Adventures in Second Lifeby Liana Kahalewai

EthnographyEthnography is the scientific description of the

customs of individual peoples and cultures.

Digital Ethnography is a qualitative form of research that consists of 3 stages: (Stokrocki, 1997; Stokrocki & Andrews, 2010).

Stages-Data Collection: The process of recording an event and gathering pertinent information.

-Content Analysis: The search for conceptual themes or patterns of meaning both scientific and emerging.

-Comparative Analysis: The process of interrelating findings or explanations in one class session or several class sessions to form [suppositions] propositional insights

Research Questions1. How do users interact based on avatar preference?

(furry vs. human)

2. What are common and different themes between human and furry oriented sims?

3. What are common and different themes between avatar designs? (furry vs. human)

Avatar Context: VegasShown right is one of my ‘outfits’, though I consider it more of a specific character, as I do with all of my avatars. I am a fan of anime and the kawaii aesthetic, which was a big inspiration for this cow-themed character in looks. The avatar mod was built onto the Utilizer Kemono avatar, which was created by a SL content creator known for his more anime-themed works, except this one was specifically meant to be a anime/animal hybrid called “kemono”. Kemono means beast in Japanese, and refers specifically to anthropomorphic human/animal hybrids. It is similar, though aesthetically much different, than what most refer to as “furry” or more westernized anthropomorphic characters. The haircut is stylish and the oversized jacket adds to the cuteness. His features, such as the big eyes, small mouth, and small horns, reflect the aesthetic inspiration. I also further modified his presentation by adding an AO (animation override) to further give a cute look through my avatar’s movements. He will bounce around, twirl, and dance even when the controls are stationary. Simple descriptions of this character outfit would include soft, cute, and stylishIt has been most interesting travelling and exploring as this avatar since it was designed simply to be cute. Seeing the reactions from others that I have run into has been an interesting experience, since it seems people are more interested in presenting themselves on Second Life as a sort of ideal fantasy of what they want to be. Most reactions I receive are simply that people find it refreshing to see something simple and cute running around not trying to impress nor excite.

Avatar Context: CirceThis avatar came from wanting to create a more humanoid character rather than my usual creatures I create. I was also wanting to create something more conventionally pretty while still appealing to my personal tastes. I was watching The Lord of The Rings trilogy close to when I created this character and I’m sure it influenced my design choices. The creation of this character also came from the challenge of designing something new from items I already owned. She came out with a wispy, light look thanks to the more chiffon-type fabrics of her outfit.While I create my avatars as more of characters with their own little personalities, this avatar was more meant for actual roleplaying, specifically in fantasy roleplay sims. This was in contrast to my other avatars, including Vegas, as I usually simply create and explore but not interact with others too much. The design of this avatar follows more of what is popular with the “human” side of SL, which is to create an idealized humainoid character, hence why she is aesthetically pleasing both in facial build and body type.

Furry Sim: LuskwoodLuskwood is a forested hangout area aimed towards furries. The large trees have platforms and

walkways built onto them creating a large tree house-like environment. There is an area with shops and stalls, some owned by Luskwood themselves to sell their avatars and accessories, and the rest rented out by other content creators.

The sim is very spacious, giving visitors plenty of room to spread out and explore. Luskwood also provides many interesting builds, such as a cabin on bird leg stilts, an interactive adult avatar-sized playground, and even a hill made of waffles that visitors can find. More normal objects in this sim would be the many benches, chairs, and platforms that users can sit their avatars on.

There seems to be an overall playful design to this sim. There are many places to hangout in this visually interesting environment, but with an added aspect to really explore and play with the different structures.

LuskwoodLuskwood also features a stage and weekly performances from guest musicians. Some

of these musicians are electronic artists who stream their creations and others play live. Poseballs are provided to allow attendees to dance along with the music that is being played.

Even with no one currently performing, music is still streamed throughout the sim to entertain visitors at any time.

The usual avatars seen in this area are obviously furries. Furry avatars are typically adult sized and can have endless design possibilities, though popular species seen are canine and feline anthropomorphic creatures.

Furry user: Jac BraculaWhat is your SL username? My SL Username is Jaq Bracula. Ive had the account for several years now. I got an account back when

last names were still a thing you were required to have on SL. If you go to sign up with an account now, your last name is automatically set to "resident" and does not display with your first name in world. I chose the name because it sounded closest to "Dracula" and it was the best one it gave me at that point in time since they were randomly generated at the time of sign up.

