At first I was a bit hesitant to sign up for a course in which we interact in a virtual environment (SL). My previous experiences in online environments (games, message boards) have been slightly less than hospitable. A good performance in a match is usually met with derogatory comment about my mother or some obscene sexual innuendo. Rarely do I receive a compliment about how well I played, instead I get something to the effect of "OMGWTF YOU A$$HOLE." Of course, I don't expect any of this behavior in a classroom environment, but it makes me wonder what leads to this type of behavior.
I think a large part of it has to do with the virtual environment itself. The fact that someone is represented by a jumble of pixels or a screenname makes it easy to forget that an actual person is behind that avatar. It can be quite easy to scream and yell for no reason at an inanimate object which won't react, but try doing that to an actual person. I think the virtual environment kind of breaks that social bond between people. It's no longer Bob conversing with Jane. It's a Wizard interacting with an Elf. It's CoolD00dBob77 chatting with SexyGirlXOXO. Instead of inanimate objects or real people we have something in between, and that seems to change the rules of social interaction. The lack of identity and responsibility online makes it much easier to do or say things that one would never consider in real life.
SL appears to regain part of that human factor. Each person has a first name and a last name, and appearances can be modified to be fairly realistic. People can buy land, sell and purchase items, and even speak (with a microphone) with other people. I think the voice aspect, if used, can bring a lot to the table. Now instead of just an image there is also the person's voice, and that brings the virtual character much closer to the real person. I think an interesting next step to this would be to use a picture of your own face for your avatar.
As we bring our virtual personas closer and closer to our real identities I believe it will carry with it more responsibility for one's actions. Hopefully we'll move away from anonymous flame wars to more constructive and realistic interactions.
2 comments:
Brandon, I agree that something about the social bond is changed in online interactions. I study social bonds and something is certainly different. I think accountability is part of it and SL has done something very wise by not allowing the changing of names. It holds people more accountbale for thier actions. In other situations, you can tell someone off for no reason, or no good one anyway, and then change your screen name/persona and reenter as another person. After all, when your prof or boss ticks you off, you don't call them an f-ing idiot to thier face because you would no longer have a job or class to worry about. There are consequences. No imagine if you could call them that, then dash otu the door and come in as a whole new person with no connection to the last that they dislike - more tempting, isn't it?
I think also, you have to look at the environment you've chosen to place yourself. For ninstance, Yahoo Spades meant comments like you mentioned, as did some occassions of Everquest, but I also post regularly on and AP (attachment parenting) bulletin board. In that situation, we're all Moms and Dads and we behave respectably. We argue with one another, and we dissagree often, but never with name calling. Just as nearly every city has a "bad part of town" so does the interenet. I think, however, the seedy side of the net seems to be larger in proportion than in RL. Although, I remember being 16 with Korn blaring from my car and seeing a kid in the car next to me. I immediately reached to turn the radio down. This was also the time period that the word Hell was only uttered after 9pm or during the Televangelist's tirade. I argue that this seedy side of Online Life is the step above where our society already is. The number of words my son has picked up in public are shocking. I can barely walk across campus without hearing the f word thrown out a few times. The sad thing is, I didn't even notice it until after I had a kid. I'm probably old fashioned, but hearing my child utter the f-word at 18 months was a little too much for me.
Well, there's my 2-cents.
I don't really think that "the seedy side of the net seems to be larger in proportion than in RL". I think what happens is the ease with which anybody can wonder even undetected into that "red district" or SMB dungeon. (yes, you can wear an "invisibility cloak in SL) without worry of being seem, mugged, infected and what not.
Think about it, the effort in RL to actually visit any place like that, let alone in the course of half an hour. So, my point is that in terms of percentages (this is a research topic as well) RL and SL share some close commonalities. Of course this is only my virtual gut feeling:-)
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