online education

our "what is real" lecture was an interesting one. i have been amazed at how much dedication and countless hours one can put in on online games/activities. let me start off by saying that i have spent countless hours playing Xbox live but i have always strayed away from games like WOW or Second Life. i have seen first hand at how involved a person can get on games. my old roommates were both into online games (one like Counter Strike/Starcraft & the other one was into WOW). when they were playing those games it was like they were in an alternative world and were completely oblivious to the anything but the game. they acted in accordance to the unspoken world of the game. it was a sight to see. 

i remember watching TV one day and it was MTV's True Life series. i don't remember the premise of the program but they had a girl who was afraid to go into public but had no problem being social in Second Life. i had no idea at the time what Second Life was but it reminded me of "The Sims" but on a massive scale. after seeing the video in class and hearing the lecture the concept of alternative persona's online and having freedom of doing whatever one desires, it had me thinking. people are free to say whatever they want and in Second Life to do virtually anything (it appears). there seems that there should some limitations as to what one can do or say. i'm sure a lot of people get a rush off of being able to say whatever their hearts desire but it doesn't seem right. if you wouldn't say it in person then why saying behind an invisible wall. but i am shocked to see how many people are playing games like Second Life and throughly enjoy it.

"to each their own"