Gaming Addiction Articles



It was, to me, only mildly interesting ... catching my attention with the last suggestion of "if you can't beat em, join em" only because I met more than a few ppl in my SL tenure who had spouses also in the game. In fact, I knew one such person whose RL wife would sit directly behind him and play on a different computer while he sat there playing on his. Their avs even associated somewhat inworld and had some weird triangles going on. More on that laters.


Of course, the all mighty Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_addiction






No Judgement

A couple of things occurred to me yesterday after I posted ... one, it is insane for me to be putting some of this stuff out here since this blog is so easily find-able ... but then, I am insane sort of. I will just tag posts re: SL as SecondLife posts and ppl who aren't interested can skip them. Afterall, I am who I am (I ♥ Popeye). Second, and the biggest thing I wanted to pop off about ... none of what I am saying here or am going to say here should come across as judgement on others. I am NOT projecting my feelings about other ppl here ... I am NOT saying that online gaming is bad, or that SL in particular is bad. This blog is all about me and no one else ... other ppl may have played a part in my dealings but I have no judgement towards their actions.

aaaaight? Okay, carry on.

sidebar: current status

I know I said my next post was going to be on "the beginning" but realized I should interject briefly on my current status with SecondLife. I have left it ... I cleared out my profile and uninstalled all of my viewers. I did not, however, cancel my account (yet). But I will. I will talk later about the whys and hows and how hards it was, etc. But as of today - unless I make the move to actually reinstall the software ... I cannot easily log into SecondLife.

That said, I have other SL (SecondLife) contact ... which I will discuss later. Yes, I know, you are oh so excited to know all about it. **eye roll**

Compelled to Change It Up ...

After thinking on it for a week (through my haze of sick and legal - but still mind altering - drugs) it has occurred to me that the general tone of this blog has shifted entirely. While I am still committed to using this forum to proclaim my opinions on collaboration tools I find myself as of late spending much more time thinking on how online communities are affecting me as a person. In fact, in my last blog post I went on and on about my awakening and how I am returning to myself ... blah blah blah ... but I left out a very very important part of that whole situation. Probably most easily attributed to embarrassment, I only lightly skirted over what may be the number one factor in my 6 month loss of self.

Wow, even now, when I have committed to myself that I am going to be real here and face it head on I find myself pausing to weigh the potential consequences of honesty.... denial is so sweet! Okay, I am just going to say it right now and spend probably the next few blog posts really explaining the statement. I was, for the last 6 months ... addicted to a virtual reality... shoot - let me restate. I am, for the last 6 months and trying to get loosen it's grip now ... addicted to a virtual reality. Holy crap, I sound like a loser. But I think that it's true. It took me months to realize it ... and even now as I count the obvious signs of addiction I was exhibiting the last few months, I still find myself having an inner dialogue of complete denial. I mean, I can always compare myself to the other people I met there who were WAY more into it than me... but that is a false and short lived relief. For me, who I am - I was absolutely 100% (maybe even more than that) addicted. ack - I am getting ahead of myself here ... so let me start from the beginning else I confuse someone =P

First of all, the virtual reality I am talking about is Second Life - read about it at the link but I will give a short description of what it is too ... then dwell on it (as I tend to do) until I have it sufficiently out of my system. Okay so SecondLife is this online community where you have an avatar that you can make look pretty much any way you want by creating or purchasing skins, shapes, and clothes. Your avatar interacts with other avatars in this huge user created world - where the environment is only limited by the minds of the people in it. You (er - your avatar) can have a job, can create and sell stuff, can have relationships with other people ... so basically, if you have the skills and talent or the desire to learn you can be whatever it is that you want to be there. Your avatar will never age (unless you want to buy a skin that looks old) ... never get fat (unless you want to alter your shape to make it that way) ... and will never die of hunger or exposure. Just like in RL (real life) there are different status' of people, noobs would be new people obviously and are often clueless ... thus can end up being the brunt of jokes, etc. There are SL-ebrities who are well known for whatever it is that they do. There are ppl there just to have cartoon sex ... and ppl who are there to build, create, and sell. Some people treat it like a game and some people treat it like their real life. I think during my tenure there I skated between those things ... but either way, I became uncomfortably dependant on it.

**deep breath released** ... next post: the beginning.

Waking Up ... Figuratively, Metaphorically, Literally ...

