It Isn't Real

Whenever I give a presentation on Second Life, at least one person says something like this: "It isn't real. Students need to focus on their real life and not waste their time on something that is not true, not real."

Sigh....

Of course I have heard similar comments since the beginning of my interest in technology and teaching. It was in the early 80's. The school where I was teaching was quite upset with me for teaching my English class to word process. The Faculty Council quickly banned all word processing schoolwide. No word processed paper will be accepted in any course. (They might be witten by the parents.) I could not count the number of times I heard "words should not be processed. They should be mastered, respected and revered, but never processed."

Sigh...

All I can think to say to the Second Life nay sayers is "I bet you are a lot of fun at the movies."

• That guy didn't really get killed.
• Harry Potter is not real. Nobody can fly on a broom.

Imagine banning novels in the English Department because they are not real.

I watch the news nearly every evening. Frankly, I am getting a bit tired of the "real" side of my life. I think I shall log into Second Life for a few hours, talk to my friends, build a steam powered balloon, or put on my tartans and dance a jig at Ruby's Irish Pub. If you too have had about as much Real Life as you want for the day, then come on over and say "Good evening Sir Arthur" or "Hello, Dr. Doyle." " I was so pleased with the signed copy of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes that you sent me for Christmas. It was quite lovely. I understand that you published it yourself."