Guilty for thinking them fools

One of my flaws is I try to encourage people I know online to try Second Life.

It doesn't matter how much I like them beforehand...

As soon as they dispassionately reject the idea, my opinion of them changes for the worse.

I mean, who in their right mind wouldn't want to get their hands on a PHENOMENON?

----

Help, has anyone else gone through this?

How do I deal with people like that?

Wow.

I'm just thinking of all the teenagers and musicians who must think I'm a worthless human being because I don't have a MySpace page!

But seriously, this kind of thing just doesn't do it for everyone. I know a very talented 3D artist/builder, one who loves to spend time online in chat rooms talking and sharing his work with other 3D creators. But for the life of me, I can't get him to try SL. I offer to help him get settled, even buy land and pay his tier so he can have a store without investing his own money.

In the end, you just have to understand that different people are into different things. And judging by the SL user retention stats, it would seem there are a lot of people who try it and don't like it.

Unlike me, who was instantly and massively addicted, and is no longer capable of RL conversations that don't eventually turn to SL!

Hide your SL habit behind Grandpa's well-worn 1950's playboys jammed behind the wainscoting in the bathroom...

* * * * *

Okay, seriously now.

"Hey, Des, I heard you do some kind of, online game thing at your office."

"Yeah. I play dollies in a video game."

"You What!?"

"You heard me. I'm this little guy, and I run around and talk to other peoples."

(knowing smiles as they fight off ridicule) "You are kidding me Des."

"No, I'm not! People play dress-up too, and play house."

"Why are you playing dollies on the internet? You used to do defence work!"

"Well, what do you think of what you do?"

"My job... endless boring hours, no retirement, I'm getting to hate it... why?"

"My little dollie has a better career than your real one."

*jawdrop* ... "Show me this game?"

"Tell you what. Here's the URL, see if you can figure out who I am."

"How many are in there!? Won't you tell me?"

"Ah, hundreds of thousands, and, no! You'll have to guess. Pass the bread?"

Brilliant.

NOPE , NADDA...NOT happening round here, folks I hang out with think its nuts but then again they live on their bikes traveling all over the country side and lots of times I am with them. SL isn't as popular with me as it was when I first joined almost a year ago but its cool for those that live on here all the time LOL!

Before SL, I had absolutely no interest in any online social activity, chat room or game of any sort. My computer would sit unused for days sometimes a week or two. I say a reference to SL somewhere on a Snowy Day and out of curiosity checked it out. I had not seen any other mention of it in the news or in any article, just signed up, figured I would mess around for a weekend or so and then forget about it. Boy was I wrong.

Seconding that sentiment--was pretty much the same for me. I'd run out of interest in blogging, never had much interest in MySpace, was looking for something else to do when a friend of mine posted a link to SL and I was totally sucked in by it.

And nearer to the original topic, I guess... I also have a problem convincing friends that they should try it out. My SO won't touch it for love or money, and only two of my friends from the blogging world have joined so far. It surprises me, but... well, keeps my list nice and short for adding new friends on SL, I s'ppose!

I've been trying to get musicians and bands I know, mostly semi-pro or amateur acts, to take a look at SL from a gigging POV. Alot of them are on the MySpace scene and do the occasional RL gig that usually ends up costing them more money than they make. Most of them just laugh at me and see SL as a bad joke for dead-end losers. Then again in the last year I've reached more people thru gigs in SL, many in parts of the world I'll never have a chance to get to and made some money at it (OK, not that much). So who's the fool? Meh, it'll pick up soon enough the way MySpace did for musicians and then they'll prolly be knocking at my door. I'll still be around as I'm totally hooked on SL and here for the long haul.

My own experience of gigging in SL leads me to the conclusion that there's a real need for proper purpose-built live music venues that will take a capacity of 100+ punters. I know there's lots of existing venues but most are far too small and geared towards the folk-club 'open-mic' scene. Either that or else they're not really managed professionally. To get rock and pop bands into SL and taking it seriously there needs to be a few 'pro' venues that really deliver the goods. If anyone wants to set such a place up, gimme a shout and I'll built it for you providing you pay me a decent wage.

