As part of our (group 6's) project about crime scene investigation education in SL, I am researching some fundamental limitations of SL which could inhibit progress in VW education.
Specifically I am interested in technical details such as how small an object can be and how detailed can objects be? For example, often in crime scene investigation, the CSI looks for hairs, fingerprints, and other types of trace evidence. It does not seem feasible to incorporate these directly into an SL crime scene.
While searching the web for relevant information I came across a video discussing some other issues with SL education. Have a look
She makes a bold statement at the end which I don't necessarily agree with:
"Even if the technical problems are resolved, there is nothing to be gained by replacing lectures or discussions in a classroom on a campus when all students live within driving distance with those types of sessions in Second Life."
So in addition to limitations, what new abilities does SL bring to the table?
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Grade breakdown
Some have asked for me to post the grade breakdown I had up on the screen on Tuesday, so here it is:
A few more notes:
| Item | Percent |
| Blog Participation | 10 |
| Face-to-Face Participation | 10 |
| Proposal | 10 |
| Final Project | 35 |
| Final Presentation | 35 |
| Total | 100 |
A few more notes:
- Blog and face to face participation is not graded only on quantity, but also quality of participation. So if all you do is post 3 word postings to the blog, that won't be sufficient. The goal here is to post (and ask/comment) challenging and reflective, as well as informative remarks.
- Please remember that blog and face to face interaction is crucial to the knowledge management of the course. In essence, our knowledge is being harvested so we and others will benefit in the future.
- The proposal, final project, and final presentation will contain team grades that are altered by an individual participation percentage. At the end of the semester each team member will take a short survey that focuses on the work of each of their teammates. The surveys for each individual will be compiled and added to the instructors' evaluation of that individual's contribution. The resulting percentage will be multiplied by the total for those assignments.
- For example, if Johnny gets a .96 on his surveys, then his final project grade will be the overall team grade multiplied by .96.
- This method will account for individual and group efforts.
To change the world
That is a tall order, but it is related as with most everything to the power of numbers. Or if you wish to the empowerment of the user at either end of the link.
This is a very interesting "social network" concept that might have a big real life influence in a very positive way:
http://www.worldkey.org/html/index.html
This is a very interesting "social network" concept that might have a big real life influence in a very positive way:
http://www.worldkey.org/html/index.html
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Buidling Update
When I first began buidling in world, it seemed extremely difficult because there were so many ways to manipulate objects/prims. So at first I just started finding free objects and using them for my CSI scene on the Swamp. I quickly found that there was very little customization that could be done using that system. After recieving some help from classmates, online resources, and in world avatars, I quickly learned that buidling wasn't so bad. Especially the fact that you can copy objects you have already made makes it much easier. My one complaint however is the maximum size you can make objects, does anyone know why they put a limitation on this??? I am still having a little trouble piecing objects together to make larger objects with seamless pieces and without overlap. I imagine once I get better at that, I will be on my way to building better and more efficiently.
Internet time vs family time
As we have discussed the challenges of finding balance between the real world and virtual worlds, I thought this was an interesting op/ed from Michael Gilbert, a senior fellow at the Annenberg Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California and author of "The Disposable Male." I think he sums it up pretty well... that while "ominous clouds loom," he also says, "there's hope, because families are wondrously varied and resilient. Over the years they have managed to survive many technological innovations and potential intrusions." He also gives several excellent examples of the "good side"... perhaps, we can think of it more as "the Force" vs. "the Dark Side". May the Force be with you...
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-opgil275592834feb27,0,176990.story
http://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-opgil275592834feb27,0,176990.story
Terrorism in SL?
Someone had mentioned violence in second life a few weeks ago and asked the question "How long until terrorism spreads into second life?" I have since been wondering if terrorists could actually accomplish anything by entering into second life, as any damage in the world is not what I consider "real." However, I did not stop to think enough about other effects they could have. I recently came across this articles that talks about how al-Qaida or other groups may use virtual worlds to recruit new members, transfer funds in a way that cannot be traced, and engage in training exercises that may be useful in real life.
The article is very interesting and speaks more about possible ways that our government can monitor this growing problem, whether legally or illegally.
