Comments on: Cyber-sex goes mainstream (and dark) http://dumpinggrounds.com/2004/06/28/cyber-sex-goes-mainstream-and-dark/ I ought to put a tagline here... any suggestions? Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:42:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Sandra http://dumpinggrounds.com/2004/06/28/cyber-sex-goes-mainstream-and-dark/#comment-16 Sandra Tue, 29 Jun 2004 14:07:50 +0000 http://69.39.89.132/~dgadmin/?p=37#comment-16 <p>I agree that we all need some temporary means of escape once in a while; but I'd hardly put a reading a book or watching a movie in the same category as creating an alter-ego and joining an entirely non-existent world for yourself and others to "live" an alternate life. The time and level of personal/emotional commitment involved varies tremendously between the two. Books and movies have plots not determined by their audience and definite endings not prolonged by yet another code-spawned adventure (though sequels could be argued). If a book or movie lasted forever and altered it's plot based on the audience's actions, then we'd have a basis for comparison.</p> I agree that we all need some temporary means of escape once in a while; but I’d hardly put a reading a book or watching a movie in the same category as creating an alter-ego and joining an entirely non-existent world for yourself and others to “live” an alternate life. The time and level of personal/emotional commitment involved varies tremendously between the two. Books and movies have plots not determined by their audience and definite endings not prolonged by yet another code-spawned adventure (though sequels could be argued). If a book or movie lasted forever and altered it’s plot based on the audience’s actions, then we’d have a basis for comparison.

]]> By: mmc http://dumpinggrounds.com/2004/06/28/cyber-sex-goes-mainstream-and-dark/#comment-15 mmc Tue, 29 Jun 2004 13:26:19 +0000 http://69.39.89.132/~dgadmin/?p=37#comment-15 <p>I'm not sure I agree there. A world that you can run away to every once in a while to forget your troubles, commitments, and responsibilities can be a healthy thing. After all, isn't that fundamentally what a book or a trip to the movies give you? * The issue with these virtual worlds are that you share them with others. Kind of a community dream, so to speak.</p> <p>However, combining a world (virtual or not) where your actions have a real effect on real people with an environment that encourages (what is, in our society, at least) illegal or immoral behavior seems like a very harmful environment to be in.</p> <ul> <li>Granted books like American Psycho and movies like Silence of the Lambs provide a fundamentally disturbing view of parts of our society, but there has never (at least that I am aware of) been a film done from the rape victim's point of view, thereby providing a "you can be raped" experience. These games seem to provide that.</li> </ul> I’m not sure I agree there. A world that you can run away to every once in a while to forget your troubles, commitments, and responsibilities can be a healthy thing. After all, isn’t that fundamentally what a book or a trip to the movies give you? * The issue with these virtual worlds are that you share them with others. Kind of a community dream, so to speak.

However, combining a world (virtual or not) where your actions have a real effect on real people with an environment that encourages (what is, in our society, at least) illegal or immoral behavior seems like a very harmful environment to be in.

  • Granted books like American Psycho and movies like Silence of the Lambs provide a fundamentally disturbing view of parts of our society, but there has never (at least that I am aware of) been a film done from the rape victim’s point of view, thereby providing a “you can be raped” experience. These games seem to provide that.
]]> By: Sandra http://dumpinggrounds.com/2004/06/28/cyber-sex-goes-mainstream-and-dark/#comment-14 Sandra Mon, 28 Jun 2004 22:06:33 +0000 http://69.39.89.132/~dgadmin/?p=37#comment-14 <p>That's quite a set of questions you raise - a topic of conversation that could be debated for hours (and requiring far more space than I have here). The real problem here is that people have such a need/desire for a virtual world in the first place. Maybe if people would simply focus their energies on making their REAL lives better places to be, fewer of them would feel the need for a "realistic virtual world". Isn't that a bit of an oxymoron anyway? :)</p> That’s quite a set of questions you raise - a topic of conversation that could be debated for hours (and requiring far more space than I have here).
The real problem here is that people have such a need/desire for a virtual world in the first place. Maybe if people would simply focus their energies on making their REAL lives better places to be, fewer of them would feel the need for a “realistic virtual world”. Isn’t that a bit of an oxymoron anyway? :)

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