Another Virtual Hook Up Story: A Trend That Will Get Bigger

Some chick in England hooks up with some dude in Second Life, meet him in RL, then dumps 'em. Then she gets mad two weeks later when she checks his avatar out and he is already hitting on someone else. She then deletes the software.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1091450/How-I-romance-man-I-met-bizarre-internet-fantasy-world-Second-Life.html

Ahh the tangled webs we humans weave! As virtual spaces like Second Life and its follow ons continue to evolve, I expect to see all sorts of things come out of them.

The good-

• People finding each other virtually and then successfully starting long term/marriage relationships in real life (like me).
• People making money selling virtual goods.
• Numerous multinational friendships being made.
• Companies using virtual spaces to help further globalize the work force.
• Virtual outreaches to people who need help (including Christian outreaches, counceling, entertainment for isolated people).

The ugly

• People abusing each other in real life after meeting virtual (including broken hearts, rape, murder, kidnapping, etc...)
• Virtual prostitution with a blur between virtual and real.
• Addiction...people have no sense. If they like something, they will give all they have to it. Their time, their jobs, their families, their savings.
• Organized crime using virtual spaces for meeting, planing.
• Blackmail
• All sorts of gender bending weirdity, "furry sex", more creepy stuff that will inevitably spill over into real life.
• The list goes on.

Welcome to the 21st Century people!