I like my First Life

From an online perspective, I have a Second Life. But my Second Life, as opposed to many other's serious second lives, is just like my first life except that I'm a much better dancer than my second life suggests.

Before I made Melodie, I was tempted to forgo my real-life, all-American disposition and create a bow staff wielding, butt kicking, female warrior princess (a look I always thought I could pull off in real life). But alas, since we were in a classroom setting and I didn't necessarily want to attract a bow staff fighting warrior prince, I opted for the "girl next door" template and made my avatar, Melodie Thursday.

As Melodie and I transported around, I simply concluded that Second Life is an interesting place. What is it that makes millions of people interact through a virtual world, with a virtual persona? Frankly, I don't really understand the appeal. Especially when it comes to "in-world" reporting.

Second life is by definition, "imagined by its residents." People are more likely to present themselves as they want to appear rather than who they really are.

Melodie, for instance, is in full ballerina attire because I have always wanted to be a ballerina. That's the kind of information you use to write a novel, not a news story.

When I learned that there are actually on-assignment, paid, full-time reporters on the Second Life beat, I was taken aback. I have trouble seeing Second Life as anything more than a thinly veiled social networking site.

How do you gauge the credibility of a story coming from an online world created by its users? I don't trust any news story that can be credited to a fox-headed avatar named Beezle Bathwater.

Second Life is too surreal to reach me as a valid news source. I want to hear stories about your first life, not your second.