As most of you already know, Linden Lab has announced that not only do they plan to introduce voice chat to Second Life, but they are also already beta testing the technology. They have invited everyone to go to the SL voice beta website and give it a try. I took them up on the offer immediately.
I logged into the voice beta client and found a small gaggle of chatters standing around saying things like “hello, can you hear me?”, “who’s talking?”, and “atchoo!”. In addition to conversation, we can now look forward to hearing each other sneeze, belch, and fart, among other bodily noises. We can even hear your dogs, cats, children, and annoying ring tones in the background.
What was the very first thing I did with voice chat? I patched WinAmp into the recording mixer and treated everyone to William Shatner’s rendition of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”. A true artist and renaissance man is Mr. Shatner. There’s no limit to what he thinks he can do.
When I was done torturing everyone, I noticed something about how the conversation progressed. In our small area, we had two distinct conversations happening — one was voice, the other was text. Those using voice failed to notice the text and vice versa. This, I think, is how we can expect voice-enabled areas to be in the future. Anyone unwilling or unable to use a microphone will be excluded by the voiced users, whether it’s intentional or not. It’s hardly surprising. It’s a matter of where you focus your attention: are you listening to the audio or are you reading the chat? The disconnect between the two inevitably leads to a fragmentation of the conversation. It’s a violation of the immersive experience.
Without voice chat, we can visit a themed area and allow ourselves to become immersed in the environment. In the on-screen dialogue, we can read emotion, voice, and character that match the speaker. An elf sounds like an elf in our mind’s ear. A dragon speaks in a deep, throaty voice. Robots speak with a tinny monotone. Add VOIP to the mix, and suddenly everyone sounds like the socially inept geek they really are (or maybe that’s just me), and the voices come inexplicably from people’s pelvises.
Voice chat could spell disaster for those who have adopted personas that don’t match their real selves. No, Second Life isn’t a role-playing game, but roleplay is an attractive option for many. It’s a way to escape the mundane daily life and be someone completely different, even if just for an hour or so every evening. Behind the keyboard, the voluptuous club dancer may actually be a rumbling baritone. If they choose not to use their microphone, will they be viewed with suspicion and distrust?
Let’s not forget the hearing or speech impaired. In my years with Second Life, I have met deaf users and users who are uncomfortable speaking. Text chat levels the field and lets everyone engage on an equal footing in social situations. Will voice chat exclude those who are unable or unwilling to use a microphone? If I walk into a club and refuse to speak up, will they eject me?
Despite my misgivings about the effects of voice chat on the SL community and despite my aversion to any kind of verbal communication in general, I’m forced to admit that this might not be entirely a bad thing. There are countless useful applications for VOIP. Educators can give classes and hold seminars. Business people can hold meetings. Musicians can perform interactively. Will we see the emergence of a new kind of performance, like talk shows or stand-up comedy? We are only now exploring some new possibilities.
I’m happy that landowners have the option of disabling voice chat on their land. I hope (and expect) that voice chat will be an exception, rather than the norm. I will be happy to take advantage of VOIP to enhance events, but I certainly won’t use it on a daily basis. While voice is potentially the most useful new feature Second Life has seen in years, it is also potentially the most divisive and damaging. I will keep a close eye on the voice beta over the coming weeks.