The article is very interesting and speaks more about possible ways that our government can monitor this growing problem, whether legally or illegally.
Chatterbot
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Eduserv%20Island/140/127/26
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Buena%20Vista/146/191/28
Based on ALICE, an award winning chatterbot.
I think the current stat of all chatterbots (not just SL ones) is just sad. They have no feel whatsoever for the flow of the conversation.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Buena%20Vista/146/191/28
Based on ALICE, an award winning chatterbot.
I think the current stat of all chatterbots (not just SL ones) is just sad. They have no feel whatsoever for the flow of the conversation.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
QuickTime Exploit in Second Life
Charlie Miller of Independent Security Evaluators, and Dino Dai Zovi demonstrated an RTSP tunneling exploit in Second Life at the ShmooCon, a computer hacking conference. The demo is an exploit that will steal money from Second Life users.
Link here
Link here
The Sims Online Becoming EA-Land (Free)
From Tech Crunch - Click Here for Article
This is an interesting move and I think shows the power of "free". I haven't used the Sims Online, but I would be interested in seeing how this may provide a platfrom for education at lower grade levels. The comments about the economy in the article are interesting as well.
-David Y.
This is an interesting move and I think shows the power of "free". I haven't used the Sims Online, but I would be interested in seeing how this may provide a platfrom for education at lower grade levels. The comments about the economy in the article are interesting as well.
-David Y.
Violence and Learning
I've still got some strong and some ambivelant feelings on violence and games and learning. For those of you that didn't get a chance to get to it last Tuesday, here is Grosman's Killology website:
http://www.killology.com/
In contrast to that is Jenkins article that says we need all the games we can get, in order to engage students in 21st century learning, and not deskill and bore them when they get to school. He briefly mentions the digital divide, saying that poor kids with no access are being left behind.
http://www.projectnml.org/node/306/
Then I found this article on Jacoby's new book that seems to say that partly due to the information explosion and partly due to American culture, hardly anyone thinks knowledge is important anymore, just opinions matter.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/books/14dumb.html
I now thinking everyone needs survival skills in today's world. News media coverage tells me that self defense skills are part of what is needed in this violent world, and some of that could be practiced in a computer environment. The other piece is that research and information evaluation skills will be critical, because you don't need to remember everything when you can easily look it up!
Doug
http://www.killology.com/
In contrast to that is Jenkins article that says we need all the games we can get, in order to engage students in 21st century learning, and not deskill and bore them when they get to school. He briefly mentions the digital divide, saying that poor kids with no access are being left behind.
http://www.projectnml.org/node/306/
Then I found this article on Jacoby's new book that seems to say that partly due to the information explosion and partly due to American culture, hardly anyone thinks knowledge is important anymore, just opinions matter.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/books/14dumb.html
I now thinking everyone needs survival skills in today's world. News media coverage tells me that self defense skills are part of what is needed in this violent world, and some of that could be practiced in a computer environment. The other piece is that research and information evaluation skills will be critical, because you don't need to remember everything when you can easily look it up!
Doug
Meta Markets
How will information gatherers and hunters survive in the digital age? Some signs are already apparent. As blogs matured they became a real force in the economy by consolidating opinions , analysis and gossip that sways, shapes and creates public opinion.
Witness Tila Tequila's (The Baddest Bitch in the Block) MySpace site where her profile has been seen a mere 123,875,022 times and you can see how clicks do turn into big bucks. Of course we have known that for a few years already although it has taken the entertainment industry quite a while to catch up, at that.
But there are more interesting things happening which are just (barely) outside of the mainstream and that I expect will become the next big thing (remember you saw it here first!).
Take a look at Meta-Markets for example. Their opening blurb says:
Meta-Markets is an online stock market for trading socially networked creative products such as YouTube videos, Delicious bookmarks, blogs, or social network profiles.
In NYSE or NASDAQ people trade shares of companies. In Meta-Markets people trade shares of bookmarks, profiles, videos, or blogs. Just like companies, socially networked products have ever growing values. When product owners issue their shares in Meta-Markets, they raise capital – today play capital, but tomorrow real capital. With Meta-Markets we aim to help people to retain the value of their immaterial labor in social web services.
