What do your friends and family think of your second life?

I have a few friends who understand and are interested but for the most part nobody else understands. I am not a big earner here in SL and I may never be nor, do I tell people I will be. It's hard to explain to people that I'm not really here to "play", especially with family (I can't even get that across to some SL party heads!). ; Fam&friends see me putting in so much time but not getting a big return, or as far as they are concerned any return. So if I'm not "playing" and I'm not making money, they say "what are you doing"? My response, I am learning, I am holding onto a dream that I may one day be a big earner here, most importantly, I am having fun. It's just hard to convey to people that I am not simply "playing".

So what's your take? I know that for some people SL is a family affair! ie. Husbands and Wives, brothers, sisters, ect. I'm sure alot of people recruit many friends to the ranks of SL. Let's hear your story!

I come from a family of hardcore gamers...

So they're all OK with it.

Some of my friends do think i put an insaly amount of time in it.
But they know i'm a hardcore gamer , it's just a part of of being me.
(that and going out and party of course )

And i play SL to have fun mainly , having a shop and trying to sell stuff is the thing that keeps me busy for the moment.

Sure i'm trying to earn a bit of irl cash to have a little extra irl.
But i'm not counting on it that it will make me rich or give me more money then a normal job would.


But i see my shop as an outlet for my creativity.
Cause i love working with photoshop. (i used to be a signature creator in Ultima Online)
I love piercings and tattoo's cause it's a work of art, just adds that little extra to your AV.

Ask them what people get out of hobbies like collecting stamps or building models.

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Most think Im nuts, even hard core gamers (cause theres no shooting (main purpose of the game).

my parents are still mystified by the mouse. I haven't even tried to explain sl. My friends are all gamers so they get it.

Treacly, good of you to start this topic.

In a few decades, hopefully less, I'd imagine experiences like Second Life will become common to humanity -- perhaps even mundane and banal!

Until then... WE ARE PIONEERS!!!

To answer the question, a number of my offline friends didn't "get it", and in fact, were shocked by how expansive and crazy it is (from reading my blog entries). Some ex-friends with "religious sensitivities" have unfortunately revealed their true colors and chosen to judge me because I associate with such a diversity of people here. I had word that a few even though SECOND LIFE WAS A CULT! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? Ha ha ha... hmmm marketing idea! Pfft, that's okay with me because I've made so many new friends in here that are more than willing to listen to me, as I am to them... moreso!

My fam had gone through a tough time ever since my Dad (offline, not Torley Sr., LOL) died, so things have been rocky and we've all been looking for anchors . . . kinda adrift and going through life changes, y'know? My Mom wondered what the heck was going on in here, but some literature -- like the interviews I've done; thanks Zero, Hamlet, and Cristiano! *hugz* -- and giving her a demo helped clear things up... for now, anyway. I have to keep reminding her that this is very high-tech stuff with a human heart! She can relate to that. *grins*

I'm preaching the good word of SL to my family and friends. I encourage all of them, if possible, to join us in the adventures inworld.

I have no doubt of the benefits of Second Life and speak about it loudly and proudly.


BTW, Rickard, I just noticed your title... so what'd you think of Equilibrium? Taken your Prozium today? OR NOT?!?! Muahahaha.

Great question.

My best friend thinks it's great. He says that when broadband comes to his neighborhood, which it will soon, he will be playing. I am eager for that day because he is an extremely gifted artist. He is constantly brimming with ideas. Hopefully, when he is able to play SL that will motivate me to get my ass in gear again.

My parents know about it as does my brother, but they just don't seem to get it. At Thanksgiving this past year I decided I wouldn't be bringing it up around them anymore as I was subjected to a bunch of stereotypical assumptions about MMOE's in general.

My parents own PCs - they have for years, however, they only play simple local games and use them for e-mail and to access webpages pertaining to their financials. My brother is afraid of PCs. He would never admit that though. One must be "some kind of loser at first life" to even want to use a computer as a form of entertainment. Oh well. We have never been much alike in any fashion so I am not suprised he feels that way.

As far as the rest of my friends/acquaintances go, some know about SL, and some don't. Whether they know or not is a usually a good indicator of my grasp on their ability to accept different forms of leisure/commerce/socializing.

Last but not least, my girlfriend plays SL, so she is 100% ok with it

The general consensus is that I'm bananas.

When I discovered Second Life last year, I thought it was the most amazing thing and told friends, family and coworkers about how fun it was, but for the most part nobody seems to understand. Some attacks and nonsense I've heard against my hobby include:

1. It's for losers who lack a "real life"
   
2. It's "only" a gaudy chat room, no doubt filled with creeps
   
3. It's for people who can't cope with reality
   
4. It's "not real" so therefore it's a waste of time
   
5. Anyone who pays real money to buy/maintain pretend land is stupid
   
6. Anything I've created, encountered or discovered in the metaverse doesn't count as "what I've been up to lately" because it "isn't real "
   
7. Anyone with an online "relationship" with a stranger is stupid
   
8. Your online friends aren't really your friends because you've never met them
   
9. The building tools are different from mesh modeling so therefore they suck and therefore anything built with them also sucks.
   
10. SL creations aren't like real crafts or hobbies (painting, woodworking, model ships, knitting, etc..) since they're not real
    
11. Since there's no specific goal, it's pointless.
    
12. The people behind the avitars are probably all hideous slobs
    

sigh


On the other hand, I believe Torley is correct that online virtual worlds will become more common and socially accepted over time. So who knows? We could be making history!



p.s. In case there's any misunderstanding, the listed attacks are the opinions of others, not me!

Well other than the 3D modeling think you described about 90% of what my family thinks of SL, well other than my son who is 5 and thinks the little people are cool. Oh and my sister says my avvie looks like a hoochie.

