Are documentaries about SL a help or hinderance?

Ive just read this blurb about an upcoming BBC2 programme in the series 'Wonderland'.
This 3rd programme in the series entitled Virtual Adultery and Cyberspace Love doesnt have a very positive write up.

http://www.list.co.uk/article/6116-wonderland/

Does 'tragic metaworld' accurately describe SL?

At the risk of 'sitting on the fence' I'd have to say - both.

I had never heard about SL until there was an item on Radio 2 about the child avatar issues in which they described what Second Life was all about.

Obviously the nature of the news item was unsavoury but I managed to appreciate that it wouldnt all be like that and probably had a nice warm, fuzzy side too.

I downloaded it, joined up and have had (in the main) nice warm fuzzy fun ever since.

However, whenever I tell RL acquaintances that I have a Second Life - they will generally make the usual unpleasant comments associated with it's dark side. So now I don't mention it.

So I imagine that the forthcoming documentary will recruit some good people who have never heard of it before, but also provide ammunition for RL griefers to poke us with sticks.

PS It's Friday and there's just 2 hours 15 minutes til hometime - whoo hoo

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I don´t really have an answer to your question btw.... I don´t own a television

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Never seen one myself. Anty publicity will bring SL to people's attention who haven't seen it before, good or bad. Of course something that show's the positive sides to it would be a good thing for sure, but usually our media doesn't wan't that, it isn't "sexy" enough, good news isn't ratings worthy.

Hadn't had the desire to sit through a documentary, but I'd imagine that it could be both a help and a hindrance. A really balanced documentary could show people the good and the bad of virtual worlds in general.

However, I can see that this documentary is mostly focused on the obsessive side of SL. I guess it could serve as a reality check, but.. *shrugs* I can't see how helpful it really would be.

And when I think of 'tragic metaworld,' I get the mental image of a world full of nothing but emos, razor blades and zombies. SL has those, but it has so very much more too.

Thanks for the warning. The BBC are clearly going to do a very negative view of Second Life.
Love June

I am going to compare my evening planned for tonight with what I could do instead.


And yes this is negative.

Tonight, I plan to get home and to some essential life support - have something good to eat and then sit in the warm and the safety of my home. I'll see my partner at some point, talk to friends. I feel creative atm, I'll build. I'll listen to some music, plan for my holiday in two weeks time. I probably won't spend much money.

I could, on the other hand, be out and about with the milling drunken and leery denizens of the town where I live, swelled by the weekend warriors of all the satellite villages - all full of the love of asshattery. Great. I could feel claustrophobic in bars that are not inviting to me when empty never mind when they are filled with anoxeric 15 year olds.

Urgh.

Still all publicity is good publicity so we can look forward to an influx of personages, of which some will be good additions to our happy community (you are all HAPPY, right? lol).