Thing 15 - Libraries and games

My jaw dropped when I first started reading about Second Life. The more I read, the more incredulous I became.” How can this be fascinating to that many people?” I wondered.

Then I began to consider my son who loves to do funny things with pictures using Photoshop, and my daughter who would create Powerpoints in the summertime to summarize a family vacation. I know my oldest son plays Dungeons and Dragons online. I thought about all the digital natives that do things like these and more as recreation, and it seemed perfectly logical that a virtual world has been created where people go to virtual events and meet people (avatars) and never step outside their house.

I feel kind of weird about the whole thing, like I want to turn and run the other way.

The other thought I had was that buying land and building something in Second Life seems a little like settlers coming to the “New World.” Instead of physically clearing land and building a homestead, people create what they want virtually. The best part is, now when the land runs out, they create more.

Then I read about Ohio University making use of Second Life. They are offering classes “in world.” Now I’m confused! Why do you have to be a librarian in Second Life? Can’t people be themselves and ask librarians questions like they always have – even if it is through IM and email? Why is this distance from themselves necessary?

It’s kind of cool to showcase students’ work in the galleries in Second Life, but again I have to ask, what is there about that experience that is different than putting it on a web page? Watching your avatar teleport to different galleries? Grants are being awarded for the creation of such things in Second Life to disseminate information. I must be missing something. Is this an April Fool's joke?

I think I prefer to entertain myself with word puzzles, sudoku, and novels. I guess I am not a gamer.