Week 12 Online Worlds

At October Country in Second Life

A Free Store in SL

At the Amusement Park

In Second Life France

Wow I was totally amazed when I became a member of Second Life, all the amazing possibilities that you can do in that world. I really enjoyed Katie's lecture and her explaining all the stuff that you can do in Second life. I knew that people used it as another form to socialise but what amazed me was particularly the learning aspect, that people go online in a virtual world to study and learn languages and other stuff and the fact that it was also used as a virtual tour guide, like wow (my picture from second life is from the virtual Champs de Ellise, i hope i spelt that right in France). I really would have enjoyed doing the reflection essay on this topic but having another major essay for another subject on the same day made me choose my reflection essay topic of Mobile Phones. This was also very interesting but there is some new and exciting quality about second life and online worlds that is more exciting to Mobile phones (sorry).

Anyway socially Second life was an interesting experience, I made 5 friends really easily they were so helpful and friendely in showing me place to go, do and see and even helping me with basic functions to use Second life. They even gave me locations to free stores and one of my Friends even gave me money (5 linden dollars)to use on the bumper cars at an amusement park (how nice!).They also have many social norms that are different from real life. Although I never did it bumping into other people is seen as quite inappropriate and so is the use of typed slang or bad language. I tried really hard not to type txt language and use correct English but i couldn't stop my use of emoticons, but nobody said anything about it which was good. I unfortunately didn't get a chance to see other social behavioural norms, except i really enjoyed how they used initiation/place cards when you visited different islands, describing all the things you can do and see there and their regular social events.

On the discussion of Landamoo's decision to kill Mr Bungle, I'm not sure if that measure was necessary, because death is final and ultimate and offers no second chances. But then again its not real life and therefore they couldn't really effectively enforce/constrain him legally, so death was the best option. Although I'd rather use the term 'ejected' from the online world rather than death.