Overall my "family" doesn't approve of my time in SL. Exactly what else they would prefer to see me doing is not real clear. Although I do spend 1-4 hours a day in SL I also get all the housework done, cook meals every day, take care of the yard, do the shopping, etc. (I have been a so called "House Husband" for a number of years now.) In addition I contribute to a major portion of our household income from my military and social security pensions.) (I am 66 years old!)
I also go to the gym and workout 4 days a week so I stay in good physical condition.
I think part of the disapproval revolves around my having an SL partner but frankly that is one of the pleasures of being in SL from my viewpoint. Someone to socialize with and to build and explore with!
I try to not let my SL time interfere with RL time with my RL family but there still seems to be a level of resentment that I spend any time here at all. I find it amusing and annoying that if I spent the same amount of time watching sports on the tube probably no one would criticize me.

Probably the thing that annoys me the most is that I have to keep wondering when the hell people will quit trying to tell me what to do!

In anycase, right now, I have no intention of leaving SL unless something better like it happens to come along. So far as I am concerned I intend to be in SL until my "Cold Dead Hand Drops Off The Keyboard" lol

My husband has said the same thing. He's not religious at all though. My husband is up and down about my time spent on SL. Some times he's ok with it, sometimes not. He would rather have me sitting in the living room watching TV with him. UHG. I don't talk about it to much people though because it's kind of hard to fully describe the concept behind it all Then when I whip out the name Second Life to them, that really throws their judgments into action. Now, if I do talk about it, I just call it a hobby, and I don't mention the name of it.



Funny thing about this one is that some one in SL told me this one. LOL.

Yeap you hit the nail on the head about my family and friends too LOL! Although I did manage to get my old boss on here, and my best friend wants to try it, but her pc won't hack it :/

I work full time, and go to the forums when I get bored, which, by some stroke of luck or not, is usually most of the day , so when I get home, I like to relax with my lil girl, do the homely bit, and then I come on here and play for a few hours! My parents prolly think its the route of all evil, but now my mum has found pogo.com she seems to stfu about it , my ex, of course, likes to bitch about the fact that I have my lil girl, but the point is, I always make sure she comes first, and only come on when shes happily doing something, not here, or asleep..

*sigh*

The dun't know what they are missing if they haven't tried it for themselves

My friends and family in rl think SL is a computer virus

lol good movie. Much better than a low budget film has any right to be. but.. I'm just the Tetragrammaton (means god I found out), no cleric .

My wife complained up until the day that I made our car payment with GOM exchanged L$.

Haven't talked her into letting me get a sim ... yet ... but I'm working on it.

LOL Aaron!! I believe the term is, "$how me the MONEY!"

My family is cool with it, but we've always been cool with technology. I think it has something to do with my mom's addiction to EverQuest as well! I live with my brother and he's cool with it too and has even made an av that he comes on with from time to time. I don't get involved in online relationships, which I think would be the proverbial line for most people's families. It's one thing to tell them I'm exploring a world that "kinda sorta exists in a computer", and it would be quite another to tell them I'm getting married to someone I've never met in a computer!

For some, I think that's one of the beautiful things about Second Life -- the fact that you can be anyone and anything you want and can pretty much do as you please. Only if it interferes with your first life and your first life relationships should anything be done about it.

I considered how worthwhile SL is... thought about my 3 years in EQ, and decided that this was a helluva lot more worthwhile than grinding levels and rushing through dinner to attend raids.

People seem to have no problem with EQ or WoW or Counterstrike addicts or whatnot... so, here's something that is less of a time-sync and produces much more to show.

Olympia's list pretty much applies to me too. I have really good friends in RL but they are scattered around the UK.

The bottom line is that I am 59, retired, with arthritis that restricts me a lot. My sister who thinks she knows it all, is disgusted with me lol. Says I cannot have proper friends on the computer and to get out and get a life. Most of my friends are just confused and don't understand at all.

I love being in SL and no-one will persuade me otherwise.

Alexa

Wait...

what are these 'real life' friends you speak of?

Haha, great question!

My husband always wonders why the hell I let myself be subjected to all the freaks/stalkers/serial killers that habitate any online environment. I think he's finally begun to realize that I fit in just fine. Any rl $ I make, I think confirms his suspicions but makes him care less. If anyone else asks what I do here, I just tell them that I look at boobs all day and then they're jealous.

When I explain it to family and friends they are amazed and ask alot of questions, but for the most part they think I am "weird" for enjoying and spending so much time in a "virtual world"

I'm lucky because my husband is in SL too, in fact, he found it first and told me about it and we signed up together. I am more into it than he is (the building tools and lag tend to try his patience), but he's tolerant of the time I spend mucking about in world, even when he's getting microwaved dinners.

Many of our friends have made at one point or another almost all of the comments you list Olympia. Nearly to the extent that I kind of wondered myself whether or not I was losing it. Then I look at the amount of time that I see them spending in front of the TV night after night, a completely passive action interfacing with no one, creating nothing, not even virtually and I sort of shrug off their comments.

My fiance has this love hate relationship with SL. He loves seeing stuff I create and thinks it's wonderful that I have a very cool creative outlet. He thinks my obsession with funky hair in SL is funny. He doesn't like all the hot guys I talk to. He gets kinda pouty. We do both sit in the computer room/office when we play games and I'm always laughing out loud, frequently it's hard to explain why I'm laughing so hard there are tears in my eyes. Since we started playing WoW together, he's a lot less uptight about my SL time.

When my mom comes over, she loves seeing the things I create. She thinks it is amazing.

I have been telling people the as well, they still don't get it! It's hard to shrug good ole' friends comments