Second Life: Practice Observation Notes

Assignment 11

These are notes taken Saturday January 19, 2008, slightly before and during the usual Saturday themed Dance in the club located on the Group sim.

This is a sample of the notes i took during this practice observation:

Location: Dance Club located on the Group sim
mature
a no nudity in club policy
private club (not in the search menu, TP required)

7:50 pm (SLT) arrival

Area Description: “club”-ish atmosphere
large open room
dark walls
all floor is a dance area (flashing colorful floor lights)
laser lights, spinning lights, and colored fog machine
DJ booth and Stage opposite each other
sitting areas on each side of the DJ booth as well as in the overhead balcony
1 dance ball
2 dance cages
5 couples slow dance poses
1 sploder

group owners 1 & 2 show up to setup the DJ stream, voice feature is deactivated in the club
group owner 1 also owns the club
group owner 2 is DJing for the dance tonight (alternative music)
theme “Springer Show”

group owners greet people (owner 1 from a  dance cage, owner 2 from the dance floor) as they teleport in.
most members are dressed to fit the theme (Springer Show, “trashy” mostly)
other group members join in the welcomes as others come in.
It appears that everyone here knows each other in some way or another (regulars?)
members start dancing almost immediately

group uses a lot of animated gestures (ex. “Hooo!”), as well as saved quotes that other member had said during previous events.

members are dancing together (couples or close friends, males and females), but no one seems isolated or dancing alone.

members talk in open chat
mostly comments/jokes related to the theme and other member’s costumes

“cheers” and congrats are called out for the winners of the money sploder
owners
some members

A few members call it an early night
friendly good nights from both the owners and other members (nite nite, gnite, thanks for coming, cya laters, etc…)

Late comers are still greeted by owners
not as many welcomes from fellow members, but still a few

voting opens for theme costume contest
votes are collected via IM assigned persons
winner receives L$500

“cheers” and congrats are called out for the contest winner
owners
members

theme related jokes, quoting, and animated gestures continue in the open chat

some members start to use the slow dance poses, even to non “slow dance” music
appears they may be IMing with each other
very little commenting in open chat

friendly good nights from both the owners and other members, as people announce their departure in open chat

Average number of people was 15 over the course of the night

Observational Notes:

Area Description: Large open room, dark walls, overhead laser and spinning lights, as well as a colored fog machine. The entire open floor is a colorful light up dance floor. A DJ booth and sitting areas are setup at one end of the room and a large stage on the other. A small overhead balcony with more seating. There is one dance ball, 2 dance cages, 5 slow dance couple poses, and one money sploder.

2 of the group owners (owner 1 also the club owner) arrive via TP to setup the DJ stream for the night. They are dressed for tonight’s theme is “Springer Show”. Voice feature is disabled in the club and alternative music starts to play over the stream. Owner 2 (DJ for the night) starts dancing mid dance floor, as Owner 1 starts dancing in a dance cage. Both are greeting members as they enter the club. As more members arrive they also start greeting any members that follow them. It appears that everyone here knows each other in some way or another.

Members start dancing almost immediately. They start joking and commenting on the theme and other member’s costumes. This group seems to like to us animated gestures and saved quotes that other member had said during previous events. No one seems to be dancing by themselves, but you can kind of tell who are couples or close friends because they are dancing close together and in sync. This group seems to very friendly, late comers and early nighters received just as friendly hellos or good byes, and sploder winners got cheers and congrats.

Voting for the theme costume contest opens, as long as you vote you have a change of winning if nominated. The votes are collected via IM to assigned people and the winner receives L$500. Winners were announced in both open chat and over the DJ stream. Cheers and congrats where called out by the owners and the other members for the winner.

Some member start to use the slow dance poses, which circle the main dance floor area. Appears that they are chatting in IM since there is very little commenting from them in open chat. As members announce there departure, friendly good nights are said in open chat from the remaining members and the owners. Over the course of the evening there was an average of 15 people there at one time.

Methodological Notes:

I would like to sit in on the planning for the themed dance, if any.

Joined in with everyone on the dance ball but remained along the edge and did not get involved, only talking with people when they spoke to me. I think I would interact more if possible.

Go to the main meeting areas in the main sim before the dance, to see how they promote and prepare people for it.

Is it the same people every week? Do they always participate in the theme contests? Are their numbers constant?

Theoretical Notes:

I went to this club trying not to compare it to real life experiences, keeping in mind that this is all a virtual world. When I arrived I find myself in a very club-like setting.

Two of the group owners arrived to setup and be ready to greet people as they came in.

People seem to all start dancing immediately, joking and commenting on each others themed costumes. Lively group, everyone seems to know each other. Dancing all together but still divided.

After the main event of the costume contest was over, the dance continued, slowly dying down. Couples started slow dancing, and open chat slowed.