Why Are You Here?

Hello,

I'm new to SL and I'm writing an article on why people use SL and what relationships with other avatars are like online. I'd love if you could share answers to the following questions with me. Thanks much!

How long have you been on SL?


Why did you join?


What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?


How are these relationships different from real life ones?


Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?


Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?


Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?

-How long have you been on SL?
1 month, 14 days

-Why did you join?
A friend from Everquest 2 asked me to, since it was where he relaxed ^^

-What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
I find it easier to talk to people in SL than RL because I'm shy in RL. On a computer though, I can be super talkative ^^
I've made friends, enemies, business partners, employees.... and one boss. Those were all nice and everything, but I'd have to say the relationship I have with my Family. My Mistress and sisters and brother I feel closer to than most people I know in RL. I trust them immensely, and would meet them in RL if they wanted. I find it easier to trust people in SL, although I'm not sure if thats good or bad.

-How are these relationships different from real life ones?
I'm more talkative at first.. otherwise the main difference in my opinion is just the locale. We can go more places easier, and spend time together when we otherwise wouldn't be able to.


-Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
100% different. First it was a bunny furry av, which I loved, but wasn't right.. Then an angelic woman, who aside from the wings is who I hope to be someday.. now I'm a demon/vampire crossbreed.. same shape though. I love the possibilities ^^


-Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
Considering I physically am myself, No way lol. Besides, if a dude wants to play some chick thats their business. I don't think gender matters in RL, so why would it in SL?


-Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?No, though I hope to meet my Mistress and sisters and brother someday.

How long have you been on SL? 10 Months


Why did you join? I was snowed in one weekend and there was nothing good on TV


What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
I've made some friends definitely. I don't find talking to anyone here any different than RL.I tend to observe a group before getting involved.


How are these relationships different from real life ones? Different only in that there is no physical contact. I treat people here the same way I would in RL.


Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different? It's similar, a very idealized me. But she has the same basic personality and interests as the real me.


Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender? No, who is behind the avatar is of no concern to me.


Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world? No. And I have no intention to. Inworld relationships stay there.

> How long have you been on SL?

2 years, 8 months

> Why did you join?

My best friend told me it was a place where you could make money playing a game.

> What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?

I find it easier to talk to people in-world. I have found many great friends in SL; in fact, I met my rl wife here.

> How are these relationships different from real life ones?

They're not, except that they usually take on the form of an assumed (avatar) identity.

> Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?

Very similar to me, but younger.

> Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller > was of the opposite gender?

Of course not. That's commonplace.

> Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the
> real world?

Yes, quite a few of them, having attended two Second Life Community Conventions.

P2

Sometimes I wonder.

You might want to ask inworld if you want to contact people that you know for a fact use the SL virtual world. Here you will find people that use the SL 2D old school vBulletin forum.

How long have you been on SL?

3 years.

Why did you join?

I have no idea.

What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?

Mainly shallow ones.

How are these relationships different from real life ones?

The same. Shallow is shallow in both lives.

Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?

MY SL persona (or avatar as you call it) is identical to me in first life including my height and bust size.

Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?

Not all all. I assume that many SL females are really males. It's no big deal.

Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?

I'm not telling.

Well, you see, when two avatars love each other, sometimes they make new little avatars...

How long have you been on SL?
1.5 years


Why did you join?
curious

What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
friendships and business relationships, as well as a partnership
about the same talking to ppl

How are these relationships different from real life ones?
they aren't

Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
same personality, but she looks different than I do

Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
nope, I know some already

Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?
yes my partner

How long have you been on SL?
You know I've been trying to figure this out..nowhere on this site can I find my date of joining..not in 'my account' or anywhere else. You and everyone else can see my 'join date'(it's up there on the left below my name and spinning suite case {assuming I hav'nt changed my avatar graphic when you read this}.

I just realised I can see it as well..how stupid do I feel..June this year..sometime..good God only four months..feels like a lifetime.



Why did you join?
I watched a TV programme...'The Money Programme' on BBC2, which did an article on SL..thought "that looks interesting"..and here I am (I wasn't interested in the financial side of the prog..but SL looked interesting..well actually I am interested in the financial aspects now..at least since I started paying an extra 17.5% thanks to VAT).


What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
Made a few friends..I guess it's probably easier to talk to people in SL.


