Second Lifer’s Real Life Slips Away

This clever video narrates the story of Molotov Alva who “disappeared from his California home,” and reappeared in Second Life, an online virtual world. Alva describes how he came to existence in Second Life, trying on various clothing styles and even body shapes, before resting on one closely resembling his real life appearance. He has created a garden of photographs from his life before the virtual world to help him remember where he came from.

Whether taken seriously or tongue-in-cheek, this video shows how quickly one is able to shift their existence. Are those that immerse themselves in Second Life, removing themselves from real life? How are their relationships being affected? Since the video is titled “Episode 1,” I eagerly await the subsequent editions. This looks like a story worth watching to see if Alva returns to California.

Popularity on the Web

Social networks abound on the Internet. Between MySpace, Second Life, and personal blogs, it’s easy to make “friends” on the Web. Enter popularity contests. Users can gauge “worthiness” by seeing how many friends or comments or Diggs a site rates. As Seth Godin noted, “There’s really very little point in trying to have more friends than anyone else at MySpace.” I read recently, though, that one can buy MySpace friends, which would indicate that someone must think there is a point, even of some of us don’t see it.

Finding Quiet in a Loud, Busy World

The Internet is one of many distractions we have today. It is rare to see someone sitting still without taking in information through the TV or the Internet, both of which are literally and figuratively noisy.

Paradoxically, that’s part of what I like about being behind a blog. Writing, for me, is a quiet activity. It helps me tune out the rest of the noise and indulge my own thoughts. During the moments I work on Life After Web, I am wholly focused. Even though it is time spent on the Internet, it is not time spent absorbing information. Sometimes I start on paper before nearing my computer. My time is spent thinking, crafting, and sharing my own voice with the world (at least, anyone that happens to find me).

In his essay “Out There in the Middle of the Buzz,” Bill McKibben discusses the effects of technology on our society. He says, “Quiet, solitude, calm: These are no longer automatic parts of the human experience. You have to fight…hard for them,” (p. 161). Humans are losing the ability to experience the natural world around them. We are tied to cell phones, laptops, iPods, anything that keeps us “in touch.” In actuality, the drive to stay connected is isolating.

McKibben later says, “We live in the first moment when humans receive more of their information secondhand than first; instead of relying primarily on contact with nature and with each other, we rely primarily on the prechewed, on someone else’s experience,” (p. 161). Writing forces me to think about the topic at hand, decide how I feel about it, and what emotions, if any, it stirs within.

Since we are surrounded by technology, we must fight for quiet moments in new ways. While my blog still connects me to the virtual world, the act of writing for my blog keeps me grounded in my own thoughts.


Reference:
McKibben, Bill. “Out There in the Middle of the Buzz.” The Wired Society. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace, 1999.

and the Oscar goes to… Al Gore?

First Ronald Reagan went from actor to politician, then Arnold Schwarzenegger, then Jesse Ventura. Perhaps Al didn’t get the memo. He went from politician to working on a now Oscar-winning documentary.

In a world where crossover is becoming the norm, country singers turn pop, musicians become actors, actors become politicians. Is our society becoming more well-rounded, or are we trying to be jacks-of-all-trades and masters of none?

I realize this has nothing to do with the Internet, but it does seem to say something about our society. Perhaps people are becoming more comfortable with stepping outside their traditional roles to try something new. Perhaps, too, we are becoming more accepting of those role changes.

Web 2.0: Information/Interaction On Demand

My first exposure to the Internet was in 1995 when a friend of mine said, "this is soooo cool" and proceeded to summon a description for that night's episode of Friends. She was right- it was cool, but it also seemed horribly pointless. That information was both useless to me and, had I needed it, readily available in the newspaper and in TV commercials.

Of course, since then I've turned to the Internet for research on many occasions. In fact, being able to find the information I need at any time from my home proves quite useful.

Web 2.0 brings users to the forefront of this information hub by putting web content in the users hands.

A WTF (Where’s the Fire?) entry on Technorati explains Web 2.0 as being filled with user generated content. “[T]he owners of the website have simply provided a platform for us, the users to add content from our side,” it says. This brings a wealth of possibilities (and arguably junk) as you can find both facts and commentary on any given topic, provided you are able to discern the difference.

More than merely information on demand, the Internet has shifted to interaction on demand. Between MySpace, Second Life, World of Warcraft, and all variations thereof, users can find myriad ways to commune with others around the globe.

While this may have advantages, has it contributed to the demise of casual conversations in public spaces? After all, forward thinking elevators in Douglas Adams' The Restaurant at the End of the Universe eradicated "all the tedious chatting, relaxing and making friends that people were previously forced to do while waiting for elevators."

The full effects of the Internet on human interaction remain to be seen. It will certainly make for an interesting sociological study.


For more on Web 2.0:
Wikipedia entry
Video from Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University

The Internet: From Resource to Pastime

I have a love/hate relationship with the Internet. I love the quick information; I hate the amount of time I spend glued to my computer screen.

Yet here I am, day-after-day, using the Web and email to conduct most of my professional business. Then I go home and, you guessed it, get on the computer to pay bills, check email, or enjoy my friends’ and family’s latest adventures as posted on their Web sites.

When did the Internet change from resource to pastime? Why do people choose to socialize on the Internet, rather than in person? I send emails to colleagues, some of whom are mere steps away. Equally shocking, they email me back. Are we avoiding the exercise of leaving our chairs? Perhaps we are worried that the walk will take so much time we won’t possibly be able to finish our work.

The Internet allows us to avoid nearly anything. We can avoid standing in lines by shopping online. We can avoid calling “loved ones” by posting an online photo album. We can avoid the brisk morning walk down the driveway in our robes by checking our RSS feeds.

Where the Internet used to be a convenience, it is now a vehicle for avoidance. Presumably as innovation continues, I may never have to leave my office-issued chair. Lucky me.