What is all that for?
Waking up this morning and checking my RRS reader i saw a really interesting post in Vint Falken’s blog about Plurk, and even about all that Social Networking world (Twitter, blogging, Facebook, etc). Reading it (you should do it too, is really interesting) i started to wonder THE question: What is all that for?
As Vint suggests i will try to be as honest as i can, specially with myself. I just use some of that applications: Flickr, Koinup and YouTube, Twitter and Plurk, and finally, this blog (and some related stuff, like the SLbloggers group in Ning). Well, Second Life too, but this is kinda different and i’ll tell you why below. I didn’t want to be in other social networks like Facebook or Myspace (even i have an account there that i never use) because i considered just to much to can enjoy them.
The use i give to that services (some purely social networks, some not) are:
- Flickr, Koinup and YouTube:Well, that are spaces to share images or machinimas i make myself. Normally i don’t do them professionally, are just ways to express myself. Also are a good place to learn and share knowledge. About the social use, well, i met great friends through them and are useful in collaborative projects, specially with Flickr groups. Anyway, i’m not using much lately the social side of this applications, possibly because the specially high possibilities of Drama. Is sad becuase i’m sure i’m missing a lot of nice creations, but well, need some “drama holidays”.
- Plurk and Twitter: That’s kinda different, is like a mix of ramblings and (mainly) a way to stay connected with some people i met there. Also i use them as a way of “promotion”, well, is that may sound bad, i mean i tell there i published a new photography, a new machinima or a new post. At the same time Plurk is the place where i’m having more doubts. I love to follow some people i met there, or in Twitter, and i consider friends (you know who you are
), but that hundreds of “responses” or “plurks” of people i don’t know or i don’t have contact is a bit… how to say it… stressing. Possibly is my fault because i didn’t selected my “friends” there correctly and i feel Plurk like constant flow of information where is difficult to select what is important for me. Also that “Karma” think makes me uncomfortable, someway pushes you to a competition, but well, i don’t care much about my “Plurk karma”. Twitter was easier to follow for me and sometimes i think i should cancel my Plurk account and go back exclusively to Twitter. Another thing that surprises me of that applications is that you have better “response” rates at comments like: “Good morning, people” than to any serious rambling or micro-blog and that driven me in a subconscious way to keep just saying small and even empty “plurks” sometimes. So Twitter and Plurk seem the be things i should reconsider. - This blog and SLbloggers group in Ning:Someway this blog is the extension of my Flickr stream in the sense a lot of times i use it to write about a pic and what i wanted to tell with it. Also is a place to express myself, to write all what my Second Life makes me think about (well, not all actually, i keep some things to me ). A place where i tell stories, where i talk about my dreams, projects, hopes… sometimes is like a friend that listens so good! Maybe is my more “honest” side, even that doesn’t mean i always write super honest and dramatically important posts, most of the times are just about stuff or places i like, little jokes, protests, whatever. I don’t limit myself about what i say here, just tell my mind in the moment i write the post. The only thing i don’t use to talk about (even i love it) is SLclothing, there are enough (and really good) blogs about that. The SLbloggers group in Ning is a useful tool to be in contact with the SLblogosphere, just that (btw, thanks to Zoe Connolly for creating it).
But the question remains… What is all that for? All that applications, social networks, all that are related to my Second Life, so possibly there is the answer. Let’s redo the question then: What is Second Life for?
And now the answer: Because is my life too, I don’t have two lifes, i have one with different sides and one of that sides (SL) is important enough for me to talk about it, even exclusively sometimes. Part of that side of my life is creation, that’s why i like to share it; part of that side of my life is friends and people, that’s why i like to be in contact with them. That part of my life helps me to understand all together, gives me another angle over my full life because connects me with people from all the sides of the world with a lot of different ways to see things. Second Life is a technological tool where thousand of people from all over the world are sharing at the same time love, hate, creativity, friendship, drama (sorry, is included in the pack) and much more.
OMG! I <3 SL!!!
8 Responses to “What is all that for?”
Leave a Reply
Recent Comments
Raul's Flickr Latest
|
I guess I’ve been lucky so far that I’ve never been particularly close to any of the dramas happening in Plurk or SL (kinda feel I’m missing out!), but I agree with what you’re saying there, and despite it’s downsides, I wouldn’t give up any of it for all the wonderful, creative and friendly people I’ve met here, the good still outweighs the bad
People are social creatures, for the most part, and I think we’ve always had the need to share our lives with other people. Many thousands of years ago we would have lived in tribes, and then in communities, sharing the good and bad in our lives with those around us, our families and neighbours. These days, we seek out and build our own communities, whether on Twitter, Flickr or in Second Life. We may be gradually losing the ability to communicate with our families and RL neighbours, but at least with online communities we can carefully choose from a world full of potential friends and family. Now, if we could only be sure of what we were getting into …
I work as a community manager (currently for A.viary.com) and so it’s my job to do things like join social networks and see what people are up to. But even though I belong to all of them, there are only a few I really get much value out of. I’ve had a blog on LJ for like… oh, eight years? and through that I have a lot of good real life friends now. Twitter is great, though I didn’t like it at first. Flickr, obviously, where I met you! and now Aviary is truly shaping up to be a good place to meet cool people, and I’m not just saying that because I work there.