How are these relationships different from real life ones?
They differ in as much as they are 'faceless' relationships, by that I mean they are anonymous or in most cases we don't actually 'know' the other person physically.


Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
Well he's bald and I'm not (and he's only bald because I can't find a decent male hair style in SL..reader don't bother replying telling me you've got just the hair for my avi..coz I'm used to him being bald and he's staying that way).

Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
Well now that would depend on what exactly the female avi and my avi had been up to..(coff coff..if you know what I mean..not that I would ever..coff). No not really.


Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?
There's a few people in RL who are 'familiar' with SL, but I've never met them there..and I've never met anyone in RL who I met in SL (not yet anyway).

Aren't you glad you asked....(looks good in two colours though doesn't it..but if we had 'the code' we'd have as many colours as we liked)...

Perre

In SL if you go to Edit:: profile it says there. Dunno where on-site tho

How long have you been on SL?
About 11 months

Why did you join?
I had tried a few online worlds but found them rather static and boring after a while. SL seemed to offer the possibility of much more creativity.

What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
I have a couple of friends I would call close in that we chat often. Most others are far more casual. Generally I find it easier to talk to people in SL than in RL.

How are these relationships different from real life ones?
Well they are different in that I have never met in RL any of the people I have met here. Other than that they are just friendships. I don't want to use SL as some virtual dating service or fall in love with someone here.

Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
Fairly anthropomorphic in terms of build. I am a little taller here (5' 7" vs 5' 2" than in RL. Oh and I always have good hair days in SL

Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
No. People have many reasons for choosing what they want to be here. I am not here to judge their motives.

Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?
No and I am not really into real life meets. We are here because of our shared interest in SL. There would have to be some other common interest that drove the need for a RL meet.

How long have you been on SL?

This January will make 4 years.


Why did you join?

TSO was really really lame.


What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?

I have formed the same sort of relationships I have IRL. That said, anonymity is remarkably freeing.


How are these relationships different from real life ones?

They don't. I am me, meat or digital.


Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?

Pie is me, skinnier, younger, and with a much better ass.


Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?

My avatar tends to switch genders on a whim. Why should that make anyone mad?


Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?

The very first person I'd met from an online environment I'd met in TSO, tho we were briefly partnered in SL as well back in '04. That encounter was pretty disappointing and shyed me away from the thought of ever meeting anyone from a game again. Happily, I finally met my current partner just this past summer, after we had already been friends for close to 5 years, and that meeting restored my faith in my own judgement and the possiblity that some people actually are the person you like so much.

How long have you been on SL?

7 months

Why did you join?


I read an article in my church magazine that we had a church open in SL. I thought it sounded silly but my curiosity got the best of me.

What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?

I attend some 12 step groups, as well as other support groups. I've developed strong ties and friendships with these individuals. In those relationships I am 100% myself and they know much about my RL.

Other friendships I've developed are mostly from dancing at clubs. With them I am mostly myself also, however, I am cockier and more self assured than the real me. Being arrogant is part of my schtick. Most friends know this and have fun playing along.

How are these relationships different from real life ones?
I am able to be more guarded and it's easier to hide aspects of me that I choose not to reveal until when and if I'm ready. I also have no plans to meet any of them, therefore I respect that I am friends with the avatar not the person. If a person chooses to be entirely different with me in SL than they would be in RL that is completely fine with me.

Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?

My avatar is younger, thinner, more buff, has better hair and is generally better looking than I am. (My partner disagrees, fortunately) Originally I tried to get my av to look more like me but was frustrated. I heard someone say they based their av on someone they would date. Once I did that it was much easier.

Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?

I couldn't care less. The great thing about SL is that it allows you to be anyone you want to be. That's the beauty of it.


Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?

None. I don't really plan to, however, it is possible I could eventually meet some of the people I'm in 12 step programs with. At this point I have no interest in blending the two worlds.

How long have you been on SL?
12 months

Why did you join?
Ran out of other MMO's to play

What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
Mostly friends, some casual sex, but yes it's easy to meet people here, noone fears anyone.

How are these relationships different from real life ones?
Hmm less substantial and don't interlock with RL at all.

Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
Depends which one, one is me, others are way off being me for the reason of not being me in the first place

Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
Nope, happens all the time, have AV's of both sexes and non sexual too.

Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?
No

It will be 4 years, come January.



