There.com - Goodbye!

Since my time on there has come to a close I felt I should write a short evaluations on my feelings of the virtual realm now I myself had experienced it...

Evaluation

After completing three weeks living in the virtual world I can safely say I am not planning on leaving the real world anytime soon. I crave the physical satisfaction of the real world, being able to touch things and use them, hugging someone and feeling them and seeing facial expressions and hearing the tone of someone’s voice. During the visits to the world I found myself feeling extremely vulnerable and uncomfortable. I did not like the thought that the people I was talking to may not actually be who they said they were and can see how this can lead to more serious issues out of our control in a virtual sense. I did however find myself enjoying the conversational side as my journey through the world progressed and could see how people can turn to the virtual realm for the sense of friendship if they find social situations in the real world daunting. Although I found that there seemed to be groups within the world that seemed to know each other well and were not always inviting towards others so meeting people and getting involved with ongoing conversations often proved tough so I often spent time alone exploring the world.

However a female avatar warned me the first time I went into the world to watch out for guys as they often ask for personal details. This an also be a major problem in the virtual world as when in a conversation you can often forget and give them out un-noticed especially when people talk to you in a tone suggesting they know you quite well which is often the case.

I found that the time of day had an effect on how many people were online and that during the day far less seemed to be around. Therefore meeting new people and asking about there experiences in the online world proved tough. Although daytime visits were useful in exploring the worlds whilst evening visits could be used more effectively for socialising.

Appearance plays a part in the virtual world to which I found interesting. I think the main reason for this is the start out clothes, if you choose to remain in them people assume straight away that you are new to the world and therefore chose to stay clear of you. However this is often the case as to change appearance and clothes permanently you have to pay. This is a key feature of the virtual world, having to pay to progress. Most activities and objects require a price, which can detour people form using the sites or progressing within them.

I found the weather recreations realistic due to the use of audio representing them making them more recognisable. However I often found that the graphics were not always that realistic which was a let down but of course is something that can easily be worked on. As can the level of interactivity which I felt other than on a social basis was very limited within the world.

So overall I felt the world was effective and realistic in the sense of social relationships it gave you with others. But I have definitely decided that my visits to the virtual realm are likely to return to slim to none.

There #9 - Parrot Cove!

I felt the urge to carry on my board training and perfect my skills so made sure there was plenty of space in to hover in the next world I visited. There was a gigantic mountain and I decided to venture up it and fly to the peak to see if anything was up there. And I was happy to find that there was, welcome to parrot cove!! However it took a while for me to actually enter as there was a ring to keep the racers within the area and I couldn’t find the entrance for ages! But eventually I found my way in by accident lol.

Parrot cove was a racetrack, which could only be completed by hover or bike. The arrows guided you around the track and you could either beat a personal sore or take part in a race if other people were around to race of course! Keeping in with the name there was a group of parrots but they were static which I found disappointing as they could easily have been on a loop animation of looking around a ruffling there feathers but oh well :( and yet again you could not INTERACT!!!
So since there was not much else to do other than look at them I thought I would have a go at the track and get to grips with my board some more. The completion of the track was difficult not only due to my poor handling of the board but the fact that there were strong gusts of wind pushing you off course and off your board! I found this made it realistic of being at the peak of the mountain where you would expect there to be strong icy winds.

The first time round I completed the course in 2 minutes, which I was actually pretty proud of! But as the track proved to be addictive I had a few more attempts wanting to beat my score, which I am proud to say I did! Plus not only that I reached a new level of skill as a boarder and had no decided I much preferred travelling the world by transport atm especially my hover board and that walking was going to be a thing of the past!

