Topic and Thesis Statement

I have chosen for my paper to write on the topic of theatres, museums, and art in Second Life.

My thesis statement is: Although experienced in a different manner, theatre, museums have just as much of a place in second life as they do in real life, and in many cases require just as much creativity to achieve.

Explorations in Second Life

My explorations in Second Life were, quite honestly, like no other experiences I’ve ever had. Some of the locations were easy to navigate and others I found confusing or cluttered. It was hard for me, before I arrived at any given location to imagine what it may look like. After I arrived in the different locations I was surprised at my surroundings. I enjoyed some of the activities, and getting acclimated to the Second Life world. I am still not an expert, but feel more confident in my abilities.

            One of the first locations I visited was the featured Egypt Adventure in Selmo Park. There I tried to ride Tut’s Tomb ride, but unfortunately was unable, as it was out of order. I then decided to explore a bit and found two dark men standing beside some sort of ancient Egyptian transportation, which I learned was a caravan. The two men carried me through the pyramid shaped building on this glorified couch as I relaxed and listened to the sounds of water, birds, monkeys, etc. One of the upper levels of the pyramid was made of glass walls. We traveled up to a different floor where I found a spa. I played in the pool and relaxed in a sauna while listening to night sounds. I then was able to get a much-needed virtual tan.

            My classmate Kerri and I joined each other in the classroom before then teleporting to Info Island. When we arrived, the first things I saw looked like churches or municipal buildings. We ran into what was called a library assistant that we found was no more than a virtual robot.  However, she did give us a list of activities taking place on Info Island. One event, which seemed particularly interesting to me, was Aianna’s Fireside Tales. This is a weekly reading of short stories by published authors.

 While in the Alliance Virtual Library in the Foster building, Kerri and I ran into Tara. The three of us navigated our way around the Alliance Virtual library, which we found to be a great way to find information and to research. We ran into the librarian on duty named peaches, and got our picture taken with her.

Together we also visited Peace Park (a place for religious learning), Transgender Resource Center in the Stonewall Learning Center (a place for gender and sexual preference learning), and The Alliance Virtual Library Art Gallery. This was my favorite location on Info Island. The walls were adorned with works selected by the curator because of the artists’ particularly creative use of Second Life’s artistic capabilities.

           

On my own I visited the Chakryn Forest. I did not know what to expect and when I arrived I found the surroundings very visually appealing, with the exception of a bathtub where one can pose like the famous painting of Marat’s death. There was sunlight streaming through the leaves in the treetops above me and beautiful golden leaves falling around me. It was a place where I could imagine myself getting away to in real life.  While in the Chakryn Forest, I ran into another classmate named Joe. We briefly discussed some of our confusions and concerns about this assignment and went our separate ways.

            Next I visited Thursday’s Fiction. This is a place for the quest for truth and enlightenment. I did not enjoy visiting this place in the least. I am very set to my own religious convictions and have no interest in other religions other than to be a respectful ear and a well-informed person. It seemed like a dark place to me, but one that some might enjoy for personal inspiration. This location was empty of life and I saw no other people.

            The last place I visited in Second Life for this assignment is Themiskyra. This location is group owned by the people who reside in the area. The founder of the location is Surina Skallagrimson. When I first arrived here along with Carrie and Tara, I was very confused as to what kind of place it was. We were surrounded by walls and buildings placed close together. We came to the conclusion that it was like a neighborhood. It was picturesque with trees, paths and houses adorned with things their owners had chosen to collect in their residences. I think after visiting Themiskyra, that it would be fun to have my own home in Second Life.

            Although I am still skeptical as to how much of Second Life is personally beneficial to me outside of Comp II, I am much more convinced that there is a place for it. It is a good tool for those who use it for things that they are passionate about or to share information with friends whom they do not live close to. I think that exploring Second Life is a great way for people to learn about new ways of communication and to view an example of how far technology has come in the last decade or two.

"Let Me Introduce my Second Self"

My avatar in Second Life has changed quite a bit in physical appearance, as well as, in the type of clothing she is wearing. My initial impression of my avatar was that she, beyond looking very plain, did not look a thing like me. I wanted to change her in such a way that she would resemble me as nearly as I could make her. After all, what do I have to hide about my appearance? I do not really have any desire to be anyone other than who I already am, so why should my avatar be any different? I believe that if at all possible, people should be who they want to be in their real life, or at least find some way of being content in their circumstances.

After several changes, my avatar now has long brown hair with subtle highlights, and a hint of natural curl. She has brown eyes and slightly raised cheekbones that sit atop a fairly prominent jaw. Much like me she wears fall colors and other dark neutral colors. She has a pair of denim jeans with a slight flair at the ankles. She dons a blue polka dot shirt over which she also wears a brown jacket. Her shoes are average black pumps that are neither too high, nor too flat. I would eventually like to purchase accessories for her such as, jewelry, a belt, and possibly a purse. I have not already purchased these items as a result of a lack of funding and time with which to shop.

I have spent no money on other clothes or styles of clothes in Second Life. I think that if I had a house in Second Life I would like to have a closet in which to store different clothing options for different occasions, just as I would in my real life. I have not made many changes to my avatar since here initial alterations. I have not asked any classmates' opinions of her appearance either, as I frankly do not care what they think. I figure in life, as well as in Second Life, that as long as I dress myself appropriately and for the occasion, that the rest of my appearance should be left for me to decide.

I am surprisingly pleased with the appearance of my avatar. I was skeptical, at first, of the ability of the program to present me with enough options with which to make my avatar look as similar to myself as I wished. I am pleased at the ease with which I was able to change my avatar's  appearance. I believe the program is very technologically advanced. I do wish, however, that my avatar's eyes did not only look in one direction but would follow the mouse or the view of the camera as it moved.