[MD] Food for Thought

[Dan Glover]

Hello everyone

>From: "ARLO J BENSINGER JR" <ajb102 at psu.edu>
>Reply-To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
>To: moq_discuss at moqtalk.org
>Subject: Re: [MD] Food for Thought
>Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2007 22:28:34 -0500
>
>[Dan]
>Great questions. We construct roles and then call them real. In a sense 
>they
>are.
>
>[Arlo]
>In what sense _aren't_ they?

[Dan]
I think the MOQ would say there are no biological patterns underpinning the 
virtual world reality.

>This, I think, is the crux issue for what Turkle
>calls the "decentralized self".

[Dan]
Turkle uses phrases like "at least temporarily" and "usually disappointing" 
to illustrate how even though these virtual "lives" are compellingly 
addictive for many players the games fail to translate into anything 
meaningful in the "real" world.

>
>[Dan]
>We here know Arlo's writings so if they suddenly seem out of character we'd
>immediately search for rationalizations why. We hold each other in place, 
>so to
>speak.
>
>[Arlo]
>Exactly. I'd say what makes us sensitive to the pattern of expectation in
>dialogue is precisely the history of negotiation of these identities. If I
>suddenly break pattern, I am moving outside of established parameters for
>negotiation. Then we can re-negotiate, break negotiations, or seek relapse 
>back
>to formerly agreed upon boundaries.

[Dan]
I would go so far as to say that Arlo (or any "established" member of a 
group) cannot move outside established parameters, period, and that is 
precisely why many people find it so compelling to develop new online 
personalities.

>In some sense this was captured by Berger
>and Calabrese in their "Uncertainty Reduction Theory"
>(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncertainty_reduction_theory). (URT has some
>insights, but I personally don't feel it is as powerful a model as others).

[Dan]
It seems that this is what we real estate brokers call building rapport.

>
>[Dan]
>I am sure this is so yet this insight is gained by a very small minority
>compared to the number of players playing the games. Is the teenager who 
>drops
>out of school and spends every waking moment playing these RPG's gaining 
>any
>valuable insight? As a rule I tend to doubt it.
>
>[Arlo]
>No, I don't think the majority of these players are remotely concerned with
>theories of identity construction, but it has given sociolinguists and 
>cultural
>psychologists a lot of clay to play with.
>
>I'll tell you that I don't personally play (although I have "wasted" 
>countless
>hours playing Civilization and SimCity. But I have had kids in language 
>classes
>tell me that they were learning a language because people in their online
>gaming worlds were from these places. Nothing drives language learning so 
>great
>as a personal desire to communicate with others.

[Dan]
Very interesting.

>
>But, while I think there is leverage to be had (historical simulations, for
>example), and I think that there is a real, social, negotiative experience 
>in
>forging identity to be had, I think there are also negative aspects (such 
>as
>social withdrawl from other venues) that can impact the player. Have you 
>seen
>the South Park parody of World of Warcraft?
>(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MywN5nSJhkA). It has a slightly annoying 
>bit
>before the theme music, but its quite funny.

[Dan]
No I have never seen it. 'Fraid I am not much on tv. I did go to the url you 
suggested and try to watch but after a few seconds I remembered why I gave 
up my cable so many years ago. Do people actually watch this stuff? Oh my.

Thanks for your comments

Dan