantages. First and foremost, it is a healthy outlet for people who are looking to experiment with alternative identities (as long as they do not get addicted). The article discusses how "a sense of place is fundamental to Second Life." A straight-A "nerdy" student could turn into a rebellious rocker; a bored housewife can become a stripper or even a male character based on her husband. And all of these transformations can take place without detection from the outside world. Also, Second Life gives ordinary people the opportunity to take roles as leaders in social and political movement. A perfect example would be Samuel's interaction about Joanie's store. It also gives younger users a simulation of the "real world" life they will eventually live. They can own a home, run a business, and decide how to allocate the resources they acquire.

A major drawback that is discussed in the article that I very much agree with is the lack of the sense of a physical place. When I dabbled in Second Life, my main frustration that it was too hard to navigate (literally!). I had difficulty deciphering what represented grass versus water. To add to my transportation issues, I had a hard time figuring out which way was forward and which was backward. The keys used to walk or "fly" were so sensitive that it was almost like losing my bearings in deep water. I ended up walking in circles. Additionally, the article mentions the issue of zoning. I had no idea what was a mall, a home, or a store, let alone what I was supposed to do in these different locations. These frustrations drove me to give up.

Of all of Second Life's problems, I believe that the "gift" economy is probably the most severe weakness. The article quotes Pottage as saying that gifts are important to the development of virtual relationships. However, I feel that in Second Life's complicated interface, it is easy for one to identify him or herself as a "newbie." It seems to me that these users would have to devote quite a bit of time to developing friendships to the point that gifts would be exchanged. If Second Life mirrored more of a real-life economy and social setting (where one earns money and assets almost completely through work), gifts would not be so important and friendships would not necessarily have ulterior motives.