The face behind the Avatar

I like to keep rl out of my SL to a certain extent. When you are getting to "know" someone in SL and at some point, whether it's a new picture/profile change, or you accidentally look, you see their rl picture.....

Does that change things for you?

Sometimes it changes things for me. Not in a bad way. It just makes it different.

It all depends.

If I don't know them very well and if I not invested in them then no not really. I don't like to see RL pictures of any kind in SL personally.

If I have invested time in that person then I actually find it hard to see the real them. Invariably though after I have seen the real them I can see what they did with their avatar if they've made themselves (no matter how idealised).

I find it strange when I see the beautiful avatar with the picture that speaks a different story ... and also vice versa as has been the case many times. However, I can always decline a picture/cam request and I can always choose not to click on the FL tab. The ones which get me are the people who post their real picture as their profile.

What is WRONG with you? Immerse! Immerse!

I sometimes throw up a little bit.

Well that's like the SL couples that never meet in RL, we are always making in our thoughts the image of a gorgeous person in RL (most of our AVs are gorgeous and in very good shape). I try not to think on the RL-person and try to give as little as possible info about my RL although sometimes it's hard

I know, right?

I'm glad I haven't seen anything that bad. Or maybe that just happens because you are reminded that rl exists

With all due respect, some of us have fine FL's and do not use SL as a gateway to make up shortcomings or self esteme boosters. Thus don't need to 'immerse' (aka hide my rl self) to the degree others, for whatever reason, do. SL is little different then IRC, community web sites (such as this), facebook or the like. A medium to communicate, share ideas/opinions and socalize with others. Perhaps even form a business to a degree.

But I do not see SL as a 'mask' any more I have my other internet ventures. I am who I am and a avi isn't going to change that. If I am so unhappy with my rl I need to 'immerse' to the degree I am being fake to those around me in SL then I think I need to get offline and fix what is wrong with my existance. Just my 2 coppers.

That's it really. I get used to the Avatar and the way it looks. It's when I spend a significant amount of time chatting with someone and forming that mental..... feeling about them. Then a rl picture can make it different. It's like a disappointment but not in a definable way. Maybe this is just me resisting the ripples in the illusion.

/me is not making a lot of sense right now and needs more coffee.

It really turns me off if a man drops his RL picture on me, and then demand that now he must see what I look like. It's nothing wrong with them, normally goodlooking guys. I just dream up a fantasy story with my avatar interacting with theirs...and RL breaks that very effective.

I've had just a pic of my RL eyes under first life....because I like my eyes. Then I took it out again. Most of the time I have just my timezone under RL.

If they think a RL picture is "valid to prove" I'm a woman, I could find 1000 pic and claim that one of them was me. If I was a man pretending to be a woman.

Being immersed in a character isn't the same as hiding, nor the sign of a problematic first life. For you, SL can be all the things you say. For others, it can be the place to roleplay, express another side of their personality... even hide, if they like. Don't tell us what our SL is for, and please don't imply that anyone trying for immersive roleplay is unhappy or suffering from low self-esteem.

Amazing how many people use 'with all due respect' to launch opinions which show no damn respect whatsoever.

I avoid the RL Tab at all costs. I don't want to see the pictures.

Hey, you said I was interesting looking.

I didn't think my RL pictures were THAT bad *pouts*

People come to SL for many different reasons. I am certain that for some, it is an escape from a rl that most of us would consider a misery (though I certainly hope they are few). I think I can safely say that a lot of us come here for an experience for which the entire place is named, and not necessarily because we are dissatisfied with our rl.
I do realize that there are people who want to come here and be completely free with their real identity. After attaining a certain degree of fame, doing the opposite could in fact become a challenge.

So if you look at my profile and see a picture of my avatar in world, instead of a picture of the RL me, you are comfortable concluding that I have a crappy first life and that I use SL to make up shortcomings and boost my self esteem? That's a little judgmental, Strauss.

