Thinking Big

I can almost understand why people can become deeply involved in Second Life. I was certainly impressed by the scope & detail of the creation I saw today. I find it more than a little difficult to comprehend the appeal of   Galaxwiki however – & I am a  walking Science Fiction encyclopedia.

Of course, it doesn’t matter if it appeals to me, as long it appeals to enough people to make it viable. What interests me is the question of how on Earth (or off it) to characterise such a thing.

Is it a social networking site, a game, or a shared fantasy world (well… universe)? It is certainly computer mediated. It is also a form of communication, in that it is a collaborative project. But why is it? It serves no discernible practical purpose… but then again neither do art, or music.

The best I can come up with is that Galaxwiki is a sophisticated form of imaginative play that appeals to people who need more order in their lives than  the real world allows – pure recreation, with maybe a tinge of therapy. Second Life has a similar appeal, but more scope for practical applications – for example virtual lecture halls.

Is the degree of involvement required to make a substantial contribution to a Virtual world unhealthy, or obsessive? I wouldn’t have the focus & patience to create anything substantial, but then again, not everyone is like me (stop cheering at the back). People with a need for some absolute order in their lives may benefit from such an enterprise – & be happier IRL for the effort.

A good answer to the Jibe “get a life” might be ” I have one, & my virtual world enhances it.”

Virtual world, real symptoms

First off, you may want to follow these links about an unforeseen consequence of the earning of  ‘money’ online. They lead to BBC News & the short Story ‘Adna’s Game’ from Cory Doctorow’s collection  Overclocked”

Secondly, I have just found that I can’t spend more than about 15 minutes moving around Second Life without feeling queasy. If I stick with it, I start getting a headache & feel sick.

I had the same problem years ago, playing “Doom” with me mate’s kids. It gets especially bad when I ‘look around’ 360 degrees, but just walking around eventually builds up to nausea. Sitting very close to the screen brings it on faster.

Apparently, early virtual reality helmets made some people sick too, because the environmental rendering lagged behind their head movements, confusing the vestibular system. Since the only natural reason for this is food poisoning, your body wants to empty your stomach as a precaution, & you feel sick. I suspect I am experiencing the same sort of thing.

Having more than the one conversation I managed to save today may consequently take a while. I will post them here as I go along – please bear with me.