Virtual world, real emotions: Relationships in Second Life
Nina Allam was nervous. She was about to meet someone she had been chatting with online since February.
"I was terrified on the train. Very, very nervous. I remember sending him a text saying 'Last chance to back out,' when I was at the station ready to get on the train."
Though meeting Sean Barbary in person for the first time, Allam was already married to him in the online virtual world of Second Life. Second Life iReporter Janey Bracken told their story, and others like it, on iReport.com.
To many of it's inhabitants, Second Life is much more than just a 3-D online game. It has its own economy and millions of residents who own and create property, make friends and even get married, according to Secondlife.com.
Allam and Barbary's avatars, Brie Janick and Seany1235 Blinker, married online in June.
The wedding itself was preceded by a surprise bridal shower for Janick. In the real world, both live in England -- Allam in London and Barbary five hours away in Cornwall.
Just recently, the two finally met in person and hit it off. Before their first meeting, they spoke together on the phone and over webcam. They even created a virtual tropical island home for themselves in Second Life.
Both say they have real feelings for each other.
Sharon and Nigel, who asked to be identified only by their first names, also met on Second Life where they share a home. Feebe Fearne (Sharon's Second Life avatar name) says she instantly clicked with Nijel Charles (Nigel's avatar name) when they met on Second Life back in February.
It wasn't long before they were spending more time together on Second Life.
"I missed him when he was working or sleeping," Sharon said.
In real life, they lived just 80 miles from each other when they first met in person in May. Three weeks later, they moved in together in Shropshire, England.
Three weeks ago, they got engaged, and plan to marry next May. Oddly enough, they still want to have a Second Life wedding.
Second Life residents Captive007 Latte and Roach Benelli married in a lavish wedding in August. Bracken not only shared the story with iReport.com, she was the last-minute maid of honor.
It was a classic fairy-tale wedding, according to Bracken, who said she had a great time. So, what is the relationship between the virtual bride and groom? When asked, both of them described it as "a giggle."
Latte and Benelli are good friends in real life, each with a real-life significant other who is aware of their Second Life marriage.
"We get on great and enjoy each other's company," Benelli said.
For those whose Second Life relationship carries into the real world, Latte says it's "wonderful. As long as people don't get hurt it's a great thing."
On iReport.com Laura Bungarz of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, told the story of how she met her husband Matt on Second Life.
"We met at a party where he was the DJ. It was one of those 'friend of a friend' meetings. Initially nothing really happened, but by February of 2006, we started dating in Second Life and it wasn't very long before we moved to more of a real-life relationship."
That summer, in fact, Bungarz met her husband in real life for the first time in Vancouver, Washington. "It was then I knew that we were meant to be together."
In her iReport, Bungarz says Second Life relationships move "considerably quicker" than those in real life, and her case was no exception. They married on Second Life in May, but took things slower in the real world, marrying in June of 2008 "in a much smaller ceremony."
When Bungarz sent her iReport in November, she and her husband hoped to be living together in Winnipeg.
Second Life weddings happen often enough "in-world," as it's called in Second Life, that iReporter Hibiscus Hastings even visited a Second Life bridal show. There were about 40 vendors and over 800 attendees, according to its organizer. It even included a fashion show and panel discussion of "wedding do's and don't's."
Avatars SeasonedRed Halfpint of Tennessee and Darrius Beresford of North Carolina married in Second Life and help other residents with their weddings. They met in Second Life just over a year ago but didn't begin a relationship until May -- a fact that was mentioned in their Second Life wedding vows. Even though Halfpint is a wedding planner, Beresford did all the planning for their Second Life wedding in November. Their wedding theme was a "royal wedding" with a "coronation of king and queen." By this time, they were engaged in real life.
Now the two of them work together on the Second Life wedding business, offering "different wedding packages affordable for all residents." As for a real wedding, that is planned for next summer.
Meanwhile, married Second Life couple Allam and Barbary plan to spend New Year's together in real life, only the second time they will have met. From there, Barbary hopes to move to London, where their Second Life romance can continue.
