Experiment or Experience?
by Godzprototype, HSM team writer
I am a fish that thinks about its bowl.
Perspective is a powerful thing; we are the sum total of our perspectives. However, I don’t think there is any definition that could completely predict or totally define the human experience.
I live in Georgia and have a farm and large pastures. My house is atop one of these hills. It is a beautiful perspective to see the hills dip and rise with very few trees. I call it my yard. At night sometimes I go to the top of the hill I live on and look up. And there it is: space!
From where I stand it engulfs this tiny man with just the whole idea of how infinitesimally small we are in it. I love thinking about it! It takes my breath away every time I see it.
When I was growing up as an Air Force brat, I got to see a lot of the world and my father taught me how not only to respect other cultures, but try to see the beauty in them. My art teachers in school gave me perspective with a lot of things. The arts were very interesting to me. I enjoy the sublime. I enjoy cooking and realised that the way to people’s hearts was through their senses. When you prepare a meal, you combine ingredients you hope in the end will create a memory for that person or persons. The ambiance of the entire experience can create a memory that even when most things go away you can still almost feel.
I have chronic insomnia, and days and nights blend after a while in a haze. I know life is short and I don’t want to miss anything. I found the night to be beautiful, serene, still. It’s my friend; I love the night.
I find life is very noisy. I’m not an antisocial person, just that it is hard for me to communicate with the public, as I work at home and stay here most of the time. I enjoy the company of people when I can relate to them, and I found I could relate to people in virtual spaces. Most of the people I encounter there have some common ground, like a love for digital art and beautiful music. Time was never a factor there, because someone was always on somewhere in the world. I entered the Matrix willingly, and was excited about it way back in 1996. For me, it was the future.
If you think about it, we won’t be going to another galaxy in our time — not unless you’re Hubble or Kepler, anyway. But then, this is virtual space! Those of us who visit virtual spaces do this everyday. I look forward to going to another universe entirely. We also get the benefit of being who or what we like without life telling you that you can’t be this way or that.
I didn’t actually buy my own PC until 1996, and once I was unleashed on the Internet…wow. I thought the very day I brought it home after seeing most of my life what these things could do, that there should be a graphic world for communication. I was right! My first experience for virtual environments was Onlive Traveler. I had arrived there just after MTV had left. Of course being a teenager of the 80’s, that just made it that much more interesting to me. Virtual environments were just like a costume ball. I enjoyed – even on a rudimentary level – that perspective. Rex was the name folks knew me by. I went deep into this 3D world, meeting and becoming friends with people who moderated the whole thing. I am still friends with them, too. Almost every month a new space or two would come out in Traveler and we would all have a party to celebrate it.
These places allowed me to be different. The only judgment came from my peers.
PBS came along and wanted to do a short interview about online communities.We were excited to be a part of the future and glad to have the larger media publicize it. That’s really all we knew about the interview. Unbeknownst to us, this psychologist was trying to promote a book about the addictive properties of online communities. She and a few other psychologists showed this interview to the public and tried to say we essentially had a problem that she had the answers to. The director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self wanted to deal with this large group of Travelers because we were, from her perspective, an easy target; second, their group of people could profit just from speaking about it; and lastly, other psychologists could benefit from the entire process by saying we all had an addiction to things like RPGs. I mean, if you think about it: say you are a psychologist trying to diagnose or define a behavior that required your focus for any sort of extended period of time; you could be labeled as an addict. This was the tone of the interview.
In the real world, you’re one person, but online you become another –maybe even more than one. What is it about cyberspace that encourages so many people to experiment with role playing — and what do experts in human behavior say about it?
Honestly I didn’t give a damn what “experts” had to say about what I was doing. It was fun, others were having fun, and we did help creative people be more creative. Isn’t that the point to life? After seeing the interview, I felt let down by what I otherwise thought was going to be a interview to bolster this new world and attract more people to it.
After reading what the other people involved in the fiasco had to say, one thing stood out above the rest. If gaming communities wanted to move forward, they would have to contend with the naysayers whether they liked it or not. I am sure the gaming industry has its share of doctors on staff, but for them it’s probably more about keeping something fun and entertaining rather than destructive to the person or persons views on the whole experience. Scientific studies are done in virtual reality all the time. Act Labs, the people who created Onlive Traveler, consulted most of the aerospace industry.
I think in retrospect these people who came to tell us we were addicted were the original trolls. They were preying on people for profit. Making money is a good thing, but is it all that good when it’s at the expense of innocent people just trying to have a good time? If you are going to profit on peoples’ good time, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to make them think they are doing something wrong.
Is PlayStation Home or any other virtual environment an experiment? If it is, I think psychologists would love to be dealt in. However, don’t ever let someone tell you that what you do here can ruin your life. Coming to Home – or any other virtual space in my experience – is more helpful than harmful, so long as you don’t let it interfere with what you have to do to take care of yourself or the ones you love.
This experience over the years has taught me that these spaces offer opportunity for people who may have issues with money, transportation, have a job that ties them down, or are just simply shy and may not be able to connect with the public the way everyone else does. Whether it be games, or just exploring unknown territory in virtual spaces gives people a different kind of ability to connect with the world, and that’s a good thing. You are in another universe here. Boldly going where no avatar has gone before. Have fun! That’s what it’s all about. Be creative and share your creativity with others, if you so chose to. 
