Why Are You Here?

I noticed no one is answering your very first question. Or are these answers supposed to reveal why we are here? I don’t think they do. I’ll answer the Why at the end of the list.

How long have you been on SL?

1.5 years

Why did you join?

A friend told me about it, but didn’t mention a 10th of what it is about. I was curious to see if there was a gay population here. Hoo boy, surprise!

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

Most relationships are very passing. It’s easy to talk to people. I have two good friendships, as close as I do with people in RL.

How are these relationships different from real life ones?

We don’t plan when we meet. We don’t split the bill at meals. Since we are all content creators, we give each other amazing presents.

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

My AV doesn’t have a beer gut.

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

Why? How can I prove what the gender is of anyone here? They could even tell me they are an RL woman pretending to be a man, when they are really an RL man, pretending to be a woman who is pretending to be a woman. Or something like that. It’s too much work to figure out who’s telling the truth, so go with what you see and experience.

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

No. Maybe some day.

Why are you here?

That’s the million dollar question. The Lindens sure would like to find out and then they could actually market to people like me and keep people like me (not that people like me are a good group to attract, but I do spend money). Right now, they aren’t keeping people like me, or most anyone for that matter. I loved SL with a passion for the first 3 months. Then I discovered that LL has absolutely no planning or wisdom in regards to societies and how to build a civilization/society/fair and beautiful world and that they are mostly tech geeks who actually don't even seem to care about that aspect of SL, and got horribly depressed by the revelation. Then I discovered I could make some cash and then I discovered I could build and then I could almost script and could collaborate and could create things you can't possibly in RL and have been having much more fun with the stuff than the people here. To put it all in a nutshell, “I was attracted to the sex. I stayed for the pie.”

How long have you been on SL?

Just over a year


Why did you join?

Read a BBC report about Reuters opening an office in SL and was curious.


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

A few business relationships. SL friends are more like acquaintances really - most of the freinds I made when I orginally joined don't seem to logon anymore. It is not harder or easier to talk to people - I prefer to listen anyway.


How are these relationships different from real life ones?

Not much difference - an acquaintance is an acquaintance, a work colleague is a work colleague - people are people.


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

My avatar is an extension of my personality and looks similar to myself at about age 20 years, but a bit taller, with longer legs.


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

No - you can be whatever you like in SL.


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

No- and I do not intend to.

---- How long have you been on SL?
Just over a year

---- Why did you join?
To check it out, after I'd seen it reported on the BBC (television). I was interested to see how much it resembled the Snowcrash metaverse it was supposedly inspired by.

---- What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
Friends, SLovers, Mistresses & Masters and passing acquaintances. It's far easier for me to talk to people in SL than RL.

---- How are these relationships different from real life ones?
Often it's very hard to read people because of the lack of information... tone of voice, body language etc. Emotes just don't make up for this. In some ways, it's easier to be honest with people; I'm much more likely to tell someone in SL I just don't think we click, and it'd be better to avoid each other, whereas iRL I might put up with them until things got bad. I don't think I could claim to love the people I've met until I could spend time with them for real, but I've made some very deep connections despite this.

---- Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
Very different and much the same Similar height, build, skin and hair colour, but after that my av is what I'd like to be, not what I am. I occasionally use a neko form, and gothy or doll-like skins too.

---- Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
No, not if they're honest about it. I've gone through spells of stating my RL gender in my profile, but for some people that's all they see and I'm forever 'that guy playing a girl' to them. I don't like it when a guy plays a lesbian and then is outraged to find the 'cutie' they meet is a G.I.R.L.

---- Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?
Not yet. There are some I'd really like to meet.

*How long have you been on SL?
2 years. I joined in September 2005.

*Why did you join?
To roleplay with a friend who had started spending all their on-line time in SL, and who was no longer posting to the RP forums where we used to play together.

*What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
That friend is now my Partner in Sl. I have maybe a dozen or so other close friends in SL that I roleplay with. I don't spend a lot of time socializig with strangers, though.

