SL fades away?

No, this is not a post about a bad graphic card. But my interest for SL fades away more and more. I’ve felt this for a while, but since I lost Internet connection last Wednesday and didn’t get it back until 5 days later, I start to wonder what I really do in SL. I missed SL most Sunday evening, because that was a really boring evening and it’s still some fun to play with my 3D Barbie dolls there. (my main account and alt)

SL has become more and more a costume play. I log in to get the latest freebies or a new outfit I’ve seen in a blog, change outfits, try different hairs and skin, and maybe take a picture. I don’t chat so much with ppl anymore. I’ve become a loner. Of course it’s my own fault. I don’t follow up and chat so much with ppl anymore. SL is time-consuming and if I want ppl to IM me, I need to have time for them and follow up. I have logged in later and quit earlier, not talking to many, for a long time.

I read some blogs about SL, and it’s funny that I read more about SL than I play SL lately. This one describes 6 stages of SL, and I recognise a lot of my own experience there, even if not all fits.
http://theslrevolution.wordpress.com/2009/03/06/the-secondlife-cycle/

I am definitely in stage 6, minimal maintenance of SL. Not sure where that takes me now. Spring is coming closer in my RL, and I should do more now. The bright Scandinavian spring sun tells me I should paint some surfaces that have been yellow during the past years. My daughter is growing out of her crib and I have a nice junior bed ready in the shed. It needs a good wash and a few strokes of paint too. I find that I want to do more and more things in RL instead of SL.

I’m not going to “quit SL”. There’s no need for that. I still have boring evenings where SL is so much better than TV. I wonder if there’s more like me who am pulling away from SL a bit, feeling that it’s not so shiny and attractive anymore? And what do you do the few times you have time to log in?

It all sounds perfectly normal to me. I don't think there are too many people who can happily continue with the same old entertainment for too long. I lost my interest in SL itself quite a long time ago. I stay to deal with what I've set up in it, but not for personal pleasure or entertainment.

SL has gone a bit differently for me in my nearly 5 years here. I think Stage 1 lasted less than 1 day and I went straight to stage 3 on day 2.

What I find now is it goes in cycles of activity/creativity and cycles of socializing. I always had other games I played at the same time so maybe that is the difference.

Only this year did we tier down below half a sim (my family and I) but at the same time in year 5 of my SL I was considering starting a new business.

I do walk away once a year or so for a month a so and give it a rest. Every time I return with a head full of ideas and dreams for my future in SL.

That has got to be a *very* good way of doing things - recharging the batteries.

Sl is fine- but lately I cannot quite work up much interest in the forums really. This reply for example- I typed and deleted at least three times. Keep feeling I don't really have much to add so why bother with the same rehash? In this particular case though that is the answer so-

Like any other activity, you have to balance it with all your other activities. You could look at almost any leisure time activity and find similar pattern to it, espcially when you start maturing.

SL can be many things to many people - it is up to you to find out how it bests fits into your world, and then enjoy that fit to the fullest!

I understand what you are saying, having young children myself, SL is good for a hobby but your RL always has to come first, and the responsibilites in it. SL is good for a creative escape from *some* RL problems, but the problems will still be there when we switch the computer off, and I think that's something we have to remember!

I've been at Stage 6 for awhile and recent events haven't helped any. When I do log on for the odd hour or so a week, I the same as you with dolly dressup, maybe wander a bit, or go for a fly somewhere.I've left all my RP groups since I'm not on enough to maintain any character. I don't even look at my friends list any more...most are here anyway.

It's partly due to time constarints, focus on other things, Springtime weather, and diminished interest in SL/compputer based acticity. I find even if I have time, an hour is about all I care for in one sitting.

I'm not palnning on quitting *again* yet, I enjoy the entertainment these forums provide, especially I can read them as I come and go during the day. As long as they are here, I'd keep an active account, even if it is never used.

The 2 years in SL have been educational, before coming I wasn't much of a computer person. Over that time I've learned quite a bit about them.........enough to know I still am not much of a computer person.

Marianne you could be speaking from my own head, for all that you've just expressed. I'm sure this is totally normal.

SL is pretty amazing and it certainly represents where human interaction is headed in the future. Those of us who are involved, are way ahead of the curve. But....I also believe that if we haven't come up with some kind of 'puprose' for our SL exstence....it becomes stale. Sort of the way RL would become stale if we had no goal....no purpose....no desire or pursuit of any kind. IRL we normally have a lot on our plates.....and even the simplest task....feeding the cat, walking the dog......can be anough to sustain us when we're low. (because it's tactile....we're using all our available senses IRL....we're 'living' on every level, at every moment)

In SL we are not.....we are living in a bubble of sight and sound.....otherwise, the rest of our senses are straight jacketed to our imagination. So.....cool as SL is....it can't satisfy us on every level. It just can't.

I'm a loner too....by nature....RL or SL.....the reason I sustain is I don't want to NOT be a part of something I believe is so profoundly signifigent to our technological futures. This video...for example.... sums it up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmz5qYbKsvM

And...I opened a gallery of my mom's Art....and my brother & sister have become involved in SL because the potential there for exposure of her art....and educating people about her disease. This gives me purpose....and them something new and fascinating to explore..... But it took 3 years for me to really find that niche.

