Lolalou Tripsa.

Lolalou Tripsa. That is the name I chose, don’t ask me why, for my Second Life avatar. The experience as a whole was mind-boggling to me, that someone created such a place where you make up a character and can talk to another character, interact and make friends and enemies all behind your computer screen. Originally, I wanted my first name to be the name of my avatar, but it was taken with the last name Tripsa. I even tried to spell my name wrong, but apparently I wasn’t the first to think of that either. It made me wonder how many people actually have Second Life accounts. "Second Life (abbreviated as SL) is an Internet-based virtual world which came to international attention via mainstream news media in late 2006 and early 2007.[4][5] Developed by Linden Lab, a downloadable client program enables its users, called "Residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars, providing an advanced level of a social network service combined with general aspects of a metaverse. Residents can explore, meet other Residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items (virtual property) and services from one another" (Wikipedia 2007).

Lolalou is a simple girl with a city-chick style. There weren’t many characters to chose from at first, but I later learned that once you begin “playing,” clothing and such could change. The first thing I had to do in the orientation was to get a torch, and I had to find it in the program. I thought it was pretty cool how there was guidance on what to do, and any question could be answered by clicking the top of the screen. The creative skills that were put into this game made me wonder what the whole purpose was in the first place. Was it created as a place to make online friends with a new identity? Do people chat and IM their online friends as themselves or as their computer self? I think it is a cool idea to play with once in a while, to fly around the computer generated world, but I also think that if someone were on this all the time, like an addict, It could get a little weird. The Second Life website states that it can be learned to educate. “Second Life provides an opportunity to use simulation in a safe environment to enhance experiential learning, allowing individuals to practice skills, try new ideas, and learn from their mistakes. The ability to prepare for similar real-world experiences by using Second Life as a simulation has unlimited potential” (Second Life 2007). Learn from mistakes in a virtual world with a made up identity? I, personally, think that for some it may work, but definitely not for me.

The game reminded me of The Sims, a game which my little sister used to play a few years ago. You got to design your own house, cheat on your husband, get pregnant, change your clothes by spinning around, and light your house on fire. It was a little ridiculous, and I’m sure that Second Life could get crazier than that considering it is an online community. I’m sure there are many people who live through the life of their created avatar. Those people who are on it first thing in the morning, and it was the last thing they did before they went to sleep. That’s fine, but personally I would like to learn from my mistakes in real life, not behind my computer screen.

Second Life. 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2007. http://secondlife.com/education

Second Life. (2007, April 6). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 02:19, April 6, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Second_Life&oldid=120611436