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Second Fest: Glastonbury without mud

July 2, 2007

Well actually there was virtual mud (and portable toilets). But there was no booze, live bands or - I reckon - fun. Second Life and The Guardian this weekend enjoyed their very own music festival. The virtual 'Second Fest'.

Now it's entirely possible that I'm missing the point, getting old or both, but I can't help but ask... why? Surely the point of music festivals is the very physical proximity of friends (and the consumption of insane amounts of things that are bad for you).

And live music itself is only worth the effort because it is performed by, er, real live people in the company of real live other people. (I thought watching the Glastonbury festival on TV was pretty pointless, but I'd draw the line at using an avatar to pretend I was there.)

I wasn't at Second Fest of course (no-one was - it's not real), but I can't imagine that my Second Self missed much. I mean, how good can the virtual Pet Shop Boys be? (And how would you tell?) Some things are best enjoyed in the real world or not at all.

One danger of digital is that we begin to accept comfort and quantity over quality of experience. Do we really want to have 300 Facebook friends, but no-one we can call up during a long dark afternoon of the soul?

So sod Second Life. I'm gonna get me to a real festival. (Just as soon as I've saved up some money. And it's stopped raining.)

Posted by: Matt Egan

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Comments

Posted by Farqot Gustafson on July 3, 2007 :

Mr. Egan,

As a new resident of Second Life (SL), I can appreciate your concerns with virtual life. Like most newbies, I was overwhelmed by the environment. My friends list and inventory of "stuff" (clothes, gadgets, etc.) grew out of hand. I also wondered what the point was.

But I soon started making a few good friends in SL. Most of them live some distance from my real life (RL) home in Detroit, and it's a safe bet that I wouldn't have met them otherwise. And, I started to appreciate that VR environments are what the inhabitants make them, and not the hosts who create them.

At 51, I can laugh and fume at the antics of my younger neighbors, as I do with my children. I can participate in group discussions, listen to live music (with a concurrently performing avatar), and visit virtual museums. I've even gotten a job as a reporter for an SL newspaper.

SL will never replace RL, but it can be a fun diversion from daily life. Stay with it, and I think you'll see what I mean.

Posted by Matt Egan on July 3, 2007 :

Thanks Farqot, perhaps I will. But I suspect that not every user is as well balanced as you appear to be!

Posted by Neeva Torok on July 7, 2007 :

HI Matt

I went to Second Fest. A very interesting experience seeing what the artists who built the place had done (and talking to them about it). Making these virtual spaces and holding events in them is a new artform. Its going to improve.

Just like in Real Life, the best part of the festival was when people/avatars were crowded together listening to music they enjoy and entertaining each other. Could second fest have been better? yeah, lots. Could it replace the experience of a real music festival? No. But that is not the point. It was a real life experience for the people who met there and participated. I'm sure it will become better, richer, and more interactive as the technology and our knowledge of how to use it improves.

Best part of the festival? When the young woman with the jet pack straped to her back asked the person who looked like a little cat if he wanted some fish. "No. But I'd take beer and a ham sandwich if you've got one," was his reply.

Posted by Matt Egan on July 13, 2007 :

Thanks Neeva. Sounds like I should check it out next time around.

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