Meta-Markets evolved from work done at the Physical Language Workshop in MIT as a research project in online economies and "sustainable life forms". Projects like OPENSTUDIO from PLW is another example of an emerging market community that allows artists, curators, buyers, dealers and viewers to create an economy that "breaks free of the shackles of the tired gallery/patron model representative of the classic schmism between the creative and the lucrative."
Even though today, as Meta-Markets says, you are dealing with "play-money", it will become tomorrow's real capital.
Tulum I, by Arturo Sinclair
And, hey! I just sold my first art work today for a whooping 2β Buraks!
Witness Tila Tequila's (The Baddest Bitch in the Block) MySpace site where her profile has been seen a mere 123,875,022 times and you can see how clicks do turn into big bucks. Of course we have known that for a few years already although it has taken the entertainment industry quite a while to catch up, at that.
But there are more interesting things happening which are just (barely) outside of the mainstream and that I expect will become the next big thing (remember you saw it here first!).
Take a look at Meta-Markets for example. Their opening blurb says:
Meta-Markets is an online stock market for trading socially networked creative products such as YouTube videos, Delicious bookmarks, blogs, or social network profiles.
In NYSE or NASDAQ people trade shares of companies. In Meta-Markets people trade shares of bookmarks, profiles, videos, or blogs. Just like companies, socially networked products have ever growing values. When product owners issue their shares in Meta-Markets, they raise capital – today play capital, but tomorrow real capital. With Meta-Markets we aim to help people to retain the value of their immaterial labor in social web services.
Meta-Markets evolved from work done at the Physical Language Workshop in MIT as a research project in online economies and "sustainable life forms". Projects like OPENSTUDIO from PLW is another example of an emerging market community that allows artists, curators, buyers, dealers and viewers to create an economy that "breaks free of the shackles of the tired gallery/patron model representative of the classic schmism between the creative and the lucrative."
Even though today, as Meta-Markets says, you are dealing with "play-money", it will become tomorrow's real capital.
Tulum I, by Arturo SinclairAnd, hey! I just sold my first art work today for a whooping 2β Buraks!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Literature factory
You should probably take some time to check out the literature factory in SL. It is a factory full of robots that are building works of literature! The factory is totally automated. Even the receptionist is a robot named Rosie. They even give you name tags and a hard hat to wear on the factory tour. Theres a tour robot that can tell you about all the different robots in the factory, and even robots who serve tea and biscuits in the waiting area.
Not sure if the literature fits my taste though.
Not sure if the literature fits my taste though.
Wine in Florence anyone?
CHI 2008 a Social Data Analysis Workshop is coming up in April of this year, and in Florence of all places! the New Renaissance.
A blurb from their call for papers that might peak your interest reads:
In the last few months a new class of web site has emerged that enables users to upload and collectively analyze many types of data. These systems range from pure research projects to commercial business ventures. Sites like Many Eyes, Swivel and Data360 have attracted visualization fans, data geeks, journalists, scientists, and concerned citizens. The blogosphere has also taken notice, and bloggers frequently post about the ways in which they use these sites, the visualizations they create, and the data they upload.
Take a look at their submission papers.
A blurb from their call for papers that might peak your interest reads:
In the last few months a new class of web site has emerged that enables users to upload and collectively analyze many types of data. These systems range from pure research projects to commercial business ventures. Sites like Many Eyes, Swivel and Data360 have attracted visualization fans, data geeks, journalists, scientists, and concerned citizens. The blogosphere has also taken notice, and bloggers frequently post about the ways in which they use these sites, the visualizations they create, and the data they upload.
Take a look at their submission papers.
Academic Institutions in Second Life
The link on the class website to the research article on academic institutions in Second Life used INSEAD as one of its case study samples. If you haven't visited it yet, I highly recommend it. They've truly embraced the idea of classrooms without walls and thinking of creating "infrastructure" that cannot exist in the real world. I know this concept has been a challenge for many teams.
Book Maps
Electrophoretic Display by PhillipsIn a recent conversation with Gary I believe, I mentioned the idea that books, that robust and traditional staple of our culture would probably change completely in their transition to Cyberspace.