There #8 - Malihini

Today I took a tour of Malihini and found many interesting environments within one world. There seemed to be a lot of white buildings and plants around the world and it was hard to decipher the shapes accurately to see what they were and in some cases it gave quite a cold undeveloped feel to the world.
I found a bandstand, which i'm guessing hosts shows as activities but unfortunately there was not one happening. Again though I was disappointed with the level of interactivity as you could not actually play any of them so it seemed pointless them being there when no show was happening.
After I ventured further into the world and found a windmill however it was not actually turning when I visited it possibly due to there being no wind within the virtual realm lol. I went inside to hoping to find something interesting but it was disappointingly just an empty room.
Within this world I found that when you entered different areas that had been created the environment itself changed. Sometimes the lighting would change perhaps to a light purple giving the world a surreal feel. And in some cases even the weather changes one it turned to snow and another was quite scary and was thunder and lightening and made the environment feel very unwelcome so I didn’t even enter the building!

There were some other interesting objects found such as a phone box in typical London styley. Although again interactivity was lost sine it was unable to even be entered let alone used. However I think it would have been a nice idea to enable a phone call via the phonebook and wouldn’t be too difficult to achieve and would make the world seem a lot more realistic.

Just at the end of this visit I decided to have a go at user my hover board at last! But to my disappointment the built up areas of the world have driving restrictions so I did not experience as much boarding as I would have liked. The driving restrictions were good as it meant that you were safe from being run down! However if you entered the restriction you were kicked off your vehicle and some had become stuck within these areas of the world, which was a downfall.

There #7 - Dating?!

Today I visited Coca Cola I found that all the buildings seemed undeveloped, as they were all white and the mass of white made navigating difficult, as it wasn’t always clear what were what as well as everything looking the same. I found a bench and started a conversation with yet another American! They seem to be everywhere in this virtual realm. He was rather charming and this was when I realised this could be a place known for meeting people something I didn’t know about! But this conversation was not the one I felt was worthy of blogging but I did feel my rather amusing conversation with MrSteel was worth taking your time to read. He cleverly got my attention saying 'nice to see you again' which I thought was amusing since I had never seen him before whilst exploring there. But I thought I would play along and see how far he went with it, which he continued to ask how’s the family which I thought was a clever way of making out that he knew a little more about me.

Another female avatar then interrupted our conversation saying that she was his girlfriend and how he had ended it after five minutes etc. I knew straight away she was young by the way she was typing and the things she was saying, and indeed I was right as she turned out to be only 12! I found it strange to think that a 12 year old was on a virtual world and could be chatting to anyone of any age and building relationships with them. It was then that I realised there are no representatives of age in the avatars, such as having a teenager, adult and elder which may be a better way of helping to represent people more safely in an online world. Which is an important issue that has yet to be dealt with especially with the age related issues, talking to another multimedia member who had seen an article on a news program about Paedophiles searching for younger girls in second life and transporting them to a special place, and I can see how easy it is since this 12 year old seemed to be obsessed with dating people on There. I also found it intriguing that I knew straight away that she was younger by her tone, which of course I couldn’t actually here in her voice but I could in my own reading of what she had written, and I realised its hard to put across a tone when typing a conversation and that an important factor of a real conversation is lost.

I also found it strange that whilst the guy was chatting me up using any line he possibly could, that he only wanted to date for an hour, it seemed that commitment was still not a priority and that within the virtual world it was easier to just date within seconds as you did not have all the insecurities you may feel when talking to someone in the real world.

Appearance again came into play as a key thing just as it does in the real world as he changed his appearance to help make me attracted to him more, however this was not successful since he was talking to me and personality is a lot more important to me then appearance.

There #5 - Ventrella Cafe

Today I first took a trip to sirocco, as I hadn’t ventured there yet. However I was disappointed as it seemed deserted and any interesting activities I could find to do would involve payment and as yet I am happy to say I have not be taken over enough by the virtual realm to pay out real money to experience it all! There was however a club where if you came at certain times you could get involved with a quest for the day but whilst visiting there were none taking place :( Although I felt this was a good activity as it helped allow you to explore the world and meet new people at the same time. However I decided to leave and try a different world in hope of finding a few more people around.