How would you describe your avatar? I have several different avatars. Mostly they represent characters of mine that i've developed

throughout the years, or new characters that i develop with new avatar materials presented to me. The two main avatars that I use are my two primary characters Gene and Burke. Both of the characters are furries, or anthro to varying Degrees. Gene is made with the Utilizator Kemono, a more humanoid option, with a mostly humanoid face. Burke is a mishmash of different, more animalistic avatars to create what i wanted vision wise for the character. Both are generally regular humanoid size, but a height is hard to give since Secondlife Height options aren't based in reality. Fashion wise, their clothing depends on their body base. With newer second life avatars being mesh, a lot of the time clothing has to be "base-specific", or made for their body base. There are, however, many customizable options. Since both characters are a representation of me in some way, their genders are both outwardly depicted as male.

What are the inspirations for your avatar design? Being an artist, i have character designs that i can base these avatars off of. A lot of the time, since i already do 2d art, i have a base for them to start. Its nice to bring 2D characters into 3D to help with realizing certain things about them, how they carry themselves or how they look from different angles. Second life also can help with character creation. There are many different things that can cause a creative spark to create an avatar. Sometimes its just the desire to use a new part, or piece of clothing. Sometimes it's hairstyles. Other times its just taking what i've already created and making it realized in a 3D environment. After that, it depends on how you put the pieces together, like a character creation puzzle.

Jac BraculaWhat are the inspirations for your avatar design? Being an artist, i have character designs that i can base these avatars off of. A

lot of the time, since i already do 2d art, i have a base for them to start. Its nice to bring 2D characters into 3D to help with realizing certain things about them, how they carry themselves or how they look from different angles. Second life also can help with character creation. There are many different things that can cause a creative spark to create an avatar. Sometimes its just the desire to use a new part, or piece of clothing. Sometimes it's hairstyles. Other times its just taking what i've already created and making it realized in a 3D environment. After that, it depends on how you put the pieces together, like a character creation puzzle.

What do you typically do on SL? SL is mainly a chat program, so I often explore or chat with friends. Since a lot of the program can be

considered "empty" or "abandoned" its easy to find vast areas to explore with little to no interruptions. I also enjoy "modding" different base avatars to be more customized to my liking. Often times, people will wear base avatars and not do much to edit them. My time is usually spent creating new textures from scratch to create a new, interesting and personal look for the avatars that i use. Every avatar i purchase is usually seen as a "base" for my next project. I then strip it of its textures and make the avatar brand new ones to create a whole new look for it. Modding can take anywhere from an hour to several days, depending on the size of the project and the complexity of the avatar base in question.

How do you usually interact with other people? Often times i use IMs and public in world text-chat exclusively. If I'm in a more private space with friends (like someones private skybox), i'll use voice chat with push to talk. I also have a lot of chat based gestures ( in chat words which will trigger a sound or animation) but these are usually for fun/ a joke and not really necessary to communicate.

Jac Bracula mod: Gene

Mod progress of the Utilizer Kemono head done in a sandbox, the finished head mod, and completed avatar mod with new textures.(my textures are only on head and upper body, Facial Bandages, hair, card, collar, ears and shorts were not textured by me)

Jac Bracula mod: Burke

From right to left avatar bases:Current: Orange Nova Flatlander Gryphon,Tokushi Rebuhk tail, DERP Gryphox Ears, DERP Serbex Horns, Head is ALPHA paws Mesh Dog Head with AvENTITY JEX teeth. Hair from RAW HOUSEFourth: Paws Mesh Dog Head, Serbex Horns, Gryphox Ears, Jex Teeth Linden, Base Body. Hair from RAW HOUSESecond: Kinzart Creatures Bat, Serbex Horns and Gryphox Ears, Linden Base Body, Base avatar hairFirst: Original Serbex Avatar which was the closest I could get at the time with base avatar hair.NOTE: The only Texture i take credit for with regards to this avatar are the ones on the Current and Fourth editions HEADS ( MINUS HAIR), as I made them entirely from Scratch.

Human Sim: Golden SunGolden Sun is a beach hangout area aimed towards humans, including avatars of all ages, which is not

often seen. The main entrance of the sim is an expansive shop area, featuring stores and stalls that are rented out by various content creators. Most of these shops sell beach-themed outfits and accessories, though some sell general items as well.

Across the bridge show in the bottom left of the image is the main hangout area on a small island. Palm trees, sand, and the lifeguard station follow the beach theme and give visitors a visually interesting environment to interact in.

There is the usual beach furniture that avatars can sit on, but there are also extras such as a swing set, trampoline, and intertubes that visitors can interact and play with.

Golden SunGolden Sun is an all ages sim, so it allows avatars of different ages to be present. So it is

not unusual to see children and teen avatars hanging out and socializing in this sim along with the usual adult avatars.

Shown here is the DJ booth and dance area, which is in the middle of the main hangout island. Even while no one is currently playing music, there is still an automatic stream of music being played so visitors can be entertained even if no one is working the booth.

On the top right is a poseball that anyone can click on and have their avatar be animated to dance along with the music.

