The Role of *Stuff* in a Virtual World

Pumpkins sit on the footbridge though some thought the virtual turkey wandering about is over the top.  But it's autumn in the US and this sets a tone that works even in an unreal world. In other words, in my corner of Second Life we're realistic but offbeat.

And to be truthful, it's been more fun shopping for animated desk chairs and stuff to give the Second Life Offices a sense of place than it is to shop for dresses and hair.

Moreover the process has given me time to think about what I'm picking up and why.

In virtual reality we don't have bad backs or tired feet so we could sit on the ground - or stand for that matter  - but somehow we want chairs and sofas because they organize us in familiar ways.

Lamps give areas a certain glow, plants soften the look, rugs define areas and yet we still look for something personal to show the real humans behind the avatar that takes our place in virtual meetings.

Reading glasses, papers and books placed strategically augment laptops on desks and flat screens TVs on the wall.

A sextant and maybe a globe might work too. Subtle scene setters disguised as decor. Indicating that we're adventurers, explorers, travelers in many ways. 

The New York Times touched on this in a recent article:

"It’s not just vanity that drives people to dress up in Second Life. It’s also seen as good for business. Ms. Fitzpatrick, the landlady, says she doesn’t really care about how her avatar looks. But she cares about what prospective tenants think. “I felt I had to go, finally, and buy the hair and the suit,” she said, “or my customers might think I’m too weird.”

"Appearances count in Second Life’s financial world, too. Banks and stock exchanges are housed in huge, formal structures draped in marble and glass. “People in the banking industry wear shiny silver suits and are absurdly tall and have hired a couple people to walk behind them in black suits with ear bugs and shoulder holsters,” said Benjamin Duranske, a lawyer who blogs about legal issues related to the virtual world.

The psychology of being comfortable interacting with other people often demands a sense of what feels safe and also what feels familiar. A tweedy grey room may be right for some and a room with red silk furniture and books lying around may appeal to others.

So I need to provide both if the shared office space concept is going to work.

As I shop and observe others, and read about how acquisition prone we are in Second Life I can't help but think that it's not so much commercialism at work, but a need for comfort. Both we and others feel better with certain things around us. Familiarity lets us focus on the conversation and the person we're talking with not the surroundings.

And in the end, that's what matters. In the meantime having a seat that looks comfy can't hurt. And if the turkey walking around in front of the series of office areas makes us laugh. That's good for me too.