So I decided to venture to Ventrella Café where I found a series of get away homes that you could enter. However with a lack of people around again I felt the only activities available within them were to sit in numerous places alone. Within one of the rooms I found a piano but was disappointed to find that the only interaction available was to sit at it rather than actually use it. There was however a speaker playing music making it seem more homely as it didn’t feel as deadly silent as some of the other worlds.

I found what appeared to be a bed within another room and sat on it to see if any other gestures etc became available but to my disappointment there were no options such as sleep or even to lie down, this where I feel there lacks a realistic feel and is behind more advanced realms such as second life.

I realised I had never tried to swim in the water that was in each of the worlds and so thought I would give it a go but the avatar simply continued to walk when in the water which again was an area for improvement. However the water did have a realistic feel with the help of sound effects of waves and the fact that the water was animated to move in the fashion of a wave moving into the tide.

Along the sea front I found many homes and thought I would take a look around one to see if anyone was actually permanently living within them but as I had expected they did not seem to be occupied. I thought I would try out a dance floor whilst in the house as this is one successful item which does cause a change in interaction and gives more actions which are specific to the item in this case dance moves.

Next I tried out a hot tub to see if anything happened when I entered it or if actions became available. However nothing changed, I think my expectations were influenced by Sims were when you enter a hot tub the water bubbles and actions such as splash become available.

I then followed a ladder up to the top level but was disappointed in the level of graphics and movement when the avatar climbed it. It kind of jumped up rather than stepped and did not follow the ladder and one started you had limited control over the avatars movement.

So all in all after today’s visit I feel that more interaction is needed. Oh and I have also come aware that after using there during the day for the first time that there are time periods where usage is greater and this tends to be in the evenings when people seem to be in all worlds. Compared to today where I hardly saw anyone nearby at all.

There #4 - Welcome Party!

Today I was talking with a greeter who actually works within the virtual world as a part time job. I found it interesting that someone could enjoy being part of a virtual world enough to work within it as I myself have still not been drawn in to this obsessive extent. She has been working there for two years now and when I asked why she chose this career move she said she had ‘always been a computer nerd’ which funnily enough I completely understood, and straight away she had a certain identity within my head making it clear why this would be one of her particular interests. Having the greeters is helpful as it gives you help first person and you can explain your problem to them in more abstract terms rather then when using a built in help file where you have to be specific. And in return they can explain step by step and even show you if possible within the world.

Once she found out I was pretty new to there she invited me to a welcome party which I decided I would attend to add to my experience within the virtual world. I know what I would expect at a party in the real world but how would a virtual one live up to reality?

All in all it was basically the same as a party in reality with groups chatting dancing and rather bizarrely a few pet dogs to play with; however which turned out quite entertaining. First I sat and chatted with a group of people and made a few more buddies. Many of them had been part of there.com for a while which can feel quite intimidating as the ‘newbie’ however welcoming everyone is which I’m glad to say most people you meet are. One of the other avatars commented on how realistic the whole experience felt and I have to agree when within a conversation you can get lost within it and with many people inputting as within a real conversation I have to say it does feel pretty realistic. The relationships you build with people also feel real as if you consider them a ‘buddy’ you are giving them a degree of trust.

After since hearing the dogs barking I eventually found them and thought I would see how realistic they were. Which they were surprisingly life like, just like any other puppy having a mind of there own and being playful and interacting when called by you to be ‘pet’. The greeter at the party also informed me they liked to escape which I found amusing and felt added to making the situation more realistic. You could kick a big ball for them although interaction with this was limited as you were unable to pick it up only kick it around which I felt let this interactivity down as in the real world this limitation wouldn’t occur.

Next I thought id try my hand at virtual dancing, which I also found enjoyable. Once you had picked your spot new ‘actions’ became available which were dance moves. The fact you were given choices was more realistic as you could create routines to the music. Once others noticed I was braving the dance floor they joined me which is similar to how things are in a club as everyone follows suit, and two guys decided to have a dance off which is typical in both reality and virtual clubs. I would like to attend another party to try and further interaction and dance with someone to feel how realistic the portrayal of this would be and if feelings come with it as they would in reality.

