Cultural-Identity, Attitudes and Assimilation

I bet they are different all right. I really do think there's more European bias than thay survey allows ... SL has changed a lot in a year.

Which is an attitude it probably took a bit of assimilation to attain. SL, to an even greater degree than the internet in general, offers the possibility of breeding a world culture universally accepting of diversity.

Or, we can fuck it up, far too easily.

Same thing to different people *shrug*

Broccoli

Alright. Quit it. Just for once.

In RL I love the fact we are all different, different races, different religions, cultures, nationalities, political idealsof course these things can be taken to extremes, that's part of being human. I would not want to be part of any bland, beige boring, dronish society, where we all look, think and act alike. Same goes in SL.

I take it you don't have a "barbie" avatar then...?

Broccoli

No.

This just seems to me what the volunteers of SL already do. The more diversified the volunteers become the better. With the ideas you demonstrate you should be one of those volunteers.

Barbie couldn't hold a candle to Brenda.

We have a TOS, a Code of Conduct, and SL is operated subject to a myriad of RL Laws. Now the proposition is that a cultural behavior policy be created? Who would draw it up? How would it be enforced? What's wrong with treat people as you'd like to be treated?

Damn it Connolly, you will be assimilated. Resistance is Futile.

Oh I've found my Muse already.

Masochists?? Would they have rights to treat others as they wanted to be treated?

I think the only SL social culture to be aimed for is the LL "Big Six".
What the six precisely were escapes me right now.
As I remember, it was six ways of saying 'Do whatever you want to, but don't be a pain to others'.

What's wrong with treating people the way THEY want to be treated?

That's a bit biased against humans in future that do not come from earth, or other species entirely =P

As for culture, my behaviour and the way I apply my views and morals/ethics is completely different on SL than it is to real-life. I'm more of the "anything goes" mentality on SL but in RL I'm not always so forgiving of some practices/traditions/etc. that other people have that I do not. I'm not a closed minded person, and like to feel I'm not overly biased, but my opinions matter to me more in real-life applications, but on SL I tend not to apply them so strictly.

Nope. She's unique and beautiful, is Brenda.

Yes, I am starting to notice these more so of late.


To a certain extent this will happen due to the gutless trend towards political correctness. Mind you there's a big difference between speaking your mind and standing up for your values whether they be cultural, religious, political, etc., and just out and out being an asshole. I loathe the thought of a single one-world society of lemmings all mindlessly playing follow the leader. The positive beauty of diversity far outweighs the negative.


This is what people do without realizing they're doing it. It's an ingrained part of the social behavior we experience day to day.


Yes, it's already happening to an extent. People bend and break to peer pressure far too often, whether it be the need to feel accepted, or just wanting to be a part of the big "in-crowd".


Absolutely.


No, see above.


This is a huge problem even among those who's native language is english. Words can have different meanings, and attitudes are hard to decipher in text, there is no body language to read, no vocal nuances to pick up on. I began learning the english language around 8 or 9 years of age and I still have trouble with it in various aspects. The best way to help those who need it is just be blunt and say what you mean. There's no need to beat around the bush when there is a language barrier to overcome; it only makes things that much more difficult.



We pretty much have that already. It's called common sense behavior. Do unto others... etc. People seem to forget that it's really a matter of just behaving in a respectable manner. The anonymity of the internet tends to bring out the worst in people because they don't fear any real-world implications of their actions.

/me applauds Garrett!


Hi Garrett!

I have to agree, in SL I have a much more "laissez-faire" attitude. If I ever saw some of the avvies in RL, I'd freak!

/me grins and waves to Chris.

It's true, I did!

I like the idealism here but as humorously pointed out by the example of the Klingon and the Ferengi, it can't really, really happen. I pointed out the -isms thinking primarily racism. Now while the hatred and prejudice is unwanted we can't ignore the fact we are different across the world. Just the physiological differences between West Africans and East Africans just an example.

OK, on the score of physiology you can say 'heck, bipeds then!' but until we have one church (compulsory!) and one government, world-wide, we will remain having differences. Virtual Worlds serve the Real World, not vice versa.

Now, my SL-ing in the last year may have affected my behaviour. Morgaine thinks it has, but it's only within the limits of socialising. I might be speaking with more foreign nationals than I used to but I don't think SL is helping me break down the differences, merely traverse them. For this last, I shall be eternally grateful. It's been the best year of my life.

Most of the people I call friends in SL I find out afterwards where they're from... at the moment I'm talking to someone who lives just 50 miles from where I was born, and another who lives in Australia.

I take the avatar as I see them. Their behaviour and how they talk to me, and the sort of thing their profile says, is what determines to me whether I want to get to know someone more than just a name on a screen. I couldn't care less whether they're gay, bi, straight, tg, black, white, pink, green, animal mineral or vegetable.

Broccoli

Hi there Hot Stuff!

/me applauds Garrett, thanks Chris, and smiles and blushes at Cherry