Thing 15: Online Gaming

Unfortunately, I couldn't get the needed plug-in to install for Pirate Puzzles. I was kind of looking forward to pumping bilge and then liftin' a tankard with me mateys. So I watched the video tour of SL library island instead. I realize that there are millions of players, all potential library users, in Second Life. But I'm finding it hard to understand the appeal. Personally, I find it a little disconnected from the tactile reality of first life. For me one of the benefits of owning land is being able to dig your fingers into the dirt of your garden, to feel sweat dripping off your nose as you paint your garage, to smell the lilacs, and sawdust, and dinner cooking. I'm not getting any of that in SL. Granted flying is cool; as is an avatar with tail and claws. But I felt more like a voyeur than a creator. At first glance, SL seems to be focused on buying stuff. I see libraries as a way for people to have collective ownership of things that we couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to purchase on our own. So perhaps there is a place for libraries in SL as a way to promote collective ownership of information in the midst of the marketplace. I think the possibilities are great. I would attend an author reading there, or a book discussion, but I suspect it would feel rather flat. I would miss looking into a person’s eyes. And I would miss not being able to glimpse underneath their carefully crafted veneer of avatar personality. But Second Life is fascinating.