So far, the attempts to replicate the "user experience" has failed miserably, and for good reason; you cannot shnuckle in bed or go to the loo with your computer and comfortably read a novel without it literally costing you an eye or two and probably constipation.
Nor should you be forced to flip pages in virtual books. And when electronic paper, like the electrophoretic information displays by E-Ink becomes commercially available you won't need to carry a thick bundle of it since basically one page, the size of your choice will suffice to display whatever content from the universal library you might want to access.
I would like to think, like many people do, that books will never go away. But the fact is that books are only good if you read them. And given the different environment in which new generations are born and trained, it is unlikely that bookstores will survive as we know them. Amazon is one example of a "bookstore" that is rapidly becoming a general store and even a social space since that seems to be the fuel that drives the emergent morphing Internet.
So, what can digital technology, the basis of New Media offer that books cannot? Interactivity is a given, but what kind of information would extend the book experience in a novel and useful way? Here are a couple of ideas, not necessarily novel, since nowadays nothing is, but they are based on concepts that have been made possible only with the introduction of the digital information infrastructure.
On of them is the concept of Book Maps that establishes correlations, branches and multiple ways to enjoy, understand or analyze a subject we are reading. The serendipitous element that allows us to encounter that which we don't know we are looking for is often mentioned in defense of libraries and "brick&mortar" bookstores. But precisely this aspect is what would be exponentially enhanced by "mapping" all the relationships and possible connections that the text in question might have, from semantic to poetic interpretations. Any filter or focus could be possible as well as the random aspect that we seem to enjoy so much in our physical searches.
Visual ThesaurusAn example of this approach as applied to language is the Visual Thesaurus
which uses a technology called ThinkMap. Try it on if you haven't and play around with filters such as free association mode or relationships etc. (in settings)
Document Icon
Other intriguing tools by Amber Frid-Jimenez of MIT are Cognitive Machines and Semantic Landscapes. Although at first sight they might seem incomprehensible to someone used to a card system, or even to an online search, I can see how the cybernauts among us would get an instant visual feedback on the "terrain" they are exploring.
Semantic Landscape
Sprechen Sie Deutsch?
If you do here are the entire proceedings of a very interesting conference put together by the Club of Rome (a global think tank and centre of innovation and initiative) on Living in Cyberspace: The Construction of Social Capital in Virtual Worlds. link
If not you can always use BabelFish to get the gist of it.
If not you can always use BabelFish to get the gist of it.
Another thread about digital theft
Seems to be an ever increasing security issue. Will we ever have a worldwide governing body for the internet?
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Linden Labs to Open-Source All
Linden Lab's decision to open-source its grid as reported by zdnet here suggests a strong belief in its user generated content. It suggests that it can eliminate competition by the already established user generated qualitative projects, content, and user pace.
In a sense this move reminds me of wikipedia since while it is true that everybody can host a wikipedia like website getting the user pace and the submission rate to match that of wikipedia is hard.
On the other hand, in the past users have been very keen to move from a dominant provider to the other based on the quality of service competitors were providing. For example for a long time Yahoo's search engine was powered by google, and while Yahoo had a large user base the number of people switching to google kept getting higher.
I believe that although it is a bold move by Linden Labs it could very much be the right move. It can create enough hype in the opensource community to generate a flock of experienced developers to improve the quality of the engine/grid while at the same time linden lab can still charge for connecting to their grid with its already established user generated content.
On a technical side note: This should significantly reduce Linden Labs bandwidth requirement as they can distribute the servers all across the world without having to maintain them nor pay for their bandwidth requirements. In a sense Linden Labs will become what a tracker is for bittorrent.
In a sense this move reminds me of wikipedia since while it is true that everybody can host a wikipedia like website getting the user pace and the submission rate to match that of wikipedia is hard.
On the other hand, in the past users have been very keen to move from a dominant provider to the other based on the quality of service competitors were providing. For example for a long time Yahoo's search engine was powered by google, and while Yahoo had a large user base the number of people switching to google kept getting higher.
