Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Avatar Profiling?

I've spent large chunks of my Second Life hanging around infohubs and, as a result, around griefers. Not just being on the receiving end of attacks, but in the company of friends who's only goal in this virtual life was to disrupt everyone else's experience as much as possible.

Oh you know the type.. we accuse them all of being prepubescent, bed wetting, pimple faced little twerps who've hijacked mommy's computer while she's out banging the neighbor, but in reality they're usually sad little pudgy men with a dependence on Viagra or militant cat ladies who never get out of their apartment and who log on to the grid for no reason other than to show how obnoxious they can be.

Last Saturday night's discussion at the Second Slice Café was supposed to be about holiday memories, but instead I ended up playing whack-a-mole with the ban hammer through about half of it. We had a great turnout, but about half of them were griefers and while griefers in themselves are a nuisance, what really pickles my pixels is that I KNOW why they're there as soon as I see their avatar or read their names.

So just ban them, right?

That would be the simple thing to do, but would it be the right thing? Wouldn't that be like.. profiling? What if it is? Should I even care?

What do you think?

Moving on..

This week the topic will be:  Using SL to live out your RL fantasies

What do you do in SL that you can't do in RL? Changed genders? Explored an alternate sexual preference? Opened a business? Gotten married? Stayed single? How do you use Second Life to do all the things can't do in RL?

This Saturday at the Second Slice Café at 5pm SLT. I hope to see you there!

2 comments:

Yordie Sands said...

I used to believe that griefers are human beings too. hehe They aren't tho. They use anonymnity to show what really awful people they are. So, I'm with you, BAN THE BUMS. hehe

Yordie Sands said...

Hi Mahala... you haven't posted in over two months and I'm wondering if you are ok? Please let us know where you are. Hugzzz, Yordie Sands

 
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