To date, I don't hang out in SL much. I think it had been about three months or so since I had logged in. (I couldn't make our class meeting, but I logged in the following morning to see if anyone was around). I had logged in looking for Neil. I could not reach him by text, cell, or iChat. Before that, it may have been 8 months or so between logins.
You see, I don't really know what to do in Second Life. Or rather, Second Life doesn't really appeal to me. Don't get me wrong, I like to attend professional events and meet faculty and students on Catamount island, but I not so sure about the rest of the virtual world. I'm just not that into it yet. In fact, the outfit I wear in SL is the stock outfit my Avitar came with. I have done precious little customization.
This might surprise some that know me in Real Life. I am generally outspoken, outgoing, and dare I say loud and opinionated at times. Online, it's a whole different story. With "the world watching," I am constantly considering my career goals and how my actions would be interpreted by a boss or potential employer. I do not cuss on Facebook, I do not air my emotional dirty laundry on Twitter, and it was not until this semester that I started loosening up a bit with YouTube and blogging. I reglarly Google myself to see what comes up. When it comes to virtual environments I am much more private than I am in real life. That's why I'm ambivalent about gallivanting around SL for fun. If it's not a professional event or meeting, I'm just not that into it.
Basically, I don't know anyone who uses SL regularly; therefore I don't. Don't get me wrong. I see the potential. Watching IBM workers forging strong working relationships on Digital Nation thrilled me. The implications for distance learning are fast becoming a reality as classrooms and labs are being built across SecondLife. But it takes more than one person to build a world and to make education in a virtual world work. I guess I just haven't found my tribe yet...
They key with SL is that you do need a reason to be there- it's definitely social media, if you find a tribe, you can get sucked in. Alternatively, there are many galleries and museums that are great learning environments. For me it's a more interesting variant on skype and other forms of chat- you can still do voice, chat, group chat, etc... but mix that with the sense of "being there".
ReplyDeleteFrom the friday night lecture: two things it's good for: communication and simulation. Why it works: Proximity and emotional investment.
Cheers,
d.i.