Researcher with Questions--please consider answering

Hey everybody,

I am a researcher who is interested in finding out about the motivations behind joining, and then staying in, Second Life. I've been walking around in-world since the end of May and would like to get the views of any residents willing to answer some questions (I have been asking questions in-world as well, but would like to post here to cover all the bases, so to speak).

To those who do decide to respond, feel free to do so publicly here, via PM, via in-world IM, or through e-mail: AnalyticInk at sbcglobal.net; whatever is easiest for you.

I might have more questions in the future--depending on what sort of response I get to these.

I appreciate any responses I get; I thank you in advance.

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1. Where did you hear about Second Life, and why did you decide to join?

2. Once you joined Second Life, what did you think of the platform? Did you find it difficult to figure out the workings of it (such as how to move, edit your avatar, and build)? Were you satisfied with the way the platform itself worked (in regards to crashing, lags, and the like).

3. What was your first impression of Second Life as a social community?

4. Did you find it simple or difficult to meet people?

5. Were you interested in the social aspect of Second Life, or were you interested in the creative aspect of it--such as building, selling, and making movies? Or both? Neither?

6. How long have you been in Second Life? Do you envision yourself staying for an extended period?

7. Do you play any games that are considered mmorpgs? If so, how would you compare them to Second Life (although it is noted that Second Life is generally not considered a game, but instead, a platform)?

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Thanks again!
ElleGee Barbosa

What's this for?

Good question, Oryx, but these look like straight questions that deserve reasonable answers, and which might benefit us all. So I'll play it straight:

1. I read about SL in the Nov. '06 edition of Wired magazine. first time I ever heard of it. Logged in, saw the possibilities it opens up, and was hooked. It was not until Jan. '07 that I got active in it but that was for personal reasons.

2. Yeah, it has a steep learning curve compared to most MMORPG's. Yeah, the instability of the platform and all the other problems (obviously you have done your homework so need to rehearse them there).

3. After getting orbited by adolescent assholes (LL has since fixed that in arrival areas) I found The Shelter, and discovered the first hint of social possibilities. I don't have that particular need, but it is a tremendous positive for many people.

4. Simple. Someone who, unlike me, chooses an avatar that is a hot-looking female will find it both all-too-easy and all-too complicated. Boy, there are a lot of creeps in the world!

5. Both, and neither. I think this thing is The Future Of The World, and I want to see what I can do to learn more about it and help it along. Fucking idealist, aren't I?

6.See above, and my profile. I will be here until the lights go out, either for it, or for me.

7. I loved WoW, until I found SL. Before that, I loved Diablo II, until the PK's overwhelmed it. If something better comes along, I will love that too. But I admire what LL is trying to do, and I will do my best to help it along unless and until LL proves unequal to the task they have created. I really wish them success!

1. I heard about SL in a email from a email Christian ministry called Living Sounds (in Vine). I decided to join because I was fascinated about the future of gaming.

2. The platform was unlike any other game I ever experienced. It was a new challenge and I met some people right away that helped me out.

3. I was a bit suprised at the flagrant virtual prostitution but usually porn and sex drive new ideas and marketing, as well as economic development of technologies.

4. Very easy to meet people, weirded out by those that don't talk at all.

5. At first, I was very interested in learning the game with people I socialized with. Although we have gone many different ways because we became familiar with different facets of the game.

6. My 2 year anniversary is in a couple weeks. I have roots growing currently in the SL pot.

7. I only play another game that is a FPS.

1. Where did you hear about Second Life, and why did you decide to join?

I heard from a friend who came here & came because he left our last place to come here & I wanted to keep in touch, plus he nagged!

2. Once you joined Second Life, what did you think of the platform? Did you find it difficult to figure out the workings of it (such as how to move, edit your avatar, and build)? Were you satisfied with the way the platform itself worked (in regards to crashing, lags, and the like).

It took me forever to be able to stop walking into walls! Until recently I couldn't stop walking when I wanted & would over shoot, tho for some reason after changing graphics card this resolved. Still no idea how to build & nobody will show me, classes aren't really the best way for me to learn

3. What was your first impression of Second Life as a social community?

No idea now sorry

4. Did you find it simple or difficult to meet people?

Difficult, i'm not a trusting person & don't really have sl friends

5. Were you interested in the social aspect of Second Life, or were you interested in the creative aspect of it--such as building, selling, and making movies? Or both? Neither?

