Virtual yet Real

One of Cory Ondrejka main arguments is, “…creating a defensibly real, online world is not possible if its users are given the power to collaboratively create the content within it, if those users receive broad rights to their creations and if they are able to convert those creations into real-world capital and wealth (pg. 159).”  The problem behind being able to sell synthetic world property for real world dollars is the fact that if at a point jurisdiction has to step in what happens. There is a real economy in these synthetic worlds but, intermingling property and real world dollars can be a huge problem.  

                In Second life players have the ability to build anything that they can think of using the building tool. Once an item has been built the players can send it into the Linden lab servers to get full rights to that item and then can sell it for real world money. This correlates very well with Ondrejka’s argument that to create a defensibly real, online world will not be possible with the ability players have to sell property in Second life for real world money. Amidst, Ondrejka’s opinion there is some positives with the buying and selling of created objects in Second life: because of the collaborative nature of Second life users are socially always talking to each other therefore leading to a strong and diverse virtual community.

                In my own Second life experience getting past the lagging and not being able to find a place to build anything I believe I have some knowledge of this game despite, my setbacks. In Second life’s game world there are advertisements up everywhere and this to me point directly to the real world. I felt as though being in the game was just an extension to the outside world the only difference being that I have the ability to fly.  One of Ondrejka’s points is that there is an economy present within virtual worlds and this is seen with Linden dollars and having the ability to buy and sell land in the game. There are also these objects called, “Sex beds” which were built buy a player in the Second life world and he sent his property into the servers to get the rights for it. Once he got the rights for it now he makes people pay Linden dollars to him for the use of the beds which, in Ondrejka’s mind Second life cannot possibley create a defensibly real, online world because of this happening.