A friend and I had a discussion recently about how much or little Real Life to share in Second Life. She mentioned that back in the day, people warned her to keep all RL details private, and she carefully did. Over time SL became much different, with more than a little bleed between the toon and the reality. For both of us, our RL selves are far too frank to hide any of it, though.

We’ve both had experiences with people who roleplay their real lives through their avatars, which confused us mightily. Why lie about real life when it’s easy to say, “I’d like privacy, please!”

A different friend of mine switched genders to play her avatar, and mentioned to me once that it’s tremendously difficult for male avatars to get any peace at all about their real lives from inquisitive women. Yet another friend switched genders to play a female avatar, and said he has always been able to keep his RL private. I guess there are so many women in our virtual world that men are a rarity, and more curiosity is engendered by them?

I really wish that the avatars who want to keep their real lives secret could, so that instead of building up a trail of lies, they can simply enjoy the game.

At any rate, my avatar is lookin’ all role-playish in her new hair (fashionably Dead, at Hair Fair) and outfit (tee*fy from Collabor88) while visiting the Kingdom of Sand. Full disclosure: I don’t look a jot like Acha.

Hair: fashionably Dead Venus – Brunette 3
Makeup / eyes: Plastik Soul Ink reloaded in Juna tint, Vaele Coll Galaxia-Nala prim eyes
Skin: Plastik Aleria – Nomad skin
Tattoo: Plastik Haila Tattoo
Boots: Lassitude & Ennui Enbroidered mesh boots in brown
Camisole/shorts: Tee*fy bella and heather ruffled outfit, at Collabor88
Piercings: Ellabella Homeostasis 3
Armband: Bliensen + MaiTai industrial revolution
Horns: Tekeli-li Efreet, comes with the Tekeli-li hair