If you think about it a lot of people think us "sl'ers" are fools for insisting on trying to play this whatsamagit (game/platform I trully dont know what to call sl anymore so its a whatsamagit for now) with all the problems its had and still has and has more frequently that get worse and.. oh nevermind

There have been a lot of phenomena. CB radios. Beenie Babies. It's not necessarily a sign of stupidity not to jump on the latest bandwagon. Frankly I'd be richer and maybe saner if I weren't addicted to this ridiculous time suck.

funny...

since the local news has gotten hold of the "deviant sex in SL" story-

more of my friends are asking me about it.

> "Yeah. I play dollies in a video game."

That's a great description!

How often do people need this no-holds-barred type of explanation?

...

I can see why people wouldn't jump on Second Life. I'd seen it advertised for months, and read the occasional article at the BBC, before looking at it, and I wouldn't have done so if it weren't for my husband getting interested. Turns out, it fits me very well.

There are so many things to do with our time, for those of us lucky enough to have disposable income and disposable time, that it's no surprise when something doesn't click. Something else will be along in a split second, if we pay attention.

Jumping in on a "hot prospect" though, is just an exercise in futility, if the prospect itself doesn't sing for you, without any alleged cachet or income. Chasing trends only for trendiness is exhausting, attention-deficit-enhancing *work.*

About mentioning it to friends; I was reading the Wiki one day early on and a colleague asked what I was looking at. I said "It's something called Second Life." She said, "Oh I heard about that on the news somewhere. Isn't that some sort of online Cult? " Now my Second life is strictly between me and myself.

I try to talk to my brother (one of my best friends, really) and his eyes just glaze over. Then one day I mentioned a friend in-game saw someone fly by on a crucifix (as in actual vehicle) and he laughed really hard. Thought I had him, until....

He: *wipes his eyes* "You don't actually pay for that, do you?"

Me: *dismissive hand gesture* Of COURSE not

(eep)

Me too except when I first tried it, I hated it and didn't go back for 2 years! I got all involved with Uru Live and when that got boring, started exploring to get my beautiful 3D graphics fix. Some surgery and downtime made me desperate for diversion and there it was! Second Life.

I thought "this won't last, I'll drop this when I'm recovered" but I'm all recovered now and starting a SL teaching career soon. Who woulda thought?

My friends screw up their face and their eyes start to glaze over everytime I speak of second life or anything related to computers at times. My relatives think I am insane for playing SL and most other MMORPG's as well and my mother is scared of the internet so as far a all this goes I"m the fool and they aren't from their perspective

I can see my dear departed Dad....."I paid for 6 years of College and she does this?"

I'm just bummed I missed the "You will respond" thread...

/me sniffles sadly

Reason enough why we Need an OT Forum. PLEASE.

I frequently Invite friends to Check out SL, i describe it to them, sometimes to thier confusion. I love the sparkle in thier eyes when they hear the game money they accumulate has a real world cash Value, Lol. I want people to have a look, But like Other posters here, I never tell them who i am here. My SL is just that, a second Life. I don't want to fill it with all the people from my first Life.

Angel.

Isn't it just a bit more fun when it's "against the rules"? That was a comical thread, and I hold my hand out to be slapped, fully admitting having enjoyed every minute of it. The pic of Gary Coleman and David Hasselhoff and the caption "Congratulations on your gay thread" really just did me in. There isn't a Linden in all of existence who didn't laugh out loud at that thread. Except maybe Ginsu. Eh, even he laughed at it. I'm sure of it. That was some quality off topic posting.

That thread was well worth a hand slapping. Some of the most fun I have had in a long time.

yea we need a off topic forum... but breaking the rules is just so much fun eh.

George Carlin always says suppressed laughter is the best, like when standing by the casket. I personally want to thank both Tracy and the Pissed off Nanny from this morning. They both should be enshrined in the SL Forum Hall of Fame.

Ahhah!! my old lady is also very scared of the internet... when i finally told her some stuff about SL and what I was paying for land she looked at me very serious: "It's the pyramid scheme !!!... Don't do that! Get away from it!!!"

She can't understand the fact people actually pay to have things that don't really exist. It's one hell of a concept. lol