ephemerology - n. - the study of the unreal

So, I’ve been into Second Life for about a year now. And before that, I was a rabid player in Myst Online (and its previous incarnations, Uru Live and Until Uru). Before that, I was a MUDer and built things on LambdaMOO. And before that, I played in RPG channels in QuantumLink (what AOL was called before it was AOL). So, what I am saying is, I’ve been in virtual worlds a lot.

Like many people who are very into a more esoteric hobby, I have a hard time explaining why I find it so fascinating. I tend torwards niche hobbies and cult-movies anyway, so that’s always a point for virtual worlds in my book. And, I’ll admit to a certain level of obsessiveness. This seems to be a common trait in the hobbies I’ve chosen.

Hamlet Au talks a little about the cult-like nature of Second Life residents in their advocacy of Second Life and virtual worlds in particular. There’s some confusion over whether it’s about ‘cult’ in the cult movie, ardent niche fandom sense, or in the hyper-obsessive drink-the-koolaid sense. I think it’s telling that people resonate with both of these interpretations (both in the positive and negative senses). I think that SL Residents realize, on some level, that they are obsessed with something. And that they are interested in something that varies from the norm.

This isn’t unique to Second Life, though. As a member of the Uru community, I’ve seen some of the most fanatical fans I’ve ever met in that community. While the games and background serve as a common mythos, the community has become as much about the community as the games. This community developed into what anthropoloist Dr. Celia Pearce called a ‘virtual ethnicity’ as she traced Uru fans across virtual worlds. They display that ‘cult’ sense as well, both in their sense of ‘separateness’ and in their nigh-on legendary fanaticism about the game and the world.

As I look back, I see that same sort of attitude about MUDs, and the early Internet in general. In fact, you can find that same attitude in most ‘geek’ fandoms and subcultures.

But what makes these things so different? Dusan Writer asks about the symbiotic link of Second Life, that thing that ties it into common experience (it’s brought up in reference to Google Wave, but I think it’s a good thought to apply independently). I think the answer is right there in the name – it’s a second life. As Dusan writes elsewhere about Second Life: “But I’m going to keep talking about immersive power and explain that there are some of us who also LIVE here.”

Now, I’m not talking about escapism. At least not cheifly. There is elements of escapism in all the above, of course. But I’m talking about a more trans-rational sort of existence. Rather than a replacement life (a deadend concept in transhumanism, in my opinion), Second Life seems to be most valuable (philosophically speaking) as an added dimension to human existence. It allows those things which are unreal in our First Lives and thus we can learn more about ourselves in every dimension. That’s, I think, the symbiotic link – the extension of the human in previously impossible ways.

1. ephemerology – n. – the study of the unreal » Blog Archive » Why … | Portal site of Second Life and metaverse"MetaLog-meta log" says:

   November 1, 2009 at 4:00 am

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