**stretches and yawns ... no sings at the top of her lungs**

This is off topic, totes - completely - embarassingly - overwhelmingly - off topic ... but you know what, I care not an iota @ this moment. I want to introduce ya'll to somebody - and I am going to try to keep this pretty short to prevent myself from falling into one of those crazy angi SAT-word blackholes.

Hello World, my name is Angi Rankin ... I am ambitious, I love talking smack and giving stink eye, I think Paris Hilton has (... wait for it ...) noteworthy social and (dare I say) political significance ... and yes, I read her damn book. I have a dang RSS feed from www.perezhilton.com as well as from Micheal Ganotti's SharePoint blog, and from freakin www.lindenlifestyles.com (for all you noobs - yes that is a Second Life reference). I Google myself about monthly and take pride in the fact that I get a bunch of results.

It does not weird me out that @ this point there is maybe a 2-degree seperation between me and anyone else who decides to Google me. hmmm ... I stopped putting on airs about 4 years ago and I never plan on re-adopting them. I say things like Outtie 5000g (way before Juno was released) and shoot, if I am tipsy enough I will not hesitate to pour out a little liquor for my fallen homies. And YES - I say homies and I have lost some too ... not to street violence, but to WP drugs like meth and cocaine. Oh, also to drunk driving ... and my friend was the one driving so please don't start feeling all sad and sentimental and stuff - because I am not.

I don't like to be touched - and it weirds me out when ppl hug in the workplace (I mean, what is that all about???) ... however, there are ppl I have met at work who amaze me - really inspire me ... and sometimes I wish I knew how to tell them that. When I try, I sound like I am making fun of them or myself or the situation ... and my nose gets weird and itchy like at any minute I might burst into tears. (which I hate - despite what my Mom insists, tears are not a sign of strength - they make me look pathetic, and my eyes get all read like a dope head)

I have spent the last 6 months asleep at the wheel, and as I open my eyes I see that I have created a mess that is going to take work to clean up. Shoot, I don't even know if it can be cleaned up ... take a lesson from me, folks - being non-present is just (if not more) detrimental to being all angry and aggresive. The act of NOT doing something, anything, is a slow and painful death - for you and for anyone who cares about you. Of course, you might be in a state where you don't care or can't accept that ppl care about you - but shoot, suck it up lil soldier.

Okay, enough Monday morning crazy personal revelation rant. I will somehow attempt to tie this post to some actual on-topic stuff, laters ... after I pick out something to wear that ISN'T the blue hoodie I have favored for the last stretch. =P

boo to the yah.

off topic: oldie but goodie

to all the haterz ....


Don't Hate:


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Ignoring the Fact that It has Been Months .......

... and picking up where I left off =P

Well, maybe not exactly where I left off because things have changed for me a ton in the last few months - but of course one thing has stayed the same .... SharePoint! WOOT!!!

In fact, this week I have been sucking down the MS SharePoint kool-aid with a big fatty straw @ the SharePoint Conference 2008 in Seattle, WA. I am reserving most of my blog genius for my internal presence @ my company since I am here for them ... and my notes were taken specifically with our SP program in mind. Over the next few weeks as I really get my head around what I have learned this week (and let me tell yah - it has been a lot) I will probably translate that into posts here ... but in the immediate timeframe I think general impressions are in order.

First - while I like to think my company is special in our need to accomodate untold amounts of browsers and *nix cocktails ... and the fact that we are a mostly Office2003 environment (with some super cool trailblazers like me who enjoy all the SP/Office intergration-ee goodness) ... I found that in fact, we aren't special at all. In fact, a huge contingent of conference attendees are dealing with the same issues and looking for the same kinds of solutions. Accessability, portability, integration ... all very strong themes that not only resonated from the attendee's mouths but were clearly a pount of focus for MS as well. That, my friends, is great to see.

Second - well, second - I am totally saturated. To' up from the Flo' up. During the last session (on migrating data into SP from external systems) I could literally feel the muscles in my toes starting to spasm and my brain nodes clicking off one by one. The information and resources from that session and the billion others I attended (because I did not waste a single time slot - I am milking this opportunity for every last drop) have been invaluable - but my brain, while I admit is extra spong-ee because I just love love love to fill it with stuff, is still just a human brain. And my body frankly wasn't prepared for the physical toll folding yourself into a tiny chair then dashing from room to room or wireless hotspot to wireless hotspot can take.

Wow, this post was pretty whiny ... nice way to start back! Promise the next one will be full of inspiring and thoughtful blog-wisdoms. boo to the yah.