The music was very realistic since it was from a radio with actual radio stations being played which I liked as it brought a part of the real world into the virtual. It also provided a high level of interactivity as you could chose the radio station you wanted if you did not like the song that was playing.

There #3 - Try it huts

I have been using the try it huts today to get a new look and see how I feel this effects interaction. The try it huts allow the use of clothing and hairstyles on a trial basis without having to pay, and it is available to you for 4 hours. You get a limited choice but it allows you to for a change to feel a little more like yourself rather than a cloned figure.

I then went to the world CosmoGirl via the map, which I have found useful in transporting throughout the world.

I chose to try out my new look in CosmoGirl, as it is generally a busy world with a lot of groups sitting and chatting so it is a good way to meet new interesting people. I made some new buddies and found that guys were much more likely to talk to me with my new improved look and I found I could put a little bit more of my own personality in to the avatar sine I was feeling a little more confident with the help of my new look.

One of the people I met gave me some valuable information on when visiting Zephyr land about using a force field as it allows you to not be run over as I previously had been so next time I visit I will be sure to check mine is active.

I am beginning to enjoy starting conversations within the worlds more however I still feel vulnerable when interacting with others as I don’t like the feeling that you don’t really know the real person you are talking to which you always do when conversing in the real world. I am also still finding it hard to remember to respond to people calling me Freya as I forget they will not be using my real name within this virtual world. Although I can see the comfort people get out of the interaction which to be honest does feel very realistic when having a conversation and the fact that it is nice to loose yourself for an hour or two and be someone else for a change.

There #2 - Exploring Zephyr

Today I visited zephyr and it had a definite mobility feel as there were tons of different vehicles to use.

There was also a difference in weather and this was the first time I had experienced this, it began to snow and snowflakes came about, a gentle tune was played and the sound of a could wind to help make the weather seem more realistic. Although it could have been improved by the snow actually settling on the ground rather than simply disappearing straight away.

I made a new buddy who took me for a ride in the car. The cars looked pretty realistic however seemed quite difficult to operate so I left it down to him. We eventually found ourselves within a racetrack but crashed and were thrown out of the car into the middle of the track. So I decided to try and get a buggy and join in the race myself.

However someone got there before me and I was caught in the middle of a race where a male avatar proceeded to continually run me over which I found rather vicious so resorted to transporting to a more civilised world to explore.

There were auctions available and a sense of business here to as I found a stall where you could view a film that had been made and then leave a tip if you wished.

There.com #1 - Learning the basics

Well I have had my first experience of there and have learnt the basics:
· How to get around with the use of the arrow keys
· How to visit different worlds via transporting
· How to change my appearance although this involves money
· How to interact with objects within the world simply by clicking on them
· And how to have conversations and interact via gestures with other avatars within the worlds

I made my first friend within the world, Ravern who turned out to be a lot of help. She to was new so it was easy to talk about the basics with her. I found out that popular worlds included Pizaz Island so I might check this one out on my next visit into the virtual realm. She talked about trying out activities and how she had been to paintballing however this again requires payment. I feel that she is genuine even though I know this is difficult to realistically know, but the first thing she warned me when she learnt I was new to using there.com was to watch out for guys as they often try and get personal details from you which I was really grateful for her to share with me. This turned out to be true since a guy did approach us and the only questions he asked where ‘are you ladies single’ and ‘asl’ (age, sex, loacation).

We then moved onto a more conversational tone finding out where about we were from and what we were doing in life and I found out she was in fact 28 (or so she says) and that she works as a manager within paint spraying company. I also managed to teach Ravern something within my short time within the world how to jump which I hope she will find useful. We agreed that next time we were both online we would teach each other any other new skills learnt.