SLife and Times: Fake or Cheating

By Tiddily Winks

    There are many people who come on Second life for many reasons.  Some people think that if a person is having intimate dates on Second Life, then they are cheating on their real life mates.  Other people think that Second Life is just fake. Inquiring minds want to know what you think.  Is SL intimacy outside a marriage fake or cheating? 

    Many people come on Second Life to be intimate with others they have met online.  These people may be in a real life relationship as well.  This is kept secret by some of the people who play intimately on SL but is not kept from the real life mate all the time.  It is something the person needs to choose to do but may hide the fact that what they are doing may be wrong.  This may be done because of a lack of intimacy in his or her real life.  This may be done because of fantasy that a real life relationship does not fill.  Whatever the reason, it is up to the person on Second Life to talk to his or her real-life mate.  It is not something that is necessarily a good thing to hide.   Still some people use SL as stress reliever.  It can be relaxing to come on SL and reduce the stress that real-life causes.  It is also used to live out fantasies that are not possible to live out in real life. 

    Some people do not have contact with others much in the real world due to different reasons.  So the people like this use Second Life to meet people and have a social life.  Because they are not able to for whatever reason they have in real-life, this is a way to meet some great people.  SL is how some people socialize. 

    Some people think that everything on Second Life is fake.  “All of it is if fake and pixels.”  If it is so fake then why do so many people use it for different reasons?  Yes, it is true that most people do not look like that avatars do in real life but SL is a way of getting away for your issues in real-life.  So why would anyone want to look like themselves to come and do someone that is not real?

    No matter what people use Second Life for, there is one important thing to always remember.  No matter what, there is still a real person who is behind the screen that can be hurt by things that are done on SL.  So don’t purposely go around hurting people just because you do not agree with what they do or how they look.  If you are in a real life relationship, do not try to hide Second Life from your significant other.  It may just cause trouble for you later on.

Tiddily Winks

The Oldbie Project – Stroker Serpentine

By DrFran Babcock

I know what you’re thinking, but you are wrong. This is The Oldbie Project, and not an exposé tabloid article.

If you remember, the purpose of the Oldbie Project is to explore the lived experience of being a newbie in Second Life™, and Stroker’s rez day is November 8^th, 2003. I would have never asked for an interview, except that my few encounters with “the man who brought sex to Second Life™” were always pleasant.

On July 27^th of this year I came upon an interesting stream in the Second Life Universe forums. (http://www.sluniverse.com/php/vb/general-sl-discussion/85577-will-real-slim-shady.html ) Poster eku Zhong tantalized the forum regulars by asking: Guess who’s back? The answer, of course, was Stroker Serpentine. If you are unaware of the history of all that preceded this return, you can read the links at the end of this interview, but I will not go into those now, as they do not pertain to The Oldbie Project. 

What was striking, was that Stroker was back, and he had gotten four sims to create his Strokerz Toyz.  The sims opened with a rez day party I attended, during which Stroker was afk when I visited. Following that, there was a hunt and opening on the sims. Regardless of your feelings about sex in Second Life™ a visit to Strokerz Toyz is a must, if only to see the fascinating build that Stroker has created. Stroker was always a believer in the creative force of Second Life™, and the power we all have to make the world we want. Therefore, the sims are a joy to behold, and it is evident that a lot of work and planning went into their construction.

Enough procrastination, here are Stroker’s very short responses to my questions. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to see that he was being reticent, but there is still value in his answers, and they repeat themes that have been stated previously in this series:

SL Newser:  How did you find out about Second Life™?

Stroker:  All my friends in an adult 2-D world called "Seducity" were migrating one by one. The thought of creating my own content intrigued me.

SL Newser:  What are your earliest memories of Second Life™?

Stroker:  Naked people arbitrarily falling from their sky platforms.

SL Newser:  What kept you logging back in during the early days?

Stroker:  Naked people arbitrarily falling from their sky platforms!

SL Newser:  What are your fondest memories of the early days?

SL Newser:  Naked people arbitrarily falling from their sky platforms!

SL Newser:  What are your funniest memories of the early days?

Stroker:  How embarrassed the people were that fell from their sky platforms...naked.

SL Newser:  Did you fall in love in Second Life™?

Stroker:  I fell in love with the people of Second Life. Their diversity, nationalities and creativity.

Stroker:  Who was your favorite Linden?

Stroker:  Bub Linden. He was a riot!

SL Newser:  What were your favorite activities?

Stroker:  Creating and selling content and using the proceeds to buy sex slaves! Muahaha!

SL Newser:  Do you still log in? If not, why not? If yes, what keeps you coming?

Stroker:  I log on most everyday. My partner SensualMami is the sun on my face. She is my muse. 

SL Newser:  What would you like the world to know about Second Life™?

Stroker:  It’s not *all* about sex. There's also art, games, clubs and amazing residents from all corners of the world.

The take-away from all this is that Stroker is back, and we can all wait and watch and see what unfolds.

Links:

Wired Magazine: http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/sexdrive/2007/03/sex_drive0330

New World Notes – legal stuff

http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2011/02/stroker-second-life-content-lawsuit-settled.html

Second Life Wikia:

http://secondlife.wikia.com/wiki/Stroker_Serpentine

DrFran Babcock