Working online in a public space, in a public job, means I have to think a lot about what I say or do ‘out loud.’ I have actually blogged a lot about this kind of balance between being ME and being acceptable, and also I have blogged a lot about the difference between those two things. In the end, I decided that if something I do would embarrass me so much that I wouldn’t want it on the front of someone else’s blog, I just shouldn’t do it. Thinking about my reasons for hiding certain behavior has caused me to give a lot of it up, and to embrace what was left, and that was a good thing.
Anyway, I say you should never be scared to just be yourself; only be scared of being something ugly. SLers are obsessed with anonymity and while I understand it, I usually think we’d be better off without it.
Interesting post. Good morning!
@ Loaf: Well, my friend, i had some Flickr dramas even i try to not be involved in them, is like i don’t like drama but drama likes me, lol… Anyway, normally i try to be away because i have better things to do
You are right, although that silly drama moments, although all, it worths it…
@ Wolf: Ha ha ha, one can’t be sure where is getting into…
@ Thaumata: Was taking a look at Aviary and looks more than cool! Good luck with the project!
You are right about meeting people, really nice people, as you said Flickr was were we met and i’m happy that happened.
About the “conflict” between ME and acceptable you found a good solution, sometimes i have the same conflict and what i try to do is explain my point of view respecting other’s (what is not easy sometimes).
Raul, although I not figured out 100% what SL is about (but it surely has a lot of opportunities, once they get things a bit more right!
) for me joining things like facebook & plurk, is about keeping in contanct – as you pointed out, RL & SL friends – and some more blog publicity. So I guess it’s social networking over all. Something I like, and am not bad at, normally. Plurk though, I wanted to keep that focussed on the SL related – Vint part – of my life. Which obviously, I failed at doing. Normally, most people I know are rather ‘ok, that’s another part of her life’ when I’d mention Plurk is kewl in the SL related part. Not now, apparently. :d
Loaf, if interested, I’d kindly invite you over to join the drama that I try to prevent from evoking by quitting plurk. It’s RL drama though, so you should be willing to do more than just give me a hug. *grins*
Thaumata, I’m definitely not obsessed with anonymity: I already figured that was not the way virtual worlds would work, despite SL’s ToS that protests anonymity a lot (until they get a court order, of course).
And Raul, Aviary is way more than kewl, of course! – it originates from the worth1000 crew, which are.. holy… especially Meowza… but that’s old fan-dom. Although I need to point out: I had him as illustration mentor once! 
I e-mailed Jax ages ago about sponsoring a corporate contest for Greenies design, but never got an email back! 
(Would have been in the ‘illustration department, freestyle’ … best greenies design, all tools allowed, SL snapshots supplied as source material, although starting from scratch on a vector file, or even RL clay or whatever would have been allowed.) So, please, tell him he should have answered! =d
Thanks for the comment, Vint.
I presume SL is something different for everyone of us, and that’s what makes it so interesting. Liked a lot your post becuase reading your point of view about this theme i started thinking in all that social networks and the use i’m giving to them.
Uses social networks to find out what is going on in SL – I often roam about on my own muttering to myself so otherwise may never get to see or do anything. I am in constant awe of the talented, creative and just downright interesting people in SL and through the social networks – in particular twitter (though I hardly go there now and use plurk more instead), plurk and flickr.
Like Loaf, I seem to miss out of most of the drama – I sometimes wonder if that’s because I’m the other side of the world and most of it happens while I sleep… or wonder if it’s because I’m not really part of any particular group, even though I mix with them all. It’s some times easier to remain neutral with this kind of distance.
There’s some amazing artistic talent on flickr and my eyes greedily feast on all sorts of visual delights… and then there are silly happy snaps that make me smile. I love plurk for the updates – I often follow links to peoples blogs and art and external information, content that I many never find without these tools.
I think humans are inately curious about others (I don’t mean in a bad way… it just IS). Ever since we’ve existed we’ve formed communitys, friendships and alliances… I think this is what social networks are about – they are communities of people with common interests. Mostly I see them as good (based on my experience) but I’ve also seen glimpses of the negative aspects (exclusion, bullying, etc – fortunately, though, I think the good way outweights the bad).
Would it be cheeky to post this same comment on the delightful Vint’s blog, I wonder? *grins*
Thanks for sharing your view, Moggs… and don’t worry… is not SO cheeky