Second Life — I don’t get it!
Those of you who know me, know I have made many efforts to defend Second Life to all those people that say they don’t get it. Usually I am not talking about the people that are simply having trouble with the learning curve as those just need an hour or so of personal mentoring to show them the possibilities and it is fun to watch the light bulb light up above there heads.
The ones that I really have trouble understanding the “I don’t get it” mentality are many of the computer super literate, you know them IT pros, programmers, developers, etc. With these people I have always seemed to wage a losing battle with the majority of them. Well today my buddy Eric Rice (Spin Martin) laid out probably the best explanation to lay out before these wonderful friends that I have ever read, and I just want to say Thanks Eric!
In Eric’s post today called Video game corps will get richer while you ‘don’t get’ Second Life Eric didn’t just out right call them liars, but laid the foundation in such a way that it should be hard for even the hardest head techie should be forced to rethink how they look at the “I don’t get it” attitude toward Second Life.
I really want to pat Eric on the back for the following statement:
That’s why SL has been such a big deal to me– because it represents a disruption in The Way Things Work in a certain media space. Ironically, those friends and colleagues of mine who proclaim how loudly they ‘don’t get Second Life’ are historically the ones who have consistently and successfully embraced the things that Second Life is about– and that’s yet another sibling in the lineage of blogging, podcasting, vlogging, and all those other lower-the-barrier and enabling movements that are on the rise.
And Eric I almost felt orgasmic pleasure when I read the following statement.
I’ll leave you with a little secret. If you say you ‘don’t get it’, I actually don’t believe you, most likely because you’re engaged in the exact same conceptual activity, driven by the same spirit and ideologies– just not in those particular clothes. Just a point, is all.
Believe me Eric has a mouthful to say on his blog Sometimes They Call Me Spin and I encourage each of you to take the time to read the short but well written post Video game corps will get richer while you ‘don’t get’ Second Life. I believe your eyes may be opened a little bit.
May 23rd, 2007 • 
Weirdharold • 
comment | May 23, 2007 at 13:31 | individual comment-link
I believe both you and your audience would be very interested in reading the latest book on virtual worlds and expanding online universes, as they increasingly begin to impact our everyday lives, titled Virtual Worlds: Rewiring Your Emotional Future. As you are already well-aware, virtual worlds and social networks are just beginning to emerge as a major force in society. They are beginning to impact the everyday relationships of virtual world visitors in both the social and professional aspects of their lives. This radical new book, published by Myers Publishing, LLC and written by media industry veteran Jack Myers, employs a new reader-generated publishing concept, inviting anyone to submit their own ideas for future chapters.
I’d love to send you a copy if you pass along your contact information to me. This book would be of great interest to you and your readers, as it will not only open the eyes of readers to this completely new world but, in itself, become an immersive experience for them that will keep them involved, engaged and emotionally connected to a virtual world community experience for generations to come.
Here is the link to the first review of the book on KnowProse.com: http://www.knowprose.com/node/1757.
I look forward to hearing from you.
comment | May 23, 2007 at 14:19 | individual comment-link
Liz, I would love to review that book here on VTOR. I can be reached through the email system and would be happy with the e book. Weirdharold at VTOReality.com