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9月29日 Second Life Claims Social Network CrownSecond Life Claims Social Network Crown
Has Second Life Cut Its Mullet?
I haven't had a lot of chance to look for Second Life related news lately. I've been busy building my own virtual enterprise inworld. I did find these stories and found it interesting that some people are looking very seriously at Virtual Worlds again and Second Life in particular. 9月27日 The Birth of Bernard BroonoThe Birth of
Bernard Broono
.jpg) Bernard Broono looks to the future...
I'm afraid I haven't posted much in the last couple of weeks. This has been largely due to a combination of health issues, changes in my work schedule and a new project. My interest in virtual world technology has not changed; if anything I have come to a decision in how I would personally use it.
In business you sometimes hear of 'proof of concept' testing. This is essentially a real world test to demonstrate that something can work outside of a conceptual environment. The real world is often the best, and harshest, test environment any product or idea can face. On the other hand, if something can weather this test it is also the best demonstration of how viable the product or idea is.
I work in the telecommunications industry for a company heavily invested in what can be best termed as 'switched' telephony. This is to say that our fundamental infrastructure is still largely based around the 'switch', something like the
Lucent 5ESS or the Nortel DMS-100. With the advent of Local Number Portability, Voice over Internet Protocol and Mobile Telephony the old traditional model of telephony is rapidly being destroyed. People are giving up their landlines as voice carriers at a phenomenal rate. I believe we are experiencing a technological transition every bit as important as the 'industrial revolution'. Today only historians seem to remember that the change from an agrarian economy to an industrial economy was a very painful period of about 100 years. I think this next transition won't take nearly as long. For some people this will be an exciting time as things they only dreamed about become a reality. For others this is going to be incredibly painful as they see jobs vanish, money disappear and their visions of a secure future crushed.
I am choosing not to surrender to an uncertain future. Laurie and I are at an age where we need to think about retirement. I see a lot of people around me in life who have given up on ever retiring. They have seen their 401k funds vanish. They have lost their pensions. I think some of them simply avoid thinking about the future beyond clawing through each day minute by minute. Laurie and I have decided we will travel a different path to retirement. Some people are going to inevitably think we are crazy. I really don't have a problem with that. These same people are often the ones who have given up hope. We chose not to give up.
The Birth of Bernard Broono
In the near future people will have avatars just as commonly as they have telephone numbers today. It is my opinion that the social networking phenomena is largely misunderstood. I think that Facebook and Twitter are only a phase in the use of technology. They are not going away, they are going to evolve. I have already found industry numbers that potentially hundreds of millions of people worldwide are using avatars on a regular basis. The majority of these are in what are termed Massively Multiplayer Online environments. These are generally games. But the games are rapidly evolving into social networks of their own.
Laurie and I have been using Linden Lab's 'Second Life' for quite awhile now. This virtual world is radically different from most of the game oriented virtual environments. Second Life is essentially a social networking device. You can definitely play games within Second Life but Second Life is not a game. One of the beauties of Linden Lab's creation is that each user helps define what it is about. I've seen one estimate that puts the user created content at 97% of what you see within this virtual world. You will find as many people in here frittering away their idle time chatting as slaying dragons. I find that most people who don't actually use Second Life also don't understand what is going on 'inworld'.
I also know the very best way to learn about this technology, any technology really, is to immerse yourself in it. In some ways its like learning a new language; it may not be easy at first but the words will eventually come to you. Second Life has a steeper learning curve for some aspects than other game-oriented virtual worlds. If you want to build or script, it can be every bit as challenging as a course in writing any computer code. The rewards for learning within Second Life are potentially far greater though. No wonder it is becoming the platform of choice for education, government and business use.
My avatar, my computer persona, is a fellow named Bernard Broono. I suspect he is similar to the avatars of most users within Second Life. In many ways he differs wildly from the person manipulating him. He is much thinner, appears younger and he can fly. He is similar to his operator in that he goes through a lot of cigars, enjoys the company of women and is prone to pontifications on the failings of the real world. He is also very similar to his creator in that he is exploring the growing financial potentials of this technology. The fact of the matter is that in some ways it is easier to find the good financial information 'inworld' than it is as an outside observer.
Bernard has not been alone in his endeavors. There are actually a lot of other people, other avatars, seeking their own goals within Second Life. He has met educators, librarians (lots of librarians), and other creative people exploring and learning this technology. He has been a casual observer to the efforts of some corporations within Second Life. He has carefully watched how some avatars are making real world livings for their invisible operators. I will try to provide more information on all of this in the very near future...
This video has nothing to do with Bernard Broono. It does have a lot to do with how people are constructively using Second Life.
