Like all good things, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Since being one of the primary organizers of the SLCC in New York City, I’ve been taking quite a bit of a break from Second Life. I’m keeping up with SLBoutique’s customer service needs, and staying in touch with friends, but only spending an hour or two each week in world. I’ve talked to many other people about this phenomenon in Second Life, and recently asked myself, “Why?”
I think the main reason this occurs with Second Life - and not with the Internet as a whole - is the way Second Life is totally engrossing. While the World Wide Web can be easily used to check for information, and at the work place, Second Life is all about our passions. This can be draining over time. A little bit of time off refills the passion tank, and is often a good thing. Second Life doesn't seem to suffer from the problem games do: garnering a major interest for several months, then being completely discarded after the passion tank is empty. Instead, interest in Second Life waxes and wanes, but never goes away.
Fortunately for me, this hiatus has come while my laptop is being repaired. I'm sure I'll be back in full force, but for now, a little vacation away has been great for me.
Monday, October 31, 2005
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Could not agree with this more. A number of people have commented upon the 1-year doldrums a lot of people go through. I think it is hard to keep up a level of interest/creativity for such a prolongued period of time, especially because SL can be so intense and consuming... it will eat up however much time you allow it and bang its fists on the table demanding more.
ReplyDeleteIf you try to push through SL fatigue, like anything, you risk burning out. A break to recharge the batteries and rekindle the spirit makes a lot of sense.
One of the nice things about taking a break from SL (if you have a premium account) is how the stipend piles up. I took a six month break in late 2004, and I came back to a good chink o' Lindens in my account.
ReplyDeleteI immediately spent it all on dance animations and bling.
Chunk. Chunk o' Lindens.
ReplyDeletePol has the bling got you any play yet?
ReplyDeleteWhen is my burnout going to happen? I think I need to get into a heavy duty SL relationship and have it go tits up. It's hard for me to get burn out with one of my only creative outlets. But I feel as if I'm missing out on a rite of passage.
My personal prob is I've grown increasingly insatiable for fuelsources in SL and there's just not enough. I see so many holes, so many things which have yet to come to pass... I want MORE SECOND LIFE.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, aye, Flip amig0, I remember when you first helped me configure your titler to wear on my head, in cyan! That was over a year ago and to think you'd already been in SL a goodly amount of time since then. And with the SLCC and all, you just keep getting greater.
Thanks all for your thoughts and kind words! I got word my laptop will be back any day now, so I look forward to see y'all (AND YOUR BLING!) in world! Its good to be part of the slog team. :-)
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