Comments on: Grid and Bare It (Part II)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 05:56:00 +0000

This piece reminds me of the way it used to refer to Second Life as a virtual world of infinite possibilities of communication and learning back in my college courses … which is doubly funny because yesterday and today, it just never really used as a route to the skin of virtual sex. But again, what happened to the Habbo Hotel also …
Games for Adults

By: the_microwaveman

the_microwaveman — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 19:50:00 +0000

If I had heard of you when you posted this, I would’ve responded earlier. Sorry for being so late to the game :-(

When I’m on second life, I like to script(which is the bastard child of c++ and java), chat, listen to live singers and comedians, watch people wrestle WWE-style, user created carnivals and play games with people..like Greedy! If you can’t build or script, there are places that will teach you…some for free. Hell, I could teach you to script for free lol! There are tons of things to in SL besides cyber.

By: Johnny Am

Johnny Am — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 02:53:00 +0000

Second Life was great fun when I first tried it way back in 2005. I joined because my friend made me an account and I would hang out with her and all the friends from a forum we frequented. It was an interesting transition for me because I was leaving The Sims Online (another no-point mmo) and entering SL was just kind of refreshing. Having a Box on your head as you try to figure out how to buy clothes, thinking my Vincent Valentine outfit was amazing, watching illegally streamed movies in world at blue stone movie theater and jewelry. Those awkward poseballs for sex, dancing, just about anything were typically hilarious. They’ve improved amazingly when I went back this year to check out how the game was after 3-4 years away. The child avie bit you mentioned though completely shocked me. Probably the first time I’ve been shocked by a SL related story. The bestiality was nothing new, one stop at xcite and you can see the weird shit you an buy. But child avie sex I never once thought of and I think that’s good. I’m glad to know i’m not as insane as some other people. Child Avatars always creep me out anyway and that just kinda backs up that notion. Very interesting blog read minus the portion my brain got stuck on out of disgust hehe – some people.

By: Filip_Z

Filip_Z — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:23:17 +0000

Yo Scarlett.
Since yer Spoony's gal, i figure you know a bit about roleplaying. For the last year or so i've been roleplaying on secondlife. Its really great. Freeform rp. Thats something you can do with your spare time if you want to use secondlife for something other than wandering around.

By: Seijin Roo

Seijin Roo — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:17:19 +0000

Well, it is sad to hear you are giving up on SL, but I suppose given your experiences with it I can't say I'm surprised.

It IS possible to get by quite well without pumping RL money into it though. In fact, the account you made in 2003 should have been receiving a free L$150 a week. It doesn't translate into a lot of monetary value, but every little bit helps.

At any rate, I still extend my offer to come hang out in SL. I promise, I'm not one of these people out to cyber like 99% of the population seems to be.

By: aaronodeneau

aaronodeneau — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:10:02 +0000

wow i know someone on second life they are always trying to get me on there too. i might go there someday but meh i don't know. i agree with you that the idea of a virtual world where we could go anywhere or do anything with a fully customizeable avatar is splendid. too bad exucution needs work. cause ever since i watched the movie gamer i've been intreged with how a true-to-life simular where you pay to do anything you want with your avatar would be incredible. but i think it would just lead to interweb 2.0 we'd all meet and chat and talk and fuck virtualy then we'd want to meet only to find that we've been secretly humping a frumpy fat old man who wears depends.

but the idea could evolve rather then devo ,into something where we could have a mental screening and set up a world to our specs and surround ourselves with like minded people. but for now the technology and the mental age of the general population just isn't there yet. oh well a boy can dream can't he.

By: Scarlett

Scarlett — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:08:49 +0000

Really good points, Jacob. And you're right – Second Life has truly devolved into a place where everything costs money (the real life kind) and most of the cash is just for vanity purposes, not for anything that will ultimately bring you enrichment.

There was one place in SL that I really enjoyed, and it could always be counted on to be populated with interesting, witty people. It was a little cafe called Open Latte in Mill Pond, and was probably my favorite place simply due to the interesting folks it attracted. But then, as so often happens, some random SL dramaz inspired the sim owner to shut the whole thing down. Nothing good lasts forever, it seems – not even in a virtual world! =P

By: Jacob Z

Jacob Z — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:10:36 +0000

Very interesting article, Scarlett, because I actually played Second Life several years ago, and I remembered calling it a “big, deserted wasteland that you have to pay for” because EVERY SINGLE THING costed money, required a membership, or was just deserted, probably because well…everyone got bored. Also porn. Lots and lots of “pose ball” pretty pathetic pr0nz, that you had to pay for as well. :(

Come to think of it, most social-interaction games tend to fail miserably. People play games to have fun, not talk about boring stuff or do the devs' idea of “hanging out” all the time. Though cybering is still funny, like in Habbo Hotel, where I remember having “sex” was basically just sleeping in someone's bed with them, and just laying there saying “im totally having sexx wit u lolololol”.

By: Scarlett

Scarlett — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:18:51 +0000

Ooh, another fan of The Office, I see! Yep, I remember the context of the line, but I love the fact that Dwight had (and still has) an avatar – totally classic, and completely legit for his character! It's too bad they never do anything with the in-world Dunder Mifflin Paper Co group. I joined up hoping I might at least meet some cool Office fans, but no dice. Another disappointment, which is par for the course for Second Life these days!

By: Scarlett

Scarlett — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:17:20 +0000

I've heard of Habbo Hotel once or twice, but have no idea what it was … I'm assuming something very similar to Second Life? Likewise, when SL first launched in 2003, it was being hailed as a truly revolutionary way for people to connect in a virtual world; where people could learn and create and form friendships and have a really rewarding experience. It sounds totally cheesy now, but at the time it really felt possible.

… Then all the Yahoo Chat rejects showed up and sullied the place with their ravenous sexual appetites. I'm no prude, but you're right about the furries sex – and that's amongst the tamest of the varieties! :-P