The Virtual World - What do you think?

[Lina]

Hello Everyone,

How do you experience the 'virtual' world, is it different from the 'real' world? and if or if not, how come?

(My name is Lina, and I am an undergraduate studing Social Anthropology at Roehampton University in London and I am interested in how you all see the virtual world. I will be asking a few questions regarding it here, and I very much appreciate all answers and contributions made to the discussion. Thank you all in advance!)

All the Best,
Lina


Mod/Admin Note: In case anyone was wondering (for those of you that ignore the intro section ), Lina has our expressed permission to be posting here, as part of her research.
~thalassa

[thalassa]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

I think it depends on what you are doing.

Like...a forum or a blog, I consider an extension of the "real" world, but gaming and such (even though I partake), I consider more a form of escapism.

...I will get back to this, I just saw the clock, and realized I only have 7 min to walk across campus and get to class...

[Ophidia]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

The 'virtual world' is a tool to me. It's not a 'real' place other than as millions of computers and servers and miles of cable and radio waves & whatnot. It's kind of like a shiny, expensive telephone featuring pictures of cats with captions on them. Prior to my introduction to the internet (I started using it in 1995), I didn't view the airspace utilized by my telephone as a place, and like a phone, I use the internet to communicate cheaply with other people, take advantage of the efficiency it offers (if I want a particular item, I can look up prices for numerous shops & determine the best bargain in a few minutes, as opposed to having to drive around town - wasting time and gas), and it gives me some serious entertainment value.

But the 'virtual' world isn't anything more than just a computer hooked up to a network of millions of other computers, globally. It does not replace the physical reality in which I exist. I still have to get up, go to work, pay bills, spend time w/my husband & dog, and all that entails in order to even afford to sit here & spend a few minutes on this forum. I also never forget the number of people who are also involved in it - those are real human beings out there, with real opinions and real emotions and real jobs, just like myself.

[Taiga Pagan]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

To me the virtual world is a battlefield, because all the people are there, that includes your friends, your allies, but also your enemies and the people bent on mass domination.

Each step in there is a risk, but who can't risk anything, gets nothing back.

The real world is not guided by a single centered world idea, it's quantum, fluctuating, uneven. The virtual world is very one world, one system oriented, and everything that claims to try to differ must be using the laws of that one system.

A quantum space of the real world does not obey to what all other quantum spaces around it dictates, it just interacts with em, without the intervention of master processors and always differ from each other and are unpredictable. A space in the virtual world will always be made of one and zeroes, and it's all what the spaces there must contain, which it's status of one and zeroes is control by master processors.

[Corvus]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

I love anthropology, (just had to say that) on the topic, I see the virtual world as a place (not like a separate plane of existence but a different thing) I don't know how to explain it. The virtual world is the culmination of thoughts and emotion and a tool for interaction but, more so I think its grown into something all its own (um does that make sense?) Then think of all that we put into the internet we rant and talk about our day and even have online journals, maybe im just weird but I think something is listening, maybe the virtual world hears us? A couple of people have mentioned thoughtforms running around online, which is something that should be thought about. Not to get off topic though :3

[kijani]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

I feel like I am myself no matter where I am. I speak here the way I speak in real life, and I try not to hold anything back. I use the internet as a tool of communication and information, just as almost everyone does. Now, I am also involved in Second Life which is literally a 'virtual world'. I think people use things like that for different reasons than they use the internet and search engines and community websites. For me, I'm myself here. I rant and I say what's on my mind and I voice my opinion just like in real life. Other virtual settings I tend to use as an outlet for other things, to explore other friendships and things I might not get to in real life. I believe what thalassa said sums it up a little simpler.

[Caelia]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

I'm not quite sure I understand your question, Lina. Do you mean in general how we view the "worlds", or do you mean how do we compare certain attributes (like a religious community) to the two "worlds"? Something else entirely?

[B. de Corbin]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

I never really think of "the virtual world" as a place. It's more like a tool which I use to do other things.

For example, I live in the boonies, but there's a whole lot of interesting things out there that I can get to through the internet which I would have a very hard time getting to, or even finding out about, in another way. With the internet, I can have all the advantages (I want) of living near a more developed area without actually having to live there.

[Lina]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

Firstly, Thank You All for your very interesting replies!

So we view the virtual world with different eyes, as a tool for communication and information, as an extension of what could be called the 'real' world, as a battlefield, as a place not seperate but different, and so on.

This leads me to wonder why it is that we spend valuable time in the online world? What makes interaction here special? (this is thinking mainly about forums and social networks)

I also want to thank Thalassa for the Mod/Admin Note, I should have mentioned it myself, my apologies

Thank You all again!

