Confessions of a Second Lifer

I am more confident in SL. Hell, I play a seven and a half feet tall elf in SL. I tend to get noticed. In RL, I’m just plain ordinary me. But it’s not because it’s virtual… I am “me” in SL, just the ideal me, rather than the ordinary me.

Siobhan Taylor in an interview with Open Source, 3/2/06

Those are fire-flies floating around me, Siobhan, and her “pet.” [Julia Spiro / Flickr]

While searching Technorati for blogs on Second Life, I came across one by Siobhan Taylor, who’s been spending time in in Second Life since 2003. Her blog intrigued me and I wanted to know more about how she managed her real and second lives together; she answered a few questions for me over email.

Do your friendships in SL matter as much as, or even more than, your RL friendships?

Certainly as much. My SL family especially. Why shouldn’t they though? They’re real people, with real feelings, and they deserve the same sort of friendship that a person in RL would.

Siobhan Taylor in an interview with Open Source, 3/2/06

Is there a large dating world in SL? Do you think it is easier to fall in love in SL than in RL?

I suppose there is, though I’ve never been a part of it. I’ve had close partners since I first came to SL. As for it being easier to fall in love in SL, I’d say it’s no different. You tend to love the mind more though, in my experience, because you know what you’re looking at is rarely a true picture of the person behind the avatar, so you don’t get the problem of falling in love with your eyes.

Siobhan Taylor in an interview with Open Source, 3/2/06

Have you ever been married in SL? Is it the same as being married in RL?

I have been, twice and still am. I treat it much the same way I would in RL, so I suppose it is real. It’s different to RL of course, since there’s no binding contract and no laws saying who you can marry, where or when… you make a commitment to someone and you either keep to it or you don’t.

Siobhan Taylor in an interview with Open Source, 3/2/06