"I've never felt like this before, I love her so much," Barbary said. "I never knew I could feel like this."
尼娜.阿拉姆很緊張。因為她要與網(wǎng)友見面，他們是從二月份開始在網(wǎng)上聊天認識的。
“在火車上非常緊張。當我在車站準備要上火車時我記得他發(fā)送的短信說， '最后一次變卦’”
雖然是第一次親眼看見肖恩.巴巴利。阿拉姆已經(jīng)在網(wǎng)上的虛擬世界與他結婚，開始了他們的第二人生。第二人生的網(wǎng)絡記者杰妮布拉肯講述了他們的故事，和其他在iReport.com 網(wǎng)上開始第二人生的人一樣。
根據(jù)Secondlife.com網(wǎng)的說法 ：
對于許多人來說，第二人生是不再僅僅是一種三維網(wǎng)絡游戲。它有了自己的經(jīng)濟和數(shù)以百萬計的網(wǎng)民，創(chuàng)造了財富，廣交朋友，甚至會結婚。
布利.雅尼克和Seany1235.布林克是阿拉姆和巴巴利的化名，他們已經(jīng)在6月在網(wǎng)上結婚了。
婚禮之前還有有一個令人感到意外的為雅尼克舉行的新娘歡送會。在現(xiàn)實世界中，兩人都生活在英國-阿拉姆在倫敦，巴巴利在康沃爾，兩地相距僅五個小時車程。
就在最近，兩個人終于見面了。在第一次見面前，他們通過視頻電話互述衷腸。他們甚至在網(wǎng)上建立了一個虛擬的熱帶島嶼，作為他們第二人生的家。
他們雙方都表示對對方的感情是認真的。
香濃和奈杰爾，他們彼此只是確認了對方的名字，就在第二人生共同組成了家庭 。Feebe Fearne （香濃的第二人生的化名）說，二月份，她與Nijel查爾斯（奈杰爾的化身的名字）在第二人生邂逅之后她就立即與奈杰爾聯(lián)系上了。
不久，他們就花很長時間在第二人生約會。
“他工作或睡覺時我都會想他， ”香濃說。
在現(xiàn)實生活中，他們彼此只相距80英里，他們第一次見面在5月。三個星期后，他們就一起搬到了什羅普郡，英格蘭。
他們在三周前訂婚了，并計劃在明年5月結婚。奇怪的是，他們?nèi)匀幌Ｍ幸粋€第二人生的婚禮。
第二人生網(wǎng)民Captive007 Latte和羅奇利在8月舉行了奢華的婚禮。布拉肯不僅同意在iReport.com上與網(wǎng)友分享他們的故事，她是最后一分鐘的伴娘。
布拉肯說這是一個經(jīng)典的、童話般的婚禮，她非常開心。當有人問，虛擬新娘和新郎是什么關系？他們兩人都“咯咯地笑”了。
Latte和貝內(nèi)利在現(xiàn)實生活中是好朋友，現(xiàn)實生活中都有另一半，他們也彼此都知道對方的第二人生的婚姻生活。
“我們都高興并欣賞對方的伴侶， ”貝內(nèi)利說。
Latte表示，對于那些將第二人生的關系帶到現(xiàn)實世界中的人來說，它“太好了。只要人們不受到什么傷害，這沒什么不好。 ”
在iReport.com網(wǎng)站，加拿大曼尼托巴省溫尼伯的
勞拉.班岡茲講述了在第二人生遇到她丈夫馬特的故事。
“我們在一次派對上相遇，他是DJ 。那是一個'朋友的朋友'的聚會。開始沒發(fā)生什么事，在2006年2月，我們開始在第二人生約會，沒過多久，我們就轉(zhuǎn)變成現(xiàn)實生活的關系?！?BR> 那年夏天在溫哥華華盛頓，班岡茲見了她現(xiàn)實生活中的丈夫。 “當時我就知道，我們是分不開了。” 在她的網(wǎng)絡報告上，班岡茲說，第二人生的關系比在現(xiàn)實生活中“來得快”，她也不例外。他們在5月份在第二人生結婚，但在現(xiàn)實世界中結婚晚了一些，在2008年6月， 舉行了“一個簡單的儀式。”
當Bungarz她在11月寫iReport時 ，她和她丈夫希望能共同在溫尼伯生活。
第二人生婚禮也經(jīng)?！霸诂F(xiàn)實生活中”發(fā)生。所謂的第二人生，iReporter黑比斯.赫廷斯甚至觀摩了第二人生的婚禮。根據(jù)其組織者介紹，有大約40位組織者和超過800名與會者，它甚至包括一場時裝表演和關于“婚禮儀式” 的小組討論
田納西化名SeasonedRed Halfpint和北卡羅萊納州Darrius貝雷斯福德在第二人生結婚了，并幫助操持其他網(wǎng)友的婚禮。他們是在一年多前在第二人生相識，直到5月才開始有了現(xiàn)實生活中的關系，需要提醒的是第二人生的結婚誓詞。即使Halfpint是一個婚禮策劃人，貝雷斯福德參與了在11月舉行的第二人生的婚禮。他們的婚禮主題是“皇室婚禮”和“國王和王后加冕儀式。 ”直到這時，他們在現(xiàn)實生活中訂婚了。
現(xiàn)在，他們兩個一起忙于第二人生的婚禮業(yè)務，提供“為所有網(wǎng)民提供各式各樣的能承受的婚禮”。至于他們真正的婚禮，計劃于明年夏天。
與此同時，已在第二人生結婚的阿拉姆和巴巴利，第二次見面就決定計劃在現(xiàn)實生活中一起過新年。從那以后，巴巴利希望搬到倫敦，他們的第二人生的浪漫愛情將在那兒繼續(xù)下去。
巴巴利說“我以前從來沒有過那樣的感覺，我是那么地愛她，我從來不知道我能有這樣愛的感覺?！?
Nina Allam was nervous. She was about to meet someone she had been chatting with online since February.
