My Thoughts on Second Life

Second Life is a place where virtually anything can happen, but in my opinion that is in no way as meaningful or as enlightening as it could be if it actually happened. In other words, I do not think that it is possible for a person to have a life changing experience that was not actually physically real. I think ideas of exploring infinite space within Second Life could be comparable to the desires to travel the real world. Although, you would be avoiding the expenses, I do not think that the two experiences are in anyway the same. I also do not think that one could get as much out of exploring a virtual world while remaining stagnant, as they could from physically exploring, moving, sensing, and feeling a real world.
I do, however, think that the creative aspects of this virtual world are definitely a plus. I can understand the aspiration to create and not being unable to do so because of a lack of materials or the inability to acquire the necessary skills. I also agree that the use of an image over text to illustrate a universal symbol can be more easily done through something like Second Life. Like Rosedale’s use of the chair for example, there is a greater likely hood of a universal understanding of what a chair is simply based off of its image rather than it’s spelling. With the use of the image, one would not have to translate the spelling into other languages. I also think that the ability to virtually create something in order to see how it looks, works, etc. is a great feature for the virtual world.
Second Life is a place where one can create an ideal being. However, this may not be a positive thing, because it is not the real world, that is not what you look like, and you cannot avoid who you really are by hiding behind a virtual creation of your own. In general, the whole ideal of a virtual life is not appealing to me. I would be interested in the ability to create using Second Life, but I cannot see myself having any other intentions for it. I feel that if something of this nature is used too much it could potentially detach a person from the real life. I also feel that it almost promotes laziness and antisocial qualities in a person. I can also see it affecting ones ambitions all together. I for one prefer the real life and would not consider living in Second Life.