Milla that is freaky- I just mentioned Leo Laporte in the Thread and here u go and post a Youtube with him in it - serendipity...

Ive noticed that when I take breaks from SL its not the feeling I must get back anymore. Sometimes I an away for a couple months, not even reading anything about it, forums included. Ive also been noticing my away time has become very important to my enjoyment of SL.

This is true off most recreational things I think. I have always been a dabbler, I try all sorts of hobbies and activities, delve into them, then level off, lose interest and move on. Some I stay with, some I come back to, some I never think of again.

I have those creativity/socializing cycles as well, and they seem to alternate every couple of months or so.
I'll hit a creative spell and go crazy on that for weeks till it passes, then I remember this thing called "other people" and turn into miss super socializer, along with her alter ego miss super tramp. After a few weeks that loses its luster and people start to grate on me more, that's when I go into stage 5. I'll spend Less time in SL and take care of RL stuff, but still find it semi-enjoyable to login and do whatever. A lot of these days are more of the "aimless" type.. the kind that nothing in SL really sounds interesting but you might wind up finding something to do anyway. I also dance and shop a lot more during this time. Then after a while, something lights that creative flame under my ass again and it's right back into stage 4 with the building, the photoshopping, etc.. Rinse, wash, repeat. I seem to be stuck in a loop lol, but it's kind of cool because things never seem to lose any of their magic the next time they get revisited.

I'm currently on an SL sabatical. I've been using this 'down' time to read the forums and get caught up on the comings and goings of SL so I can determine what my future presence in SL will be. And on that, I still haven't decided.

I haven't read the article, so I don't know what stage I am at. After 2 years 2 months, I am definitely in SL more, creating more art, installations, my contact list gets bigger each day, I post less to these forums now. I have increased my products for sale on Xstreet by over 200%, I earned L$2k in my first 2 years on Xstreet and in the past 2 months have earned L$1k, so an improvement there. In the past year I have a SL partner who is also my RL partner now, although we are 3k miles apart, we have met 5 or 6 times in that period too.

It's the art installation work I'm doing that's keeping my interest strong in SL, I'm learning much about myself and art. I have been commissioned to show work at the Arthole Gallery at Kress, which has been there for month now. I have two other large installation pieces presently at Brooklyn Is Watching on Popcha, one a anti-adult theme continent piece, which I think works really well.

So I'm a very happy SL bunny.

Now my RL sucks! (other than being with my new partner of course)

Actually it doesn't really suck, I just don't cope with RL as well.

Great post, but I think it speaks more about you, than Second Life per se.

- Infrared

yep. SL is what it is, it's up to us to use it and make whatever we can of it.

I've been feeling the same way, Marianne.

When I first began SL it was on invitation of someone in a specific rp group. I enjoyed that particular community immensely and it was such a large group of people that something new was always happening.

I left that group by choice when I met my partner who had no interest in this rp. We worked in a club together, but the club closed and we moved on.

I spent the next year attending myriads of classes and learning how to build. That was exciting! At night I went dancing with my partner but the people from our former club had scattered so we spend time primarily exploring together.

Now I'm sensing the desire to connect with a group of people but can't decide where.

I enjoyed beginning my little business, but when I felt like the business *had* to pay for my tier, that began stressing me and the business was no longer fun. I realize that work must be put in for a business to work, but I didn't want to re-create the stress I already have in RL. The best decision I've made thus far is to tier back down to my lil 512 sqm plot to have a place to call home and sell from the mall space and XStreet.

Will probably take a few weeks/month off as has been stated and re-energize.

I haven't gotten tired of roleplaying (yet), and I consider SL simply one platform on which to do that. It keeps me entertained. I don't do much else anymore; I've gotten sick of building, scripting, and going to SL clubs.

I don't think I've lost interest in SL, but rather I've lost interest in chatting with anonymous people. It kinda creeps me out a little.

It's not SL's fault.

Anyone who has been around for a long time will assure you that interest in SL does wax and wane over time. You will lose interest for times - use those breaks to refresh and rejuvenate. Come back when you feel like it.

you are good company and interesting, so that gave me a sad.

This is good to hear Isablan. I have been feeling a loss because I just can't get any traction in SL right now...and I want my old excitement back.

I guess you can only be new once.

I've had a bit of a slump in SL too, although I still spend time there. Often it's on in the background and I'm just parked at home, chatting via IM to the odd person. In many ways I might as well just be on MSN with them.

I still play around with the odd build, but I haven't scripted anything serious in ages. I sometimes strike up a conversation with a random stranger, but it often ends up with no connection, and the usual default interchange of info (e.g. its quiet/laggy here, nice boots, where are you in RL, etc). Rather like the idea of 'single-serving' friends in Fight Club.

I might return to SL as my current 'big thing', but I doubt it'll ever be like the early days. Why should it?

it definately ties in to how long you've been in SL.... the longer means you gotta take some breaks or go nuts