Do We HAVE To Use Voice??

Think of the new opportunities voice provides for griefing! Hook up your audio output to the mike input, and play annoying sounds the entire time! I've suggested on an other forum that Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" should be IDEAL for the purpose.

I never said v-chatters are judgemental elitist jerks. If ppl wanna use voice, they should. I have reasons not to as I already explained...that's all.

Mandy C

I wont be using voice. I have a young child and most of my time on SL is when he is asleep, so me chatting away in the evenings could easily wake him. The headphones would probably get broken too in his waking time.

Sl is not a rollplaying or "hiding" game for everyone.

Some of us like to use it as an extension of our RL selves and like our avis to completely reflect the real us.

Headphones are also quite useful when you have small children sleeping.

way back in my There days (I was iSpy in There btw) some one had a cordless headset on and forgot it was on and had gone to the restroom and..... I do not need to say more.
we all was ROFL!!

I for one am going to use voice I loved using in There and do miss it.
but it's up to you if you like to use it are not..

I actually agree with a lot of your post. Ive broken it down becuase I have coments on various things though.



What I find Ironic is the main reason that non-voicers will be assumed to be hiding (the gender bending pretending) is the one reason with a technical solution (voice changers).

There will come a day when gender benders are easily able to voice, while those with other reasons not to voice will not be able to.

Before that realization sets in a lot of people will be assumed to be hiding something when they are not, while quite a few who are hiding something will be voicing right along.

I wonder when they are going to come out with a technical solution to being married.



Becuase unlike many think - the voice issue in Second Life is hardly new. Many who are defensive have ALREADY been accused of hiding things in the past, and dont look forward to being accused more often when voice is grid wide.

Being accused of stuff you are not guilty of is demeaning. While its true that those people who make blanket assumptions might not be worth your time, many people do not have the sort of personality where they can easily shrug it off.



This is very true - At least you are honest about it.

In most voice discussions people like to ignore this fact and thus dismiss concerns. This is another reason people seem to be "overly defensive" on the forums becuase when they comment about the fact that they WILL be assumed to be hiding something their concerns have repeatedly been dismissed.

The fact is on a limited scale people already Skype, team speak, ventrillo - and the assumptions already take place.

Universal voice will just spread it grid wide.



this is true - many pro- voicers already voice, voice already exists. A LOT of the social changes reguarding voice already take place on small scales in parts of the grid.

Im realy confused by the people who say to others "how do you know you wont like voice unless youve tried it?" when someone points out reasons for not wanting to voice.

Like Voice is some brand new internet invention or something. LOL. I was voice chating on Apache in 1998.

Now I understand people saying that when someone's worried about the current way its implimented. That makes sense. If someone's worried how voice will WORK in SL, they should try it first before forming their opinion.

But to have an opinion on voice for reasons that have nothing to do with the SL version of voice - such as the social implications, It doesnt require trying it.

Any furry that doesn't use voice is probably hiding the fact they're human IRL!

I've already dealt with guys sleezing on my avatar after they've heard my voice in the beta grid.

bleh.

I'm going to leave it off most of the time, and only voice with people I like.

LOL

*puts one of the cats on stand by and hopes it meows when the mic is on*

Yeah, heard some of that earlier today. Sad really.


Men, women use the internet too. And they usually like to be left alone.

One of my good friends in SL is deaf in RL, so no, I will not be using voice.

No, you don't 'have' to use voice. People will just assume you're a minor or a crossplayer. Just like you don't /have/ to use sculpties. Just won't be commercially competitive. No big deal!

I haven't tried Cliff Diving or Bungee jumping , but I know it doesn't interest me. That doen't mean I think it's bad. There has been some wild speeculation on this issue, yes, but mostly on the social ramifications. These will have to be seen when it all plays out. But many have given REASONS, not excusues why they are interested in the feature. Many have tried voice in other games and don't care for it, I haven't, I've never played any online game before. Some don't have the equipment, I don't have a headset or microphone, don't see the need to buy one. Some use SL in common areas, family rooms or even work, so speaking may be disurbing to others, not everyone is in their Mom's basement , some ARE hiding their identity, having had horrible experiences from online relationships, and some are playing fantasy characters, either different gender, or species. So what? Some seem really bothered by the fact that they aren't talking to the "real" person behind the avatar, seems a bit paranoid to me.
I agree that Voice Enabling isn't the end of the world (I think sculpties are . It's a feature that we can use if we want. But if even if your belief that all non voicers are whiny, afraid of change, deceptive complainers, so be it. You don't have to "listen" to them. And for the record I went to the Beta, and tried listening only, since i don't have a microphone. I'm still not interested in using it.

Rampant speculation BUT -


Lets combine some Linden "posiblities" about verification

Age/ General Location / Gender

With Voice chat.

And the Avater Skin Graft technology.


Then speculate about a subject like - SL relationships.


It kind of makes SL dating a LOT more like a Eharmony MMOG ... Doesnt it?

I'm sure eventually that is where it will wind up, the 3dInternet/Metaverse thingie. People will do everything without leaving their homes, or basements. Doesn't sound appealing to me but whatever. Untill then, I like the Fantasy aspect of SL. When that leaves, so will I.

Donkey laughing, throat clearing, heavy breathing, whistle noses, TV, screaming kids, domestic disputes, dropped mics, horrible singers... remember folks, if you don't want to deal with any of that, you must be hiding something! No no, letting the family sleep at 2 AM doesn't count. Having a migraine doesn't count. Being deaf doesn't count. Having a hot female voice and not wanting to be hassled doesn't count. You MUST be hiding something EVIL and you MUST be shamed!

haha... I think I might put up a shop for a voice changer! =p

Any lady that feels the need to hide their beautiful voice so that they don't get bombarded by *those questions* can mention this ad and get a discount.

What if LL introduces inworld webcam displays? If you opt out of that, are you ugly or underage? Wait, that's not a question, we're going to automatically assume you're ugly and/or underage because you won't use the webcam feature. If you're afraid of you or your family being stalked, TOO BAD. Have limited bandwidth? TOO BAD. You must be UGLY and/or UNDERAGED.

That will happen, too. But I dont think it will be as bad.

The main difference is more people will be affected by webcam - they wont want to be seen. Including a huge number of those who are voice advocates now.

Its like the Wiretapping thing in the US - a lot of people dont see how it affects them personally, so they cant identify with the issue.

With voice - a lot of people dont see how it affects them personally, so they cant identify with the issue.

With cam- a lot of people WILL be able to see how it affects them personally thus they will identify with the issue.

CamFrog is a webcam world with the good and bad. Usually on the more adult areas they have watchers that make people show face or be kicked from the area. That is not the best age verification system. Some people look older or younger.

Phil already thought of that and wants to go a step further: grafting your RL appearance onto your SL avie.

YAY! No more constantly tweaking trying to make my av face and my rl face match

Webcam is awesome for those that like to sign (ASL). It's kinda like having the voice option.

(Dramatization: this is not about the Original Poster or his Mother.. Im sure hes an altar boy or something upstanding)

Just wait till your RL mom finds you in that Strip Club/Kasino/Kaeroke/tiddlywinks place.

"Munchkin is that you? what are you doing in a place like this?"

"MOM ! .. wait what are you doing here?" *looks* "UM --- WHY DO YOU WORK HERE MOM?!!! and put some clothes ON!!"

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...some people are simply not going to want to look so much like their RL selves they are identifyable.

Thats for sure.