Informant Interview

The interview with my informant gave me some insight on both Fur users in the Tavern as well as Furs in general. My informant, who I will refer to as Ivy, has been a Fur for more than 20 years in real life, and has been attending the Tavern for over a year and a half now.

When asked about the general atmosphere of the Tavern, Ivy replied that it is much more of a casual, social atmosphere. Throughout my research I have found that yiffing (virtual sex acts) seems to be one of the main motives for many Furs. Ivy said that these people do show up to the Tavern, but they are usually don’t stay long.

[Ivy: So friendlier for those looking for companionship rather than a quick yiff.]

[Ivy: The ones that are only into the quick yiff get bored.]

According to Ivy, most of the time users at the Tavern just sit around and chat. This definitely backs up what I have witnessed so far in my observations.

As for Furs in general, Ivy explained to me that most have come to SL from other online role-playing environments such as MUDs and MUCKs. When I asked if Furs participated in the Fandom outside of SL, he replied that most do. He went on to list nearly a dozen large Furry Fandom conventions all over the United States. Although many users are active Furs in real life, it is not a behaviour you randomly see on the street.

[Ivy: …most furs don't go around advertising to the general populace our furrydom.]

Ivy remarked that Furry Fandom is very large occurrence. Most Furs in SL are a very friendly community. But since the group is so large, there are many other sub-cultures within the group. This lead me to ask the obvious, “What, besides the avatar, would you say separates Furs from other users in SL?”

[Ivy: Hmm... that is a difficult one to answer.]

[Ivy: Because what it means to me to be a furry is different for someone else.]

[Ivy: Some it is a spiritual connection to the animal.]

This does seem to back up what I have learned from my observations and talks with different Furs so far. Everyone has their own reason for selecting the avatar that they use, but for Furs it usually has to do with a heart felt connection to their animal.