Real Manners, Virtual Worlds: The Same Rules Apply

Yesterday I read a post by Rotini on the the happenings inside the 3D virtual World of Kaneva. It reminded me of a social study I heard of about a year ago in SL.

If I remember correctly, a software bot that masqueraded as an ill-mannered avatar / human user within SL was being used to investigate the psychology of virtual world inhabitants. The bot would start a conversation with human users and deliberately invade their personal space to see how they would react.

Ok. So I had to Google it and get the facts straight...

The software, dubbed "SL-bot", was created by Doron Friedman, Anthony Steed and Mel Slater at University College London, UK, to compare the way people act inside a virtual world with real-life human behavior.

It revealed, as in real life, basic etiquette rules the virtual world too. Specifically, female avatars protect their personal space less than male ones, a sex difference that mirrors the real world. Out of 28 avatars approached this way, 12 simply moved away and 20 also responded via text chat. (They were just looking to cuddle.)

In short, be polite to others, people value their virtual personal space, or there will be some informal punishment, like shunning. Avatars are berated, kicked or banned for a variety of offenses, some real... some imagined.

I'll leave the rest to Rotini... Read his original post on real manners in the 3D virtual World of Kaneva.

Enjoy!