Neither really, I didn't know a thing about it until I got here, hadn't even read about it!

6. How long have you been in Second Life? Do you envision yourself staying for an extended period?

I first came here in December 2006 & yeah I do envision being here, probably forever lol

7. Do you play any games that are considered mmorpgs? If so, how would you compare them to Second Life (although it is noted that Second Life is generally not considered a game, but instead, a platform)?

Nope, just sl

I don`t care what or if its really for anything. Cant do much in SL at the moment so here goes.. lol



1. Where did you hear about Second Life, and why did you decide to join?

- If I remember correctly i was hearing alot about the "Sims" and googled it, ran into SL and thought you had to pay for a membership so just bookmarked it and closed it. (Wasnt interested in paying without atleast demoing it). Few months later I randomly found the site again and noticed there was a free trial so I joined. Then realized some membership was free.

2. Once you joined Second Life, what did you think of the platform? Did you find it difficult to figure out the workings of it (such as how to move, edit your avatar, and build)? Were you satisfied with the way the platform itself worked (in regards to crashing, lags, and the like).

- At first, at orientation island, I could not walk without my avatar turning into some zombie and just lagging out. But after that went away I found it easy to figure out.

3. What was your first impression of Second Life as a social community?

- Intriguing

4. Did you find it simple or difficult to meet people?

- At the welcome area people were nice. But after that it was more difficult. Then again I have a hard time approaching people for conversation so my own personality is probably at fault.

5. Were you interested in the social aspect of Second Life, or were you interested in the creative aspect of it--such as building, selling, and making movies? Or both? Neither?

- Definitely social. I was fed up with some psycho women in the real world and this was my outlet to get away. However the more i played, the more I realized evil did lurk. Theres still crazy people even in second life. Heh. I wasnt sure what it was all about at first so i guess I was a bit naive.

Getting into the "game", First thing I wanted was a Samoan tattoo, I could not find one so I made one. From that point on I was there for both social aspect and creative. Today im here solely for selling and creating.

6. How long have you been in Second Life? Do you envision yourself staying for an extended period?

- In 5 months it will be 2 years. Yes I see myself staying, but I also see myself less and less due to various issues such as bad customer support from Linden Lab when you are having problems. After awhile it gets old and tiring trying to fight things on your own when you really have 0 control over it.

7. Do you play any games that are considered mmorpgs? If so, how would you compare them to Second Life (although it is noted that Second Life is generally not considered a game, but instead, a platform)?

- No I do not. I`m not into mmorpgs at all.

1. A friend of a friend told me about it and four of us decided to join together (only two of us are still residents). Why? It seemed like a good idea at the time, and given my numerous real life obligations and hobbies, I was keen on doing something just for me. And finally, perhaps most importantly, I've been a tech-geek since pre internet days and have long since kept a sidelong glance at virtual reality. I watched, and knew, that its birth years ago was doomed by the hardware restrictions, but now... Second Life may be in the right place at the right time and I'm anxious to watch its evolution.

2. I'm an intense software adapter. While I beta test software professionally, I learned a long time ago to not fight a system in place but adapt, exploit interesting bugs (until they're fixed, and then find another way), and do the best I can with that system. The platform seemed fine at first, but then I was just learning to navigate around Second Life. Once I started doing more (i.e. building, scripting, editing etc.), then it quickly became apparent that on the one hand while I was very impressed, there were also little glitches that were prohibitive. But seriously, all software has bugs, and Second Life should not be held to any higher standard than any other software. Some days I'm amazed it all works as well as it does! I do not experience too many technical difficulties since my PC is obscenely kitted out to perform (but then it has to be for my occupation).

3. My first impressions were that the social community was extremely helpful and giving. Lots of wonderful people around. But like any social group, parasites, con artists and the downright nasty individuals also wandered the land. It truly is a reflection of real life, but I think there's a higher percentage of "good" people in Second Life as opposed to real life. Or maybe I'm jaded.

4. I found it too easy to meet people. Ironically, I never wanted to get involved in the social aspect of Second Life. I wanted a place to explore, relax and have a mini vacation whenever I wanted it. I'm a bit of a social misfit and find it difficult to connect with people. But I kept meeting amazing people (despite efforts not to -- LOL) and now I co-own nearly 1.3 sims, have a mission to help newbies and collect every cool cat toy in Second Life.