I come to Home because I enjoy being a part of something that artistically grows and changes. If you frequent virtual spaces you probably are an explorer. That sense of wonder shared with another can create a memory that is truly priceless. I spent most of my time in Home alone. I figured that their were enough places for me to explore to occupy my visits to Home. Friends would present themselves – as I remember correctly – the same way they do in life; on common ground and with common passions.
I enjoy Home! I would like to be a part of its growth. I ran into this crowd of people at this publication that had the same passion. The team at HSM has a presence that came with their avatars that was real. I couldn’t bear to get to know anyone that would disconnect from their avatars and forget that we are explorers of this universe! There are very talented and real people here. People I am comfortable with, that have honest opinions and carry themselves with dignity and respect for others. I have taken the red pill now and I want to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Am I addicted? No, not in the way that group of people would have you believe. My circumstances are unique to me and people I care for everyday get everything they need. I come here because it is fun. It is an experience. This experience for me is growing into something even newer for me.
I have just started to make machinima. This is cool: hard and time consuming, but very cool. I enjoy machinima and the first time I saw PSTalent’s work along with the Homelings, I knew this was the future for this universe. Why not make a Cecil B. DeMille or a Stanley Kubrick style film! LOOT has given us the tools. Home has given a lot to a lot of people; let’s give something back.
Here’s to the future. I hope your experience is fun!
Cheers!
February 22nd, 2012 by Godzprototype | 14 comments
Godzprototype is learning the art of creating Machinima, and would like to share it with you. Hope you enjoy.
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Awesome Bill! Very good read. Home is what we make of it and you my friend make it better!
Very insightful read Bill. Don’t ever doubt that you can do this, the evidence speaks for itself. Loved the article and the video as well. Keep those creative juices flowing, Home will be a better place for it.
Quote of the month: “I am a fish that thinks about its bowl”. Very well done, sir; a thoughtful and engrossing read.
I could identify with a lot of what you said. Excellent work, Bill. I KNEW you would evolve into a really interesting addition to HSM. Welcome on board!
I’m thinking the psychologist had the problem, not the people in a make believe world where people play and have fun. Such a shame to go somewhere with preconceived notions just to make money. Perhaps they couldn’t find the right key to the door.
I enjoyed the article and your piano playing sounded just fine.
Perhaps they drank the potion, used the key, then ate the cake as soon as they entered the room.
Perspective is in the eye of the beholder.
I loved this article Godz. I love looking up at the night shy as well, I think it offers such a wonderful perspective on life.
Also, for every last thing there is in the world there will be a line of people telling you it’s bad. Look at coffee for example; right now, it’s good for you, but a few years ago it was bad and that cycle has gone on for as long as I can remember. What’s good or bad is such a personal and individual thing. so the trolls are just more noise in a nosy world!
The world needs a lot more fish that think about their bowl and arrive at their own conclusions rather than listen to what some “expert” has to say about it, as long as you buy a book that is!
Awesomesuce article Bill. Of all the things I want to say in regards to this article..what keeps coming to the forefront is ..I am very honored to call you my friend…
Good friends = Good times
I think we are going to have alot of them. Thank you Sue.
no rapport with the article, just a technical issue!
HSM site don’t allow us to make controlC/contolV on our keyboards, its realy annoying for the numerous non native english-spoken!
i cant import the article on my favorite translator….
Whatever, i really like ur article bill, even if i don’t all well understand^^
i’m a fish too,but i spend my time thinking bout what hide behind my bowl^^
kiss bill!
We had to disable those functions because we had found instances of people copying work published here and not giving credit to the author and/or claiming it as their own work.
However, if you use Google Chrome as your web browser, it will auto detect languages that are not in your native language and offer to translate it for you. It may not be the best translator, but it’s the best solution for now.
Your article got me thinking about a few things.First I wanna say I got my first PC in 2000 but only came online last year.My first day online was spent in Home making myself presentable and tryin to figure out the menu pad.I had seen Home before at a friends place and I think that was the moment I was “hooked.”I wanted soo bad to be there!It (Home)reminded me of “Otherland” a series of books by Tad Williams.In the story there are “full immersion virtual reality installations”that are available to the masses.I’ve often wondered if that kind of tech is the future of gaming and virtual reality and what role will Sony play in shaping that possible future?Anyways,that’s what your article got me thinking about.
Home to me is a place where people get together and have fun and be Unique, But sony is in a all out war against us glitchers and im tired of it.I and Alot of people glitch to stay on home it keeps it fun and while we are on home i can promise you that glitchers are the people who have spent the most money on home. 1st they take personal space float glitch and why is that .Ive spent 5,10 and up to $15 on places and have brought every place up unto that patch if ive spent the money for it its mines and should be able to do what ever i want to it and if you see my places it would blow your mine but i haven’t spent one penny on a personal space since and so have alot of people.Now they take GG away do you know how much money they made on people buying certin outfits so they could gg im sick and tired of sony they patch glitchs but look at this new wardrobe wars game it takes 5 to 10 mins to load a pic.Im rambling now sorry it get me upset but what i was wondering if us Glitchers could get some love on a artice we know there are bad glitchers but there are more good then bad
Hi hun, I am so sorry it took me so long to read your article. We spoke of these things into the wee hours I know what you wanted and you have done it. I loved your article and agree with you completely about how you think and feel. Home has given us a virtual real life. Here we are not bound by naysayers, we are free. Your insite is on the nose as you remember our talks. That was such a powerful read and thank you for it. By the way, your music turned out wonderful, I loved the song you chose.
Love you always,
Karen