Theory of Relativity…

I avoided science courses like the plague when I was in school, so if you got here looking for some explanation of Albert Einstein‘s Theory of Relativity, you might want to go back and give your search engine a good kick.  My reasons for avoiding science were a little complicated.  One reason was that my father worked in the sciences and steering clear was a some sort of act of rebellion (I know I was stupid, but I’ll plead teenager as an excuse).  Another reason was that I convinced myself I wasn’t that good at them.  And the final reason was that the sciences seemed all about finding certain answers when I much preferred things to be gray and a little fuzzy.  I now know that none of these reasons were good or exactly true.  So while I’ve developed a greater appreciation for science, it still isn’t my thing but I am very grateful for those who find excitement in the subject.

Like my appreciation for science, my perspective on identity in Second Life has shifted over time.  For my first months, the Great Wall of Lanna stood between my first and second lives with very few facts about my first life clamoring over to anyone.  As time has gone on and I’ve gotten to know people, I’ve elected to share more of my first life and, in some instances, share identifying first life details.  I know that my experience of shifting my identity boundaries is hardly unique.  But this post isn’t really about the fact that I’ve gotten more comfortable about sharing my first life, but that boundaries that we choose to put on our identity in Second Life is hardly a fixed concept.   Not just for ourselves, but for everyone around us; and that is where the fun comes in.  How do we choose to relate to people given all of our different identity boundaries in-world?

Can you relate to this?  Then read more after the jump!

Once upon a time…

It seems that almost everyone with a personal blog about Second Life tries to explain their take on what makes the world magical at one time or another.  Which makes great sense to me because isn’t trying to find some sort of meaning part of what any life is all about?  Now I can almost hear you saying “Stop.  Wait.  Please Lanna, don’t tell me that you’re going to try to define the magic of Second Life.”  Well, the answer to that question is: kinda, sorta, um, not really?  I guess you’ll just have to keep reading to figure out if I can dig out of the hole I just made for myself.

I believe that much of Second Life is like a fable.  There is no question that my Second Life is a fantastic tale full of good, evil (okay, evil might be an overstatement, but there have been some not-so-nice types that I have run across), talking animals, visible and Invisible Cities, enchanted forests, and moral points to reflect upon.  The only real difference between SL and a traditional fable is that one needs to reflect on his or her experience to find the meaning; there isn’t a pithy maxim that is wrapped up and handed to you with a pretty ribbon.  Personally, my fable has been full of lessons of balance, trust, growth, expression, relationships and loving.  And more keep coming.

Let’s be clear about one point.  Just because I’m making the parallel of Second Life as a fable doesn’t mean that I’m suggesting that experiences aren’t real.  What I am saying is that there are real opportunities to grow and learn if you take the time to step back and reflect on what the actual and metaphorical experiences mean.   In short, I believe that much of the power of Second Life is how you define it for yourself and what you choose to learn.

So yes, I do think about Second Life as a fable (either that, or a David Lynch film, I haven’t exactly decided yet) that gives us opportunities to learn powerful lessons that can apply to both our first and second lives.  But is that really describing the magic of Second Life?  No, that is something you get to decide for yourself.  So be a faun or a robot and take time to create beautiful things, but I also hope that you take the time to find some of the other magic that SL has to tell you and you alone.

So dear readers, any parables that you have learned from your Second Life and are willing to share?

Would you like fries with that?

Well, there was a much bigger gap between posts than I intended, but my first life got particularly busy.  More to come soon, I promise!!!

I can’t shake the belief that Linden Lab is starting to see the people who use Second Life as customers rather than Residents. Why do I think this? We all know the changes that Linden Lab has undergone in the past months; sweeping changes in management, new sets of standards for communication, zoning changes and consistent comments about growth targets.  Change can be good.  So can growth.  And being seen as customers may not be a bad thing, but I find myself wondering if there is an understanding of the “world” aspect to this virtual world and the community that comes with it.

From the outset, Second Life users have been called Residents.  Being a Resident implies having rights and responsibilities while being a customer implies responsive, reliable service. Being a Resident AND a customer is not mutually exclusive and I truly hope that Linden Lab agrees, but I’m just not sure.  This shift is potentially a challenging one and, if Linden Lab isn’t careful, strips the implicit social contract of a world where user-created content is highly valued to a world that attracts a greater volume of people who come along for the ride.

Let’s be clear here, Linden Lab is a business that is trying to grow and be profitable. They’ve invested in developing the product, making capital purchases, and marketing; in other words, they can do what they please. I really do hope they grow and continue to be successful, yet I have a sinking feeling that they’ve engaged in a complex calculus of changes that they know will result in the loss of some Residents but would be offset by the increased revenue from more customers. As Second Life grows, will Residents really have a role in shaping the world through rich content and creation of communities?

I would love to see Linden Lab start to make moves that show they understand the culture of Second Life while having an eye toward growth. Toward this end, Linden Lab could benefit from  public policy type approaches to problem solving in Second Life. Some possibilities include holding a series of moderated community conversations where key topics could be discussed. There could also be open working groups developed to create solutions to some of the more significant problems. There may even be ways to capitalize on the tremendous amount of social networking on web 2.0 platforms that takes place among Second Life residents. What is most important is that these processes are transparent and open with opportunities to foster real dialogue. The more we can find ways to bridge our gaps and frustrations, the more likely it will be that we’ll preserve a feeling of shared ownership among Residents and see the idea of Second Life being “our world” that is build on “our imagination” come to fruition.

The possibilities of Second Life are just beginning to be realized and there is so much more to see from here.  I hope we find ways as Residents to remind Linden Lab of what people have chosen to invest in Second Life before we find ourselves having someone like Mayor McCheese requiring us to super-size our accounts.  What do you think?