5. As mentioned above, the social aspect was of minimal importance. But I'm so glad I met some of the wonderful people I have. I'm definitely more interested in the creative aspects.

6. I've been around since January 2007. Not long. I envision myself being here for at least another year, possibly longer if the technology continues to evolve and I don't lose interest. As long as I can feel productive, or entertained by the hobby/technology, then I tend to stay.

7. I don't play computer games any more and haven't in about 9 years. So I can't speak to this question.

Any more questions, don't hesitate to send me a notecard in world. Good luck!

1. Where did you hear about Second Life, and why did you decide to join?

- I heard about it from friends while in another virtual world. They checked it out, and thus so did I.



2. Once you joined Second Life, what did you think of the platform? Did you find it difficult to figure out the workings of it (such as how to move, edit your avatar, and build)? Were you satisfied with the way the platform itself worked (in regards to crashing, lags, and the like).

- When I first tried it, I found it atrociously horrible and left. I came back from time to time when I heard it was getting better. Eventually I stayed.



3. What was your first impression of Second Life as a social community?

- I didn't find a social community inherent to Second Life at all. I knew friends, of course, and met new friends, but the very concept of a sort of 'overarching social community' described by the Second Life grid doesn't really seem right somehow. Thus I don't have an impression of it; just impressions of people I've met as individuals.



4. Did you find it simple or difficult to meet people?

- I found it ridiculously easy, but then, I'm an extrovert.



5. Were you interested in the social aspect of Second Life, or were you interested in the creative aspect of it--such as building, selling, and making movies? Or both? Neither?

- Both, I've got some good friends and I like making things.



6. How long have you been in Second Life? Do you envision yourself staying for an extended period?

- I've been around off and on since 2003. Since I'm a land baron now, I'm probably going to be here for a very, very long time. My guess is along the lines of a ten year horizon, if not more.



7. Do you play any games that are considered mmorpgs? If so, how would you compare them to Second Life (although it is noted that Second Life is generally not considered a game, but instead, a platform)?

- I used to. I've played Lineage2, Ultima Online, and things like that. They fulfill a lot of the same social and economic functions of Second Life, depending what you are looking for. It's always personal. If you are of a certain mindset you can use almost any game as a platform, or almost any platform as a game.

As a social researcher, I believe that you should 1st disclose what type of study you are conducting, what is the motivation behind your research, and what will you do with the collected data.

Our department conducted several studies on SL and all ouf our participants knew all of these details. Your IRB department would be very upset if you did not disclose this type of information. People drive the pixes on the computer screen and all research however slight needs to be conducted in ethical manners.

Sorry-- but this is a pet peeve.

I'll bite as well

1. An friend told me of the game one day.... several months later I decided to check it out and see why he was all excited.

2. Once I joined up I found the whole thing fascinating from a geek perspective as there was nothing really like it about from a technology standpoint. The controls and tools were (and still are) clunky but I understood that SL was not a dedicated FPS or MMORPG nor was it a professional 3D animation studio. Knowing what SL is NOT helped frame my performance expectations so I have been, for the most part, satisfied with how the system performs

3. I am a loner in RL so I did not go looking for social interaction but still was overwhelmed with the broad demographic that seemed to be "playing".

4. As stated above, I'm a loner in RL, so meeting people in a not business related environment is not my forte (or desire). But in SL I find it very easy to meet new people. I find a simple 'Hi' gets most AVs babbling.

5. Neither really, just interested in the "new" toy. Now however, I am very involved in both the social and creative sides of the thing. I find there is always something a little more to learn/do or there is a new fascinating person that I trip across.

6. I have been part of he SL world since Jan. '06 and see being involved at least a little bit as long as I don't land in a part of RL with limited broadband.

7. Not really... I've toyed with WoW and a game out of Korea but neither really have held my attention. I'm more into FPS and combat flight sims if I am going to play a game.

Can't comment on the ethics of social research because it's not my field, but IMO, full disclosure is better than not-full disclousre. It might help OP's cause.

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1. Where did you hear about Second Life, and why did you decide to join?

I heard about it after seeing Voted 5 and W-Hat vids. I joined for a bit of the irritainment. I quickly got bored with this and found that building, scripting, and talking to people is much more fun.

