· Have you made friendships that exist exclusively in cyberspace? If so, how are they different from f2f relationships? If you have not formed cyber relationships, why not?
Yes, I have made friendships that exist solely in cyberspace. I have also made face to face friendships which have then moved into cyberspace due to a separation of great distance. When it comes to cyberspace friendships that revolve around a massive multiplayer game (such as World of WarCraft [WoW] for example) your interactions are much more limited than in a face to face relationship. Now, this is not to say that you and your friends you met on WoW are doomed to only interact on WoW...you're just more likely to interact within the realm of a game. Cyberspace relationships that revolve around blogging and personal pages (MySpace, FaceBook) are still lacking when compared to face to face relationships but, I believe, have more room for adaptation and growth than in a cyberspace gaming relationship. The lack of face to face communication, participating in varrying physical and mental activities, and physical proximity are the main factors which separate face to face relationships from cyber relationships.
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2 comments:
Hello Ulf’s,
It was interesting how you mention the cyberspace relationships that can be built based on online gaming. It honestly never crossed my mind that you may be building a relationship with other gamers you only know through the internet games. I have never been a person who plays video games but it is very interesting how people can now play against others who are millions of miles away. I agree that there some positive sides to using cyberspace, such as keeping in touch with old friends and playing games. However, the major drawback would have to be the lack of face-to-face interaction cyberspace individuals may lose. Do you think some players prefer to play against other gamers in person then over cyberspace just to see the other player reactions?
Well, Have an awesome Friday!!
Thanks,
Blondie
Hi Ulf! I was wondering when someone in the class was going to mention WOW. Do you play? If so, how is your interaction different than other cyberspace relationships? The reason why I ask is because both my husband and I play WOW on a continual basis and have a big group of 'friends' that exist through that game. We chat over Vent as well as chatting online. We have created quite the community through that game.
Do you see patterns of interaction that are different while playing that game than what would happen in f2f relationships? If so, how are they different?
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