The SL economy, explained

Very good point!

On a meta level, once you are fed and have a roof and clothes and stuff... what more do any of us need, really, in any world? Health insurance, maybe, or a good dental plan? Seriously.

You can have love and all that even on a desert island with one cocoanut tree, provided there's someone there with you (who isn't too awful, ideally).

All the rest is gravy.

On some other level, if I didn't have a family in first life I'd be kinda purposeless. I'd prolly have a lot more spendy cash and dress better, but... I remember being single in my early 20's, it wasn't all that cool.

It was just kinda lonely unless I had a gf at the time; other than that I got so bored that I'd taken up traveling to gather scientific data for a university (little pay, but sometimes amusing). But after the first coupla weeks, even Ecuador or New Guinea is just like anywhere else... as exciting or boring as you make it out to be.

Perhaps you hit it on the head, Seven... all we really do is keep each other comfy and amused in every world?

(ps are you the Seven I used to know, around Caledon and other parts, on another av?)

I just mash prims together until I see something I like. If it looks like something other people would like, I put it up for sale. (^_^)y

No, we've never met. I haven't been to Caledon yet, not even as another person.

(unless Oxbridge U. counts as Caledon?)

.

Yep, it's in the southwest corner of the continent, almost. You've most certainly been to Caledon. Note the Caledon flag flying here and there, though you are more likely to encounter the NCI logo. The university is a joint effort.

Well! I shall just have to think of you as Seven Point One then

Yes, but you don't have silence and emptiness.. people know you and react to you. Your avatar actually seems to make a difference, whereas mine never has. And I'm a little sad also that Argent has stopped posting now I asked him a question with a useful practical reply.

Missed this message.
You know, there's a couple of different answers to this.

1. If I could safely fly a jet glider at 70 miles an hour, ten feet above the freeway (zipping UNDER that cool overpass at 290), as a four foot tall ferret, in real life... I'd actually ENJOY commuting to work!

2. If you have to ask that question, why are you in Second Life anyway? Or playing ANY computer games? DO YOU play any computer games?

that's all you needed to say.

.oO(the rest was just gravy )

Yes, but.. you aren't doing that in SL..



Most computer games have some kind of challenge and reward system involved. Most computer games about flying don't require weeks of work before letting you fly..

Yeh, I am. I totally am. I've flown down most of the Linden roads at road level, and half the hacks and tweaks in Moewe are to make it possible.

The challenge is, making that cool stuff happen. The reward is, getting to make the cool stuff happen.

The challenge/reward systems of MOST computer games, on the other hand, bore me to tears. Particularly the ones that cheat to let you win, unless they've got a clearly defined handicapping system that I can systematically advance against... AND the process of doing so involves learning something, even if that's just how to hack their handicapping scheme.

The puzzle IS the prize.

Which means the "game" is just doing the work, not actually flying.

Flying is what makes it cool.

Don't try so hard to analyze it. It's a ferret thing.

But what's the reward for flying? As opposed to the reward for making the plane?

Flying? What's the REWARD for flying?

What's the reward for flying? Why is flying a reward, when you could have just imagined it?

Ya know, I've always seen SL a little bit like Civilisation II.

You know, this one:



Of course, it weirded me out at first ~ the SL map grid isn't diagonal and sometimes I couldn't tell the diplomat units from the settlers, warriors or spies, but eventually I managed to get a few towns and cities going anyway.

All you gotta do is pick a strategy.

aggressive/rational

expansionist/perfectionist

civilised/militaristic


Okay... Your move!

But that fails as a reward mechanism for SL because it depends on other people, and other people can't be depended on to give rewards at the right time - they can just ignore someone totally because they feel ilke it.

Yumi look up the concept of altruism.

I already TOLD you that my brain's got a sucky GPU.

Why do you socialize with anyone in real life if you have that attitude?

So the only success in SL is altruism? The successful people don't enjoy themselves? Oh, or you're saying I should be altruistic when others don't have to..?

Stop there, back up, delete that last word, and try again.

Of course I socialize with people in real life. Those are the people who don't ignore me. But the idea that you'd do work to build your own town in SL fails because you can just be ignored, no matter how hard you work.

I mean, I've just been discussing this.. the only times anyone is prepared to respond to me on SL is when I'm complaining like this. Even if I try to take an interest in someone else, as others have told me to do, after a few replies the IMs dry up, and it is always IMs.

I"ve never done anything in SL or RL because I expected someone to give me a reward. I do it because:

A) I think it's the right thing to do
B) I enjoy it
C) I have to (you know, some laws/social conventions you just have to follow, like, hmm, wearing clothes ;P)
D) I believe doing it can be of benefit to myself and/or others

That's really all the reasons. Of course a reward falls under D. I don't spurn rewards, Feel free to send rewards my way. But It's definitely not a primary motivator. If it was, I wouldn't have closed down a business making $50k a year. But to that decision, A and C came heavily into play.

So now you've perhaps become stuck in it as a way of soothing loneliness/getting attention?

I don't really see you conversing or chatting or helping or tutoring on the forums, just a side observation. I see Yumi post a lot of threads about...Yumi.



Yoda said there is no try there is only do.

Sounds like you do not have an actual interest in others, and they sense you are pretending.

You either have an interest, or not, and if you do, you do not need to try to take an interest in someone else. It's okay - but find something else to interest yourself in about others. It doesn't have to be social, it can be learning for instance. Maybe social chat isn't your bag.

I find I enjoy group settings more when there is a purpose, even if the purpose is to relax - so I understand some of this.

Also please stop thinking that everyone will behave as you wish, and instead, delight yourself in the continual surprise that other people consist of.

And how is that different from RL? And yet people still DO things. For all kinds of reasons.

Yeh, that can happen. Some people even find ME boring. But there's plenty of fish in the sea. Plenty of piranha in the Amazon. Just keep showing them something really cool.