Why log onto Second Life at all?
Before personal computers were common in every home, there were several myths about what a computer age would bring us. There was a myth that every home would have its own robot who would look like a human being and would serve as an automated housekeeper. There was another myth that our homes would become automated so we could change the heat and light with voice commands and even have our meals prepared and brought to us automatically. There was also the myth of virtual worlds that would allow us to live the alternate lives of superheroes, free from our mundane lives and separate from our less than perfect bodies. The idea was that computers would allow us to become immersed in an artificial world where every person could create the virtual persona of who they hoped to be.
The reality of technology has been far less than we imagined. Home robots are far from being a reality. The best we have are battery operated robotic vacuums, but you have to have the right kind of floors to use them, and they don’t yet climb stairs. We don’t really have automated homes yet either. At best we have devices where you can clap your hands to turn your lights on and off and or thermostats with timers in them to turn down the heat during the day when we are away at work. Fully immersive virtual worlds are still not available. The best we have are personal computer based virtual worlds like Second Life, that still mostly look like cartoons. Worse, Second Life is run so poorly that it further separates us from the carefree virtual life that we hoped to have had.
The question is, why would anyone log onto Second Life at all? As I have already discussed the server side of Second Life is poor and most home personal computers don’t run it very well. Worse, Linden Lab is a disreputable company to do business with, who would rather delete users than address in-world disputes.
So why log onto Second Life at all? The answer is that in Second Life, there are various cultures that users have created. There is a Star Trek group where users play out the roles in the television and movie series. There is a philosophy group where there are voice conversations about various topics. And there are many social groups for diverse sexual interests including people interested in virtual swinging, people who are interested in Furry play, and people interested in Dominance/submission and BDSM.
The fetish communities are among the longest lived and the most highly populated in Second Life. One way to understand the interest in these groups is that members are involved in ritualized forms of virtual dating. My particular interest is in Dominance and submission, and at various times I owned virtual slaves and served as a virtual submissive.