Spoiled by Second Life?

I'm very aware of the fact that patience is not a quality I possess. This was a problem in my first few minutes in Heritage Key. I had specific places I wanted to go, like the Nile River and became frustrated when I couldn't get there right away. While trying to find my way, I checked out the different layers of King Tut's sarcophagus. I enjoyed seeing the differences between each layer and the audio was very informative. However, in attempts to sit in front of one layer in order to take a picture, I ended up in some virtual space that had nothing to do with King Tut (pictured below). I'm not sure where I was or why I couldn't fly out of the area, but I do know that I had to teleport home and begin my journey once again. My ride on the hot air balloon may seem like it would be relaxing, but I would have much rather simply teleported to the location I was headed.

Despite my initial frustration, I finally found a place I could choose where I teleported. I'm glad I found this before I gave up on finding the Nile River. Once at the Nile I flew around looking at the different animals. Hippos, ostriches, and alligators all sat around in the area added to the river setting by making it seem more real. The plant life also captured nature in a way that I have not yet experienced in a virtual world. After exploring the area I went in a building and was able to change my clothing into Egyptian looking clothes which put me more into character and made my trip that much more enjoyable. Once I get more familiar with Heritage Key I'm hoping it will become easier to maneuver and I will be able to enjoy the cites and information more than in my initial experience.

Storytelling Experience

I've come to realize that I need to expect the unexpected while logged into Second Life. When I heard the title "Story Hour: West of Ireland's Shandon Loring" I expected to see something much different than what took place. The word "Ireland" automatically made me think that there would be a man dressed in Celtic attire, maybe cracking a beer while he told his story in a dim lit bar. Boy was I far off! When the space ship arrived and an alien creature walked out I laughed out loud at how different this event was than what I had pictured in my head. Shandon's voice was the only thing that was exactly what I had expected. I was worried that since he was storytelling via Second Life there would be a disconnection from the audience, but his humor and the interactive chat during the performance made for a unique experience. Definitely not one that I would have had in the real world!

This also was the first time I had been around a fairly large group of avatars. I had another preconceived notion that some of the avatars would be rude and uninviting. I had this terrible scenario in my head that I wouldn't be able to figure out how to turn on the sound in Second Life and no one would help me, therefore causing me to miss the event. Again, I was completely wrong. The exact opposite occurred actually. As soon as I arrived I was greeted and felt very welcomed. I was also given a very organized instruction sheet on how to turn my sound on in the appropriate manner. That wasn't all though; once the storyteller arrived he was sure to ask numerous times if we were able to hear him. I suppose this makes sense because he would want anyone attending to be able to hear his performance, but it put me at ease and made me realize if I had needed help it would not have been hard to find. The more I experience Second Life, the more I can learn form my experiences and allow my ideas about it to change and develop.

*Special thanks to Ignatius Onomatopoeia for the photograph

Second Life Field Trip

I've always been a fan of hearing stories. Whether they are made up, folklore, or true, they are very entertaining. There are so many different ways to tell a story. People can share their stories and experiences in any way they choose, which makes story telling expressive and much like an art form. My love for stories made me want to attend the story telling of "The Lifeboat Mutiny" by Shandon Loring. This particular story sounds especially interesting because in the description it describes a "lifeboat that runs amok". This indicates to me that there will be humor in the story. Who doesn't love a funny story? I hope not only to be entertained, but also to learn from this event how stories can be told in a Second Life atmosphere. Is it possible to still engage with the audience when the storyteller is only virtually present? I think its possible but it seems it could be more of a challenge. The audience would not feel rude getting up and walking away from their computers when they might have stayed because they felt obligated at a real life story telling event.

In addition to learning about and experiencing the actual event, I'm interested in observing others that also are attending. I love to "people watch" and haven't been able to do that yet on Second Life. Having more people go to this event would enhance the experience so I'm hoping there will be others there. I'm excited to see if once the storytelling is over if discussion occurs between the avatars on whether they enjoyed the performance or not.

Scavenger Hunt Part II

Have you ever met anyone that doesn't like to travel and go new places? Some may not enjoy the trip to the place they are headed due to traffic or airplane fears, but once on location it would be hard to have a bad time when in a place of interest. In Second Life travel time isn't even an issue because of teleporting. One of the places I traveled was the Garden Center below, which is just a store of various flowers and plants, but it wasn't such a terrible place to travel once I found these beautiful waterfalls. Some people spend their lives traveling and experiencing new places in the real world as well as in Second Life.





Despite the love for travel, I don't know if I would be able to do it all the time. After a long trip I love the feeling of coming home. Sleeping in my own bed, bathing in my own shower, and spending time with my friends and family. Knowing this, it causes me to ask, is there a place avatars call home? It seems to me if you spend all your time going from place to place, especially if you were online for an extended period of time, it would be discomforting to not have a "home-base". The closest place I can call home on Second Life is Iggy's Office or the University of Richmond area. What is it though that makes these places seem like home to me?





I have not been in these places for any longer than any other place, so that cannot be why they seem like home. There is no place for me to sleep, or a space of my own either so that can't be the answer. It might be because I've been there when first starting Second Life and I know these areas are safe places. Knowing that I might run into other classmates here also helps bring the friendship aspect of home to Second Life. However, it is hard for me to believe that it is possible to have a home in Second Life and in that sense it is not Second Life, but rather "Second Traveling Life". When a gamer wants to go home, they just log their avatar offline. Despite the great traveling that can be done on Second Life it seems to be lacking in sense that there is no real way to go home when online.