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Most long time residents of Second Life have at least one. Some regard them suspiciously, accusing them of being used to spy on others. I've heard some say they use them to get a break from their growing popularity, to find a bit of peace to wander through the grid unhindered by IMs and demands for attention. I'm speaking of course... of alts.
I never had an alt, until recently. I didn't see the need for one, I have enough trouble keeping my head on straight with just one avatar. I did wonder though, what it would be like to start over as a newbie, if I would see things differently, if it would be any easier the second time around. My first impression was how unsettling it was to see myself teetering around like a newly hatched chick. I'd taken for granted the nice skin I had (bought by an ex-boyfriend), the loaded AO that I'd searched far and wide for, all the time I'd spent tweaking my shape. These things had become a part of me and how I identified myself.
It's scary to start over... but exciting.
Now I wonder... do I tell people I know? Is it dishonest not to? Would it be a mistake if I did?
What do you think? If you have an alt (or two, or three) I'd love to know what made you decide to create them. Did you tell your friends? Or is it a deep, dark secret? Leave your comments below :)
See ya'll in world!
Friday, October 19, 2007
To Alt or Not to Alt
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3 comments:
Haha, I have been asking myself the same questions!! And yes, I have an alt! I use that one to explore in peace and quiet! But I keep meeting cool people as my alt and I tell them my other alt has a blog so then its not a secret anymore :-). Oh, and my dearest friends in SL I have told about my alt, I just can't seem to shut up!! I just talk to much and it would fees as if I would be deceiving them if I didn't tell them. I haven't added them all as friends though! I need to keep my anonimity :-).
I think I'm going to have a hard time keeping my mouth shut too :)
I have two alts - all three of us belong to bear and bear info hub.
My first alt was just for fun - a tiny furry. This av does not come in world often, but I have found it quite interesting to observe how people interact with a furry/tiny differently. The COMPLETE lack of sexual innuendo and harrassment of a sexual nature (by any and all gender/sexual persuasions) has been refreshing to say the very least. And tiny roller skates? How fun is that?? Not one single person knows I have this alt.
Only one person knows about my other alt. In rl I am female. My main av is also female. This alt is a male av. He gets such different reactions by EVERY single avatar in Bear and Bear infohub (not to mention in other areas of SL) that I am often quite dumbfounded. It has truly been an eye-opening education to see the gender bias most of us carry. And I was truly shocked to find so many "modern" women (at least their avs are female - haha) who think nothing of coming on STRONGLY to a male av. Is it dishonest to not reveal I am female? If I encouraged their advances, yes. Otherwise, I cannot see how it would matter. I do not "fish" for information about my main av nor "lurk" hoping to hear some juicy gossip. I merely experience SL as a different gender - something impossible in RL.
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