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Virtual Sex: Cheating or Not?
A Map of the Galaxy's Most-Traveled Portal Stations
Rod Serling and New School Sociology Professor Talk UFOs

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Grey_Area
06/03/09

In reply to Virtual Sex: Cheating or Not?
FA LOVES PA!!

And then he does a double backflip for a herring.
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Kakkoister
06/03/09

In reply to Virtual Sex: Cheating or Not?
If it's virtual sex with another living player, then yes that would be considered cheating. It's merely a more advanced version of phone sex.

Now if your talking about having virtual sex with an AI character, then I would have to say no. Because you can't really leave your partner to be with an artificial character. So there shouldn't be anything for your partner to really worry about.

At least not until we can connect all our sense to virtual reality and the AI is good enough. Then yes, those artificial characters are close enough to being human for it to be considered cheating. Heck, that would pose a serious threat to girlfriends all over the world haha. Guys able to have their own custom built girlfriend of which they can live their wildest fantasies out with? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP!
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
06/03/09

@Kakkoister: Don't worry, all the women will be signing up for Virtual George Clooney or whoever the equivalent is in that era. You really think they're going to bother with the average farty mouse potato man when they can have the perfect lover(s) who doesn't leave his socks on the floor or whine about having to snuggle?

Bish plz, as they say.
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Unprodigy - Unproductive - Unconscionable
06/03/09

In reply to Virtual Sex: Cheating or Not?
Um... a lot of these questions are about immersion with no sexual connotations whatsoever. In point of fact, I answered yes to all the ones that can be answered in the affirmative without overt sexual/romantic impulses coming into play and no to all the ones that require them. What's that mean, huh?

What a horribly flawed article.
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
06/03/09

@Unprodigy: It means you're like me -- you like a virtual world, but you keep all your sexytime IRL.

It does need to be a lot more specific.
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Annalee Newitz
06/03/09

@Unprodigy: I was trying to get at two things in these questions: Whether you are interested in online sex, and whether you consider your avatar to be a part of yourself. I agree that it's possible to answer a lot of questions with "yes" and never have had sex online. But my reasoning is that if you like a virtual world in the way Evil Tortie's Mom describes, if you *did* have sex in that world it would be cheating. That's what I'm trying to say.
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Annalee Newitz
06/03/09

@Annalee Newitz: Also, keep in mind that this is a silly online quiz. :)
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
06/03/09

@Annalee Newitz: Also, I do not look anything like my current avatar here, nor do I attempt to.
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Tietsu
06/04/09

@Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.: Man...and I was going to ask you out on a Second Life date...thing.
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
06/04/09

@Tietsu: Meow, baby.
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
06/03/09

In reply to Virtual Sex: Cheating or Not?
Heh. Back in a MUSH, my character had a hubby, but I okayed it with the real one first. And it was strictly for story purposes (more "screen time" and advancement of our characters in rank/power). No sex in public or private, and the guys were always "tell your other husband I said hi". I also gave much advice to the virtual husband on how to talk to real live girls.

As to question #3, it's usually the other way around: people from online are referred to as "my imaginary friends". If we meet IRL, then they're not imaginary any more, of course.

But I've never done virtual sex, and I flirt much less online than IRL. Sex is the one thing that no virtual experience can ever replace, and you shouldn't even try IMHO.
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MrSmiley4
06/03/09

In reply to Virtual Sex: Cheating or Not?
While it isn't cheating, I would sure get angry if my wife was having sex with other people virtually. Not only is having the read deal better, but (in this case at least) its with someone who loves you. Why would you not have sex with someone who you love/loves you?
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MaiaKnulf
06/03/09

because you've been married for 15 years and its become boring as shit.
because she doesn't put out.
because even when she does put out its on her terms.
because no amount of love will make that extra 30 pounds attractive.
because sex without some element of danger is like warm non-alcoholic beer.

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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
06/03/09

@MaiaKnulf: because he's lost his head hair and it's all in his ears and nose now

because he can't get it up

because he has a beer gut

because he spends all day at work

because he's watching sports all the time

because he's given up grooming
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BartholomewLimpet
06/03/09

In reply to Virtual Sex: Cheating or Not?
What happens when we start having sex with sensory-realistic and photo-realistic simulated partners via our brain implants? Is that cheating, or just very elaborate masturbation?
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Annalee Newitz
06/03/09

@BartholomewLimpet: I think simulated partners are basically sex toys. Until we have a real AI, NPC sex partners are just elaborate dildoes.
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
06/03/09

@Annalee Newitz: Agreed.

