It seems the honeymoon is over, so to speak for British couple, Amy Taylor and David Pollard. The Second Life digital love affair has collided with a reality bump in the divorce courts of the real world.

Fittingly, the couple actually met online through an Internet chatroom, then they met in the real world and moved in together in Cornwall, England. The couple also continued their  relationship in cyberspace and role-played together using alter-egos as Laura Skye and Dave Barmy. They became lovers in cyberspace as well as in the real world, it was a match made in online digital heaven.

However, it seems that all was not well in digital paradise. One morning, 28-year old Amy, awoke to find her 40-year old husband Dave having sex with a prostitute, not a real one you understand, that would be more than just alarming, but his avatar character Dave Barmy was getting a little LS$ pay-to-play action on the side in cyberspace. This betrayal, understandably caused the breakup of the cyber relationship between Dave and Laura.

The couple, perhaps unsurprisingly given the history, eventually kissed and engaged in some make-up cybersex. Such was the rejuvenated Second Life bliss that the couple decided to get married in cyberspace and then they sealed the deal in the real world—one has to question their collective aptitude at this point—but then they as say Second Life love is blind.

Once a Cheater...
However, all was not well. It wasn't long before Dave Barmy was up to his old tricks and finally caught in another relationship, this time with an American woman and once again within Second Life. This time Ms Taylor felt it was more involved and not just the visceral act with a digital prostitute, this time it was more serious.

The Laura and Dave have split up, but that is not the end of it, Ms Taylor has subsequently also filed for a divorce, in the real world. The good news is that, thankfully for all concerened, there were no children involved, in either worlds. No word on if there will be Second Life and or real life alimony payments.

I suppose the lesson from all this avatar business is that if you're cheating, even in the digital confines of Second Life, it can have real world ramifications.

Despite the bust-up it seems the couple have moved on. Pollard aka Barmy is apparently eager to tie the digital knot with his new love and is virtually engaged, but also plans to marry in real life. It seems Ms. Taylor didn't waste much time either, as she is already with her new man in World of Warcraft, an entirely different part of cyberspace.

I find this alternative-reality crossing over into the real world malarkey a bit difficult to fathom still, as they say I guess it is better to have loved and lost (in Second Life) than never to have loved at all.