2. Once you joined Second Life, what did you think of the platform? Did you find it difficult to figure out the workings of it (such as how to move, edit your avatar, and build)? Were you satisfied with the way the platform itself worked (in regards to crashing, lags, and the like).

I had some experience with 3D apps, so it wasn't that difficult. I found the crashing, lags etc not that bothersome; some people just like to make drama. The platform is quite easy to learn, however due to its complexity takes a lot of time to master.

3. What was your first impression of Second Life as a social community?

Messed up as hell. Randomness all over. However, now I realize that learning how to socialize in SL itself has a learning curve which is a result of the way humans operate. People tend to settle into small to medium sized groups of people who know each other, and learning how to social network takes time. I am convinced that only organic, spontaneous social networking truly works, and most artificial means fail miserably.

4. Did you find it simple or difficult to meet people?

Simple.

5. Were you interested in the social aspect of Second Life, or were you interested in the creative aspect of it--such as building, selling, and making movies? Or both? Neither?

Both, definitely both.

6. How long have you been in Second Life? Do you envision yourself staying for an extended period?

8 months. I envision myself staying until 1) it dies 2) a competitor comes along which is much better and makes SL die 3) if SL doesn't die, until I do

7. Do you play any games that are considered mmorpgs? If so, how would you compare them to Second Life (although it is noted that Second Life is generally not considered a game, but instead, a platform)?

No; most mmorpgs don't appeal to me. I did however play around with some text MUCKs back in the day, which have many similarities to SL (I actually consider SL to be a 3D MUCK).

count me in as one who will wait to see why this research is being done

1. Where did you hear about Second Life, and why did you decide to join?

Heard about it from a friend's blog--he posted about the virtual New Orleans sim, and I joined so that I could see it and other things like it--sim cities and re-creations and the like.

2. Once you joined Second Life, what did you think of the platform? Did you find it difficult to figure out the workings of it (such as how to move, edit your avatar, and build)? Were you satisfied with the way the platform itself worked (in regards to crashing, lags, and the like).

I found the platform fairly easy to figure out, followed the walk-through and clicked a lot of buttons just to see what they did, had no difficulties with it at the time, despite being on a relatively low-end machine. In retrospect, I think that was prolly just a matter of luck.

3. What was your first impression of Second Life as a social community?

I found it highly varied. The level and style of social interaction covered a very wide spectrum, depending on where you were and what you were doing. Much like RL in that regard, but on a bigger scale.

4. Did you find it simple or difficult to meet people?

Both. Simple to meet people in a general sense, but difficult to meet people I could have a conversation with due to language barriers of various sorts.

5. Were you interested in the social aspect of Second Life, or were you interested in the creative aspect of it--such as building, selling, and making movies? Or both? Neither?

Both, kind of. Initially, I wanted to build things and learn how everything worked more than I wanted to explore the social aspects of it. As I got into building and making things, I drifted toward the socializing to test items and learn more about what I was doing, which led to seeking it out just for the sake of wanting to socialize.

6. How long have you been in Second Life? Do you envision yourself staying for an extended period?

About three months. I suspect I'll stay for as long as there's still an SL to stay in.

7. Do you play any games that are considered mmorpgs? If so, how would you compare them to Second Life (although it is noted that Second Life is generally not considered a game, but instead, a platform)?

No, but I previously did. Started with Ultima Online, then Everquest, then World of Warcraft. Second Life is obviously different in that it lacks the kind of goals, quests, and level-building that MMOs have, is more socially-driven, and allows for creating custom content. I'd say that SL is more like an MU* than it is like an MMO, even on the RPG side. I do feel more "customer loyalty" and interest in SL than I had with any of the MMOs I've tried, though--probably due to the creative aspect.

It's for my Senior paper, for a BA degree in Sociology.


To everyone who responded: Thank you.

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1. Where did you hear about Second Life, and why did you decide to join?
- I was introduced to SL by my then RL partner, who was building a business. I was excited by the creative opportunities afforded by the building and scripting tools.

2. Once you joined Second Life, what did you think of the platform? Did you find it difficult to figure out the workings of it (such as how to move, edit your avatar, and build)? Were you satisfied with the way the platform itself worked (in regards to crashing, lags, and the like).
- I was "mentored" to a certain extent so my experience may be shaded a bit, but I didn't find anything terribly difficult to learn with the exception of certain scripting functions which are poorly documented and don't work as expected, and certain advanced building options which are, let us say, unintuitive. I was blessed with several months of stability in the platform and a relatively lag-free environment (even on the mainland!) until shortly after flexy prims were introduced (I mention flexi prims purely as a point of reference on the timeline, not because I think they are a cause of any problems) and the huge growth that occurred in the months following.

