Week 6 - Post

Apologies for the tardiness of this post!  This week has been full of Senior Project composing and thus, my Second Life time has been severely limited.  That being said, this week, for the time I was able to enter the world, I confronted users with the fact that the only reason I was among them was for research.  The majority of the populace treated this with indifference, with a few even asking how the project was going.  Very few of the people I talked to reacted with hostility or anger, and the few that did calmed down after venting and falsely assuming that I was in there to judge them.

I had asked Valkyrie previously if she thought differently of me because of the project, and she replied in the negative.  What I gathered from this experience is that everyone has their own reasons for being in the environment, much like anyone you would encounter in a store.  Some work there, some are just shopping, some are trying to meet new people, and others, like me, are conducting research.  I encountered one person who was doing research for a psychology project.  Given the amount of difficulty I have had in adapting to this world, in the name of a social project, I can't even begin to fathom how it is for him, picking the brains of those around him.

With my research coming to a close, I have determined that for most people, their behavior is almost identical to their real life personae, especially with those utilizing the voice chat.  For others, it gives them the chance to be more bold, aggressive, or even violent, without fear of repercussions or retaliation.  However, not all actions are without consequence.  The world of Second Life is largely unmoderated, however, players can report others for being offensive, and this may result in a temporary or permanent ban from Second Life.  It can also be assumed, that players being bullied within the community may also report this to authorities if the need arises, though the vast majority of people I have encountered have been quite courteous, or even silent.  The community in Second Life is well formed and very tight knit, but newcomers appear to always be welcome.

-DM