this site is now closed to new membership and exists for archival purposes only
Second Life
For those that don't know, Second Life is a 3D virtual world which you can download for free, meet people all over the world, and create objects to use in it.
I've recently started getting into this "game" and given the fact that it lets you
participate creatively I've grown really addicted to it.
Sites like http://getafirstlife.com point out the obvious fact that this is all just a substitute for real life, and any money made in it is done so as a pyramid scheme, because nothing real ever gets created.
But as transhumanists I'm sure we can see the potential of such an experience. One real world value that comes from it is making friends, and maybe lovers, all around the world. Of course the online thing isn't quite the same as real life, but Second Life are incorporating voice into it in a couple of months, and I'm sure webcam conferencing won't be far behind. Given the advantage over real life in that people are actually there to meet people, so aren't as often stuck in cliquey groups, I find it a worthwhile pursuit. I've made friends all over the world.
I think as long as you can appreciate the deception that goes on and don't involve emotions until you get some kind of offline relationship going, this "game" is not only fun, but immensly satisfying creatively.
I've started making objects and I've learnt some real life skills, such as 3D modelling and business management. (You can learn programming too, but I'd already learnt that).
How many people here play the game?
I've recently started getting into this "game" and given the fact that it lets you
participate creatively I've grown really addicted to it.
Sites like http://getafirstlife.com point out the obvious fact that this is all just a substitute for real life, and any money made in it is done so as a pyramid scheme, because nothing real ever gets created.
But as transhumanists I'm sure we can see the potential of such an experience. One real world value that comes from it is making friends, and maybe lovers, all around the world. Of course the online thing isn't quite the same as real life, but Second Life are incorporating voice into it in a couple of months, and I'm sure webcam conferencing won't be far behind. Given the advantage over real life in that people are actually there to meet people, so aren't as often stuck in cliquey groups, I find it a worthwhile pursuit. I've made friends all over the world.
I think as long as you can appreciate the deception that goes on and don't involve emotions until you get some kind of offline relationship going, this "game" is not only fun, but immensly satisfying creatively.
I've started making objects and I've learnt some real life skills, such as 3D modelling and business management. (You can learn programming too, but I'd already learnt that).
How many people here play the game?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Christopher on
-
Sounds like it would be a fun place to have discussions but I tried SL once, found it clunky and slow (maybe my machine), and quickly gave up after a brief visit to a sex club (of which there are plenty). I'm sure if one were to get into it it would be rewarding but I guess it's a matter of not having enough spare time. That said, I could give it another go, probably for the SL Transvision 2007 or to hang out at Evolve. I'm definitely excited about the next generation of virtual worlds.
-
Permalink Reply by Stuart on
-
I did exactly the same thing over a year ago. But when I realised the membership went up from 1M to over 5M since last october I thought I'd jump back on the bandwagon I'd jumped off of!
Yeah, I forgot to mention the hideous lag, bugginess, quirkiness and seriously steep learning curve. But like you say, its rewarding if you're willing to put in a little more time at the start, I'd say give it a weeks intensive, then you will know how to play, where to go, and have your avatar not looking like a noob, and THEN you can have it as something you dip in and out of.
The benefits are fuelling your creativity and the social aspect. But I'm sure given its massive potential (which is a contribution to the lag/quirkiness) we of all people can find more benefits.
-
Permalink Reply by Stephen Moorhouse on
-
Second Life hasn't interested me enough to join it just yet, but I'm certainly fascinated with its future, having opened up the source for modifications. Haptics are obviously its future, when add-ons with physical feedback are readily available to the public then I imagine a lot of us will just want to live in games like that. Well... I will, anyway.
-
Permalink Reply by Kristi Scott on
-
I've been in and out of SL. I'm going to be pairing up with a professor next semester to do some research about it, so I'm going to be actually getting on to it a lot more then. I keep hearing/reading about it, and I'm signed up, but stuck dressing myself. It's sad to say I'm feeding a stereotype but I can't get dressed. It's hard enough to get dressed in real life, but to have endless possibilities and to design a body, I'd never make it in if I didn't have a deadline of sorts. All that I've read about it and a video I saw on YouTube, is very intriguing. I'm fascinated with the plugging into another world aspect and "living" there.
