tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055902913570556371.post2316869957240382230..comments2023-05-01T04:51:00.359-07:00Comments on comp 380 section 2 spring 2009: Counter Argument to Avatars aren't "real" blogt nicholashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03655424327280524353noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055902913570556371.post-23581573518086265102009-04-28T21:28:00.000-07:002009-04-28T21:28:00.000-07:00I agree with the comment on facebook--they're not ...I agree with the comment on facebook--they're not avatars, but I know tons of people who become obsessed with what's going on on the fb. Even now, people update their statuses so often, it's like having an avatar. so I can only imagine how consuming having an avatar could potentially be.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13314272908812815479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055902913570556371.post-70705525515857900892009-04-27T04:57:00.000-07:002009-04-27T04:57:00.000-07:00I agree that many have a strong connection between...I agree that many have a strong connection between their emotions and their avatars to the point that reality can be skewed. I think it all is a matter of self-control. The individual has a choice as to how involved they get based on whether they spend all day on second-life or chose to limit it to a couple hours. If a time limit is set as to how long they will take part in second-life then hopefully it will not invade their time in the real-world. However, if such limits are not placed then I definitely can see how people can become completely consumed by the game to the point that the line becomes blurred between action in the real world and action on second-life.mjbickelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08921026794638735005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055902913570556371.post-17497453963829535542009-04-26T21:27:00.000-07:002009-04-26T21:27:00.000-07:00Yeah, I agree with this post and many concerns hav...Yeah, I agree with this post and many concerns have raised from second-life issues. I think the best way to detach yourself from the virtual life would be maintain your life as much functional and normal as possible. In other worlds, even if people nowadays spend lots of time online, maybe involve in their second-life games, we need to maintain a certain portion of time spending "off-line". The time that we spend in our daily physical life would help us better understand the true meaning in our modern high-tech life: technologies are created to help people living a better life, not to "replace" everything in your life. <br />As for this class, I do enjoy it as much as everybody else does. The course has raised numerous questions to help me reconsider ethical issues in the modern society, and the possible concerns in the future that we might encounter with someday. This has been a really cool and unique learning experience to me. I love it.YiAnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15045988980916629260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055902913570556371.post-18767924730690496912009-04-26T20:13:00.000-07:002009-04-26T20:13:00.000-07:00I agree with your statement CT. I don't person...I agree with your statement CT. I don't personally participate in the second life thing either but I do think that people become too engulfed in them. It is obviously a problem. I saw an episode on my favorite television show Law & Order about the dangers of Second Life and after that, I was too scared to try it. I think that when people find themselves lost in the false realities, it damages their social interactions with other people. It actually alienates them from what is truly reality and can ultimately lead them on a destructive path. this can also alter a person's relationship with the people that they care about the most.<br /><br />I LOVED this class! This class was not what I expected it to be. I would DEFINITELY recommend this to all of my friends.HOladipohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12851599985896831934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055902913570556371.post-9997066281889846672009-04-26T19:03:00.000-07:002009-04-26T19:03:00.000-07:00Oh, and I forgot to include that yes, I'd definite...Oh, and I forgot to include that yes, I'd definitely recommend this course. I thought I'd enjoy it going in because I love computer and technology related stuff, but it turned out far more fun than I thought it would be!Aliciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00191499757846227584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055902913570556371.post-47836975661366974112009-04-26T18:53:00.000-07:002009-04-26T18:53:00.000-07:00I do think there are ways to detach from the virtu...I do think there are ways to detach from the virtual but I think that a network of friends and/or family is an important element. In many cases, people turn to the internet for escape. In some cases, just for a fun entertainment sort of escape but in others the escape is more in the literal sense, a running away, be it from home, family, or the real world as a whole. I think when the latter is the case is where the most potential for problems lies. If you're turning to second life to get away from what's happening in your real life, the temptation to stay there, to let that become real, seems a pretty easy one to fall into. I think disengagement is indeed possible, but without the real world connections and friends/family to be involved with, the disengagement may be less likely to occur. So yes, I do think the virtual can affect reality, but I also think that certain pre-existing conditions make that more likely to occur.Aliciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00191499757846227584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055902913570556371.post-50874411867013938322009-04-26T18:41:00.000-07:002009-04-26T18:41:00.000-07:00I suppose it makes sense that people attach themse...I suppose it makes sense that people attach themselves to their avatars since an avatar is supposed to be a representation of either oneself or their desires (what I refer to is people who take on a different image, persona, or even gender). It is the way in which the gamer puts his or herself into the virtual realm in order to interact with it. Therefore, anything that may happen to the representation of yourself would likely affect you in some way or another-- it just depends on the degree to which you react to the situation. That degree probably depends a lot on how much to identify with the character and as you said, how seriously you take the game (that could depends on how long you've been playing the game with a particular character). <br /><br />Yeah, I'm glad I took this course as well! It delved into many interesting aspects of computers and society and the class discussion was always stimulating, so I suppose I have to thank the people in class for that as well. If there're other exchange students from my major coming here in the future, I'd definitely recommend this class!Gen Chanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05028821505655215101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055902913570556371.post-27331407980425502052009-04-24T13:35:00.000-07:002009-04-24T13:35:00.000-07:00I think that people are clearly able to separate t...I think that people are clearly able to separate themselves from the virtual world, but that it is easier to become wrapped up in it than many realize. Think about your Facebook account. It is not so much an avatar as it is a stats sheet-- much like a sports player's or celebrity's bio. It is an accurate online representation of yourself that you use to manipulate a network environment (by sending messages, putting up photos, etc). If someone were to manipulate your facebook page to vandalize photos of yourself, or to continually post offensive things on your page, it would be quite disturbing (if not necessarily traumatic). This is kind of analogous to the woman's text avatar being raped. Just as people on second life might make their avatar look like themselves, so do others update and constantly double-check the accuracy of what they have on facebook. Like I said, these aren't completely the same, but probably operate on the same concepts and tendencies.Ben Crouchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11045720700354359085noreply@blogger.com