Second Life

I never got into video games. Yeah, I played Pacman. And I've heard about alot of the different games. I'm not a computer- or techno-phobe. I just never really got into that stuff. And I realize that other folks have other interests. But I don't quite get the appeal of "Second Life."

I never played it, but I can understand why people would be interested in the Sims. Who wouldn't want to be a god-like figure? But Second Life? As a game, okay, you create an alter ego. And you do some stuff -- go to parties, play games with other residents. And that's neat when you have people scattered all over the country and world. What I don't get is when as part of the game you start to do stuff that you should be doing in your first/real life! Like working, going to school.

I have a hard enough time trying to maintain my website, posting a blog every couple of months, and scanning through various group listserves. But I also work. Have a home and family. I'm already overbooked in my real life! I don't see how I could even dream of living a constructive second life. Oh, that might be the key... give up sleeping.

So if one of the goals of Second Life is to have a successful alter ego, wouldn't that require you to be creative, constructive and all of the other talents that define successful? So why waste all that talent on an alter ego? Why not apply it to your real ego?

I guess that's what I don't understand. So long as people approach Second Life as a game, it's one thing. But when it somehow becomes their primary life instead of the real world, then something is wrong.