I recently read an article on cnn.com about the trend of virtual gift. Things like Second Life avatar clothes or champagne in Facebook. From the cnn article "In the first two weeks of November alone, the company that created Second Life says there were almost 3 million digital objects sold on its site, though it's not possible to tell which of those were given as gifts."
Some people think it is a waste of money to pour resources into a virtual world. "Others call virtual gifts a waste of money -- a way of "pouring millions down the virtual drain," says Michael Bugeja, the director of Iowa State University's journalism school. He's been a vocal critic of the resources universities and students are dedicating to virtual worlds." I do not agree with Bugeje in his opinion that it is a waste of resources. If you get enjoyment from the gift then it has fulfilled its purpose. Whether or not a gift is a waste of money is very subjective.
I would just leave with the old saying "It's the thought that counts." ----and no ---I do not want a virtual gift this year.
Happy Holidays!
cnn article
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2 comments:
Bugeja is an avatar hater. ;-)
I gave my wife some linden dollars as part of her Christmas present last year. She used it to start a business selling clothes. It was a hobby she enjoyed for several months, and a lot more gift-giving bang for the buck than if I had given her a gift card to Ross.
I often give free Facebook gifts to friends just to say I remember them. Often the gift of the day is something that relates to a shared experience (i.e. a pair of dice for a friend I went to a casino with, or a glass of champagne for a wine lover).
Virtual gifts are icons of indulgence which, I predict, will go down in history as symbolic of our self-indulged, privileged American life--so much so, that we fantasize about a second life and forget about the disenfranchised in our cities.
Give a donation to a local charity in your spouse's or friend's name next time rather than a virtual gift.
Oh, and don't call me an avatar hater. I like mine just fine on Second Life. It's a default one. And I wear my "member" insignia with pride in SL so that everyone knows I'm not paying a pixeled penny.
Other than that, thanks for post on the blog.
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