The nature of SL

Greetings to all,

I'd like to steal a few of your minutes to help me in some research I'm doing on virtual communities.
I'm a student at an art school in the Netherlands. Currently I'm working on my Master degree in game design, for which I intend to build an 'interactive story' model, which I like to implement in Second Life.

As a sidequest to this project I'm doing some research on the nature of virtual communities. How do they differ from real life and in what way are they the same? And what make's a virtual community work in the first place?

I hope you're willing to take a few minutes to answer the following questions, so I can get an idea of what this particular virtual community means to different people. Hopefully it will give me some ideas about how to approach my project to make it work at its best.

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1a. When did you join SL?

1b. How often do you return to SL, and for how long?

1c. What was your main reason for joining SL?

2a. What are your main activities in SL at the moment?

2b. Are you part of any social group in SL?

2c. If yes, why did you join that/those group(s)?

2d. If yes, what's your role within that/those group(s)?

3a. How many people from SL do you know in RL as well?

3b. What's the nature of your relationship with those people, in SL as well as in RL?

3c. Do you have a partner in SL? If yes, what's the nature of your relationship?

3d. Do you have a partner in RL? If yes, what's the nature of your relationship?

4. Has your stay in SL influenced your opinion on something in RL in any way?

5. Do you consider yourself to have more freedom in SL or in RL? (I know, it's kind of a tough question, but please think about it for a moment.)

6. Do you have anything to add that might help my research? Advice, elaborations, critique, anything's welcome.
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Thanks for your time and effort.

Yours sincerely,

Hawk Horton

14th of February, 2004



It varies wildly, sometimes I just come in for 30 seconds to pay my rent or check my balance. Sometimes I go shopping or socialise a bit, spend 30minutes.. Sometimes I hold an event or socialise and shop a bit more and am on for an hour or mroe.

As for how often, that also varies, I don't have to be in world more than every 3 months (to pay my rent).

Recently its been about 3 times a week for about half an hour to an hour each time.



The way it looked, the people, the friendlyness.. The way it was back in 2004 anyway. I'm not sure what my reaction would've been if I'd come in here in 2006...



Socialising, selling my furniture, and holding an event or two.



I'm not sure what you mean by social group, I have friends but not sure if I belong to a specific group of friends.



N/A



N/A, but usually trouble maker



2, I think...



Couple of friends



I don't.



Not at the moment.



Hmm, I don't think so, hugely. Although I may be better educated about certain things from Second Life.



SL, without a doubt.



Not really, good luck with it! Altho, I'll add the quotes etc in PHP tags so people can just copy/paste instead of cutting it all up or answering in 1.. Ignore the colour if you can..

From: Hawk Horton

1c. What was your main reason for joining SL?




From: Hawk Horton

2a. What are your main activities in SL at the moment?




From: Hawk Horton

2b. Are you part of any social group in SL?




From: Hawk Horton

2c. If yes, why did you join that/those group(s)?




From: Hawk Horton

2d. If yes, what's your role within that/those group(s)?




From: Hawk Horton

3a. How many people from SL do you know in RL as well?




From: Hawk Horton

3b. What's the nature of your relationship with those people, in SL as well as in RL?




From: Hawk Horton

3c. Do you have a partner in SL? If yes, what's the nature of your relationship?




From: Hawk Horton

3d. Do you have a partner in RL? If yes, what's the nature of your relationship?




From: Hawk Horton

4.  Has your stay in SL influenced your opinion on something in RL in any way?




From: Hawk Horton

5.  Do you consider yourself to have more freedom in SL or in RL? (I know, it's kind of a tough question, but please think about it for a moment.)




From: Hawk Horton

6.  Do you have anything to add that might help my research? Advice, elaborations, critique, anything's welcome.


 

September 2005

3-5 times a week, anywhere from 5 minutes to 4-5 hrs

Building. And as a gamer I am quite facinated with online worlds. SL offers more freedoms than others like Everquest, WoW, or Guildwars

Exploring & building

None really



Only one. See below

It's my RL Fiance.

Yes- my RL Fiance

Yes- my RL Fiance

RL sucks! Can't Teleport anywhere. Can't fly.

SL. In RL I couldn't build a Mall that looks like a giant spider, floating in the clouds.

Nope!

