A couple people raised the issue of online marriage in the discussion on my last post on MMOs and socialization. Lots of MMOs, particularly the Asian ones, have love down to a science, with in-game events and elaborate systems by which characters can get married (MapleStory, the one I was discussing in the last post, is one such game). Expellate asked: "With the anonymity of the internet, when and where do you (if you can) draw the line between role-playing and online social networking?"
It's a really good question, actually; I tend to advocate the immersive potential of games, craving the optimal vehicle for suspension of reality. My automatic answer is that no line needs to be drawn -- but then I think of the perfect example to address Expellate's next question, which was: "Are there more serious implications if a married man or woman with three kids and a golden retriever gets married in a Secondlife-ish type arena? Is this person cheating on his or her family?"
Have you guys seen this yet? It's a Wall Street Journal article all about a guy who's spending more time with his Second Life wife than his real one. It's a really jarring, really sad piece, and perhaps has something to say about knowing where to draw the line; at least for some people.
