At what point does virtual reality become as tedious as actual reality?

Well, if Case Western Reserve achieves their envisioned future, it could be quite possibly sooner then one would want to reasonably expect.

Announcing Cleveland 2.0, an online addition to the Second Life virtual reality "game" that attempts to create an online virtual life where you can live as you dream it. In essence, you can have whatever you want, as long as you work for it. Somehow very few people are making this connection to real life.

Anyway, those wacky lab-bunnies over at CWRU have spearheaded creating a version of our very own Cleveland, Ohio in the hopes of capitalizing on marketing possibilities and business infrastructure already prevalent in the online game.

My first intuition is an abhorrent fear of empty tumble weed streets and total social collapse similar to the envisioned Don't Date a Robot! video clip thanks to Futurama. Where people peruse a internet world from the sanctuary and sterility of their own climate controlled little office space, go shopping for homogenized goods, visit nice safe places and keep exposure to new and possibly life altering scenarios to an absolute minimum. Perhaps this is the pinnacle of mankind, we will take the physical plane from our burdensome lives and exist only as pixels in a pretend world, possibly safe from inclement weather, crime or even differing views. Where we truly control our looking glass selves and vet our avatars to convey only what we want others to see. No more cosmetic surgery, put away your knives, instead view upon our photoshopped wonder with awe.

Of course even that deciphering is abhorrent and ridiculous. We would never stoop to that, we are inherently social creatures currently grasping at straws as we attempt to assimilate to a solitary and sedentary lifestyle. The internet and false online worlds are what Ben and Jerry's ice cream tubs were mere years ago. Nothing more then empty hugs and self loathing wrapped in perceived comfort and quickly passing joy. "Oh, the time wasted!", we bemoan as we calculate the hours spent at a keyboard when we could have been out actually living life or creating something. Something to pass on to future generations. Something to share and bring joy to others.

So, as Cleveland creates its own dream image, with corporate sponsorships and stakeholdings in fake and pretend worlds dreamed up by whomever takes the time to, the real city attempts to struggle on, yoked by reality and human interaction, where instant gratification is a nice idea but hardly practical. And where do those of us who long to alter the course of our great city stand? Probably only in the real, physical world, the only place that actually has room for us that don't mind enjoying the journey probably more then the destination.

Chances are you wouldn't even notice us though. Not when those that want to change the world aren't programmed into the language of one designed just for visitors and shoppers. Not that that would bother you if you were never exposed to thoughts like that in the first place.