Anthropological research on netiquette in SL

^ Yes. ^

If it were me, I'd do just that as well as setting up a parcel for the project. I'd ask people to come in and I'd possibly pay/reward them for their time, as well. But it seems it would still amount to a story at best, since there is no way to offset for those who would invent their entire response.

But if you went inworld and actually became an SL avi and interacted with people, not mentioning research, just interacting as a person, you would get a much better idea of what SL netiquette is like.

Netiquette can be easily summed up in song by these Korean school children, precious internet friends. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/learning/schools/netiquette.html?play

/me sings Neti, Neti ... Netiquette!

That's why I agreed with you.

I was thinking the same thing.

SL is *big*. Really big. I've wondered how knowable the world of SL is. There is a huge heterogeneous block (hundreds of sims) devoted to Gor, and another large set (I don't know the number) of Victorian and Steampunk sims. They have very defined "etiquettes" that can be very formal. There are sims devoted to sex, some where you have undress or be ejected. There's the world of the furries. There are sims set up for family life and kid avatars. There are roleplay and battle sims of all kinds, and they have "etiquettes" of their own, such as "you can only rob the bank once a day" and "if your ship is sunk, it's okay to bring it back after ten minutes" and how you must behave while you are dead.

So, focus, students, focus! Vague questions get vague answers, and lazy students get bad and misleading answers.

That last part is one of the things I find most interesting about anthropology: the way that natives play the researchers. I've read some "creation myths" that I'm sure the aboriginals are still laughing about.

Yeah - remember the ones from Hong Kong who had the assignment of running a business in SL?

Here's a few words on etiquette for your research:

"Similarly, some of the first educators and researchers in SL were a bit clumsy in their approach. There were early incidents in which Residents felt—rightly—that they were being spied upon or treated like guinea pigs rather than human beings. Imagine how you would feel if an entire class of students set up right next to your vacation hideaway, left trash lying around, logged your conversations, and posted them on the Internet with criticism and mean-spirited comments. This is exactly what happened to some early Residents. Things have improved greatly in the years since then, but sometimes SL Residents are still subject to that kind of inconsiderate behavior. For example, a constant stream of researchers (often students) posts on the Second Life official forums requesting that Residents please take their surveys. Most of these surveys include the same questions that have been asked over and over. Often they aren't spell-checked, or refer to SL as a game—a sure way to irritate a substantial number of Residents. Some Residents make a hobby of critiquing these surveys, pointing out how the questions and their wording make it clear that the researcher isn't familiar with Second Life. Some post outright that they are sick of badly planned surveys and suggest that the researchers log in and do their own research."

From The Second Life Grid: The Official Guide to Communication, Collaboration, and Community Engagement
by Kimberly Rufer-Bach
ISBN-13: 9780470412916

She could try dart guns and radio tagging.

Yes. I remember the prof. telling us about the Yanamamo and how their culture forbids sharing names with anyone you're not very close to. So when the rude anthropologist/sociologist asked everyone their name, he was dutily recording things like "fart breath" and "poo face."

I also wonder at the over reverence some have for ancient cultures rather than seeing it through the filter of human nature and modern cultures. For instance, how would future digs interpret some of our 'stuff.' It seems like every statue found from digs was an item of worship. What, ancient cultures never had a taste for kitsch? Or collectibles? I wonder what the future would make of Barbie or Dept 56 Christmas Villages.

Barbie is clearly a fertility goddess.

Well i'm going to actually try to help this person....

I've been in SL for almost 7 years so I've seen a lot of habits of people.

People tend to still act like they do a bit irl. When they want to be polite. Like when standing they give you distance similar to what they give you in the real world. Any close and they tend to back up or move unless they are a couple.
I also often see people kinda keep to their own kind a bit. Like furries tend to like being around other furries. Bling barbies tend to be around bling tattooed punks, ect.
Its also a bit rude to just take a picture of an avatar out of the blue. Many don't mind really but they ask about it.
Its especially rude to spy on a naked couple having sex in their sky house lol, and take pics of them.
People also tend to assume that ugly avatars are out looking for trouble. Usually they look like deformed trolls with blue, green, or pink skin. Its a common thing for someone wanting attention.
There are also many people out there that would consider you a pedophile just for being a child avatar. Even if everything you do is innocent. But they don't consider it sick to be a furry even tho they "yiff".
Its also very rude to suddenly hump someone. Especially a stranger.
Also deforming an avatar by tricking them is not nice either especially if he/she doesn't know how to fix it unless they relog.

I hope some of this helps you in your research

Priceless

Unless said avatar is a Blingtard or some other commonly made fun of group and you want to post the picture in a "WTF?" way.



But not necessarily rude to spy on them if you don't take pics.



Although, if the person is not a stranger, it can sometimes lead to some interesting future interactions.

One of the more interesting unwritten rules is that if you say someone's bum *does* look big in this, they are apparently allowed to wish a lingering painful death by cancer upon you in a foulmouthed fashion . . .

Pep ( . . . and their friends then can agree you deserved it.)

Pep, drop it. Everyone but you is tired of that now. Man up and get over it.

And heaven is Mississauga?

That would mean the prof would have to pull finger out and stir open the computer and deign to demean himself/herself by entering our presence.
Some of these fossils prolly still have overdue fines dating back to the Alexandria Library of the Pharoahs.

Ask Scylla - she knows a lot about these things. She borrows books from libarraies and reads them.

And now they own it!

Thanks for the advice, Chris . . .

Pep ( . . . I'll file it with the rest.)

If words can get you so worked up, it is no wonder the Thin Red Line couldn't hold the Empire. And so the sun finally sets on British culture.

It ain't words, it's the warped mind behind them. It's not me that I am worried about, but those less sensitive souls who *might* get worked up.

Pep (British? What's that to do with me? You Canadians are terrible at geography, aren't you.)

You keep bringing it up and the last time I looked Wales was a part of the British Isles. What happened to the "Stiff upper lip" and all that?

This is why, when it came to choosing anth classes, I picked arch rather than social. Dead people can't react negatively to your research attempts. And if they tick you off in some other way, you can say anything you want about them in your report and won't have to deal with complaints.

Greece is still part of Europe but I don't use a different alphabet.

Pep (I think you may be talking about all those mongrel immigrants, a bit like your place.)