Commercializing the MUD

It is estimated that today, almost 4,000,000 people from virtually all corners of the globe flood Second Life, inhabiting this completely user created, virtual world. Despite all to Hoo Haaaas about this supposedly revolutionary “second life” many people forget the history of virtual environments. A decade allow the so-called computer geeks logged onto a completely text driven virtual space called a MUD; a space that I personally was very fascinated with. In my view, it was the MUDs that was the real revolutionary technology. I can't help to feel that Second Life in many ways has just commercialized the MUD by creating a visual layout and therefore has lost the true experience that a text based environment creates. As stated by another link minded blogger Susan Wu “Text is like mainlining opium right into your subconscious – it doesn’t get filtered by any visual or auditory filter – it goes straight into your brain and feeds your imagination”. Although Second Life is truly a creative idea for another ground breaking means of communication, I believe the experience does not invoke imagination and the idea of a “second life” in the ways in which other virtual spaces do. I believe that Second Lifes main aim to be as close to reality as possible is limiting the imagination and ‘out of this world’ experience. In a metaverse like Second life their seems to be this strong desire to replicate reality and make it a real as possible. But the simple argument is: It just not reality and it can never be.