Comments | pinksparklystar: Virtual Lives?

pinksparklystar

Virtual Lives?

Jan 27, 2009 11:11

For part of my course I am looking at Virtual Communities, and after doing some research I've become quite interested in how interactions in virtual worlds impact on people in real life - as well as more general topics such as why people decide to become part of virtual communities online, and how they work - e.g. politics, economy etc ( Read more... )

Comments 7

themikado January 27 2009, 12:23:03 UTC

I don't mind posting about this in public. :-) I have one main experience of a virtual community and one main experience of a social networking site.

World of WarcraftI joined because I love role-playing games and always have, and my housemate downloaded a free trial. I did as well, and got hooked. And yes, I still play ( ... )

themikado January 27 2009, 12:26:23 UTC

Facebook
I don't recall anyone ever defriending me but I have over 350 'friends' so I don't know if I'd notice! I doubt I'd be that bothered though. I use Facebook to keep in touch with people I know. I've never met anyone on it and I don't really plan to. I joined because several of my friends had joined and it was a good place to share photos, among other things.

As long as you discuss it with the other person (assuming they already have Facebook) then you can change your relationship status however you want. It's only polite to let someone know you're dumping them before you tell the entire internet...

pinksparklystar January 27 2009, 19:47:29 UTC

That's just the kind of thing I was looking for (to both - particularly WoW as I have very little experience of it myself), thank you muchly :).

wordsfromrob January 27 2009, 19:17:09 UTC

On the last point, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/7845946.stm and http://xkcd.com/355/ - I decided that the stigma involved in changing your relationship status was so big that I removed mine just in case I ever (think I've) stop(ped) being single.

I definitely feel bad if I decline a friend request from someone I may vaguely distantly have known, but I don't think I'd be offended if some I don't speak with deleted me.

pinksparklystar January 27 2009, 19:51:43 UTC

Thanks muchly, I love the xkcd link, I might put it in my presentation :). Chris sent me the one about the Facebook murder yesterday - it's the reason why I decided to bring social networking sites into it as well... crazy.

n0tasquirrel January 27 2009, 23:16:31 UTC

- How insulted are you if someone 'defriends' you (even if they're someone you never talk to ( ... )

oh_lovely_kings January 28 2009, 09:40:57 UTC

I'm also "engaged" on facebook, and I think it had something to do with this guy who fancies me then 'defriending' me on facebook. He obviously wanted me to know he'd done it and wanted to hurt me, so it was interesting that his choice of weapon was doing something over facebook rather than texting me or something.