Still problematic if you're ignoring your IRL partner.
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crashedpc - Haifisch
06/03/09

In reply to Virtual Sex: Cheating or Not?
Virtual sex: It isn't cheating if you delete your browser history, cache, cookies, keystroke logs, webcam monitoring, NetNanny filtering, and close the door when you get up to grab the Kleenex.
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92BuickLeSabre
06/03/09

@crashedpc: Whew!

*wipes brow*
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tetracycloide
06/03/09

@crashedpc : ゴキブリ and 蟑螂 division: or, in your case, isn't cheating if you're not actually seeing anyone.
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crashedpc - Haifisch
06/03/09

@tetracycloide: You're right, I don't count your mom as anyone at all.
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tetracycloide
06/03/09

@crashedpc : ゴキブリ and 蟑螂 division: i didn't know you were into seniors
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crashedpc - Haifisch
06/04/09

@tetracycloide: They're like a fine wine.
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alphanumeric1971
06/03/09

In reply to Virtual Sex: Cheating or Not?
Wow.

Slow news day.
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Charlie Jane Anders
06/03/09

@alphanumeric1971: Really? This is the thing that's going to make you reach for the "slow news day" chestnut?
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Killa_Charlie
06/03/09

In reply to Virtual Sex: Cheating or Not?
Virtual sex is just phone sex, it ain't cheating but it does raise eyebrows.
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oldandintheway
06/03/09

@Killa_Charlie: Are you having sex with the phone or a REAL person on the other end of the phone?? Virtual sex is real...becase it involves TWO REAL PEOPLE..
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
06/03/09

@oldandintheway: Exactly. If there's two actual people communicating for the purpose of sexual arousal, it's sex.

If you're actually doin' it with the phone, it's some kind of odd fetish, but not cheating.
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SprinklesTDD
06/03/09

In reply to Virtual Sex: Cheating or Not?
Oh, I can totally see her aurola right ther.
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MRCAB
06/03/09

@SprinklesTDD: you mean "areola"?
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Grey_Area
06/03/09

@MRCAB: Or maybe "arugula".

Salads are HAWT!
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
02/25/09

In reply to A Map of the Galaxy's Most-Traveled Portal Stations
Aw, man, it'd take all day and a bunch of transfers in the wrong direction to get to Andromeda from my house! Screw public transit, I'm just gonna drive.
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Julius Seizure - Canuck
02/25/09

@Evil Tortie's Mom: Oh, darling, it's easy.

Follow the yellow line until it crosses the gray one. Follow the gray to the purple and turn left at the Starbucks - no wait the second Starbucks. Then the blue like to the turnoff to the red and it's the second on the right (look for the Bob's Big'n'Tall)

No, wait, that's directions to the Best Buy Continuum.

Oh heck, if you get lost, just avoid Galactic Centre LIKE THE PLAGUE between 11 and 2. It's wall to wall to wall to wall traffic!
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Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.
02/25/09

@Officer Jim Pantsoffski: Hey, I can read the map fine, and I know I don't have to go through Gal Cen, but I'm not doubling back through half the Milky Way and the Crab Nebula just to get there.

I'm willing to take the red out to Orion if there's an express bus to Andromeda and I can get a reasonably-priced transfer. But that's not on this map, and it's probably not even run by MWTA.

Otherwise, like I said, I'm totally driving. Especially if I'm gonna be there late or on a Sunday.
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Pessimippopotamus
02/25/09

In reply to A Map of the Galaxy's Most-Traveled Portal Stations
Eh. As usual, the Borg do it better. Much more efficient arterial design than spirals.

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phoenix
02/26/09

@Pessimippopotamus Parkingtonius: Damned transwarp conduits!
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NotChoinski
02/25/09

In reply to A Map of the Galaxy's Most-Traveled Portal Stations
Yeah but the stations still smell like pee.
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lazyeight
02/25/09

In reply to A Map of the Galaxy's Most-Traveled Portal Stations
A whole new era of railroad songs can now begin. I motion we start with "The Legend of Spacey Jones".
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Ed Grabianowski
02/25/09

@lazyeight: Klingons ahead, Daleks behind/And you know that notion just crossed my mind
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crashedpc - Haifisch
02/25/09

In reply to A Map of the Galaxy's Most-Traveled Portal Stations
"In OMICROOOOON..."

- David Bowie

C'mon, no one played that game?
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