First Life

I've been reading a wonderful book by Tim Guest called Second Lives, already published in the UK and being released March, 2008 in the US. The title should clue you in to the topic. This book is not only about Second Life but other virtual worlds as well. It is not a puff piece nor a basher. He finds the joy and the dark side of virtual worlds, both from the user and the entrepreneurial point of view. Most importantly, he finds the obsessive nature of the virtual lifestyle along with the financial risks -- both virtual and real -- spending time in these environments can take up.

It's likely you've seen headlines about just how much time is spent in these universes, Many folk are putting more than 15 hours a week into their virtual selves; often to the detriment of their primary lives.



Being a computer user since the early 80's and no stranger to computer games, I'd been in MUDs and similar virtual environments before they were graphic. I did not hang out too long in the fantasy shared universes where your house was no more than text though I was, and am, a great fan of text adventure games. But the idea of chatting around pretending to be a hobbit held little amusement for long, especially when I could go to a Bulletin Board Service (BBS) and share opinions about restaurants, books and movies. Sometimes a small group would get online and watch a movie from our individual homes, chatting MST3K-style long before such a program was conceived.

But there came a time when I got a perspective on all this. I'd been inhabiting Ultima Online for a couple of months and had acquired a nice little cottage replete with reagents -- stuff used to create magic spells, that I probably could have sold in the real world for a hundred bucks or so. There are rules regarding ethics and the like. In town people (or whatever they may be) have to behave reasonably well. You can't just slay someone and steal their stuff, unless that someone strikes first. Then all's fair. I was fooled into striking someone who'd pulled a sword on me with a 'Have At You!' kinda attitude, but I struck first. Of course I was being baited by a far more experienced player who had great strength and then slew me without a thought. As I reincarnated on the spot, I realized he had the key to my precious house, and was looting it for all it was worth. I could do naught. I was 40-something years old and in a rage. So much so that I wasn't paying much attention to what was on the TV in the same (real) room as my body.

I wanted to tell my partner about the indignities I was was suffering, but she was engrossed watching BBC news. There was a story about people somewhere in Central America who were coming down a mountainside to get medical supplies, food and fresh water, The had to carry their mattresses with them, else they were likely to be stolen upon their return to the tent village. Games are games and can be entertaining and sometimes even fulfilling, but the point at which we rail against the gods, piss into the wind, or even just give ourselves an excuse to indulge in anxiety about about a fantasy world, shared or not, is not only self-defeating in terms of entertainment, but wacko when compared to the reality so many people face on a daily basis.

I understand the saving grace of these existences. Tim Guest says it helps people feel together when they feel so alone. He also sees the fun and the dark side of these realms. Further, I do understand that quite a few people (not just the Lindens or owners of other purveyors of online worlds) make money -- sometimes gobs of it -- by providing goods or services within virtual worlds, But there are limits to what is healthy, and people are obsessing in these places even more than some do with text messaging and chat rooms.

My advice for most folk is to try to get a first life first. Then see if a second life befits you, and be sure to buy yourself a virtual -- or real -- alarm clock when it's time to return.