3. What was your first impression of Second Life as a social community?
- I treated SL as a huge sandbox for several months, sitting alone on a platform in the sky teaching myself to build and script. Once I decided to come down and explore a bit, my first impression was that the world consisted mostly of people trying to pick up other people of the opposite sex. Not that there's anything wrong with that

4. Did you find it simple or difficult to meet people?
- Easy, once I reaffirmed that I am not a "club kinda guy", in either life. I'm a fairly normal nice guy, and other normal nice people seem to get along with me ok.

5. Were you interested in the social aspect of Second Life, or were you interested in the creative aspect of it--such as building, selling, and making movies? Or both? Neither?
- Exclusively creative for many months, now more of a balance but still leaning toward creative. I tend to socialize with people who are also interested in creating things, and that forms the basis of most of my in-world friendships and it's what we mostly talk about.

6. How long have you been in Second Life? Do you envision yourself staying for an extended period?
- A year and 3 months, and I'll be here until SL dies or morphs into a restrictive age-verified corporate Disneyland or some such thing.

7. Do you play any games that are considered mmorpgs? If so, how would you compare them to Second Life (although it is noted that Second Life is generally not considered a game, but instead, a platform)?

- No.
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Doesn't the ToS require that you get approval from LL before doing research projects in SL?

Maybe you should research the ToS.

If I offended you with my questions, then truly I apologize. I certainly didn't intend to come here and make people suspicious.

Let me see if I can clear up a few concerns. When it comes to the type of study, it is strictly a study to find out the "why" of SL, although I know this is a question not easily answered, nor do I believe I will fully answer it in the short period that has been allotted to doing this study. I'm curious to see if people were joining for similar reasons, or if a wide variety of reasons attracted a wide variety of people. I'm also interested to see what is being built and how much time and energy it takes to make a build, some of which (many of which) are magnificent and richly detailed.

My motivation is to complete the required course work for my degree.

The data collected will be used to write my final paper, which will be handed in to one professor.

When it comes to an IRB department . . . there isn't one. This isn't that serious of a paper; it's for my personal achievement, and not to break ground in Sociology journals around the globe (something that would certainly be nice some day, but I'm nowhere near ready for yet; I still have much schooling ahead).

I'm certainly not trying to be unethical, nor will I just take the answers supplied to me and run off. I'm not going to start throwing residents' names around without having full permission to do so; I wouldn't like that done to me and I know how inappropriate it would be to do unto others.

I hope this clears up some of the confusion and suspicion that has been caused.

Thanks again to those who responded.

bored, so why not...


short docu on tv of an architect showing off his work, went to check it out and ftaer 3 days signedup and got addicted


hard but had the luck of meeting my best friend today on my first day to help with basic stuff and we`ve been elevating eachother up when we learn something new


at first it sucked, but was living in Ahern`s WA, got better after we got our own land and started to be active on the forums and got addicted to the lil sane community on the forums


easy but hard, most ppl are just "me, me, me & screw u", so far only a handfull of friends


creative aspect, see 4
first for learning and playing till seeing a few holes in the market recently, `nuff said


2/19/2007 and if all goes well u`ll be able to find me here in 2/19/3007


used to play eve and been there for like 4-5 years since early alpha and as vol from the start for 2 years, gave it up in an instant after figuring this place out abit and see the potential



on a side note, ppl think that making 4 walls, roof and place some junk in it and they have a shop
ppl need to think outside of the box and be abit creative like the good names out there have done (better and innovative) and not complain of bad business
sl isn`t "money in a box", same as most RL companies think and fail, this place is more an interactive information/service portal and RL tactics don`t really apply for most companies

1. Where did you hear about Second Life, and why did you decide to join?

I heard about Second Life by watching a Google Tech Talk video about microthreading in Mono (or that lead me to the video, I cannot remember for certain).

I decided to join because in the video they were discussing scripted items, and how you can build your own items and script them, and that sounded like a fun creative outlet.

2. Once you joined Second Life, what did you think of the platform? Did you find it difficult to figure out the workings of it (such as how to move, edit your avatar, and build)? Were you satisfied with the way the platform itself worked (in regards to crashing, lags, and the like).

