I admit that I have some seriously geeky tendencies – I adore science fiction, proudly own all of the extended versions of LOTR, find the world wide web sexy on various intellectual levels, etc. But even though I thoroughly enjoyed Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash and find his metaverse incredibly intriguing and fascinating, I’ve never really wanted to join a virtual world such as Second Life.

And while the idea of re-inventing myself as some slutty avatar that moves jerkily across the screen has never appealed to me, it has to millions of others. A lot of people are highly addicted to Second Life and, according to a fairly amusing article I read today in the NY Post, it has brought people together ending in real marriages and then torn them apart again due to virtual affairs. Read below:

SPLIT ‘SECOND’: GEEKS DIVORCE OVER VIRTUAL AFFAIR
By JEREMY OLSHAN, NYPOST

This is one couple that’s clearly divorced from reality.

Amy Taylor, 28, split up with her husband, David Pollard, 40, after catching him digitally cheating on her in the popular online game “Second Life.”

The British couple had a passion for “Second Life,” in which people lead alternative existences over the Web, with personas – or avatars – that are typically far more svelte and suave than their real selves.

Pollard and Taylor spent countless hours living in the game as their attractive alter egos, Dave Barmy and Laura Skye, after getting married both in real life and in the game in 2005.

In real life, Taylor and Pollard are both overweight, and he is balding.

But in February 2007, Taylor caught Pollard having sex with a pixel prostitute and hired an online private investigator to look into his infidelity.

“I looked at the computer screen, and I could see his character having sex with a female character. It’s cheating, as far as I’m concerned,” she said.

“But he didn’t see it as a problem and couldn’t see why I was so upset.”

As Barmy, Pollard apologized, and the couple renewed its vows in the game.

“We made it up, and he promised her he would never do anything to hurt me again, and would never cheat on me again,” Taylor told The Daily Mail of London.

But two months later, the virtual private eye Taylor had hired got the goods. She caught Barmy in a compromising position with another woman.

It wasn’t long before Taylor confronted him while he was in the act.

“I caught him cuddling a woman on a sofa in the game – it looked really affectionate,” she said.

Pollard quickly turned off the computer before his wife could read the chat history.

The next day, he confessed he had been “seeing” this American woman in the game for two weeks.

“He said our marriage was over and he didn’t love me anymore,” Taylor said.

She filed for divorce on the grounds of “unreasonable behavior.” A divorce lawyer told her the next day that this was the second case involving “Second Life” she had dealt with in one week.

Taylor has since given up “Second Life” for “World of Warcraft,” another online game.

Pollard told The Times of London that his ex-wife was more interested in playing online than in person.

“She just played ‘World of Warcraft,’ ” he said. “If I wanted to spend time with her, I had to ask.”

Pollard is now engaged to the American woman with whose avatar he was cheating, Taylor said.

It’s pathetic really, but still highly entertaining. One day we’ll probably see these people on Jerry Springer.