Second Life: No thank you, I’ll stay in the first!
Posted by Mark Winegar on August 10, 2008
Second Life makes a compelling argument about joining its virtual world but it falls flat on its face at being user-friendly.
My first excursion into Second Life was cumbersome at best. Singing up involves selecting an avatar, a virtual persona, with extremely limited choices in bodies and last names. I felt force to make selections that didn’t represent me. Once I entered the virtual world I found moving around, communicating with others, and examining objects to be far too difficult for my degree of interest in the game.
Second Life fanatics will take offense at my use of the word game but it is intentional. The frustration I experienced with Second Life is the same frustration I experience with early role playing games. It just isn’t worth the hassle. If I have problems using this game imagine how our students would feel!
Educational technology should enable learning by removing barriers to learning. Learning to use Second Life seems to be a mountainous obstacle. Its just too tedious. Why bother?
Besides, I have no need to hide behind a persona. I like myself as I am and I prefer to deal with real people, places, and things.
Tips?
Teachers beware of any new product that promises to be everything to everybody. Nothing really is. Such talk indicates a failure of focus in product design. Without focus there can be no real substance. This usually means an old failure is being re-marketed.
Designers focus on simplicity.
Gamers get a real life!