I believe that although it is a bold move by Linden Labs it could very much be the right move. It can create enough hype in the opensource community to generate a flock of experienced developers to improve the quality of the engine/grid while at the same time linden lab can still charge for connecting to their grid with its already established user generated content.
On a technical side note: This should significantly reduce Linden Labs bandwidth requirement as they can distribute the servers all across the world without having to maintain them nor pay for their bandwidth requirements. In a sense Linden Labs will become what a tracker is for bittorrent.
Wiki & More
We have created a pbwiki (just click the title to check it out). It works very nicely for the project template.
I would like to know if anyone has seen TV networks putting their shows on Second Life or any other virtual worlds.
I would like to know if anyone has seen TV networks putting their shows on Second Life or any other virtual worlds.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Age-based Appropriateness and Cyberbullying
As our group works to develop an educational product that very well may be suited for secondary students, I can’t help but wonder about the issues of teenagers being online. In one way, it connects students through social networks allowing them to create their own identity, reveal their creativity through designs, videos, and other digital products, and offers a gateway to learning. On the other hand, many dangers lie ahead. From unhealthy habits of spending too much time online rather than out enjoying fresh air, adult content that is readily available, inappropriate contact and approaches by adults, and cyberbullying.
While there are various efforts to protect children online, there are still many ways around for both the children and those trying to find them. I came across an independent film exploring cyberbullying, Adina’s Deck. http://www.adinasdeck.com/ It’s amazing how easy it is to trash someone online for the world to see. I believe an earlier post here had a link to a college gossip page where people could go on for various reasons probably rarely truthful. When emotions can fuel revenge, jealousy, envy, rage, and a myriad of other feelings, they can also lead to intended and unintended consequences. The Myspace.com teen suicide tragedy in Missouri comes to mind.
In the context of our group project, I envision almost a WOW for science education. My worry is how addictive can it become leading to possible problems. Or, will the education label automatically limit the time a student wishes to spend on the task? My vision also includes designing an educational GAME experience that is captivating and almost subliminally delivers instruction. What I mean is that student become so engaged in the VE that they want to continue exploring while all along, they are inundated and using scientific knowledge to continue advancing. I don’t even know if it is possible, but a thought I often contemplate.
Can we ever fully protect children from the cyberworld? I heard a story about a student researching oral history using a web search engine. I’ll let you imagine what kinds of sites were returned to the horror of the young girl by an innocent search including the word oral.
Who should determine what is appropriate content, types of use, and amount of time spent online for teenagers?
While there are various efforts to protect children online, there are still many ways around for both the children and those trying to find them. I came across an independent film exploring cyberbullying, Adina’s Deck. http://www.adinasdeck.com/ It’s amazing how easy it is to trash someone online for the world to see. I believe an earlier post here had a link to a college gossip page where people could go on for various reasons probably rarely truthful. When emotions can fuel revenge, jealousy, envy, rage, and a myriad of other feelings, they can also lead to intended and unintended consequences. The Myspace.com teen suicide tragedy in Missouri comes to mind.
In the context of our group project, I envision almost a WOW for science education. My worry is how addictive can it become leading to possible problems. Or, will the education label automatically limit the time a student wishes to spend on the task? My vision also includes designing an educational GAME experience that is captivating and almost subliminally delivers instruction. What I mean is that student become so engaged in the VE that they want to continue exploring while all along, they are inundated and using scientific knowledge to continue advancing. I don’t even know if it is possible, but a thought I often contemplate.
Can we ever fully protect children from the cyberworld? I heard a story about a student researching oral history using a web search engine. I’ll let you imagine what kinds of sites were returned to the horror of the young girl by an innocent search including the word oral.
Who should determine what is appropriate content, types of use, and amount of time spent online for teenagers?
Think before you click
Google's data center, from Harper's magazine, March 2008This blueprint depicts Google's data center, code named "02 PROJECT" at The Dalles, Oregon.
Google and its nemesis, Microsoft, Yahoo and Ask.com went there lured by the cheapest electricity in North America. And they need it. They are building gigantic server farms on the banks of the Columbia River.
We tend to think of the internet, the virtual worlds, our email and the "paperless society" as somehow a 'cleaner' option than the legacy of our ancestors. We talk of information and the exchange of ideas, as if these concepts reside on the sphere of intangibles that lead us to a gentler, greener world.