My RL picture, or my RL name for that matter, isn't terribly relevant to what I do in SL, so there's no need to put it in my profile. That doesn't mean I'm "hiding" and it doesn't mean all the other crap you've listed either. It just means that in SL I am blue Madhu, and right now that's all I need to be there.

Sorry I didn't candy coat my opinion to the degree we hold hands to sing songs around the camp fire while I sheeply ask your permission if I can speak up and voice a view not held by you.

With that said, if you read my post before your fly off the handle reply, you will see I did NOT say anything about 'role playing'. I invite you to quote me where I did. In fact I ran a vampire RP room in IRC for many years. I have nothing against RPing in RP sims. (I do have issue with ppl 'playing' child avi's in non-rp areas as I find it 'odd' bordering on 'disturbing' but thats my personal view and another topic)

Thus, as surprising as this may be, I agree with you as far as the RPing goes. That was not my point, my comment was more broad and had nothing to do with RPers. I suggest you re-read my post.

With all due respect...

Or,it is a means for someone to enjoy a little fantasy escape from a fine FL, as we all need from time to time. Not everyone "Immersing" is hiding anything or being fake. There is nothing wrong with them. They are having fun. You should try it once in awhile, it's a nice change from being a pompous, self righteous, self important bore.

LOL are you guilty? I was posting from work

Its not always people not bringing their RL into their SL because they are unhappy with their RL.

Some people's RLs are not fine and they bring that into SL anyway.

-Additionally-

Some people limit how much of their RL they bring to SL because their RL's are just fine and they don't want SL interfering with that.


And of course there are people who have fine RL's but just want to do what they want in SL

Uh-huh. And speaking up and voicing a view different from yours, Strauss, will earn the lucky challenger the prize of this kind of sarcasm for free. Not clear to me why you react like this at having your opinions challenged, while you challenge everyone else's with such an aggressive tone. But hey, knock yourself out.

With all due respect I have a fine FL too.

You misunderstand what immersion is about in this context. When I read a book, I am immersed. Does that mean I have self esteem issues?

When I watch a film, TV, theatre, TV (if there's something worth seeing) I am immersed.

When I look at a beautiful build I have sufficient imagination to fill in the gaps and make up for the graphics ... that also is immersion.

You are making a massive value judgement based on very little knowledge here. If you actually knew me in world you'd find out I am actually very much MYSELF here. I didn't say I was unwilling to SHOW myself. I don't want to SEE other people necessarily.

Your post is personally insulting, given that you're calling me a fake. Ironic in the highest possible order ... maybe you should be looking at YOUR life and why you're needing to blart out at people mindlessly on a Forum

(I shall not dignify any further comments from you with a reply ... you can think what you like).

Don't feed the pigeons honey

i tend to forget about the RL tab. i read the front page and occasionally the picks tab.
i don't think it really bothers me except when someone demands to see my RL piccie.
I don't mind people asking but i always say no. i don't have any picies of just me on my PC, only of me with others, and i don't want to go giving their photos out. to be honest I can't be bothered hacking a piccie up just so someone can know how i look.

i have only seen one person's RL piccie and it didn't bother me at all.

I certainly do hope they are few and far between as well.

hhhmmm thats a very interesting point. Never really thought about if the reverse is true. Curious... makes one wonder.

Oh I am sure other people SL for a plethora of reasons, unlike what others are trying to read into my post. I am not advocating or trying to tell others that SL should be used for only this or that. I have my opinion (which last I checked was entitled to) as we all do.

I am simply stating we are who we are and I do not see the point of 'hiding' ourselves. I was mainly taking issue with the comment that they took issue with RL pics in their profiles. If one wants to disassociate themselves from the real world then don't open someone profile because I have yet to see (except for a blank profile) some amount of data about the person as it relates to his/her RL. Its silly IMO to complain about ppl posting their RL pics.

I personally find it interesting to know whom I am chatting with and a little about themselves.

Of course ones mileage may vary...

And here I thought we were going to exchange RL pics... sad...