Birds of a Different Feather? The "New" Avatar in sl

On my recent libertine prowls I have asked myself if we are getting a different class of newbie than before. Now don't get me wrong. No complaints from me on this score! They are exciting and erudite and - the men, at least - are very accomodating and switched-on. Is sl becoming a mainstream environment for more "in" people and more professional types? Educators have been especially tasty just recently.

US West Coast males and English blokes are charming.

Though I don't hang out with newbies much (or anyone else very often for that matter), I have noticed a subtle change in the way the media is handling SL. It's not so sensationalized as a "game" where people can make money and have sex. I don't know if it's being marketed differently or if the media is finally getting it.

With respected programs like NPR's "Science Friday" repeatedly saying on air that they are taking questions from their island in SL, this may have opened the eyes of the more erudite types that listen to that show and others like it.

[Edit: fixed the typo. "Science Furday" must have been a Freudian slip. Or would that be a Pavlovian slip? I'd better go back to whatever I was doing.]


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What a funny pooch you are sometimes!

(Or is that "furry pooch"?)

Freud and Pavlov were cross dressers? Wow- who knew....

Thank you for the reminder, I had once written down on a scrap of paper to go there... and then... um...

no no, Freud had an Oedipus complex, and Pavlov's thing was bestiality... Hoover on the other hand... (actually that was probably a fabrication based on his much more likely but unconfirmed being gay)

I agree. Convincing NPR (and/or the National Science Foundation) to come to SL may well be one of the smartest moves LL has ever made.

Creating Zindra and outlawing gambling (mostly) were essential to rehabilitating SL's reputation, of course. But the subliminal effect of hearing that "our island in SL" week after week is doing much to change the "role-play sex game" image that's plagued SL for years.

http://givinginadigitalworld.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/hype-cycle-2009.jpg?w=507&h=414


(look for public virtual worlds on the chart)

A very common cycle with new techology, it gets over-hyped by the people selling it, and the media, then there is a backlash, until people figure out how to really use it, or it improves enough to actually be useful/fun.

I think I am also changing so I can be rehabilitated in some ways
I wanna be a good girl.

Trying to be more like Scylla?

I don't think anyone in these posts is saying SL sex is bad, only that media using it as a scandal to sell ads has slacked off a little.

Let's not go making Jig all boring and non-inquisitive.

I said "good" not a librarian.

I can be inquisitive and go "boring" in a non-gogolocial kinda way

Pfffffffftttttt!

/me pulls a book from her shelf . . . a DIRTY one!!!!

Sorry Scyl, I didnt think you'd still be up. Didnt you stay up till midnight last night? You must be shagged out (no, prolly not)
Your loving Jiggy.
(why dont you ever visit me in Zindra)

I think you're on to something, Jig. I've met quite a few people that joined since September, that came in for educational purposes and business purposes. (business purpose unrelated to running an SL business)

It seems that once they got their "business" taken care of, they did some exploring, and were fascinated with what goes on beyond their originally intended use. They are immersing and having fun, and joining in some roleplaying.

This is great news, and very encouraging.

I've also noticed that a huge amount of people that I am running into, and reading profiles of, joined in September. What happened in September? Whatever it was, I hope they do it again, soon.

None of your damned business!!


Isn't that where the "sexies" happen?????

Educational users? Does anyone track the educational use of SL, I wonder?

There are many uses that I did not even know about, and I do read the blogoramaforumthingy to keep up to date. They've mentioned a few, but far more stuff going on then what they have highlighted.

Talking to the new joiners about what they were doing in the education/business areas was fascinating - I had no idea SL was being used for some of these things, and was pleasantly surprised. I wish LL would mention some of these things more often.

Yeah I bring my prey back there so they can finish me off.

LL does. Here's the education blog:
https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/learninginworld

LL also hosts an education mailing list (sled), and the woefully out-of-date wiki, simteach.

Here's the page on this site for educators: http://secondlifegrid.net/slfe/education-use-virtual-world

It seems to me that LL has shifted its focus from education somewhat toward enterprises and governments (yes, they have MONEY!)
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Neat, thanks Nika. I've kept a sort of foot-in-the-door on the SLED list, but I actually know relatively little about how educators are using SL. I do know from the posts there, however, that educators certainly don't feel, on the whole, that they are being "catered for" by LL.

You would think that they would, wouldn't you? They really don't do that PR thing very well.

No kidding. Still can't figure that out. What the reasoning behind that is. Or lack of reasoning, I should say.