*How are these relationships different from real life ones?
My on-line 'relationships' are strictly roleplaying - works of colaborative fiction, written by the participants for their mutual enjoyment.

*Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
Very different. *giggles* My Real Player certainly doesn't have red fur and three tails.

*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?
No.

- Yes! I went to SLCC this past August and met both my partner and dozens of wonderful folks who have enriched both my SecondLife and my First with their friendship and kindness.

My avatar was born October 18, 2006.


I'm physically disabled in RL since 2003 and live as a recluse due to my physical limitations. Second Life looked to be an opportunity for me to have a type of social life again. One of the great things about Second Life is people see me as a normal healthy avatar/person. They take the time to get to know me based on my personality and not based on what my RL circumstances are; I don't get all that shallow sympathy bullcrap because people don't see me stuck in a wheelchair like they do in RL. In that aspect Second Life has been a big help to me, and to me it's not "just a game", it's an every-day integral part of my RL.


I've formed many friendships with a lot of wonderful people I'd otherwise never have had the pleasure of knowing, nor them the displeasure of knowing me. It can be harder to talk to people at certain times because there's no subtle body-language to read, nor are there the vocal characteristics to tell one's tone from for those who do not or cannot use voice.


See the last part of the answer above, and add that the SL relationships are quite different because people only see you as your avatar portrays you. People tend to be more blunt, and at times more rude than they would be in RL.


My avatar takes on many shapes. Sometimes I'm a furry, a neko, a mythological creature, or even a human. One of my human avatars, I tried to make as close to the RL me as possible in looks, which really just isn't all that true to life. My avatar has no wrinkles, no scars, no sagging body parts, etc.


Not at all, I have several friends who who play the opposite gender; both men controlling female avatars as well as women controlling male avatars. Since SL is not about sexual or romantic relationships for me, it makes no difference what the person's RL gender is. I get to know them and accept as the being that their avatar portrays.


My RL husband is also my SL husband. However I brought my RL husband into Second Life. I have yet to meet anyone I've only known through SL in RL.

How long have you been on SL?

5 months

Why did you join?

because I'm driven to create things


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

The ones involving other people. It's not any easier/harder talking to people here, but it's easier to ignore people.

How are these relationships different from real life ones?


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

Mostly similar, unless I'm using my dragon Avie, in which case different


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

Why?

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

Friends, yes. Partner, no. Already have one, thanks.

Thanks so much everyone! I'm excited to get started....

It's easier to talk to people; if you talk to things, they don't talk back.




OK ...



That's true ....



It's easier to talk to things, they don't talk back.

My rez date is February 22, 2006



A couple friends were already here, an had said positive stuff about it, so I decded to give it a try.



What kind? I've formed some very deep relationships, an strengthened the heck out of a couple others. I tink it's easier in some ways (you can have the benefit of anonymity as well as putting yourself into whatever "role" that makes it easier to communicate in) an harder in others (less nuance, no body language beyond what is emoted).



Well, in some of them, I'm a kid to their adult. That said, they can be as deep as a lot of real life ones, cept, well, with some remove.



Yes. My avatar looks a lot like me (female, brown hair an eyes, caucasian, glasses), but is different because she is so much younger. More like RL me as a kid.



More like "was I mad?" Also, I'm not looking for sexual relationships, so why's it matter?



Only a couple. Most are too distant geographically.

Mari

How long have you been on SL?
Something like 7 months.

Why did you join?
A website I am active on decided to hold a group meeting in Second Life, so I finally broke down and entered SL.

What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
I've created very few relationships (friendships) in SL. Slightly easier to talk to people in SL.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>How are these relationships different from real life ones?<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
?

Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
I created an avatar that looked similar, but then I ended up playing a cat.

Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
No.

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

How long have you been on SL?
Feb, 07


Why did you join?
to hang with my friend.