Human user: yoshicutiekiraWhat is your SL username?: YoshicutiekiraHow would you describe your avatar?: My main avatar is a human female whose style changes on a whim! There are certain elements to her design that remain the same (white hair, pink eyes, pale skin) but otherwise she changes hairstyles and clothing very often. Her style usually reflects current fashion trends on the grid, which are also reflections of fashion trends in real life. If I had to describe her in one word, it would be “fashionista”.My avatar is also made up mostly of different mesh parts. She has mesh hands, mesh feet, a mesh head, and a complete mesh body. I don't use any of the base Linden Labs parts anymore, because mesh parts have a nicer shape and more customization options through modding.What are the inspirations for your avatar design?: Inspiration comes from all over! I follow several Second Life blogs focusing on fashion and style, as well as regularly check for new events and designers. I put together pieces that remind me of clothes from real life as well as things that could never exist in the real world. Overall my taste is heavily influenced by goth subculture, with a healthy dose of bright colors here and there.

YoshicutiekiraWhat do you typically do on SL?: Well, Second Life is a social platform, so I do use it to hang out with people and make new friends. I find clubs or hangouts to sit in for a while and just talk to people. If I'm not doing that, my time otherwise is spent either shopping at in-world stores or taking pictures of my avatars or friends'. Second Life presents an interesting opportunity to practice “virtual photography” where I can have an infinite number of possible models, sets, props and ideas. In real life, models cost hundreds to thousands of dollars to hire, on top of stylist and set costs. But, in Second Life you can be your own model, and those same sets only cost a few dollars, or even could be free.

How do you usually interact with other people?: I use the Second Life chat box and private IMing to interact with people! If it's someone I know, I have animations for greeting them and sounds to play. Interacting with people in clubs usually amounts to playing a dance animation near them or sharing a pose ball.

Content AnalysisLuskwood: Open, inviting, areas to explore, area to hangout, streaming music, dancing area, poseballs, playful, interactive build

Golden Sun: Areas to explore, section for businesses to rent out, interactive furniture and toys, streaming music, dancing area, poseballs, fun atmosphere, area to hangout

Jac Bracula: Great interest in modding, focused on character creation, interest in fashion style of avatar, uses SL to chat, uses SL to interact with friends, likes to explore SL as a whole

Yoshicutiekira: Interested in modding, greatly interested in fashion styling for avatar, enjoys creating characters, uses SL to chat, uses SL to interact with friends, enjoys exploring SL

Comparative AnalysisFor how segregated they make their communities from each other, both the human and furry users of Second

Life have a surprising amount in common. They roleplay, they hang out, they dance, sing, play, socialize, and make friends. Both user types also carry an intense dedication to creating avatars and spaces exactly how they see things in their heads instead of simply going the course with what is given to them.

The use of Second Life is vast, but there is a similar theme throughout the various users, and that is to give the user the ability to not just create what they want, but to construct their own new identity. I believe that this ability is not an “escape” as some would interpret, but rather an internal exploration of oneself and the added ability to present that self-view to others. And this goes beyond simply “being who you want to be” by inventing a new persona for yourself, but actually giving the user the ability to “do what they want to do” as well. There are a number of users of SL who have disabilities and conditions ranging from social anxiety and depression to parkinsons and cerebral palsy who find comfortable social interaction by allowing them to present themselves how they want, not how they have to due to their conditions.

Importance of Play“Participatory culture shifts the focus of literacy from one of individual expression to community involvement.”“Play: the capacity to experiment with one’s surroundings as a form of problem-solving.”In Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century , by Henry Jenkins, with Ravi Purushotma, Katherine Clinton, Margaret Weigel, and Alice J. Robison

In both the furry and the human areas I explored, this concept of play was prevalent in many areas. From avatar creation, to world building, and even to the interactive structures, users are both invited to play and allowed to create the environments to play in. I believe that this aspect of Second Life, in addition to the ability to create new identities and have control over the details, is what sets it apart from other communities and allows for a truly one of a kind experience. Even if not through Second Life, this concept of play is incredibly important and will require other similar open creative environments such as what is provided by SL to continue allowing people to experiment and create in digital media.

Sources-Jac Bracula interview via DropBox: https://t.co/2vbccptW25

-On SL players with disabilities:https://learningfromsocialworlds.wordpress.com/9a-deaf-in-second-life-paper/https://books.google.com/books?id=KtTkPDRsqvUC&lpg=PA18&ots=1TZaTBvW0k&dq=second%20life%20players%20disability&pg=PA18#v=onepage&q=second%20life%20players%20disability&f=false

-Play quote and info: https://myasucourses.asu.edu/courses/1/2015Spring-X-ARE494-ARE598-22182-22184/content/_10291901_1/New%20Media%20Literacies.pdf