There is something fun in this early stages of virtual worlds. Half an hour ago I needed to send something like e-mail to the friend of mine who was off-line at the moment. So, as usual, I made new notecard, wrote what I had to, saved the notecard in my inventory, renamed it, searched for friend's profile, and dropped the notecard. Pretty complicated process for one e-mail. Not to mention that writing a notecard is not much of high technology experience. It is not the first time I was about to go to the Second Life's features poll and to yell for something more convenient. Every time before this one I was lazy to propose a feature which is de facto needed in the world. After all, I am not much fond of e-mails outside the virtual worlds either. This night, I actually enjoyed this process as much as unformatted text that is only possible in notecards. Partly because it was going quite good with the role-playing situation I was in (it was like writing on a piece of paper I found with a pen that barely writes), partly because of some romantic feeling towards imperfect technologies.
No doubt, this is going to change. There will be something more convenient if not real e-mail client which will work from the in-world. Things are developing fast, needs of "serious" users and business will be fulfilled. These days will be "the good old days" in near future. Will we feel nostalgic for them? Shall we miss all the bugs and indirect ways to accomplish simple task as this one? Shall we consider ugly notecards as we see paper and quill today?
Yes these days will be the good old days. As for me I do an uncosiderate use of notecards to write letters to friends, send songs lyrics and things like that… When I “send” one it’s just as i make a very special thing,i send a thought, a part of me, not just a gift or a prim-gun. I have only met few people that really appreciate that tough.