SL's average IQ decreasing?

The early adopters of SL, like the early adopters of anything, were an elite population. As time passes, a broader portion of the population comes in. Just about every part of the Internet has been that way -- those of who have been around a while remember how the nature of email lists and Usenet groups changed when AOL got full Internet access.

Another factor is the increasing number of international users. Not saying their IQs are lower -- I bet they're not -- but the fact that English is not a native language for many of them might make them APPEAR that way to an English speaker.

..and you dont grow if you step on others.....

The ones that are sure they are an elite can get there own sims... and stay there... ist discusting to talk about people that have a lower... what so ever.. shame on you....

/Tina

Quoted for truth

Ok I totally understand what Kyrah is saying, and the problem is a vast majority of the new players view Second Life as a game to be played, much like TSO and SWG, which to my understanding had missions and goals (I can not verify this as I never explore those realms, I am merely quoting heresay), and fail to see its ever amassing potiential for something much greater. I am not trying to stir up the "game vs metaverse" debate, I'm simply saying this is just the next level for them. Thanks to Second Life/Linden Labs ever growing tool platforms, it will continue to be "just another level" to them. Sadly this will never change, even if we educated the "players" now, in a few weeks there would be a new mass, especially with the fall of TSO.

I don't know if anyone has realized this, but SL is a huge social experiment. They intentionally made accounts unverifiable and then turn around and give you the tools to restrict them. As it has become apparent that they are being used, just as those same tools are used in RL. I know this paragraph is off topic but I thought I'd leave with some food for thought.

On a side note, I think I qualify as "dumb" because I have no clue what Finning and Ordinal are talking about.

Threads like this one are a reason I keep coming back to SL every once in a while - a treat to see people strain so hard to seem bright and satirical.

Well, you know, it takes one to know one.

It has long been my thought that SL is a social experiment. The current unverifiable newbie "crisis" is too hauntingly similar to the current illegal immigration "crisis" in the United States (in reality a smokescreen and a moot point, since according to government websites the goal is to have an arrangement similar to the European Union between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico anyway [source: http://www.spp.gov/ ]), to be passed off as mere coincidence.

Given a place where the veneer of social pressure and law enforcement are all but removed, people are allowed to show their true natures. And what do we see in SL? Virtual drugs, mafias, weapons proliferation, a thriving slave trade, sexual abandonment, war lords...what the real world would like if all of a sudden all current governments were removed, and people were left to their own devices.

Economic experimentation ia also evident with an almost complete laissez faire policy by the Lindens, whose only intervention seems to be reducing the influx of L$ and increasing the influx of L$-less people. More people with less L$ has seemed to do wonders in stopping inflation, and stabilized the market.

It is essential for us to realize that SL is not just a game. There are too many striking parallels to real life to ignore. I wouldn't be surprised to find out LL gets government funding. Even the name Linden "Labs" should be a signal to this reality. Experiments take place in labs. This was my thought the very first day I discovered SL. Of course, I am by nature a die-hard conspiracy theorist, so maybe my ravings can be ignored as that of a lunatic.

As far as being too dumb to follow Finning and Ordinal, god, it's been 22 years since I had a full logic course in college, and 12 years since I had a refresher course, so I can follow their arguments in a general sort of way, but the subject matter does not interest me enough to stop being lazy and brush up my skills and get into that particular discussion.

Anyway, be well.

No... really !

I'm a native french, and i know some french that write better english *ingame* than a lot of english/american.
Of course, i know a lot of french that write an awefull french, and some english/american that write better french than most of french.
I think the main reason is that native learnt their english *speaking* (when they were young) while the others learnt the foreign langage *writing* it (teen/adults).

Finally, the main problem is the *behaviour* of thoses [lower IQ] people, not how they write

Im smarter than all of you!

Boing!

The main problem is the behavior of people. We assign them a low IQ with nothing to go on but some hastily typed chatroom shorthand and the concept that smart people just wouldn't behave that way, which is a flawed premise.

I seriosly cant see were all this fits in. sounds like more smartypants drivel for the sake of it



ROFL not a bit Flux.

I agree, and I don't base my judgements upon how well a person can type, or even if they can follow a conversation on solipsism (to say "cogito ergo sum" and leave it at that is the height of arrogance and vanity, in my humble opinion...but I digress). My judgments are based soley upon actions and attitudes. I have friends that are premium users, friends that are basic users with payment info on file, and friends that are basic users with unverifiable accounts. To be sure, most of my problems these days have come from newbies with unverifiable accounts, but I don't count the whole subclass of unverifiables as wicked or unintelligent.

I have a high suspicion that a great many of the unverifiables are anonymous alts of already existent premium users. I myself have two premium accounts and a basic account with payment information on file. I almost made her unverifiable, but decided I didn't want her getting banned from the sexually explicit sites, and I don't know if I want to use her more fully in the future and give her a premium account as well, but I did not want to spend the extra U.S. dollars on another premium account at this time. When she needs cash, I funnel her funds from one of my two premiums. But I DID create her for some level of anonymity...not to haress and grief people, but to explore a certain aspect of SL I would never dare go as Amber. Therefore, one has to wonder, how many of us so-called SL Elite and landed gentry also have created these alts, to explore the dark side of SL without tainting our good names? And how many are created with the purpose of vendetta in mind?

