Friday, May 30, 2008

MTV

Any one out there what this.... SL is on MTV. I am working to get a copy of this for distro to people.

http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?id=1586148&vid=236311

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Avatar's carbon footprint

We did not really go into this discussion in our class, except by bringing up the fact that Google's use of a white screen contributes substantially to global warming. Google itself acknowledged it by turning their screen black for a day to save energy.

But on to avatars. An article published in the Near Future Laboratory blog mentions some interesting numbers that gave me pause:

According to professor Julian Bleecker Ph.D of USC and cofounder of design think tank the Near Future Laboratory, "a Second Life avatar produces 1,685 pounds of CO2 and an acre of real estate in Second Life produces 99 tons of CO2.

Power Consumption Per Avatar Per Year (Second Life Servers): 153 kWH
Power Consumption Per Avatar Per Year (Home User’s PC): 1,095 kWH
Total Power Consumption Per Avatar Per Year: 1,248 kWH CO2 Emissions Per Avatar Per Year (Second Life Servers): 207 lbs (94 kilos)
CO2 Emissions Per Avatar Per Year (Home User’s PC): 1,478 lbs (670 kilos)
Total CO2 Emissions Per Avatar Per Year: 1,685 lbs (764 kilos)

...Some equivalence for perspective:In 2003, the per-capita power consumption in the United States: 13,242 kWH
In 2001, the per-capita power consumption in Iceland: 26,947 kWH
In 2001, the per-capita power consumption in Keyna: 118 kWH
(World Resource Institute, EarthTrends — )

...Every year, every Avatar in Second Life produces CO2 emissions equivalent to a typical, honking, bloated, arrogant SUV driving 1,293 miles, based on the assumption that this kind of SUV generates 1 lbs of CO2 per mile".


We all know that we will have to make substantial changes to our lifestyle if we want to do our part in saving this "spaceship earth" like Bucky called it. If we don't we will leave the planet to our avatars instead of our grandchildren...

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Professor Avator & Second Thoughts About Second Life

I'm not sure if anyone is still checking this blog with the end of class, but I thought I'd share a couple articles from a recent issue of the Education Digest (available through UF Libraries). Two articles regarding VEs and SL were found in the January 2008 issue (Vol. 73, No. 5).

Professor Avatar by Andrea L. Foster looks at some different uses of SL in education by different universities including the exploration of Dante's Inferno and the re-creation of the Sistine Chapel.

Second Thoughts About Second Life by Michael J. Bugeja compliments our class topic regarding SL and the law. Specifically, the question of liability is raised. Particularly is a student required by a course to go onto SL is exposed to griefers, who is held responsible? The professor? University? Student? Linden Labs?

Bugeja also follows up in the February 2008 issue with an article Second Life, Revisited, in which it appears he received communication from Linden Labs. I have yet to read the article.

Anyways, much like the scribblings in the high school year book by fifty of your closest friends, "have a good summer."