2008 Woodie Awards
Virtual life can't replace real one
Lindsay Huggins Cavalier Daily
Issue date: 1/23/08 Section: Opinion
After a long day of classes and work, I usually follow the same routine. I grab a snack, catch up with my roommates, check my e-mail, and finally, peruse Facebook.
Yes, I admit, Facebook-ing has become a part of my everyday routine, and I would be more ashamed to admit it if this were not the case for so many of my friends as well. But whether we like to acknowledge it or not, the online worlds of sites like Facebook and MySpace have collided with our "real" lives here at the University.
Many of us have come to rely on this collision for even the most basic human contact, whether that be keeping in touch with friends from home, staying connected with the social scene, making new friends or trying to remember the ones we met last night. While undeniably valuable for some things, this virtual world is also potentially threatening to our lives outside of the computer screen.
What prompted this concern for me was a glance at Google's list of top "googled" sites of 2007. One of these sites in particular caught my eye, an online community called Second Life. From its Web site, Second Life is described as a "3-D virtual world entirely created by its Residents."
Created in 2003, it now has millions of users, all of whom "retain the rights to their digital creations" and have the ability to "buy, sell and trade with other Residents."
In other words, this virtual world operates on a very real economy, with its own currency and business practices that actually relate to the real world. The "Linden Dollar" has real value, and businesses can thrive and fail. In fact, one of the virtual banks collapsed recently, causing anyone who had invested in the establishment to lose a combined $750,000.
And if you think that's strange, then think about this. Second Life is also home to copyright lawsuits.
Kevin Alderman, owner of SexGen, is suing the man behind one of the virtual characters in Second Life (called avatars) for changing his character into an anatomically correct model with genitals. Alderman claims that this genital creating software was copyrighted and the man behind the avatar sold illegal copies of the SexGen software.
Yes, I admit, Facebook-ing has become a part of my everyday routine, and I would be more ashamed to admit it if this were not the case for so many of my friends as well. But whether we like to acknowledge it or not, the online worlds of sites like Facebook and MySpace have collided with our "real" lives here at the University.
Many of us have come to rely on this collision for even the most basic human contact, whether that be keeping in touch with friends from home, staying connected with the social scene, making new friends or trying to remember the ones we met last night. While undeniably valuable for some things, this virtual world is also potentially threatening to our lives outside of the computer screen.
What prompted this concern for me was a glance at Google's list of top "googled" sites of 2007. One of these sites in particular caught my eye, an online community called Second Life. From its Web site, Second Life is described as a "3-D virtual world entirely created by its Residents."
Created in 2003, it now has millions of users, all of whom "retain the rights to their digital creations" and have the ability to "buy, sell and trade with other Residents."
In other words, this virtual world operates on a very real economy, with its own currency and business practices that actually relate to the real world. The "Linden Dollar" has real value, and businesses can thrive and fail. In fact, one of the virtual banks collapsed recently, causing anyone who had invested in the establishment to lose a combined $750,000.
And if you think that's strange, then think about this. Second Life is also home to copyright lawsuits.
Kevin Alderman, owner of SexGen, is suing the man behind one of the virtual characters in Second Life (called avatars) for changing his character into an anatomically correct model with genitals. Alderman claims that this genital creating software was copyrighted and the man behind the avatar sold illegal copies of the SexGen software.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Coughran Mayo
posted 1/25/08 @ 11:04 AM EST
It seems to me that your comments are based on a false dichotomy: that what is "wirtual" is not "real". In today's world, more than ever, electronic media of all sorts is intimately interwoven with other forms of contact or communication. (Continued…)
Yak Wise
posted 1/25/08 @ 2:20 PM EST
Mr. Mayo.... Ever make a phone call? Careful man... it "Virtual" talking,can't be good...
millena
posted 4/13/08 @ 5:23 PM EST
This article helped me a lot:) thanks
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