Additionlly, as it has been pointed out numerous times, there are alot of people who are unwilling to give out credit card information on the internet for fear of identity theft, and others unable to afford the premiums accounts...college students are a case in point...and these youngsters will be the future movers and shakers of SL when they do have the money to pay for accounts, and I am certain they will remember who treated them poorly, and who treated them well, when they were homeless vagabonds roaming the cyberscape of our little world. That is a thought all those currently treating all unverifiables with equal contempt should take to heart. Call it sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind, call it karma...it will all come back to haunt those who indiscriminantly persecute and subjugate unverifiables.

We should no more discriminate against unverifiables than we should persons based on their skin color, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual preference, religion, nationality, political party, age, or economic social class in real life.

That being said, nevertheless we cannot ignore the fact that there HAS indeed been a rise in bad behaviour overall throughout SL. And it is a logically correct assumption to state that if one has no investment or sense of ownership in SL, there is little incentive to be concerned about behaviour when one can in a matter of moments create a new unverifiable account. And I dare say, I have met a number of unverifiables that are EXTREMELY familiar with the workings of SL. It is not hard to spot an old hand, even if they wear newbie clothing. LOL, when I created my basic account alt, it didn't take long for even the real newbies on Orientation Island to know that I wasn't a newbie, and come asking me for help. I am certain alot of these unverifiable "newbies" aren't newbies at all, and are just seeking the mask that being an unverifiable provides. So there is a legitimate complaint that many of the "SL Elite" are filing, insofar that way too many "newbies" are causing grief. Chances are, the real newbies haven't been around long enough to know how to grief and where to look for the tools by which they can grief. I believe it's often the case that the old-timers pretending to be newbies are giving many of the real newbies a bad name. As well, there are alot of real newbies who just don't know any better, haven't had any decent upbringing, so go about willy nilly acting like fools because nobody has taken the time to help them. They get treated rudely, so they act rudely.

I said it before, and will say it again. The only true solution is two-fold. We must do all we can to proptect our assetts from the dangerous element...not only within the unverifiable newbie fold, but also from even the less-than-scrupulous old-timers. Secondly, we should in compassion reach out to those who can be helped, and show them a better way. We'll feel good for doing something constructive, and they will feel good enough to stay in SL and become paying customers.

Be well.

Having a discussion like this about your fellow Second Lifers is harsh. I'm not american and my native language isn't english.
I am in SL for two years mostly for business reasons and for me the population hasnt changed a bit. That subscriptions are open made my sales go up, i have free stuff for newbies in my shops, allow free accounts and weapons and i hardly ever have problems.
But...

I say a friendly hi to everyone, no matter their look, account, name, age etc. for the simple reason that any newbie who arrives who gets a pleasant welcome in this virtual world has the potential to become a paying customer for me.

The ban thingy for different accounts is a true shame!
Thanks to all those self centered whining idiots on these forums

Leyla, I agree. I think responsible land owners should not use this feature, except maybe in the context of a semi-private club setting, or as a temporary measure to combat a specific instance of griefing.

GT is going to be coming out with a security system soon that should help matters some. It will allow a much larger banlist, it's looking like we'll be able to support up to 300 or more banned agents. In whitelist mode we will support allowing multiple groups, something no other security system can do.

We are still in development so things are subject to change, but I think more powerful resident created security systems like ours will help some.

I agree. Banning one specific class of people is no better than African Americans being told in the '50's that they had to sit in the back of the bus and drink from their own water fountains, nor is it any better than having "Keine Jude" signs on the front door of your shoppes, and forbidding entrance to anybody wearing a yellow star.

When I lived on the mainland, the parcels I owned that held a shoppe and had a chapel were open to the general public. Nobody was banned, and all where made to feel welcome. However, my private mansion was closed to all people, of all classes, except for INDIVIDUALS (not a class of people), by special invite. Those individuals that were invited in my house were not from anyone class of people. If they are my friends, rich or poor, verified or unverified, they were allowed in. The logic is the same as real life...inside my house I want privacy ... I lock my windows, close my curtains. I don't want someone walking in while I am engaged in intimate romance with my lady friends, or private discussion with close companions or just happened to be naked while getting changed or working on one of my painting projects. The rights of others of ALL classes to cross my properties ENDS at my right to privacy. And I have been engaged in romantic intimacies and have had strangers come walking in my house in the middle of such activity, and believe me, I was not a happy camper. Banning ONE class of people just because of who they are and that they MIGHT cause problems is different than banning ALL classes of people in order to enjoy privacy. In one incident on the mainland, while my avatar was yet pregnant, I had a griefer come into my house, and threaten to give me an abortion! It's bad enough to have to deal with threats by others in public, it is quite another thing to have to deal with that in your own home. Another instance I recall I was out and about on my property, and saw an individual go walking into my house. I go follow them in, and there they are, sitting on my bed. I asked them if I could help them, they got up and hurried out of my house, saying they were just browsing. I told them my shoppe was down the hill, at which point they tp'd off my property. Such behaviour is intolerable in real life, and should be intolerable in SL.