"I was terrified on the train. Very, very nervous. I remember sending him a text saying 'Last chance to back out,' when I was at the station ready to get on the train."
Though meeting Sean Barbary in person for the first time, Allam was already married to him in the online virtual world of Second Life. Second Life iReporter Janey Bracken told their story, and others like it, on iReport.com.
To many of it's inhabitants, Second Life is much more than just a 3-D online game. It has its own economy and millions of residents who own and create property, make friends and even get married, according to Secondlife.com.
Allam and Barbary's avatars, Brie Janick and Seany1235 Blinker, married online in June.
The wedding itself was preceded by a surprise bridal shower for Janick. In the real world, both live in England -- Allam in London and Barbary five hours away in Cornwall.
Just recently, the two finally met in person and hit it off. Before their first meeting, they spoke together on the phone and over webcam. They even created a virtual tropical island home for themselves in Second Life.
Both say they have real feelings for each other.
Sharon and Nigel, who asked to be identified only by their first names, also met on Second Life where they share a home. Feebe Fearne (Sharon's Second Life avatar name) says she instantly clicked with Nijel Charles (Nigel's avatar name) when they met on Second Life back in February.
It wasn't long before they were spending more time together on Second Life.
"I missed him when he was working or sleeping," Sharon said.
In real life, they lived just 80 miles from each other when they first met in person in May. Three weeks later, they moved in together in Shropshire, England.
Three weeks ago, they got engaged, and plan to marry next May. Oddly enough, they still want to have a Second Life wedding.
Second Life residents Captive007 Latte and Roach Benelli married in a lavish wedding in August. Bracken not only shared the story with iReport.com, she was the last-minute maid of honor.
It was a classic fairy-tale wedding, according to Bracken, who said she had a great time. So, what is the relationship between the virtual bride and groom? When asked, both of them described it as "a giggle."
