Is this the end?

My experiences in second life are coming to a close. Once I graduate, I will no longer have access to the campus computers labs, nor will I have a log on. Thus, the only machines I know that are capable of running Second Life are no longer accessible. It makes me sad because I know I'll be kicked out of the only group I joined, the Moonlighters. I even voted for the rule that's going to end up kicking me out. The irony of it all! In regards to the project, I completed some goals and didn't complete some goals. The ones I did complete include: #8 buying, selling, and trading (I did this probable more than anything but change my appearance); #6 identity experiments by randomly talking with strangers; #7 (by a stretch) social activism by voting to monitor group activities; #5 job information, #4 technical information aka. how to open a box, also there are a variety of placed that give tutorials on how to make objects in SL, I watched one on creating a cube; #2 contact with others who have similar interests, aka. archery and arcade games in the 3-D. The ones I do not feel I completed are the one I knew in the beginning I probably wouldn't complete. I don't see SL as an appropriate place to seek feelings of affiliation and emotional support and I don't even go so some of my real life friends for that type of thing. Thus, I was fairly sure it wasn't going to happen on SL. Nor did I find academic information, although I did try to see if I could find an actual college on SL, but the navigation is still very confusion to me and I could never locate one.

Overall, I believe my time in SL has been interesting. While I believe virtual communities have potential, they seem to be to exclusive and the virtual interaction between people just can't replace physical relationships for me. I don't think I could ever fully trust or develop a lasting relationship with someone I've only known online. I do feel that SL has therapeutic potential as a sort of identity playground. As I started conversations with more and more people online, I found myself less anxious about talking to people I don't know in the real life as well. Definitely a worthwhile experience.