Second Life = Deviant Life? Have YOUR say

The questions are very loaded and poorly designed, but I'm bored...

1. Some people suggest that Second Life encourages deviant activities. Do you feel your behaviour is less inhibited in Second Life than the physical world?

Residents in this thread have already slammed the use of "deviant" in this question, which makes it a very emotionally loaded question. I have little to add to that critique. I do think that Second Life encourages people to try things they might never consider doing in real life, not because of any more lax moral standards, but because one is shileded from the possible negative repercussions of exploring activities and choices one might not choose to risk in real life. You can't die here, in any meaningful fashion, so people might play with guns or do skydiving to try to fly planes, who might never take those risks in real life. You are anonymous here, so it is "safe" to try having your avatar date someone unusual, without fear of communicable diseases or some creepy stalker following you home. Someone who might never consider attaching a furry tail inside their skirt and walking around like that in the mall might in SL wear a full furry avatar. People experiment with representing other genders because they can do it believably, and without it getting back to friends, family and coworkers that they are some sort of cross-dresser or transvestite, just because they got curious and tried on a dress. It's far less about any ill-defined "Deviance" than it is about being free to experiment without as many repercussions.


2. Some people suggest that Second Life mirrors the physical world. Is your experience of Second Life remote from, or close to, the physical world in which you reside?

Not in the slightest, nor would I want it to be. In SL I have fur and three tails. I certainly don't in RL. In SL I can afford lots of land and a castle and a closet overstuffed with clothes, which I couldn't dream of having in RL. I CAN FLY! Certainly can't do that in RL. While I make a fair portion of my SL income from creating detailed and realistic builds representing real-world places, like University campuses, I also love to make science-fiction space ships, fantasy castles, and other things. An SL that only mirrored the real world would be as boring as a steady diet of oatmeal.


3. There is 3D avatar creation technology in Second Life, do you want an avatar that closely resembles you, or realises some new desired image?

Not in the slightest. Tried making an avatar that looked like me once. It creeped me out, to see her on the screen. Most of my avatars are fantasies - anthropomorphic furry creatures or on occasion idealized Human figures. Again, you can be anything you choose in SL. Anything at all. Making an avatar that is a clone of yourself is like going to an ice cream store that offers 1000 flavors, and always ordering plain Vanilla. Boring...


4. In the communities of Second Life, there are various norms and rules, how do they shape your views about deviant activities?

No impact at all. And again, "deviant" is a loaded word, and extremely subjective. In many parts of the world, a woman wearing pants and a T-shirt and not wearing a veil would be considered "Deviant". Some of the communities I associate with in SL are similar to ones I would associate with in Real life, and some are definitely not. A lot of the communities in SL offer a way to vicariously be part of something or to observe and be entertained by activities that you would not choose to do in real life. But that doesn't have to be reflected in a change in attitudes about real life behaviors. One does not have to like associating with Mafia gangsters and hit men in real life to enjoy reading a novel about such people. One need not become a murderer in real life just because you enjoy playing violent shooting games on your x-box or gamecube. One need not indulge in a homosexual or BDSM lifestyle in real life just because you find it intriguing in a fantasy scenario. The biggest "Norm" in Second Life is something that a person asking questions such as yours often knows little about - Tolerance of the differences in others.

YES!!!!!!!!

This is my kinda fun, intellectually stimulating. Argh! I'm a psych nerd. Going for my psychoactive meds, be back later.

I have to say, I really liked you long post in this thread. I wish I could have said it.

yeah i am getting my masters ... but still dont feel like being a lab rat....

I miss the OP.

Sorry - I think I may have frightened him off . . .

Pep (ROFLMAO)

Me too *cry*. And I miss his disappearing website. Oh never mind, there's a new one, or three up now.

If you turn the tables on the experimenter, there is value in being a lab rat [see Hitchhiker's Guide]. And anyway, they are rather cute.

BTW, I suppose you young'ns have computers to do ANOVA with unequal ends now. Sigh

Thank you, and weary am I of those who attempt to pass off pseudo-science as science without being challenged.

Squeeze the trigger, don't tug on it.

/me drags her feet into the thread, again.

"I've been labeled a deviant. I have to sit in the corner now..."

You go potty in SL? Interesting...and kinky!


(Sorry, trying to be a deviant..)

Yeah; once you've been labeled gotta live up to it.

Treasure (Who has seen toilets/bathroom equipment for sale in SL but never been tempted.....I just don't have to go right now)

I'm of mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, you've deprived us of a another day of entertainment. But on the other... um... you've deprived us of another day of entertainment. Shame on you!

I am shocked this one survived the night.

*starts licking an ear, bites, looks around, spits out ear*

Oops, I was being deviant in the deviant thread, wasn't I? Sorry.

I wonder if obsessive attention to grammar, spelling and word definition could be considered a deviant? There's some lurking around there, pouncing on posts...

Being deviant, or having lunch?

I wasn't going to eat the ear! Really! I just wanted to nibble a little on the ear.

Upon reflection, it's only deviant if Jerboa enjoyed it.

He would respond when I licked his ear in the past. Now he always ignores when I lick his ear. Evidence suggests that I'm forcing my tongue onto him.

I am not sure if I should even post this considering that I will probably be "jumped on" by numerous posters BUT I will nevertheless. Initially, I was sceptical of his intent and was the first post. Then I realized he was serious. But what followed was nothing short of irresponsible posting by people who had no need to do so. As someone pointed out, earlier, an avi's request for a survey was accepted and when that was questioned, the gist of the reason was "ah, but she is one of us". And there is no clique?

There was no need to hammer that man so relentlessly. Who cares what his motives were? He just tried to defend himself. I did answer his questions and "deviance" meant simply a change from the "norm".

I am not "honoured" with the "glittering prizes" of degrees like so many of you appear to be. And if I see one more correction of a piddling grammar mistake or sniding suspicion of a person's "reality" or real life I shall f**king scream! But frankly, I am glad I am not a "graduate" and that I left school when I was 16 and made my way in the world. Even though I am no saint, my life still teaches me to be generous to others as much as I can. You may not approve of the Linden policy but it is meant to encourage education. This thread has done incredible damage to sl reputation. Rosser will not return. His study has been cancelled.

The reaction to this thread/post has really troubled me.

Yes, Jig, BUT.....

Part of reasearch is researching. He should have looked over the forums before posting something like that and he would have seen the responses that other people got. Part of the reason I titled my subject for my request was so people like him would see it and maybe read it. By even looking over it that thread, he would have seen that it would be difficult to get the response he was looking for without some work.
The last 5 pages have had similar responses to surveys. He didn't do the proper research needed to post something like that.
I look at it like jumping into a shark tank, bloody. It wasn't thought out very well.

People are just more open about what they already do in Real Life. It may seem SL is full of deviants, but not any more than RL is. They are just more visible and readily identifiable, as they do not have to worry about the very real discrimination and backlash peple with alternative lifestyles experience in Real Life.

Of course, paradoxically that fact may indeed lead to more peole with alternative lifestyles to come to SL.