There is, and has always been, a lot of discussion and even
argument about the lines and boundaries between "real life" and
"second life".
In this short piece, I hope to explore some of the
issues involved in this, some of the potential dangers, potential benefits,
and, ultimately, answer the question, "Can an SL relationship lead to
lasting love?" In this, I am following many other authors who have written
great pieces on the subject. This is simply my contribution to the mix.
For the purposes of this discussion, let's start with some
definitions. Real Life (RL) is that set of experiences you have while you are
alive. Second Life (SL), on the other hand, is a computer network-mediated means
of communication and interaction. As such, it is just one of all the various
ways you might communicate or interact in your RL. SL is a part of RL. SL IS
RL. So those who assert that "this is a REAL person behind my avatar"
are quite correct. Up to a point. Not all of RL is "the same thing".
To understand SL better, let's look a moment at RL and the concept of
multiplicity of personality.
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