October 21st, 2006
Get a Life! Second Life ISN'T REAL!!!
I am reminded of what William Shatner, a.k.a. Star Trek's Captain Kirk, once said on "Saturday Night Live."
"It's only a tv show!!," Shatner said about "Star Trek," addressing the show's many devotees.
In a similar vein, I feel that it is about time to call all this Second Life madness out.
Listen, I love Second Life. I am a member. I go there from time to time.
But I, at least, have a grip.
'Bout time you did.
I am fully aware that Second Life is extensible from silicon-based reality to carbon-based realit There are ecommerce models, entertainment models, speeches, advocacy. And I cannot think of all that many more compelling reasons to have broadband.
But I shout out:
SECOND LIFE ISN'T REAL!!
Second Life is worlds of fun, but not real world fun. It is play-acting under your monitor's glass. And all the marketers and content providers that are bringing stuff to Second Life are only executing marketing strategies. You are high on the illusion that second life is real, and they are playing with your head in search of your REAL-WORLD money they hope you spend buying their products.
OK, one more time, with feeling.
SECOND LIFE ISN'T REAL!!
Want real-world fun? Drink fine wine with someone special. Take a real, cross-country train trip. Go to a Dave Matthews concert. Drive a Lamborghini (as if) around Mount Tam. Learn to dance. Learn a language. Write a poem and read it to your writer's group. Toss a frisbee to your real (not virtual) dog. Hike. Bike. Go to the park. The real park with trees and stuff.
Get thee away from the computer.
LIVE!!
Russell Shaw is an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
