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September 20, 2006

Is AoSHQ a Third Place? [Retired Geezer]

What is a third place? The first place is your home, where you can relax and be comfortable. The second place is where you usually are when not at home â€” work; work provides social interaction and sense of community. Howard Schultz, founder of Starbucks introduced third places as somewhere besides home or work where people can socialize and feel comfortable. Think Cheers.

Well, think Cheers with occasional assholes who come by to stir up shit.

Online games are thus third places as defined by the eight characteristics of third places.

Here's a couple of examples, see if these don't apply here as well:

Neutral Ground: Individuals are free to come and go as they please. In online games, players are not obligated to play; joins and quits are not significant events

Except if Spurwing were to quit.

Accessibility & Accommodation: Third places are easy to access and accommodating to individuals. Online games allow players to log on and off at will and there are always players online. Activity occurs throughout all hours of the day.

True. True.

The Regulars: Regulars are those who give the place its character, and attract new individuals. Guild members, who form a clan to play the online game together, and squatters, who stay within an area of the game, are the regulars of the online world.

I get it. The AoS Lifestyle is Just a Game.

H/T Slashdot.

posted by Ace at 11:10 AM

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The first place is your home, where you can relax and be comfortable. The second place is where you usually are when not at home â€” work; work provides social interaction and sense of community. Howard Schultz, founder of Starbucks introduced third places as somewhere besides home or work where people can socialize and feel comfortable. Think Cheers. Well, think Cheers with occasional assholes who come by to stir up shit. Online games are thus third places as defined by the eight characteristics of third places. Here's a couple of examples, see if these don't apply here as well: Neutral Ground: Individuals are free to come and go as they please. In online games, players are not obligated to play; joins and quits are not significant events Except if Spurwing were to quit. Accessibility & Accommodation: Third places are easy to access and accommodating to individuals. Online games allow players to log on and off at will and there are always players online. Activity occurs throughout all hours of the day. True. True. The Regulars: Regulars are those who give the place its character, and attract new individuals. Guild members, who form a clan to play the online game together, and squatters, who stay within an area of the game, are the regulars of the online world. I get it. The AoS Lifestyle is Just a Game. H/T Slashdot. posted by Ace at 11:10 AM \| Access Comments <script language="javascript" src="http://adserver.adtechus.com/addyn/3.0/5235/1131537/0/170/ADTECH;loc=700;cookie=info;target=_blank;key=key1+key2+key3+key4;grp=[group]"></script><noscript><a href="http://adserver.adtechus.com/adlink/3.0/5235/1131537/0/170/ADTECH;loc=300;key=key1+key2+key3+key4;grp=[group]" target="_blank"><img src="http://adserver.adtechus.com/adserv/3.0/5235/1131537/0/170/ADTECH;loc=300;key=key1+key2+key3+key4;grp=[group]" border="0" width="300" height="250"></a></noscript>	Recent Comments Doof: "Good evening, everyone! Hope you enjoy the ONT to ..." 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