So I spent the last weekend solving a problem that’s developed over the last couple of years, and become increasingly inconvenient for me. I’m talking about something that all of us have probably experienced, and that is the intrusion of my real life into the virtual paradise I’ve created online.

When I first joined Twitter, it was a way to extend my ability as CodeWarrior Carling to interact with everyone I knew inside Virtual Reality and interact with them outside of Second Life. Over time, I realized more and more that even while inside Second Life, most of my interactions with everyone was also done using instant messages, so why not just cut out the middle man?

Eventually, I stopped going in to Second Life entirely and just talked to everyone I knew using Twiiter, but gradually at first, and then more quickly, I started letting things leak onto my following list from real life. Once the process started, it gained momentum and before too long my real life was hopelessly intertwined with my virtual life.

Now even that was OK for a while, but we all know what happens when you start to let your real life take over from your virtual life, and I made the mistake of going out and meeting some of the people from the real life side of things, and I’m sure all of you can see where this is going. Before I knew it, I was devoting nearly all of my time to real life – talking to real people – and even going out and meeting them in large numbers for an activity called ‘socializing’.

And then – the ultimate shame. I organized an event in real life myself. I made a bunch of friends, had a bunch of fun and now I actually talk to them more than I talk to any of you.

That is I did. I did until this last weekend.

Last weekend I got fed up. I gave the real life an ultimatum. Get out – and get a life of your own. I was doing just fine before you came along, and I’ll be just fine without you.

So @OttawaPete has left to explore the Twitters on his own, and he’s taking all of his real life friends with him. To be honest, I’m a bit sad to see them go, but I really have to give up these childish thoughts of real life, and get back to the serious business of running a machinima film studio and living the good life on my sprawling walled iClone estate. It will be nice to be a pure virtual character once again.

So long @OttawaPete – I’ll be sure to forward any mail.

CodeWarrior Carling, CEO Ideajuice Studios