robodog
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 12, 2011
- Messages
- 902
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- 207
I've heard a lot about people who try to torture Tamagotchis or to see how fast they can kill them. I don't get this. I'd like to get everyone's opinions on the subject.
Here's mine: It's wrong. There's just something about virtual pets that makes abusing them seem worse than doing the same thing to another object. Virtual Pets are designed for you to emphathise with them. They have personalities, likes and dislikes. They're as close to being alive as you're going to get in an artificial object. Because of this I don't view destroying a Tama or Furby in the same way I would a stuffed animal or action figure. With, say, a plush all you're doing is destroying a hunk of fabric. It never had a personality, it never moved or interacted with you, it's just a thing. But I think that virtual pets are more than just things. I don't like the idea of snuffing out the existance of something with a personality. Something I'm responsible for. Something that is meant to be a companion to me.
When Furbys were popular many people were taking them apart and using their parts for art projects. Some were okay with it. Others weren't. I wasn't. Destroying a perfectly functional virtual pet doesn't seem right.
I wasn't always like this. I've taken apart and destroyed virtual pets before, but I just can't bring myself to do it anymore. Not just because I'm destroying something with a personality and a life of it's own, but because someone, somewhere could get some use out of it. Even if you don't think of virtual pets as creatures worthy of respect, you have to admit it's wrong to destroy something that could make someone else happy.
So that's my opinion. What's yours?
Here's mine: It's wrong. There's just something about virtual pets that makes abusing them seem worse than doing the same thing to another object. Virtual Pets are designed for you to emphathise with them. They have personalities, likes and dislikes. They're as close to being alive as you're going to get in an artificial object. Because of this I don't view destroying a Tama or Furby in the same way I would a stuffed animal or action figure. With, say, a plush all you're doing is destroying a hunk of fabric. It never had a personality, it never moved or interacted with you, it's just a thing. But I think that virtual pets are more than just things. I don't like the idea of snuffing out the existance of something with a personality. Something I'm responsible for. Something that is meant to be a companion to me.
When Furbys were popular many people were taking them apart and using their parts for art projects. Some were okay with it. Others weren't. I wasn't. Destroying a perfectly functional virtual pet doesn't seem right.
I wasn't always like this. I've taken apart and destroyed virtual pets before, but I just can't bring myself to do it anymore. Not just because I'm destroying something with a personality and a life of it's own, but because someone, somewhere could get some use out of it. Even if you don't think of virtual pets as creatures worthy of respect, you have to admit it's wrong to destroy something that could make someone else happy.
So that's my opinion. What's yours?