I loved the (largely unrealized) potential of the platform. It was exceptionally easy to figure out how to move, edit the avatar, and build. I was satisfied with the way the platform worked, because for the first month or two I never experienced any lag, and never once crashed. This was until updates started breaking everything under the sun

3. What was your first impression of Second Life as a social community?

I was relatively ambivilent toward the social aspects, though I did meet a number of friendly and helpful people. I was fortunate that among the early people I met were Lumiere Noir and Jopsy Pendragon, both of whom own and run well-known learning centers, and both of whom impressed me TREMENDOUSLY.

4. Did you find it simple or difficult to meet people?

It was very easy to meet people, though I didn't have a great deal of interest in it. Even now, I am only interested in meeting people within certain sub-communities that I frequently participate in.

Within those communities I am active, and will do anything in my abilities to help others, and do regularly engage in community tournaments and the like.

5. Were you interested in the social aspect of Second Life, or were you interested in the creative aspect of it--such as building, selling, and making movies? Or both? Neither?

I was primarily interested in the creative aspect of Second Life, and still am to this day.

6. How long have you been in Second Life? Do you envision yourself staying for an extended period?

I have been in Second Life for 13 months (I am using an Alt to write this post). I envision staying indefinitely, or until something better comes along, which I believe to be a near certainty in the long run.

7. Do you play any games that are considered mmorpgs? If so, how would you compare them to Second Life (although it is noted that Second Life is generally not considered a game, but instead, a platform)?

I do not ever play online games except Second Life. To me, Second Life *is* a game, but it is one with many non-game benefits.

--------------------------------

Okay, I realize that I am all over the road in my answers, but I hope it helps somewhat.


.

OP, please remember that forum posters are a narrow subset of all residents (see the thread with the poll on ages - forum posters are about 10 yrs older on avrage!).

1. Where did you hear about Second Life, and why did you decide to join?
***In 2002 while I was in TSO beta. I was told by friend I could create whatever I wanted.
2. Once you joined Second Life, what did you think of the platform? Did you find it difficult to figure out the workings of it (such as how to move, edit your avatar, and build)? Were you satisfied with the way the platform itself worked (in regards to crashing, lags, and the like).
***It was very difficult at first still sometimes is.
3. What was your first impression of Second Life as a social community?
****That it was non-existant.
4. Did you find it simple or difficult to meet people?
****It was difficult.

5. Were you interested in the social aspect of Second Life, or were you interested in the creative aspect of it--such as building, selling, and making movies? Or both? Neither?
*****I was more interested in creative aspect i.e building and design.
6. How long have you been in Second Life? Do you envision yourself staying for an extended period?
****This time eight months. Maybe I am not sure. As long as it serves a purpose and I find something worthwhile here I will remain.
7. Do you play any games that are considered mmorpgs? If so, how would you compare them to Second Life (although it is noted that Second Life is generally not considered a game, but instead, a platform)?
****I have been member of several virtual world communities over last years Cybertown, Activewords, Roomancer, TSO. Gaming communities; Runescape, The Sims, Monster,Toadwater. Second Life can be extremely expensive compared to these other words and gaming mmorpgs..

there is a real simple why. when I program on my own computer my stuff stays there, perhaps it could be used for a portfolio someday. sure there are places to share your various projects but it has such slow turn around that it's gets to a obsessive compulsive check every day to keep your project interest up.

now I come to SL(I once considered it worthy of being a laughing stock, before even trying). I almost quit until I got someone to hire me as a commission based scripter for a project. sure you get it done and if you were going to say 'cash out' you'd realize that you're making less than sweat shop workers, but then realize that it's worth it as you start talking about what you did do so far and people are impressed with it, even more worth it when you find out that they've used your builds you worked on and have enjoyed themselves.

1.) My journey into Second Life started with an article in the May 2007 issue of PC Gamer.

Normally I do not read PC Gamer but I grabbed it as it looked to have some information on a game I was interested in, needless to say I skimmed the article at first then disregarded it as it was not what I was looking for. Later more because I was bored, I guess something about the article must have caught my eye, I went back and read the article more indepth and decided to give it a try.

2.) At first I found the crashing unmanageable, otherwise I seem to be managing the learning curve just fine. Then again I am the type that when it comes to learning something computer related I jump in with both feet way over my head then learn how to swim, so to speak.

