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Reader Comments (10)

Posted: Jan 30th 2008 10:58PM (Unverified) said

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Second Life is not all about sex. Second Life is about social environments and socializing... which is often all about sex. Second Life is just another environment for people to meet and flirt and spend time together and sometimes to get their freak on, just like in RL.

Condemning Second Life for being about sex is about as productive as condemning LIFE for being about sex. Sorry, but it is, and no amount of tsk tsking is going to change it.

Posted: Jan 30th 2008 10:59PM (Unverified) said

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I'm sorry the irony in the opening sentence escaped you.
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Posted: Jan 31st 2008 12:59AM (Unverified) said

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I wasn't criticizing your review of the article, I was criticizing the stereotype. I realize (with gratitude) that your blog entry here does not perpetuate it.

But I'm also saying that Second Life IS all about sex. Why? Because sex, lust, etc, is a dominant human motivational force.

I suppose my issue is that people somehow claim this is a bad thing instead of noticing that it is the very reason they are all here to complain about it.

Posted: Feb 1st 2008 7:18AM (Unverified) said

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Ah, I'm sorry, I misread your tone of voice.

Actually, the BBC overall do a pretty good job on reporting Second Life, they've reported on the economy, education and a whole raft of things. Wonderland, the series of which this programme was part, is looking, quite specifically at people who do things that might be considered odd. Even for SL residents breaking up RL marriages or pushing them right to the edge is a bit odd, for the rest of the world, doing it for a virtual image - sounds bizarre.

As is so often the case with the better stories there isn't really any judgement of the people involved, just "This is their story, decide for yourself." I suspect that's very important for some of the others, they've done the life of a schizophrenic for example, which would be rather crass to be judging in commentary.
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Posted: Jan 31st 2008 5:42AM (Unverified) said

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BBC iPlayer now seems to have it ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/b008vrht.shtml

Posted: Jan 31st 2008 12:42PM (Unverified) said

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Yeah that first comment was awesome.

SL is only about sex for those who have trouble scoring IRL and/or think it's more than a game platform.

I met my RL girlfriend (whom I live with IRL) in SL but we took it straight to RL as soon as we felt like we could be more than friends. However we both feel like our relationship started once she moved into my area and count it from that day instead of when we first met and hit it off.

I maintain that relationships based in a video game aren't healthy in the least. You can't underestimate the importance of the physical aspect of relationships or even socialising!

Posted: Jan 31st 2008 2:00PM (Unverified) said

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@SqueezeOne Pow: I don't think it's any harder to care for and commit to someone in a virtual world than it is in the real world, nor is honesty any harder. "In Real Life" is the misnomer because what's happening in the virtual world is affecting the person at the keyboard, whether in SL or WoW or any online environment--so you make a hypocrite of yourself by devaluing what's going on in SL as opposed to Real Life. Huge business deals happen in Second Life, so why can't real relationships happen? When someone comes out with "Relationship Bots," then maybe you'd have a point...

Posted: Feb 1st 2008 7:27AM (Unverified) said

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There is an age-old debate about relationships in and around Second Life. The issue isn't ever going to be resolved. There are people who can have satisfying purely virtual relationships, there are people who will never be satisfied with that, there are people that can enjoy both. There are people that enjoy phone sex and sex with rubber dolls IRL, and all the rest.

Despite what religious and moral leaders might try to tell you, human sexuality is a wild and incredibly varied place. Your way, if it makes you happy, is fine for you. Telling me "my way is wrong" - what gave you the right to judge? If it makes me happy, and is between consenting, competent adults, it is just as good for me.

Before the foaming illiterates leap on this comment - paedophiles harm others in my opinion, and so there is a right to judgement there. Children cannot make an informed choice about sex because they don't have the physical or emotional maturity to understand what's going on.

Posted: Feb 1st 2008 11:33AM (Unverified) said

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I have written a recent blog post about the virtual sex world and what constitutes adultery, feel free to visit and comment:

http://digitalmediaworld.co.uk/2008/01/23/virtual-adultery-does-it-count/

Posted: Feb 6th 2008 5:41PM (Unverified) said

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Here are some links to google video, if you are outside the UK :)

Part1: http://tinyurl.com/3ywset
Part2: http://tinyurl.com/2qjm33
Part3: http://tinyurl.com/2vtoc9

(From Ambling in Second Life)
(Sorry can only add 3 URLS :( )

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