CH 8
Chapter 8 discusses the governmental side to Secondlife. One strong point in this chapter is the reading on how power exists in secondlife and the reign this power upholds over avatars in this virtual world just as the government in the United States has over its citizens. There are differences of course between this type of political economy in secondlife than real life, but some aspects hold true. One of these is the capitalistic society in which residents and members of secondlife live in. Its interesting to see the similarities between the two along with the differences. Capitalism as I was taught in numerous courses here at BG is the economic system in which the means of production are owned and controlled privately, for profit, rather than by a state, public body, or democratic institution. A capitalist political system protects the exchange and distribution of capital between openly competing profit-seeking legal or private persons and where investments, distribution, income, production, and pricing of goods and services are predominantly determined through the operation of a market economy in which anyone can participate in supply and demand and form contracts with anyone else, rather than by central economic planning.
Its a rather large definition but it means a bunch in this chapter. Some Avatars have high ordered rank, almost like a government official, but most avatars are living in a capitalist society on secondlife. They work for themselves to make linden dollars, they can build their own business, venture to different territories, and even create their own life just like one would do in an entire capitalistic economy. There are forms of government on secondlife. Some avatars have more advantages than others just like people do in real life like the “rich” people. The people with more money can access and do more things than those with less money. This also applies to secondlife. A person with limited linden dollars on secondlife is unable to do everything one with unlimited amounts of lindens. This chapter was interesting because relating it to and from real life to the virtual world made me wonder and question many different things. I had no idea about the details of “government” on secondlife until I read this chapter. I had an idea that it existed to a certain extent, but the specifics were unknown to me and a lot of newbies in this virtual world. I look forward to searching n secondlife and finding this new knowledge!
Until then,
ekral