I could not seem to get though a single wing of orientation tasks before it crashed. This frustrated me, but I know there had to be more so I rushed the primary tasks and eventually ended up in the Plum Welcome area I guess I got luck with not crashing at this point because the people I met there were great. Sure enough it did not last, I crashed and got fed up, leading me to cancel my first account. Then a Second Life Resident joined my Guild Wars guild and sighted Second Life in the roleplaying experience section of her application. Well as a leader of the guild I mentioned that I had tried Second Life and had problems with it crashing, later she gave me some tips and pointer and got me back into Second Life and learning slowly since.

3.) I found it was great, and ultimately I find that is a major staying point for me.

As mentioned before my first landing place was Plum Welcome Area, where I got a lot of help at first. Not so much on my first landing, but the impression was so profound I actively sought it out again when I landed/was "born" with this account. There I gained a lot of advice and help into Second Life.

4.) Well, meeting people is easy, getting to know them, or meeting the sort you want to get to know is no more or less difficult from RL IMO. Some places are better for finding the people you want to get to know than others.

Plum was an alright place for me, I met some one who gave me a "Makeover" at a steep price, but worth it and she was willing to help me in buying good hair for my Av as I botch my previous attempts and waisted all my L$ so she paid for it to. There I also met someone who would later become my SL neighbor, as she owned some property and turned me on to the idea. Though others I was shown a few social places, one I go to mostly for the music, the other has great people that I would hang out with even if the music is not to my taste.

5.) I was draw to both the social aspect, as well as the potential for creative endevers. Ultimately the social aspect is what delivers the staying power. There are people, relations (I use the word "Friend" very rarely.) that I enjoy seeing on a daily basis.

6.) I have been in Second Life for 3 months now, and I envision myself being in it as long as my RL permits. Though for personal reasons I hope RL take me away more than it gives me time to access in the near future.

7.) Though not technically MMORPGs, I play Guild Wars as a roleplaying and am one of the leading members of a roleplay guild there, and a Play by Post rpg Adventures of Caelerath. Socially I have found my guild in Guild Wars and the group I play with in Adventure of Cealerath are rather similar out of character to social interaction in Second Life. I would assume in some roleplay areas the interaction could be very much the same as the before mentioned games in Second Life though I have little interest in additional roleplay activities.

Economy wise, Adventure of Caelereth has no real economy to speak of and characters can effectively seem to have limitless amounts of currency in some stories/roleplays as characters can seem to buy a thing here or there with little regard for what is in their coin pouch, though ultimately such purchases would need to seem in keeping with the character. Players would not buy out entire weapons shops at a whim.

Guild Wars has an economy where some items prices are driven by a supply and demand type economy, others are statically priced and others are sold player to player some times for ridiculous amounts of game currency and some times for additional "Ectos" which is a rare material worth rougly 9 time the maximum player to play currency tranfer. Second Life seems to have a rather stable resident to resident economy where things are priced as they are and do not fluctuate other than from one vendor to the next. I would say otherwise without draging this out, SL is a totally diferent animal from the others and each offers a sense of freedom the others do not.

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1. Where did you hear about Second Life, and why did you decide to join?
A passing reference in an article online, I don't remmeber what. I joined because it was a snowy day and I was stuck inside.

2. Once you joined Second Life, what did you think of the platform? Did you find it difficult to figure out the workings of it (such as how to move, edit your avatar, and build)? Were you satisfied with the way the platform itself worked (in regards to crashing, lags, and the like). Reasonably easy to figure out after a few hours. Performance was Ok, my machine limitations had some impact.

3. What was your first impression of Second Life as a social community?
Mixed. Some odd behavior, rudeness, even hostility, but also some friendliness.

4. Did you find it simple or difficult to meet people?
Not very difficult

5. Were you interested in the social aspect of Second Life, or were you interested in the creative aspect of it--such as building, selling, and making movies? Or both? Neither?
Neither at first. Just wandered about.

6. How long have you been in Second Life? Do you envision yourself staying for an extended period?
7 months so far. Can't say how long I'll stay. Until I lose interest I guess.

7. Do you play any games that are considered mmorpgs? If so, how would you compare them to Second Life (although it is noted that Second Life is generally not considered a game, but instead, a platform)?
Never gone near any of them.
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