9月14日 The most popular digital goods are virtual money, weapons and giftsThe most popular digital goods are virtual money, weapons and gifts
Inspite of what some people think the economy seems to be booming in terms of virtual goods. The leading good is the transfer of money from real world currency to virtual tender. In terms of Second Life this is use of Lindens. I am always somewhat amused at the disconnect some people have with virtual currency; it is like the dollar isn't actually used. Maybe this is why the IRS is showing such interest to what happens inside virtual worlds? 9月11日 Is virtual boom our industrial revolution?Is virtual boom our industrial revolution?http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/sep/09/victor-keegan-virtual-world-revolution Interesting bit of speculation, is this technology the force that will save the economy? I personally don't know, I don't know that anybody knows. I do know that virtual worlds are evolving more rapidly than we can grasp. Right now attention is aimed at things like Facebook and Twitter. My opinion is that Twitter will be short lived and we still haven't seen what Facebook will ultimately become. I am seeing Facebook pages devoted to avatars and Second Life profiles linked to Facebook pages. The real question is whether people will put significant money into virtual worlds? 9月10日 Second Life farmers' market gets real with home deliveriesSecond Life farmers' market gets real with home deliveries
Here is a case of real world business being conducted through virtual reality. I think we will see more and more of this all the time. Initial efforts to market products through Second Life in 2003 failed but this was more a matter of the sellers misunderstanding the medium. Now this is changing; some people are grasping how to use this technology.
September 11 memorial in Second LifeSeptember 11 memorial in Second Life
Second Life is filled with memorials. This virtual world allows for creative expression; anybody can learn to build what ever they want. It does not surprise me that people make memorials here. The things created here maybe just computer representations of reality but the emotions expressed are as real as the tears we shed.
9月9日 Shrink Wrapped - avatars needing psychiatric helpShrink Wrapped - avatars needing psychiatric help
I love pookymedia Trademarking your avatarTrademarking your avatar
Apollo Manga comes through for us all again; he reports on how legal protections are growing for virtual products. I am seldom happy to see the lawyers walk into any situation but in this case it might be good. If virtual worlds are going to be economically viable they also need to be stable in legal status.
9月8日 The future of virtual goods The is money in virtual goods; it might be difficult to define some characteristics of this value but the fact is the money is still real. According to Linden Labs there are 68,000 users that are cash positive within the virtual world. This is an interesting number when you consider that probably the majority of users there are not out to make money. I am convinced that business efforts within Second Life are similar to such efforts in the Real World. If you have a good product, a good business plan and are willing to make the effort you can be successful.
The Spy Who Lives HereThe Spy Who Lives Here
I love pookymedia. 9月6日 Archive of Manpower's Evolution of the Virtual Workforce Interesting study of how Manpower is using Second Life to further their business. I'm Too Busy To Date Your Avatar!I'm Too Busy To Date Your Avatar!
Research Shows Link Between Online Avatars, Real-World ExerciseResearch Shows Link Between Online Avatars, Real-World Exercise
I don't know that I completely buy this bit of research. I personally find I spend more time sitting at my computer. 9月4日 NATO, Sweden, and the Problem of Security in Virtual DiplomacyNATO, Sweden, and the Problem of Security in Virtual Diplomacy
Interesting blog piece on how NATO and Sweden are planning to use Second Life. The Swedes already have an embassy within the virtual world. The real question is on how secure can Second Life be made? I've already seen these security issues discussed in relation to commercial operations:
Some security sensitive operations do seem to be finding a place within Second Life. The United States Navy appears to have few reservations about using the virtual world:
US Navy's Undersea Warfare Center in Second Life
I think these security issues will be reduced. I don't think there is such a thing as a perfectly secure environment; what constitutes 'safe' in an online environment is largely perceptual. The threats evolve as rapidly as the security; what is safe today probably will not be safe tomorrow. So do the risks of operating within this environment outweigh the benefits? New Website Studies Policy Implications of Virtual WorldsNew Website Studies Policy Implications of Virtual Worlds
Studying how virtual worlds change our politics, policy, and culture
The future of politics might rest in virtual worlds; with a new generation of voters that have been groomed on this technology what are the implications? Will politicians someday have to reach out to their electorate with avatars? Taking tradition to cyberspaceTaking tradition to cyberspace
Artists develop legends for the 22nd century
Virtual GuantanamoVirtual Guantanamo
I try not to drag my blog into politics. There are already enough blogs dedicated to that. I also reserve my opinions on the 'War of Terror'. I don't think you can do justice to any point of view on this in a four or five minute video. It is very interesting to see how people are using Second Life to show their opinions. Just remember that this only one view of a complicated subject.
Virtual Worlds Are Not Just Time-WastersVirtual Worlds Are Not Just Time-Wasters
Another interesting opinion piece on Virtual Worlds. The perceptions of this technology are rapidly changing as people see beyond the 'game' and find the social and financial potentials. New center focuses on gaming, virtual worldsNew center focuses on gaming, virtual worlds
Somebody else gets it. As this technology becomes more mainstream we will see more people putting their attention on it. |
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