Hvorfor leve et andet liv?

Why live a Second Life

Nielsen, Jesper

4. semester

Humanistisk Informatik - Multimedie

2008

77

Second Life blev åbnet af Linde Lab i 2003 som en online, beboet 3D-verden, hvor brugerne kunne bygge ting direkte i selve verdenen. I slutningen af 2006 og begyndelsen af 2007 steg mediernes opmærksomhed markant, og antallet af brugere voksede hurtigt til over seks millioner. Dette speciale undersøger, hvorfor Second Life blev så populært: skyldtes det platformens særlige muligheder, eller bredere ændringer i samfundet? Forskningsspørgsmålet er: Hvorfor bruger brugerne Second Life? For at gøre det håndterligt testes tre hypoteser: at brugerne søger et tilflugtssted fra en kompleks hverdag; at de bruger Second Life til at skabe digital kunst; og at de tiltrækkes af platformens popularitet (hype). For at belyse den første hypotese anvendes Lars Qvortrups teori om det hyperkomplekse samfund, hvor moderne samfund består af mange specialiserede systemer (fx økonomi, politik og videnskab), der kommunikerer på hver deres måde, så ingen har fuldt overblik fra ét ståsted. Hypotesen er, at Second Life opleves som mindre komplekst end det virkelige samfund og derfor kan fungere som et frirum. Den anden hypotese bygger på Qvortrups og Mette Sandbyes forståelser af digital kunst. Ifølge Qvortrup er digital kunst multimedial, allestedsnærværende og inviterer publikum til at medskabe inden for værkets mulighedsrum. Sandbye understreger, at social interaktion er central og giver plads til intimitet og erfaringsudveksling, og at publikum bliver medskabere. Når brugere bygger i Second Life, deler aktiviteten disse kendetegn, hvilket støtter hypotesen om, at platformen bruges til at skabe digitale kunstværker. Den tredje hypotese bygger på konsulentfirmaet Gartners hype-cyklus, som beskriver, hvordan nye teknologier ofte får en hurtig popularitetsstigning, efterfulgt af skuffelse, hvorefter de langsomt finder praktiske anvendelser og stabil accept. Specialet argumenterer for, at Second Life følger denne kurve, og at den tidlige popularitet påvirkede, at mange oprettede profiler. For at teste hypoteserne er der gennemført kvalitative interviews med nuværende og tidligere brugere af Second Life. Teorier er forenklede modeller, så empirisk undersøgelse er nødvendig. Analysen af interviewene støtter alle tre hypoteser: Respondenterne oplevede Second Life som mindre komplekst end hverdagslivet, de brugte det selv til at skabe digital kunst eller så andre gøre det, og de fleste oprettede profiler, fordi platformen var meget omtalt og populær.

Second Life was launched by Linde Lab in 2003 as an online, inhabited 3D world where users could build directly inside the environment. In late 2006 and early 2007, media attention surged and the user base quickly grew to over six million. This thesis examines why Second Life became so popular: was it due to the platform’s unique features, or broader social changes? The research question is: Why do users use Second Life? To make this manageable, three hypotheses are tested: users seek a refuge from a complex everyday life; they use Second Life to create digital art; and they are drawn by the platform’s popularity (hype). To address the first hypothesis, the thesis uses Lars Qvortrup’s theory of the hypercomplex society, in which modern society consists of many specialized systems (e.g., economy, politics, science), each with its own way of communicating, making a full overview from a single vantage point impossible. The hypothesis is that Second Life is experienced as less complex than real-world society and can function as a safe space. The second hypothesis draws on Qvortrup’s and Mette Sandbye’s views of digital art. According to Qvortrup, digital art is multimedia, ubiquitous, and invites audiences to co-create within the work’s space of possibilities. Sandbye emphasizes social interaction, intimacy, and exchange of experiences, with audiences becoming co-creators. When users build in Second Life, this activity shares these traits, supporting the hypothesis that the platform is used to create digital artworks. The third hypothesis uses Gartner’s Hype Cycle, which describes how new technologies often see a rapid rise in popularity, followed by disappointment, then a gradual recovery as practical uses emerge and benefits become widely accepted. The thesis argues that Second Life follows this curve and that early popularity influenced many to create profiles. To test the hypotheses, qualitative interviews were conducted with current and former Second Life users. Because theories are simplified models, empirical testing is necessary. The analysis supports all three hypotheses: respondents experienced Second Life as less complex than everyday society, used it to create digital art or observed others doing so, and most created profiles because the platform was widely talked about and popular.

[Dette resumé er genereret ved hjælp af AI]

Second Life ; hype ; Gartner ; Lars Qvortrup ; Mette Sandbye ; digital kunst ; hyperkompleksitet ; samfund ; Second Life ; hype ; Gartner ; Lars Qvortrup ; Mette Sandbye ; digital art ; hypercomplexity ; society

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