What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
easy to talk. relationships are 'in passing' mostly.


How are these relationships different from real life ones?
cuz they are infrequent communication, and i don't invest emotionally.


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


Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
no.


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

How long have you been on SL?:

2 months and counting

Why did you join?:

Curiosity - had heard about it a year or so ago and forgot about it. Saw a news feature on it again, and decided to check it out. I always was interested in trying "The Sims" but this seemed a lot more enticing. Then, my husband started traveling a lot on business and I also temporarily went from a full time job to part time for the first time in 25 years. Those two things combined left me a lot of free time to fill up So, here I am!


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


It's no different for me than RL. I tend to be somewhat of the same in both places; an extroverted introvert. I find it very easy to talk to people, ridiculously so. I've been online for so long, it comes very naturally to me. I have not formed many "friendships" per se yet. I couple of people I enjoy talking with, but only one or two that I actually consider to be "friends".

How are these relationships different from real life ones?:

Well for one, I will in all likelihood, never meet anyone from SL. I think of my friendships here as completely fantasy driven. Even those which have crossed a line into knowing a bit about each other personally, I can separate the two when in-world. My Av, for the most part, is a completely different "person", although she may be similar to me in many respects.


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

My main Av is pretty similar in a lot of way - although I did not go about that on purpose. She is a stylized version of myself. Same height, same hair, same coloring. But she sure does have a better body! Even in my best days, I didn't look quite like that! And she likes shoes, I don't Our personalities are very similar too - she is me, I don't find myself behaving much differently with her for the most part; although I am able to express aspects of myself with her that I may not in RL.

My alt, was originally started as a furry, so no, very different. She then evolved into her human form, and she is somewhat like me, looks different tho. Her personality is my inner self, parts of me which I've kept hidden.

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

Nope, not at all. Could care less. It's all fantasy to me. It's all good.


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

No, not yet. I have in other online venues. I met my husband online, I have met other close friends this way so it isn't totally out of the question. It would have to be a very intense friendship for that to happen - we'd have to discover a lot in common. However, my Alt is currently involved with someone, and we have revealed ourselves to each other rather fully (I know everything about him, he about me, except my last name and city) and frankly, would love to meet each other - not for romance, we both agree our in-world dalliance is just that, a fantasy romance. But we have developed a very good friendship, found a kindred soul in certain interests which we can not share with our RL partners. But, meeting in person will NEVER happen, due to circumstances. There is no possible way to ever explain our friendship to either partner. So, it remains our little secret.

I'm here because I get to design and build in an ever-growing 3d-world, fully created by it's residents--all of this in real-time.

Not only that...but I get to (mostly for fun, sometimes for profit) run a business, and sell my 3d assets to the community...this close relationship between SL and RL fascinates me.

How long have you been on SL?
Just about 10 months

Why did you join?
I had read an article in Time magazine about SL, and joined the night after the Indianapolis Colts beat the New England Patriots. I had obtained entertainment nirvana and nothing on prime time TV interested me anymore so I tried SL.

What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
When I started I had no experience with chat, and was petrified of typing anything. I remember standing in front of that damn parrot on Orientation Island filled with the kind of fear you have when you first stand on a diving board. And I dove in. Now you can’t get me to shut up.
I’ve had some deeply intense relationships as well as lots of good and casual friendships.

How are these relationships different from real life ones?
I think I enjoy the animosity and RP of SL. I used to have a line in the 1st Life tab of my Profile that said “model citizen blessed but board” I’m a family man in RL, with a typical American family. Well except for the fact that my RL wife is in SL, my son’s in in WoW, and my daughter in in Facebook each night. We’re the 21st century version of the Cleaver family.

Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
I have several avatars and alts, and I like switching them out. Most of the time though I’m DaQbet the human. When I worked on DK I actually had a mirror and tried to get things like eye placement, nose and chin as close to me as possible. Then subtracted 20 years and added some bulk and ta da!

Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
no and I think its been said already over and over. Who’s behind the keyboard makes no difference to me. I just hope that they are mature adults.

Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?
Oh god no…what happens in SL stays in SL. oh wait…I do have a couple of RL acquaintances that I’ve IMd but not interacted with. And there is my wife and…my son (he’s 19) actually interviewed me in SL for a college class project. That was cool.

How long have you been on SL?
Almost a year...my rez date is November 19, 2006.

Why did you join?
My real life SO (and SL partner) had joined about a month previous, so I finally broke down and signed up to see what all the fuss was about.

What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
I'm fairly shy in both real life and SL, though I find it easy to form casual acquaintances in both. I have formed a few very close friendships, however.

How are these relationships different from real life ones?
Not really. I don't consider SL to be "roleplaying" anymore than any other form of internet communications platform. Virtual relationships can be just as meaningful as real world ones, just reversed. Online, you can know everything about someone's life story and never know what kind of car they drive.

Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
Similar in some...Natalie has the body I like to flatter myself I would have if I bothered to exercise more often. As for the face, well, it was a freebie shape and I just tweaked the facial features to something I found attractive, not to really mirror my own.

Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
Only if their intent in doing so was to deceive.

Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?
No, but I would like to. Money and geography are cruel mistresses.

How long have you been on SL?
>>> Over 2 1/2 years

Why did you join?
>>> Curiosity

What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
>>> [a] Mostly 'social / friendship' intereaction
>>> Easier.

How are these relationships different from real life ones?
>>> Genrally less traumatic and easier to walk away from if things go pear-shaped.

Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
>>> Oh absolutely! I'm a bipedal winged reptile in RL. I tried faking it as a human for a while when I joined SL but soon reverted to type.

Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
>>> Not at all. You humans have problems dealing with the permutations arising from having only 2 genders. How will you ever cope when you come into contact with species that have multiple genders?

Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?
>>> Yes and vice-versa. Works just fine for me.

Article for what, precisely?

How long have you been on SL?
Over a year & half.

Why did you join?
I love the internet and many aspects of it, was burned out being female hiding behind a nickname, moderating and mediating different projects, groups and forums, found SL on a chat link looking something up & decided to stay & retire!

What kind of relationships have you formed on SL? Is it harder/easier to talk to people?
Left to my own devices, I don't have a problem talking to people, but like real life it depends on who I am talking to & how I am dealing w/ them. I try to be polite. but I don't embrace peoples easily. I enjoy being social when I feel like it and unto myself when I am feeling anti soch. In passing, I know a lot of people, but don't know them. I love talking to strangers and in general the internet has always offered a variety of people from different places and mind sets, while still meeting people w/ common interests. Have a few close friends I love to catch up w/, think out loud w/ have fun w/ & appreciate their humor, senses and support. I don't have a business but my own, but love to help creators.
I have been involved romantically in SL, but enjoying SL itself and the pitfalls of unreasoning infatuation of such an involvement, it's not a main goal or interest or area I feel a need to explore.

How are these relationships different from real life ones?
I value the friendships and relationships the same. I still communicate with my very 1st friend I ever met on the internet!

Is your avatar similar to your real life self or very different?
I use myself & likes as a base, but I can be younger, my own age or even older, depends on my mood. Sometimes I'm a silly or a glam or grungey/cyber punk/Amazony or pale me, a canine character, an abstract avatar, a mythical or something alienish. I like to visit different themes/cultures in SL and like to dress the part, as they say "When in Rome".
A few embellishments, I always have black or white hair in SL, have the cleavage I don't in real life and probably a better wardrobe + I can't really make it snow in real life!

Would you be mad if you met an avatar whose real-life controller was of the opposite gender?
I have a few great friends & not so great people I know that are males who visit SL and live as females and don't have a problem w/ that unless they try to become involved w/ me.


Have you met friends/partners you made on Second Life in the real world?
No, while I know other computer people in real life, I have never met anyone from off the internet.