Latte and Benelli are good friends in real life, each with a real-life significant other who is aware of their Second Life marriage.
"We get on great and enjoy each other's company," Benelli said.
For those whose Second Life relationship carries into the real world, Latte says it's "wonderful. As long as people don't get hurt it's a great thing."
On iReport.com Laura Bungarz of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, told the story of how she met her husband Matt on Second Life.
"We met at a party where he was the DJ. It was one of those 'friend of a friend' meetings. Initially nothing really happened, but by February of 2006, we started dating in Second Life and it wasn't very long before we moved to more of a real-life relationship."
That summer, in fact, Bungarz met her husband in real life for the first time in Vancouver, Washington. "It was then I knew that we were meant to be together."
In her iReport, Bungarz says Second Life relationships move "considerably quicker" than those in real life, and her case was no exception. They married on Second Life in May, but took things slower in the real world, marrying in June of 2008 "in a much smaller ceremony."
When Bungarz sent her iReport in November, she and her husband hoped to be living together in Winnipeg.
Second Life weddings happen often enough "in-world," as it's called in Second Life, that iReporter Hibiscus Hastings even visited a Second Life bridal show. There were about 40 vendors and over 800 attendees, according to its organizer. It even included a fashion show and panel discussion of "wedding do's and don't's."
Avatars SeasonedRed Halfpint of Tennessee and Darrius Beresford of North Carolina married in Second Life and help other residents with their weddings. They met in Second Life just over a year ago but didn't begin a relationship until May -- a fact that was mentioned in their Second Life wedding vows. Even though Halfpint is a wedding planner, Beresford did all the planning for their Second Life wedding in November. Their wedding theme was a "royal wedding" with a "coronation of king and queen." By this time, they were engaged in real life.
Now the two of them work together on the Second Life wedding business, offering "different wedding packages affordable for all residents." As for a real wedding, that is planned for next summer.