I am admittedly apprehensive. As Chris says, it's about having enough spare time to do it, but with a independent study and research/paper to do. I'll make time. I'll have to come by Evolve, by the time you get it together I may have an avatar.
Any pointers appreciated.
-
Permalink Reply by Kemos on
-
I love the concept, I have always hoped that something like this would be created.
-
Permalink Reply by Arcturus on
-
There is a transhumanist community in SL centering around Uvvy Island, and a WTA-SL chapter.
The chapter puts on regular events - like a talk tomorrow by Anders Sandberg on Cognitive Enhancement.
Give yourself a few hours to get used to SL at orientation, and make sure your computer has a good graphics card, a high speed connection, and make sure no other junk is draining your computer's attention.
HOWEVER, be warned that events with lots of avatars do have bad lag. Just sit down and listen; save your movement for when there are fewer avatars in one place.
As Stuart said, it is a great global-teleconferencing method, and it allows users to be creative.
-
-
You gotta remember it's far more than a Conference call program. In some ways it's the internet Evolved. I've got some thoughts on this in a forthcoming blog.
-
Permalink Reply by Cypher on -
I play, On the Main Grid I run a business selling things I make.
Other than that, I work on the Open Source Server Software, Open Sim.
Which allows you to host your own sims in your own Grid.
If you have a beefy Server you never have to think about lag again.
and cost is basically zero for you and your friends to connect to your grid and have plenty of space to work with.
-
-
Tell us more about Open Sim, is it an attempt to get away from the "dictatorship" of Linden?
-
Permalink Reply by Cypher on
-
Its an extremely good attempt at getting away from the Rule of Linden Labs.
Its an Open Source Server Project that Works with Current SL Clients. It basically allows you to Personally Host as much land and Prims as you can with any given Server!
You can make your own grid with many sims and even Connect your sims to one of the Many Large Scale Open Source Grids.
http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Main_Page
With Proper Support from the Open Source Community it could really take over linden labs and become a Truly Free Metaverse.
-
Permalink Reply by - - on
-
I visit SL occasionally. I'd recommend Extropia core at http://core.extropiacore.net/
There is transhumanist gatherings a couple of times a week (but there's not much activity). About once or twice a month there is also a speaker, usually speaking about transhumanism or the future in some way.
-
-
Got a new ID on Second Life, Bloc Magic. Please add me! Going to be spending a bit more time on there soon hopefully. Virtual Reality has become a major interest since listening to George D's (Sentientdevelopments.com) podcast about the destiny of post singularity ETI. Since then I've started reading the Otherland books (highly recommended - obviously a HUGE influence on the Matrix and INCREDIBLY ahead of its time).
To me, this is now more interesting than all the physical things like life extension, space travel, and awesome technology. This is because it could be the answer to ALL of these things. (Upload your mind to the universal internet and live in a world where ANYTHING is possible?)
Anyway, the point of this post is to begin a new discussion - do you think Virtual Reality, or as I would rather call it, Artificial Reality, has the potential to seriously demote RL (Real Life), possibly even obsoleting it? And do you think that is our destiny? AR would undermine many of the things we use to define our humanity; mortality, morality, physics, cause and effect. What's the point in living if a perfect reality is given to us, a "heaven" of our own creation, where all our sexual desires are fulfilled, nothing is outside the realms of moral decency (torture/murder/rape/peadophilia would harm no conscious beings, just artificial intelligences) and even the laws of the universe around us no longer bind us? If we create artificial intelligence, how do we know our love partner is a real person, and would it really make a difference, given we'd be the same?
An incredible new world is possible without leaving our safe (although slightly damaged) Earth. Comments PLEASE!!!
Stu
xxx
About
© 2010 Created by Christopher on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