---------- Post added at 01:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:48 PM ----------

I would also like to try to clarify my question to Caelia re:

"I'm not quite sure I understand your question, Lina. Do you mean in general how we view the "worlds", or do you mean how do we compare certain attributes (like a religious community) to the two "worlds"? Something else entirely?"

I am interested in finding out how you and others experience the virtual world, how you see it, what you do with it, if it is at all different to what we see as the 'real' world, or if it is an extension to it. What is your experience of the virtual world, what makes you spend time here?

I do apologise if I am not clear enough, but hope above helps, if not please ask again.

Lina

[B. de Corbin]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

Firstly, Thank You All This leads me to wonder why it is that we spend valuable time in the online world? What makes interaction here special? (this is thinking mainly about forums and social networks)

I like forums because it gives me a chance to talk to people that I'd probably never get a chance to meet in person.

[Tylluan Penry]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

I don't spend all that much time in the online world - I have enough to do with the 'real' world and all the other magical worlds that are out there. I thought originally that it was these magical worlds you were asking about, but now I think you meant the online virtual world, didn't you?

For me the online world is just a way of finding information I need (it's quicker than libraries) and getting to know people with similar interests whom I would never normally meet. That said, I am as wary in the online world as I am in the real one.

The biggest difference is that I can post a photo of myself looking reasonably tidy in the online world and that will suffice. In the real world I have to keep brushing my hair and putting on make-up.....
Otherwise I might be mistaken for a mountain troll....

[Ophidia]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

Firstly, Thank You All for your very interesting replies!

Hey, you're welcome!

This leads me to wonder why it is that we spend valuable time in the online world? What makes interaction here special? (this is thinking mainly about forums and social networks)

I know for me it's because I can interact with people from all over the world, not just my own immediate vicinity. While Las Vegas (where I currently live) is an international tourist destination, my only real interactions with international travelers are work-related. I tend to avoid the touristy Strip on my days off and before/after work, mainly because once you've seen a new casino - well, you've seen it. As such, I don't get to really know about what people think about on deeper subjects - like religion, global policies, society as a whole, their philosophies, why they do the things they do... I am, at work, above all a representative of the company for which I work. I'm not supposed to be too 'personal' in my day-to-day interactions lest I shed a misleading image on my workplace and its parent corporation (we even have sections of our Policies & Procedures mandating how we represent our employer in our use of social media - which means I go to great lengths avoiding naming names, lol). I'm also too broke to actually go anywhere. On-line, I have the opportunity to actually get to know the people I'm serving - both domestic and global.

I can also do things like read first-hand accounts of people in places doing things. One of our members here, for instance, is in Egypt, and some wonderful and terrifying things have been happening there. We only see one side of the story here on the news on television - but on-line, there are thousands of people telling their stories. Another example is El Blog del Narco, which is a network of people affected by and sometimes even involved in the drug cartel wars happening in Mexico. A lot of people who spend their free time watching t.v. don't even know about the impact of things like Wikileaks or El Blog, and I'm able to at least spread awareness that there's more to the world than Jersey Shore.

[shadow1982]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

This leads me to wonder why it is that we spend valuable time in the online world? What makes interaction here special? (this is thinking mainly about forums and social networks)
Lina

I am really only going to echo what has already been said but I spend time online on forums like this one because it gives me access to people with a) the same beliefs/interests as me and b) different experiences and cultures to mine.

[thalassa]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

I think, in the beginning, people come because they don't know where to find like minded people (or they don't feel comfortable looking for them, or as far as they know, there aren't like-minded people in their corner of the 'real' world...and then, when they find the community to be useful to them they stick around a little longer, and if they click with the people there, they stay.

Those of us that have been here for awhile mostly consider each other to be family, in some cases emotionally more available and more accepting that our actual blood relations. We've been here for births, deaths, marriages, divorces, etc.

[Lina]

Re: The Virtual World - What do you think?

Hello again,

I am going to send a private message to all you lovelies who have posted in this thread so far, I will include a number of questions - please answer as many as you want and as in depth as you would like. I have decided to send the questions to you who have already showed interest in this thread, but if anyone else would like to answer these questions, please post here or send me a message and i will send it to you too. I will be very thankful for your replies!

And now, on to another question

If we use the internet to meet people who are likeminded but spread across the world, do you think if people around us in the offline world was likeminded - there would be no need for social interaction online? Or is there something special about interacting in an online forum which you cannot feel or have offline?