People are slowly realizing that driving their cars and SUV's leave a carbon "footprint" for which we will be hold accountable by generations to come. So we telecommute, we email instead of writing a letter or a note (would we write so much dribble if we had to use pen and ink?) and we search or, using the new verb, we google for information, sometimes for its own sake, the new addiction.
Little do we realize that this new industry is as heavy as they come, and like the article in Harper's 1 mentions: "...an energy glutton that is only growing hungrier." Currently Google is estimated to have in the order of a million servers. According to the article: "...the servers require a half-watt in cooling for every watt they use in processing". Some simple math will yield in the order of 103 megawatts for the Dalles plant alone. As a curious note, the Northwest Aluminum smelter across the street form the data center once used 85 megawatts before falling under soaring energy costs.
If you examine the blueprint above, you will see that 18,800 sq. ft. are devoted to the "cooling towers". Perhaps it will become fashionable again to wear the Top Hats of the 1920's to celebrate the new Information Chimneys of the New Millenium?
The article mentions that in 2006 American data centers "consumed more power than American televisions" and that in all locations currently active or in planning, both in America and Siberia, Shanghai and Dublin where AT&T, Microsoft and Google are heading in search (pun intended) of even cheaper electricity, most of this energy is produced by the burning of fossil fuels. I gives new meaning to the term "cloud computing"
1 The Harper's article "KEYWORD:EVIL, Google's addiction to cheap electricity", which inspired this post, was written by Ginger Strand, author of Inventing Niagara: Beauty, Power and Lies, to be published this spring by Simon & Schuster
Google and its nemesis, Microsoft, Yahoo and Ask.com went there lured by the cheapest electricity in North America. And they need it. They are building gigantic server farms on the banks of the Columbia River.
We tend to think of the internet, the virtual worlds, our email and the "paperless society" as somehow a 'cleaner' option than the legacy of our ancestors. We talk of information and the exchange of ideas, as if these concepts reside on the sphere of intangibles that lead us to a gentler, greener world.
People are slowly realizing that driving their cars and SUV's leave a carbon "footprint" for which we will be hold accountable by generations to come. So we telecommute, we email instead of writing a letter or a note (would we write so much dribble if we had to use pen and ink?) and we search or, using the new verb, we google for information, sometimes for its own sake, the new addiction.
Little do we realize that this new industry is as heavy as they come, and like the article in Harper's 1 mentions: "...an energy glutton that is only growing hungrier." Currently Google is estimated to have in the order of a million servers. According to the article: "...the servers require a half-watt in cooling for every watt they use in processing". Some simple math will yield in the order of 103 megawatts for the Dalles plant alone. As a curious note, the Northwest Aluminum smelter across the street form the data center once used 85 megawatts before falling under soaring energy costs.
If you examine the blueprint above, you will see that 18,800 sq. ft. are devoted to the "cooling towers". Perhaps it will become fashionable again to wear the Top Hats of the 1920's to celebrate the new Information Chimneys of the New Millenium?
Can you identify the gentleman in the picture?
C'mon, I'll buy pizza for the first to name him!
And the winner is...Takumi! Choose your toppings (**>
While you are at it, look at the building on the upper right corner and you will see a suggestive label: "Transient Employee Dormitory Building". As with all things digital, employees are simply bits and blips in the flow of the new oil. And the "carbon footprint" is not pretty.C'mon, I'll buy pizza for the first to name him!
And the winner is...Takumi! Choose your toppings (**>The article mentions that in 2006 American data centers "consumed more power than American televisions" and that in all locations currently active or in planning, both in America and Siberia, Shanghai and Dublin where AT&T, Microsoft and Google are heading in search (pun intended) of even cheaper electricity, most of this energy is produced by the burning of fossil fuels. I gives new meaning to the term "cloud computing"
1 The Harper's article "KEYWORD:EVIL, Google's addiction to cheap electricity", which inspired this post, was written by Ginger Strand, author of Inventing Niagara: Beauty, Power and Lies, to be published this spring by Simon & Schuster
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Mixed Realities
I think that this and other examples illustrate quite well a quote I read recently by Richard Purcell (former chief privacy officer at Microsoft) stating that "Technology is way ahead of our ability as a society to think about the consequences"
On a related note (everything is related, I know) an article in the Washington Post about the recent annual Toy Fair in NY, dated February 20, 2008; p.C01 says:
Fact: Kids create more than 100,000 avatars each day in virtual communities such as Habbo and Club Penguin. That startling statistic has broad implications for how kids play and what the $22 billion toy industry wants to sell them to play with.