I wouldn't mind anwering your survey, but I'm not going to do it on a public forum such as this. You have private messaging and e-mail contact disabled in your profile. Give me another way to respond and I'll be happy to do so.

P2

1a. When did you join SL?
August 2005.

1b. How often do you return to SL, and for how long?
At least once a week, sometimes once a day. usually for just a couple hours, but if I'm deep into work on a project, maybe 6-7 hours.

1c. What was your main reason for joining SL?
I got sidetracked, so what I'm currently doing has nothing to do with why I joined SL. In fact I'll probably never get around to doing it, which will keep me playing it. (Keeping my reasons secret for now though.)

2a. What are your main activities in SL at the moment?
These days I'm making cool things to (eventually) sell; later on I have to finish the huge build which is my home.

2b. Are you part of any social group in SL?
I sort of chat with my friend A---- S----'s group, but beyond that my only groups are either business or gaming-related.

2c. If yes, why did you join that/those group(s)?
She is a friend and asked me.

2d. If yes, what's your role within that/those group(s)?
I don't think any of us play a "role" in there.

3a. How many people from SL do you know in RL as well?
None.

3b. What's the nature of your relationship with those people, in SL as well as in RL?
None.

3c. Do you have a partner in SL? If yes, what's the nature of your relationship?
Nope. Don't plan on getting married here.

3d. Do you have a partner in RL? If yes, what's the nature of your relationship?
Would like to, but life is very complicated for me right now so it would be tough to maintain a partnership.

4. Has your stay in SL influenced your opinion on something in RL in any way?
I'm getting the feeling we should impeach Bush. J/K, I always felt that way.

5. Do you consider yourself to have more freedom in SL or in RL? (I know, it's kind of a tough question, but please think about it for a moment.)
I think we deceive ourselves that we ever had freedom at all. I prefer the pretend freedom of SL to the vacuous, false freedom of RL any day.

6. Do you have anything to add that might help my research? Advice, elaborations, critique, anything's welcome.
I can tell you that SL is like no other online community because the gameplay is entirely different-- making instead of destroying, coupled with earning money instead of getting cool items. A lot of people come here just for chatting or just for cybersex, which is silly as they're not experiencing the whole of the SL existence. They just want pornucopia. But, this place is better than any other game simply because it offers us the ability to do whatever we want, sometimes even exactly what we want. Even if it means running around with scripted schwangs and streaming content.

1a. When did you join SL?
9/10/2005

1b. How often do you return to SL, and for how long?
I rarly leave. Er, I mean my avitar rarly leaves. All 4 that I use rarly leave. I force them to work for me.

1c. What was your main reason for joining SL?
The building and the economy. Since it is intergrated with real life cash it quickly becomes a hobby that pays back.

2a. What are your main activities in SL at the moment?
To use SL to its full potential. And as a market research for real world designs & art.

2b. Are you part of any social group in SL?
Main priority group is the Vetox Project.

2c. If yes, why did you join that/those group(s)?
Because I created and founded the group.

2d. If yes, what's your role within that/those group(s)?
CEO/Design

3a. How many people from SL do you know in RL as well?
Two

3b. What's the nature of your relationship with those people, in SL as well as in RL?
Family

3c. Do you have a partner in SL? If yes, what's the nature of your relationship?
No

3d. Do you have a partner in RL? If yes, what's the nature of your relationship?


4. Has your stay in SL influenced your opinion on something in RL in any way?
Marketing and feedback.

5. Do you consider yourself to have more freedom in SL or in RL? (I know, it's kind of a tough question, but please think about it for a moment.)
I want space simulation. Having Superboy powers is great for a day but it gets old.

6. Do you have anything to add that might help my research? Advice, elaborations, critique, anything's welcome.
I'm starting to not like just about all games that do not support trade and marketing for in-game items and real cash. And I absolutly hate those that activly try to stop it. They seriously need to get with the times and grow up.
Don't become those people please.

I'd like to thank you all for your answers. It's really helpful.

I need a lot more though to use this as a valid source for my research. So if you happen to stumble upon this thread, please take a few minutes to answer the survey.

Your help will be appreciated.

Hawk Horton

You might want to go the User CP link near the top left of the forum display and set it so that you can get PMs and let people send you email.