Now I live in Caledon (thank God), and have the wonderful Mr. Shang to keep us safe from these things. We are not allowed to put general bans on our property, but we can ban individuals, based on their BEHAVIOUR. Still, this is NOT a class of people being discriminated against, but rather individuals. And Mr. Shang provides us with houses that have lockable doors and closeable windows, so overall it's a pretty good deal. At my cafe, I greet everybody, welcome them, invite them to enjoy coffee, tea, cocoa, spring water, cupcakes, and red velvet cake. I don't immediately look to see if they are unverifiable. After I have greeted them and invited them, if they are strangers to Caledon, I welcome them to our land. Then, when I look at their profile, I see if they are new, and welcome them to SL. See if they need any assistance. Sometimes I'll go to Caledon's telehub, and greet all who come in, regardless of their status.

Only after I have seen their behaviour will I make a judgment call on them, and act accordingly. Ultimately, we have to balance between protecting what is ours, and treating our fellow human beings with kindness and compassion. There is in my humble opinion nothing wrong with limiting access to your PRIVATE home to your close friends and family. We do that in real life, and nobody complains about that. It would be definitely wrong to limit access to your property to a specific class of people, especially shoppes. I thought we got past those days of discrimination. Apparently I am wrong.

Be well.

exepted being black or white is a birth characteristic, not a choice

Mmmm... lot of discussion re: exclusion and types of accounts here and such.

Honestly, the level of griefing I've seen hasn't warranted banning more than individual troublemakers so far. I've done a lot less banning than people might think.

So far, 99.9% of our visitors have been absolutely wonderful. Maybe one in a thousand is a troublemaker.

Absolutely correct, one's skin color is a birth characteristic. As well, quite frequently for a college student, one's financial situation is dictated by birth into a poor family, until they have earned a degree to earn them money. For many people, poverty also is not a choice.

I've only ever actually had to outright ban one individual and his partner once, that's the one who threatened me with an abortion, from all my properties. And whereas while on the mainland I did set my private manor to limited access, that was more for privacy reasons than anything ( let's just say I frequently have need for lots of privacy when I entertain guests and leave it at that). However, over 4000 sqm of my land was open to anybody and everybody, and the 7000 sqm that did have limited access (ok, so I had a big house), was never limited to any specific class of people. Those who did have access ranged from owners of whole private islands to those whose only shelter was the clothes on their backs.

Virtually every visitor that ever came to Caledon has been wonderful, and I love to see people of all classes there, and have always greeted them warmly. The vast majority of the problems I suffered with bad people were on the mainland (why I avoid it like the plague).

So basically I agree with you 100% Desmond, except that I do maintain that just as in real life, people do have the right to privacy in their own places of dwelling. If I want to traipse about naked in my own home and frolic with my lady friend, I should be able to do so without fear of someone popping in unannounced. Thankfully Caledon residents are polite enough "knock" and ask permission before they enter, but that definitely had not been my experience with many strangers on the mainland.

Flawed it may be, but widespread nonetheless. It's why I always chat in complete sentences, because first, it's a good way to avoid bad writing habits. Second, for those people who notice these sorts of things and make those kinds of judgements, I appear a lot more coherent and intelligent than I would if I said things like "hi how r u" all the time.

Incidentally, this is also why my av wears sexy nerd glasses -- because I get taken more seriously. Interestingly, I seem to be thought of as more intelligent if I go for "intelligent model" than if I go for a plainer, more "bookish" look.

Maybe I should change out of my ratty robe, wild flexi prim mohawk, get a shave and some specs.

ty fer teh saje wurds,,, Cathriin. UR da bombe!

Actually lately, I've encountered more and more people who run the gamut from "nice normal folks" to "utterly frakkin' brilliant." Some of that may be the kinds of places I tend to hang around, like Caledon and the Library, and if I'm going to get the joy of the real SL experience, I need to go find the places where the uber-goobers and buffoonaloes roam. But really...I must be doing SOMETHING wrong becasue I keep running into large numbers of intelligent pleasant people, including plenty who apparently are new. . . heck, even the forums seem to be heading towards a higher plane of consciousness--somehow they just don't seem as vituperative and highly toxic as they used to.

Nevermind.

it's hard for me to find other intelligent people on SL. i notice a lot of people who think they're intelligent, but really have no idea what the hell they're talking about.

i find the best way to get along with stupid people is to avoid intelligent conversation and stick to topics like music, humour, and crazy stories instead. stops them from looking stupid and it stops me from getting frustrated with only seeing the flaws in their logic.

flaws like the topic of this thread for instance... i mean an average IQ can't ever decrease because when measuring IQ, the 'average' (technically mean) is supposed to always be 100.

Um, yes, it is. It's about a million times better.

*shakes head*