Where Do We Go After Second Life?

 Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.

Matthew 25:13

 

          Recently, I read an article in the blog of another blogger whose work I enjoy greatly and have considerable respect for.  (Yes, I do read the competition!  I’m not that insecure!)

          Canary Beck and her article is entitled What would you do if Second Life disappeared overnight?  (See, I told you that I wasn’t insecure!)

          In this article, Canary discusses how her life could change if Second Life (SL) were to simply disappear overnight.  (The thought of which panics Significant Other because of the fear of my roaming about unchecked.)

          Canary says she no longer worries about this and has plenty of ideas about what to

do with her newly found free time.  Although, she does admit that one drawback might be spending more money in Real Life (RL) because of so many opportunities.

          Canary’s view is non-apocalyptic and is more along the lines of a theoretical exercise. 

          Her discussion moves into maintaining balance between SL and RL and examines the two ways to restore such balance either by a sudden withdrawal (SL interruptus?) or a gradual reduction in time spent inworld. 

          Canary chose the latter a while back and is happy with the results. 

          Unlike me, Canary doesn’t seem to worry too much about the demise of SL.

          While I don’t lay awake at night worrying about such an eventuality, (Significant Other would make me find someplace else to sleep if I tossed and turned too much.) Canary’s article did make me think again of what would happen were SL to simply disappear because of some corporate machinations at Linden Lab. 

          SL is full of refugees from the virtual world There.com after its closing.  Although, since reopening I haven’t heard too much about it.  (I guess once the magic’s gone, it’s gone.)

          Many of them speak longingly and fondly about their times in that community.  One, Celia Pearce, wrote an excellent Book, Communities of Play, about one group of There refugees through their Diaspora to new worlds.  (Strongly recommend that book to anyone interested in virtual communities.)

          The closing of a virtual world has consequences for the real people with real feelings

behind all those avatars. 

          Whatever happens or doesn’t happen to SL over the next couple of years, there is little that we can do about it.  (Think Jor-El on planet Krypton.) 

          However, like Jor-El we can take measures to perpetuate the communities that have grown up in SL and have become important parts of the lives of so many people.

          First, there is preparation, both psychological and physical.

          Psychological by recognizing that this can happen and will eventually happen and probably sooner than the Sun flaming out and turning our planet to cinders. 

          Physical by preparing as I’ve blogged before to have a plan to move across the Metaverse to a new home or at least using social media to keep the communities alive. 

          Next, is paying attention to what’s happening in RL with Linden Lab.  While we may not be able to do anything about it, we can at least see it coming so the migration can be orderly. 

          Finally, let’s keep enjoying ourselves in SL!

          Whatever may or may not happen, we’re still there and we still have one another!

          As Canary blogged, there is life after SL.

          We just have to decide how to make the most of it!

          I’d like to thank Canary for another wonderful example of her thoughtful writing about SL!   

          As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives

My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

My flickr Photostream is located here.

On Skype I’m webspelunker Ghostraven.

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.

          Open roads and kind fires!

Life and Death in Second Life

 Life is but a dream for the dead.

Gerard Way

 

          Recently, I came across an interesting and thought provoking article by another blogger, Canary Beck. 

          (Yes, I do read other bloggers!  The question is how many of them return the favor!)

          The article was titled What if our avatars aged (and died!) in Second Life? and discusses the pros and cons of avatars aging in Second Life (SL).

          At about the same time as I read this article, I ran into Bec Kellstrom, my unofficial  

spiritual advisor inworld.  (This may be news to Bec and should in no way reflect poorly on her.  Like many in her calling, she has a penchant for lost causes.)

          Bec had read the same article and this led to a far ranging discussion about life and death in SL and the relationship with Real Life (RL).  (Significant Other groans and leaves.  Significant Other doesn’t like this topic.)

          The question that arose for me from Canary’s article and my conversation with Bec (No blame should attach to either of them here.) is what’s our ultimate end in SL?

          In other words, where do our virtual existences lead inworld given that our RL ones are finite.  (Now, you can understand why Significant Other left.)

          Let’s start with aging.

          If our avatars were to age along with our RL selves what end would it be to?

          Would our virtual selves become more like our RL selves?

          Would we act our age (Does not sound as strange to you reading this as it does to me writing it?) or become some sort of senile delinquents? 

          One thing’s for sure, aging would be a real crimp in the sex industry inworld. 

          (But, then I did run across virtual Viagra™ in an earlier story.) 

Why would we want to age inworld?

Added realism?  Perhaps.

Because we could?  Possibly.  (There’s one in every crowd.)

Would I do it?

No.

My reasons are primarily ease and I don’t want my SL existence to be about my avatar.

I’m an observer of life inworld and I don’t want my avatar to be a distraction.

(OK, and yes, as Significant Other would say if here, I’m probably too lazy to stay up with all the changes required to age properly.)

Besides, I’m close enough to my RL self.  Except for the blond hair, red eyes, and a few other details…

Let’s move along to death. 

In RL, death has a certain finality about it.

None of us knows for sure what lies beyond the curtain.

Maybe there is life after death.  Maybe there’s not.

Or, maybe reincarnation does exist.

(For the record, I happen to believe in life after death.  I have no logical argument for this that I can offer.  Personally, I’m more worried about being locked out of both levels.  But, that’s my problem.)

In SL, on the other hand is it final?  Does it have to be?

          When we lose someone inworld, many times we never know why. 

          Has the person just grown tired of a virtual existence, has RL reasserted its rightful place, or has the person actually passed on in RL?

          Sometimes, we know.

          There may be inworld memorial services and gravesites that can be visited. 

 

         I recently came across three such gravestones at Beau Belle Village memorializing members who never came back to SL because they had passed away in RL.

          Can we have reincarnation in SL?

          If we change avatars and never go back to our former selves isn’t this a form of reincarnation?

          What if another RL person takes over someone else’s avatar because they’ve died in RL or left for some other reason?

          (Starting to get heavy here, eh?  I don’t go to nudist sims all the time!)

          Which brings me to when death intersects both RL and SL.

          What should one do?

          Just disappear?  Leaving friends to always wonder why in the false hope that we’ll return?

          Let someone else take our avatar over a la Dread Pirate Roberts and we go on as long as there’s a virtual world to hang out in?

          Or, do we just stop being in SL just like we must do in RL someday.  (If anyone has figured out how to avoid the final day of reckoning, please let me know because I can make us a lot of money!)

          Me?

          (Not that I’m planning on going anywhere soon!)

          My SL existence will end with my RL one.

          Is it vanity?

          I don’t know.  

          All I know is that I’m here for a certain length of time and that should be good enough for both RL and SL.  (Besides, let’s be honest, could anyone else ever replace my inimitable wit and charm?)

          I’ve made my inworld arrangements.  (Significant Other’s not too crazy about this.)

          So, if someday you get an invite to see me off then please come and remember my stories with everyone else!

          (I repeat.  Everything is fine and I plan on being around longer than SL!)

          I’d like to thank Bec for taking the time to have these heavy philosophical discussions with me and Canary for writing an awesome blog!

          As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives

My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

My flickr Photostream is located here.

On Skype I’m webspelunker Ghostraven.

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.

          Open roads and kind fires!