Second Life
Communication in Second Life and communication in the real world are very different. In Second Life you have to wait until a person is online and then you have to click on them and talk to them and you also have to add them as a friend. In real life it’s as simple as calling someone on the phone, or what most young people do now, text somebody or you can just talk to them face to face. A similarity, though, is that you can also talk to people in Second Life with a microphone which is similar to talking on the phone. Travel in Second Life is very different than in the real world because all you have to do is type your destination and, if it exists, click teleport. It is also free. In real life, you have to buy a ticket and go through the hassle of finding a flight and time or you have to pay for gas etc. Symbols that have been interfaced are almost everything that we use here. I haven’t seen signs for food, bathrooms, or signs that tell you where you are.
The information that is most important in standard signs is just general information. Most standard signs are stop signs, one way signs and signs that you see every day and are signs that everyone recognizes. They are all very straightforward and they have to be so people know what to do in an emergency, for example, the hospital signs and road signs. What is left out is the artistic qualities and words. Usually standard signs are all pictures and they are symbolic and have no artistic qualities to them.
The advantages of “quirky” signs are that people will stop to look at them. With most standard signs, people will just glance at them and keep doing what they were doing, but with artistic and “quirky” signs, people actually take the time to look at them and understand what they are about and what they are drying to portray. You will have to be careful though not to have too much of an artistic license because then people might not get what you are trying to accomplish.
I noticed that while I was flying or walking that there aren’t any signs for food or details about the place you’re in. Signs that I might want to create are signs that will direct people towards food or something with information. This will help people in Second Life because they won’t be aimlessly walking or in some cases flying around. It will help them know where to go so they can find a place with food and a fun atmosphere. Also where to go if they just want a place to “hang out” or find any information about the city.