Here's a little wake-up call for all us that think being inworld is kinda cool, from the venerable London Times Online we get this snarky insight into the future of virtual/online experience: "Of course, avatars are dolls, which must be ventriloquised by their cyber-parents."
Roger Scruton continues this line of reasoning with: "But the dolls are getting more realistic, and who knows, maybe soon they will be able to read each other’s body language, and begin to respond directly, presenting their watchful parents with moral dilemmas that they had never foreseen. The new “dream children” may soon possess all the attributes which their creators wish for but do not possess, and will be able to copulate in cyberspace with the dreams of other people, in a sterile caricature of erotic passion."
hmmm...maybe Roger is a Gorean?
<- *click*
(
Comments
Um... I really don't want to
Mon, 11/17/2008 - 18:33 — Crap Mariner (not verified)Um... I really don't want to think of what or who he is telegraphing his fantasies to in the British media.
Yeah it is an odd post from a
Mon, 11/17/2008 - 19:39 — RightAsRain RimbaudYeah it is an odd post from a professional newspaper--and I of course left a comment about how wrong this writer is...but looks like it got moderated out. Check this really lame pop-up they toss out after you make a comment below here. High volume--gee whiz, maybe Times Online should get some scalable comment software or something?
it sounds like he's saying
Mon, 11/17/2008 - 20:46 — Anonymous (not verified)it sounds like he's saying that my avatar will be having sex without me, while I'm offline, with partners it chooses independently.
somebody better start writing that std algorithm, and quick...
@ anony--but your av might
Mon, 11/17/2008 - 21:28 — RightAsRain Rimbaud@ anony--but your av might email you for more money
I think my typist is catching
Mon, 11/17/2008 - 21:55 — Shockwave (not verified)I think my typist is catching on that I'm sucking money out of their account. They don't I'm renting a nice flat in Bay City, and having parties on the SS Galaxy, after they log off..in fact...I'm OH! Damn.hang on, they have just come back..
pfft... I just read the
Mon, 11/17/2008 - 22:00 — LTBpfft... I just read the whole article-
the last paragraph made me really mad.
might as well include reading books and watching movies as pastimes of dubious morality, while you're at it.
in the meantime, someone should post greeters at the info-hubs for the next week or so to direct the influx of pervy curiosity seekers that this wave of media attention seems to have inspired.
http://taterunino.net/statistical%20graphs.html
(thanks to Pavig for the link)
Just sell them stuff... :)
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 18:57 — Vint FalkenI disagree with the keeping those curiosity seekers out. Let's do to them what any self-respecting nation does to tourist? Sell them stuff, lots of it! Get them the most expensive skins, if need be, even let them pay for freebies. Can't help to use them for the benefit of the SLeconomy? ;)
(Because we do need ... aargh, looking for the English terminilogy... well, we could use a trade deficit? More incoming money than outgoing? ;))
Dubious interest is still interest
Tue, 11/18/2008 - 22:12 — Ravin LunaseaSay what you will about negative press; it's still press. Every time one of these journalists posts something about Second Life, there's an influx of interested noobs... just last weekend, there was a HUGE influx of noobs at all of the Help Islands partly because of a news story about someone getting divorced in real life because of real-or-perceived cheating in Second Life, and probably other press. The Second Life Mentor group chats were flooded with requests for additional mentors at the Help Islands, and for interpreters for noobs speaking Spanish and Italian and Portuguese and all kinds of stuff. I went there for awhile on Saturday night to help and there were noobs EVERYWHERE. While I would ideally like to see this kind of influx for positive news stories about Second Life, negative press still at least gets the word out there and gives people incentive to log in and see what it's all about. Quite a few regulars may have started out that way!
London Times climbing on the Bashwagon?
Wed, 11/19/2008 - 02:52 — Isle Lunasea"copulate in cyberspace with the dreams of other people, in a sterile caricature of erotic passion."
Methinks Roger envisions himself as a literal master... (as in words, not Gor... but what a fine line .. a slave to prose.. )
I too am surprised by the overtly negative attitude.. also by the 'avatar as child' logic. I do not see myself as a glowing and benevolent parent, gently pushing my self/child into the great and wonderful future of cyber reality. Hell no, that av is me, sucker, and that new flexi hair and great Crimson Shadow outfit is All Mine.
Raven, I agree with the press bit, if it brings people, all the better...but I would certainly like to see a more positive spin also. But in reality, good news just doesn't sell as well as sex, broken homes, and fear mongering in the form of addiction and doubts. I have been working on funding for a SL development project, (NPO) and apparently my little town was rife with rumours of my working on something nefarious involving gaming, porn and warfare. People like to huddle about and whisper negative things (or read them, ...or write them to be read) to ensure themselves that they themselves are above such actions. Oh dear, am I now guilty of hating on the haters? Sorry. Not hating, just tired of ignorance and negativity.
Maybe Roger should jump before judging, and get to know some of the many wonderfully creative, giving and supportive people that fill Second Life. Maybe another article would be written.
Post new comment