This class has taken us on quite a journey. I wasn’t sure exactly what to think about this class at first, but as we progressed, I became more and more interesting to see the outcome. The interviews with people in Second Life has been one of the more interesting projects I’ve ever had to complete, but I’ve enjoyed it! Our group, the Purple Ducks, have been great. Everyone has worked together very well and we’ve had a lot of great ideas shared within the group.

While browsing the Internet, I found this article on someone else’s experiences in Second Life. The article is a bit long, but she basically goes through her trepidation at first when using Second Life and the sense of belonging she felt after he because familiar with how to interact with other avatars. She, as well as I, can now easily see the cosmopolitan canopy that Second Life forms for its “residents.” In the article, the writer works with other researchers that are studying how Second Life affects real life. A quote that really sums up the article is by one of the other researchers:

“When we cloak ourselves in avatars, it subtly alters the manner in which we behave,” says Bailenson. “It’s about self-perception and self-confidence.”

So, when we made our avatars, we chose to be either a true (as true as could be made, anyway) representation of ourselves, or something completely different. And how others within Second Life interacted with us really depended on how we portrayed ourself to them. Even I was more likely to talk to a person I deemed “normal” rather than a robot or car avatar.

Even so, within Egypt in Second Life, our group discovered a welcoming cosmopolitan canopy that did not noticeably distinguish between gender, race, or dress. I have enjoyed working within Second Life for our project and look forward to seeing the other groups’ final presentations!