Meanwhile, married Second Life couple Allam and Barbary plan to spend New Year's together in real life, only the second time they will have met. From there, Barbary hopes to move to London, where their Second Life romance can continue.
"I've never felt like this before, I love her so much," Barbary said. "I never knew I could feel like this."
尼娜.阿拉姆很緊張。因為她要與網(wǎng)友見面，他們是從二月份開始在網(wǎng)上聊天認識的。
“在火車上非常緊張。當我在車站準備要上火車時我記得他發(fā)送的短信說， '最后一次變卦’”
雖然是第一次親眼看見肖恩.巴巴利。阿拉姆已經(jīng)在網(wǎng)上的虛擬世界與他結婚，開始了他們的第二人生。第二人生的網(wǎng)絡記者杰妮布拉肯講述了他們的故事，和其他在iReport.com 網(wǎng)上開始第二人生的人一樣。
根據(jù)Secondlife.com網(wǎng)的說法 ：
對于許多人來說，第二人生是不再僅僅是一種三維網(wǎng)絡游戲。它有了自己的經(jīng)濟和數(shù)以百萬計的網(wǎng)民，創(chuàng)造了財富，廣交朋友，甚至會結婚。
布利.雅尼克和Seany1235.布林克是阿拉姆和巴巴利的化名，他們已經(jīng)在6月在網(wǎng)上結婚了。
婚禮之前還有有一個令人感到意外的為雅尼克舉行的新娘歡送會。在現(xiàn)實世界中，兩人都生活在英國-阿拉姆在倫敦，巴巴利在康沃爾，兩地相距僅五個小時車程。
就在最近，兩個人終于見面了。在第一次見面前，他們通過視頻電話互述衷腸。他們甚至在網(wǎng)上建立了一個虛擬的熱帶島嶼，作為他們第二人生的家。
他們雙方都表示對對方的感情是認真的。
香濃和奈杰爾，他們彼此只是確認了對方的名字，就在第二人生共同組成了家庭 。Feebe Fearne （香濃的第二人生的化名）說，二月份，她與Nijel查爾斯（奈杰爾的化身的名字）在第二人生邂逅之后她就立即與奈杰爾聯(lián)系上了。
不久，他們就花很長時間在第二人生約會。
“他工作或睡覺時我都會想他， ”香濃說。
在現(xiàn)實生活中，他們彼此只相距80英里，他們第一次見面在5月。三個星期后，他們就一起搬到了什羅普郡，英格蘭。
他們在三周前訂婚了，并計劃在明年5月結婚。奇怪的是，他們?nèi)匀幌Ｍ幸粋€第二人生的婚禮。
第二人生網(wǎng)民Captive007 Latte和羅奇利在8月舉行了奢華的婚禮。布拉肯不僅同意在iReport.com上與網(wǎng)友分享他們的故事，她是最后一分鐘的伴娘。
布拉肯說這是一個經(jīng)典的、童話般的婚禮，她非常開心。當有人問，虛擬新娘和新郎是什么關系？他們兩人都“咯咯地笑”了。
Latte和貝內(nèi)利在現(xiàn)實生活中是好朋友，現(xiàn)實生活中都有另一半，他們也彼此都知道對方的第二人生的婚姻生活。
“我們都高興并欣賞對方的伴侶， ”貝內(nèi)利說。
Latte表示，對于那些將第二人生的關系帶到現(xiàn)實世界中的人來說，它“太好了。只要人們不受到什么傷害，這沒什么不好。 ”
在iReport.com網(wǎng)站，加拿大曼尼托巴省溫尼伯的
勞拉.班岡茲講述了在第二人生遇到她丈夫馬特的故事。
“我們在一次派對上相遇，他是DJ 。那是一個'朋友的朋友'的聚會。開始沒發(fā)生什么事，在2006年2月，我們開始在第二人生約會，沒過多久，我們就轉(zhuǎn)變成現(xiàn)實生活的關系?！?BR> 那年夏天在溫哥華華盛頓，班岡茲見了她現(xiàn)實生活中的丈夫。 “當時我就知道，我們是分不開了。” 在她的網(wǎng)絡報告上，班岡茲說，第二人生的關系比在現(xiàn)實生活中“來得快”，她也不例外。他們在5月份在第二人生結婚，但在現(xiàn)實世界中結婚晚了一些，在2008年6月， 舉行了“一個簡單的儀式。”
當Bungarz她在11月寫iReport時 ，她和她丈夫希望能共同在溫尼伯生活。
第二人生婚禮也經(jīng)?！霸诂F(xiàn)實生活中”發(fā)生。所謂的第二人生，iReporter黑比斯.赫廷斯甚至觀摩了第二人生的婚禮。根據(jù)其組織者介紹，有大約40位組織者和超過800名與會者，它甚至包括一場時裝表演和關于“婚禮儀式” 的小組討論
田納西化名SeasonedRed Halfpint和北卡羅萊納州Darrius貝雷斯福德在第二人生結婚了，并幫助操持其他網(wǎng)友的婚禮。他們是在一年多前在第二人生相識，直到5月才開始有了現(xiàn)實生活中的關系，需要提醒的是第二人生的結婚誓詞。即使Halfpint是一個婚禮策劃人，貝雷斯福德參與了在11月舉行的第二人生的婚禮。他們的婚禮主題是“皇室婚禮”和“國王和王后加冕儀式。 ”直到這時，他們在現(xiàn)實生活中訂婚了。
現(xiàn)在，他們兩個一起忙于第二人生的婚禮業(yè)務，提供“為所有網(wǎng)民提供各式各樣的能承受的婚禮”。至于他們真正的婚禮，計劃于明年夏天。
與此同時，已在第二人生結婚的阿拉姆和巴巴利，第二次見面就決定計劃在現(xiàn)實生活中一起過新年。從那以后，巴巴利希望搬到倫敦，他們的第二人生的浪漫愛情將在那兒繼續(xù)下去。
巴巴利說“我以前從來沒有過那樣的感覺，我是那么地愛她，我從來不知道我能有這樣愛的感覺?！?