I was going back to school, studying computer art and 3D modeling. One of the courses offered one semester was an experimental class called Tempreal, which stood for "temporary reality", a fancy academic term for "we're gonna play video games and hang out in virtual worlds, and get credit for it."

We looked at many different worlds. SL was the only one that hooked me.



Many very good friendships, a small handful of people I genuinely don't like and who don't like me, lots of casual acquaintances, many co-workers, clients, & other business contacts. In other words, the exact same kinds of relationships I have in RL.


Both.



I would say there are two small, but significant differences:

1. In SL I get to encounter people I would never ordinarily bump into in the physical world. My SL friends list spans at least 4 RL continents. I'd have to be quite the world traveler in RL to accomplish the same thing.

2. It's probably worth noting that there is one kind of relationship I could never have in SL, the romantic kind. This is first because I've been "off the market" (not single) for almost 15 years, and second because to me, physical proximity is essential for chemistry. There's only so far verbal communication alone can go. For romance, the non-verbal aspect has to be there, and SL just doesn't allow for that. Not everyone feels this way, obviously, but I do.

Other than those two things, there's really no difference.


I don't consider my avatar to be me. It is simply the tool by which I interact with the SL world. Therefore, it is nothing like me at all. It usually looks like a Star Trek character; I don't. It can fly; I can't. It can lift entire buildings just by pointing its little finger at them; I can't. It's made of pixels; I'm not.

My words are me, my actions are me, but my avatar is just window dressing.



Not at all.

Look, in a world where anyone can change sex, color, or even species at the drop of a hat, how could it possibly matter what gender someone's avatar happens to be at any given moment?



Yes, many times. I've attended RL weddings of friends I've met in SL, been to parties, conventions, etc., and I've forged meaningful everyday RL friendships with people I've met in SL who happen to live near me in RL.

I also got my RL job through SL. I met the people in my company first in SL, and only met them in RL weeks later (or in some cases, not until many months later). Our business is developing virtual worlds, so it makes sense for us that we'd recruit from SL at least as much as from RL. We all get together in RL three times a year, but other than that, for the most part we just meet virtually.

How long have you been on SL?

*For two Years. Longest I've ever stuck with a game or anything online

Why did you join?

* Lost a job to Mexico, was bored & searching my usual sites. Came across SL in an article on Gamasutra.

What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?

*Friendships/Acquaintances. Easier. I've learned more about other countries from SL than anywhere else.

How are these relationships different from real life ones?

* Most "friendships" I'd say are actually "Acquaintances" unless you know each other in RL.

Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?

* Unless there are zombies walking around in RL, I'd say VERY different!!

Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?

* Nope. Since I dont do the whole 'cyber-sex' thing, I dont mind if its male or female.

Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?

* Unfortunately. They turned out to be a barely literate welfare bum w/ barely 8th grade intelligence. I can say this cuz he/she no longer has broadband nor the skills to read the forums. LOL! They couldnt even use Google (or were just too lazy to)!! Kind of sad cuz the #1 thing I respect is intelligence.

How long have you been on SL? A year this month.


Why did you join? My best online friend and I came to SL together from one of the big online games. We came to explore together.


What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
You just never know what kind of mind is behind an avatar. I recently made good friends with a woman I met, while visiting her co-worker who was pole-dancing at a club. Another friend I met while she was standing in the street, chatting up my neighbor. The first is an avid fan of Nabokov, the second a telecommunications engineer.


How are these relationships different from real life ones? The possibility of romantic attachment is interesting - a bit different from my real life situation.


Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different? I like to think she resembles me at about the age of 30, which was rather a while ago.


Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender? It would depend on what I thought their aims were. If I thought they were doing it to unfairly deceive someone who was taking a romantic interest, yes, I think that would anger me, as any deception would. Otherwise, each to their own.


Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world? Never.

How long have you been on SL?
*Points to Join date under Forum name* Little over 2 years.


Why did you join?
MMORPG's began to bore me. I wanted something more than "leveling". For real life reasons I can't get out of the house much, so the internet has become my social outlet.


What kind of relationships have you formed on SL?
All kinds, but I'd classify them all under teh main heading "Friends".


Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
About the same. But then, I'm an outgoing person with a big mouth LOL


How are these relationships different from real life ones?
They aren't really. One can say the person behind the keyboard may be different from the avatar displayed, but even in reality, the face we show the world is not always the way we feel now is it?


Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
Basically me, with a few improvements ^.^


Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
Nope.


Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?
Nope.

~Jessy

How long have you been on SL?

Officially for 20 months or so. I'd have been here sooner if a decent ADSL connection had been available locally.


Why did you join?

Seemed a natural progression from other interests such as IRC and the Sims - what can I say, I worked nights. It is a lot easier to play interior designer online than off.


What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?

All sorts, business and personal. I tend to make friends very easily, or rather people tend to gravitate towards me because I am pretty open and honest. Whether they survive the honesty is another story! I find it just as easy to talk to people online as offline and vice versa, the level of contact I have in general tends to be extremely high and I regard online communication as an example of our evolution.


How are these relationships different from real life ones?

I wouldn't be making business deals rl.


Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?

If I was 17 this would still be idealised, but it would be a not TOO far off the mark me. People who know me rl can see a resemblance no matter how idealised it is lol. I was pleased to find eyes which are like my own. My av sculpt motivation is mainly how pug-ugly this avatar was when created. The personality is 100% me.


Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?

Not unless I was thinking of getting it on with them and, tbh, that's not a likely everyday thing.


Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?

No. I've done the opposite, people have come in from outside who knew me already. However, I did meet some people in world I realised I knew (*kisses to Viv). However I would meet people ... have met many people over the years, safely and happily.

Just to clarify something.. the "Join Date" on the forum is not the date you first registered your Second Life account. It is when you first began using the forum. The date you registered your account is the date that is in your in-world profile, as noted below.

Yup. But for some [like me], we registered on the forums the same day we created our accounts. I tend to like to know what's going on, and the information gleened here is the largest and most defined in all of LL's sites.

(Mainly because the KB and Blog suck eggs.)
~Jessy

13 months



I found SL after seeing it on TV. I liked what I found so I stayed.


Just acquaintances really, no deep relationships.


They are`virtual relationships between avatars.


It might be, it might not be.


No, it wouldn't bother me or surprise me.


No!

11 Months


I liked making custom content for the Sims and then then the Sims 2 and I liked the idea of working in a less structured "alternate universe". Also I believe that 3d virtual environments are going to be very big in the future. Why settle for working on a flat virtual "desktop" when you can have a whole office - or mansion, or city even?



I do enjoy meeting and getting to know people in SL and consider several to be real friends, especially the people I work with.
But I'm not that good of a typist or speller and I find communicating easier when facial expressions and body language are part of it. My rl friends and family are very important to me and my main interest in second life is having fun creating.
My best friend in SL is my rl son.


Not really that different except that my rl body can't hug or smell the people I talk to in SL. And I've spent a lot more time and done a lot more things with my rl friends and family.


I've tried to make my avatar look like my rl self - except for the wrinkles. I'm not consciously changing my personality.


As in real life, I pretty much accept people in SL as they present themselves. If there are layers and privacy behind the outward image I respect that.


Not yet but I can can certainly imagine that it would be fun.

---- How long have you been on SL?
going on 4 years (one account I deleted prior to this)

---- Why did you join?
originally because the person I was going out with was here, and reccomended it, good way to connect during the LD part of our relationship

---- What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
hm, everything ... close firends, aquaintances, romantic involvments, business partners... It's much easier for me, people seem to be more open to talking about themselves (little fear of reprisal?), and rejection doesn't seem to sting as much (after all it's just pixels?)

---- How are these relationships different from real life ones?
they lack the same amount of RL prejudices, in SL you are judged on your actions and abilities more than your appearance or any disabilities... it's also more open, while being more closed at the same time... people talk more about their lives, but you only hear it from their perspective

---- Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
Very similar, same height, little thinner, different hair color/style, but still no hips, no *ss, and well you get the picture... except when I'm a furry (I love my snow leapard kitty av thanks LCC), or use a goth white skin (I'm pale, not that pale)

---- Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
Hah I can name several that are friends off the top of my head, don't care, my friends are people, not parts, and I treat them as they appear and act. I do think anyone looking for RL romance should be upfront about any difference, saves drama and heartbreak for both of them

---- Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?
Yup, and despite one VERY bad experience I'd love to meet with some of my friends

feel free to contact me inword if you follow up on these