Going Global

Our Endeavour Begins

Last weeks class kicked off and although my avatar was having a few connection problems I managed to finally hear what the class was all about. It was project time and our assignment was presented to us - Each group is to explore the theme 'Global Village'  by identifying a cause or charity anywhere in the world, and taking it global. So the first thing was first, it was time to put on the thinking caps.

There was three charity's that I had an interest in using 3T's, Aware and Cystic Fibrosis Ireland,  and thought that they would be good to use for this project. I was especially keen on using Cystic Fibrosis and making it our groups charity to take global an option that I put to the group.

Cystic Fibrosis Ireland

"CF Ireland (CFI) is a voluntary organisation that was set up by parents in 1963 to improve the treatment and facilities for people with Cystic Fibrosis in Ireland. CF Ireland also co-operates with medical professionals to give maximum assistance to both parents and children/adults with Cystic Fibrosis."

https://www.cfireland.ie/index.php/about-cf/living-with-cf

Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that affects numerous  amounts of children and adults across the globe. This disease has a huge impact upon the sufferers of this disease and affects their day to day lives. Certain children living with this disease miss out on things that most of us would take for granted like going to school, playing ball and leaving the house. This does not just affect the suffer but the family and friends that have to look after and watch their loved one live through this. Many people across the globe would over look this illness and have little or no understanding of the impact this illness has. Because at times these children and adults are unable to live their homes encase of catching something that could be fatal to them, such on-line interactive sites like second life could have a huge impact on their lives. It could be used as a source to allow for people with such elements to quite literally live a second life without the damaging effects. There is a lack of resources for sufferers of Cystic Fibrosis mentally and physically and would be a fantastic charity to help and contribute to.

Close Encounters

We were encouraged to break our normal boundaries of Second Life and adventure beyond the classroom to make contact with at least two people relevant to our interests. I had a little bit of an issue with this not because I am scared of contacting forces beyond the classroom. But I was a little confused how we would randomly just so happen to meet someone with the same interest as us in a world that apparently had 1 million users in 2014 and I am only assuming that has gone up. Not only was it going to be hard to find someone that had the same interest as you but also where on earth was I going to even start looking for these people. So I started of doubtful, with little hope that I would find someone and feeling a little bit like a kid at their first day of school with their mother pushing them to introduce themselves to the other kids ‘Hi my name is Avatar and  I am 4years old what's your name?”. I kind of rather it happens when it happens, you talk when you want to talk approach. But hey, its all an experience and I have to learn to except its all apart of the learning curve.  So my avatar set off to find wonderful avatars to have some delightful encounter with.

An Avatar Named Hanna

I decided to go somewhere that was some what familiar and that in real life you would normally end up chatting to some strangers. So I headed to Dublin and landed in a pub and I met a girl named Hanna. Honestly,  I got a little distracted from the find ‘someone with similar interests’ and was more interested in why people used Second life and what their experiences where like. Hanna was very interesting and was open to share her experience on second life. She was from Turkey and attending a Jewish school in Istanbul. She told me when she was eighteen she was very lonely, suffering from Mitochondrial Disorder she felt that it changed the way her friends treated her, she decided to explore Second Life and see if she could find company in it . Second Life gave her the opportunity to in her words ‘act normal’. She said said that for awhile she felt that Second Life was better than her real life as it gave the certain opportunities that she didn't present themselves to her in real life. Her mitochondrial effects her speech and at times she found harder to communicate in real life. She told me how she felt that it was easier to be accepted in SL and was apart of groups and clubs and that she had made some really good friends through it. She also spoke about how it was important to accept her real life and not allow for Second Life to become her main outlet. Although her disorder at times can cause her difficulties in real life she said that she must still find happiness there to and not just SL. But Second Life would always give her experience real life wasn't quite able to. Hanna’s story was endearing and I was truly honoured that she had shared it with me. Seeing someone with her condition strive so well and be able to communicate in ways she might not be able to in RL. Her story really showed a side of Second Life that I admired. Not just can you meet people that have similar interest, or experience a world with no repercussions but it really can allow for people to connect and establish friendships worldwide. Second Life really can offer people a Second Life.




Ending Here