http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2007/08/10/second-life-pushes-the-boundaries-of-monogamy/ Exploring How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything Sun, 28 Aug 2011 14:21:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2007/08/10/second-life-pushes-the-boundaries-of-monogamy/comment-page-1/#comment-27644 Sarah "Intellagirl" Robbins Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:40:42 +0000 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2007/08/10/second-life-pushes-the-boundaries-of-monogamy/#comment-27644 Quite the interesting story but not a surprising one. I think what is really surprising is that there are critics of virtual spaces who dismiss Second Life and spaces like it as empty voids that have no real meaning and then turn to point to stories like these which, I believe, are proof that real emotions are invested in avatars, hence the space isn't one void of meaning but simply one invested with meaning that outsiders might not understand. I'm not advocating or admonishing this kind of use of a virtual world, that's not my place, but I think it's important that we understand that even folks who log on for escape (which most critics dismiss as a trivial use) are deeply attached not only to the escape but to their fellow travelers in the virtual space. There's something important going on in these spaces. Something I hope we'll learn to understand better in the near future. Intellagirl Quite the interesting story but not a surprising one. I think what is really surprising is that there are critics of virtual spaces who dismiss Second Life and spaces like it as empty voids that have no real meaning and then turn to point to stories like these which, I believe, are proof that real emotions are invested in avatars, hence the space isn’t one void of meaning but simply one invested with meaning that outsiders might not understand.
I’m not advocating or admonishing this kind of use of a virtual world, that’s not my place, but I think it’s important that we understand that even folks who log on for escape (which most critics dismiss as a trivial use) are deeply attached not only to the escape but to their fellow travelers in the virtual space. There’s something important going on in these spaces. Something I hope we’ll learn to understand better in the near future.
Intellagirl

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