Early November, 2004. I had just finished a five month wilderness trek and was feeling a bit overwhelmed by reentering crowded society. I was looking for an intermediate step; SL was a suitable degree of removal from continual interpersonal interaction. Then I stayed because I got hooked.





Building avatars, building and scripting vehicles, limited land ventures





Not particularly, except that I do have a short list of dear friends.












Nine.



Friends either I dragged into SL or met in RL as a result of SL



Nope!



Nope!



Not particularly, no. Nothing comes to mind.



Definitely more within SL.



Look out for self-selection and nonresponse bias! Good luck with your study!

1a. When did you join SL?

December 2005 if I recall right

1b. How often do you return to SL, and for how long?

most everyday, if only for an hour

1c. What was your main reason for joining SL?

Building, exploring, flying planes

2a. What are your main activities in SL at the moment?

Spending time with the SL girlfriend (a real world friend)

2b. Are you part of any social group in SL?

I am a floater host at the Gaming Plaza in Cycnia

2c. If yes, why did you join that/those group(s)?

I enjoy the gaming and its a bit of extra cash in game

2d. If yes, what's your role within that/those group(s)?

Host obviously I also greet and invite people to the plaza's group where we notify people of games and events

3a. How many people from SL do you know in RL as well?

around 8

3b. What's the nature of your relationship with those people, in SL as well as in RL?

SL girlfriend: rl freind; others all friends except for my real world fiance who plays my sister (unofficially) on SL (we are together in the real world, here we have fun)

3c. Do you have a partner in SL? If yes, what's the nature of your relationship?

I will, I am rpoposing to my SL girlfriend on the 15, its all planned

3d. Do you have a partner in RL? If yes, what's the nature of your relationship?

A fiance

4. Has your stay in SL influenced your opinion on something in RL in any way?

not really

5. Do you consider yourself to have more freedom in SL or in RL? (I know, it's kind of a tough question, but please think about it for a moment.)

SL (eyesight hinders me from getting a pilots license in real world)

6. Do you have anything to add that might help my research? Advice, elaborations, critique, anything's welcome.

Good luck

Have you read the Research Ethics and contacted a Linden?
http://secondlife.com/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=Research+Ethics+in+Second+Life

1a. When did you join SL?
Jul-30-2005

1b. How often do you return to SL, and for how long?
I frequent SL more often than any other online 'metaverse' mainly because of the building aspect. It's very theraputic for me, kinda like sex, but without the messy orgasm. Well... rarely.

1c. What was your main reason for joining SL?
The building and the money management. The building aspect lets loose my creative juices, the selling aspect is kinda a added bonus, as if to say "Yes, people like my work well enough to spank my ass with fresh $L. Giggidy.

2a. What are your main activities in SL at the moment?
Chatting with friends (Yes, many of them furry), building. And.. that's pretty much it.

2b. Are you part of any social group in SL?
Yes, teh furries! Duffman, can't breathe! Oh noes!

2c. If yes, why did you join that/those group(s)?
Joined 'em as soon as I found out about them. 'nuff said..

2d. If yes, what's your role within that/those group(s)?
Artist, builder, and.. according to one person "The Furry Centre of the Universe" @_o

3a. How many people from SL do you know in RL as well?
Currently? 15 or so. The criteria for the RL thing means you have met them iRL and yes, I hve met them iRL

3b. What's the nature of your relationship with those people, in SL as well as in RL?
Friends.

3c. Do you have a partner in SL? If yes, what's the nature of your relationship?
No

3d. Do you have a partner in RL? If yes, what's the nature of your relationship?
No, love is a narcotic. Sure, you get that sense of euphoria, but then there's also the impaired judgement, and irrational behaviour, and after the drug's worn off, you end up wanting more. Go fig.

4. Has your stay in SL influenced your opinion on something in RL in any way?
Marketing and the nature of greifers. Consider me the David Suzuki of the SL world.

5. Do you consider yourself to have more freedom in SL or in RL? (I know, it's kind of a tough question, but please think about it for a moment.)
No question, you've got more freedom in SL than RL. Where else can you build buildings that would make a civil engineer's head explode with buildings that lack any sort of support beams whatsoever, and still have it standing.

6. Do you have anything to add that might help my research? Advice, elaborations, critique, anything's welcome.
if I think of anything I'll let you know.