My General Idea of Second Life

First of all, I do not think Second Life can be simply defined as an online game; its functions go far beyond only a game. It is a virtual world, where people who play this game are able to communicate, socialize, and work with each other online. In some ways, comparing Second Life to the real life, there is not much difference. For instance, the avatar is able to interact with other avatars through animated gestures, text messages, voice chats, etc. Moreover, an avatar can explore different worlds, participate in activities, and trade property with currency called Linden dollar. All these functions and relationships are similar to what a human being will experience in the real life.

On the one hand, Second Life is an online community that trying to simulate the real life as close as possible. On the other hand, what makes it different with the real world is that a user is able to have totally new identity and do things he is never able to do in real life. For example, a user can simply make his avatar flying by pressing a key on the keyboard. I am not sure if it is appropriate to draw an analogy between Second Life and Las Vegas, which is known as the Sin City. I do not mean the users can do whatever they like in Second Life, but it is the idea of doing things they cannot or will not in real life, same as the idea of you can have a total new life when you board the plane to Las Vegas.

Secondly, I think Second Life can be considered as an intermediary, which enables interactivity happening. In one way, there is an indirect interaction happens between users through the existence of avatars. It is the avatar that represents his user’s messages. However, sometimes the avatar is not the absolute representation of the user. One may think his avatar exists separate with himself or has a totally opposite character with him. Or a user may not believe the avatar that he is interacting with is directly related to the user of this avatar. Moreover, the external effects should be considered when the interactivity happening, such as the condition of Internet, the software and hardware, even the engine and company who runs and develops Second Life. Although a user thinks he can customize his avatar or create new objects according to his own will, the avatar and the objects are still appeared in a way that is already set up by the Second Life developer. In other words, there are certain rules limited users to interact.

A user of Second Life may question himself if he is communicate with other users, or it is an interactivity happening between two virtual avatars, or it is just machine-machine interactivity. In my opinion, Second Life enables interactivity to happen in a virtual online space, and it satisfies people’s desire to do things they cannot in normal life. At the same time, Second Life questions the boundaries between man, avatar, and machine.