...For the (toy) industry, which uses this four-day play date to hawk its current and upcoming products, here's the best-case scenario: Kids won't want to stop playing in their online worlds. With the ever-expanding child obesity problem, that also is the worst-case scenario.
Of course, worst-case scenarios make for some of the best business opportunities (e.g. 9/11). That is why you see and will see more and more, a strong linkage from RL to VR as you already have with toys such as Build-a-Bear which uses the virtual world, where children play a controlled fantasy using an avatar of their toy bear, to model their consumer behavior (and their parent's) therefore bouncing back to RL where the child now sees his/her bear as lacking those things which they so easily get online.
More worrying to me is the fact that those kids forfeit their imaginary role and fantasy playing by succumbing to a pre-canned experience. This might have implications for the development of true free-form creativity in the child. And no matter how emphatically the toy companies insist their "privacy policy" protects your children, the fact is that kids activities online are closely monitored by those same companies, so that while individual privacy might be moderately protected (very weakly I would argue) their group as a whole becomes a very vulnerable and exploited target.
Avatars, Names, Bodies, and More...
I had a chance to glance through Mark Bell's blog for a bit. He has some interesting thoughts on VE and on identity. One statement he makes is that the name a person chooses as a "display name" is important to examine in relation to identity. Bell then states that some people view this as a "throw away" name. (sorry, no exact quotes and my system is too slow for me to go find it right now). We talked briefly about the importance of choosing a name you can live with for SL because it cannot be changed. Does the choice become more identifying when you know you'll be "stuck" with it.
Also, he mentions the choice of Avatar is related to the idealized version of self. Therefore, I wonder if the physical appearence of an avatar is the representation of an idealized version, then is the personality of an avatar also idealized - the way you would want your personality to be? It has interesting implications for griefers, doesn't it?
Also, he mentions the choice of Avatar is related to the idealized version of self. Therefore, I wonder if the physical appearence of an avatar is the representation of an idealized version, then is the personality of an avatar also idealized - the way you would want your personality to be? It has interesting implications for griefers, doesn't it?
Brain controls for SL???
I came across this link and thought you should see it. Looks like a brain-interface for SL??? Could this work around the idea of a haptic interface since it interfaces directly with the brain?
here's the link.
here's the link.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Business take on SL
I ran across this business report recently and thought you might be interested. I think it is interesting that the things they were trying to do were very "old school" technology:
"Having a Team Meeting in Second Life
By Tom Werner
As you may know, Brandon Hall Research has been investigating the usefulness of virtual worlds as platforms for learning. To this end, our team recently had a meeting in Second Life. It was an interesting experience. Here are some thoughts.
On the PLUS side:
- It’s a novel environment and, thus, kind of energizing for the group, like any new setting can be.
- You can arrange pleasant meeting areas in Second Life, and that seems to have a positive effect (we met “outdoors” in Second Life, on a nice deck area).
- Once you get set up to show PowerPoint slides in Second Life, you can do it fairly well (although a Web-conferencing tool would be more practical if the object is to show PowerPoint slides).
- There’s some pleasant sense of experiencing fellow meeting participants as physical representations rather than simply as voices (although how pleasant this is may vary for each individual).
- There can be entertaining side-activities in Second Life. (Our avatars hopped into a nearby hot tub after the meeting.)
On the DOWN side:
- The meeting is affected by each member’s ability to navigate (although that’s true with any technology).
- Practical meeting tools (like pointers) are better in Web-conferencing tools than in Second Life (although various tools are available in Second Life, and this is bound to continually improve).
- If the meeting is primarily information-sharing and discussion, a killer advantage of Second Life isn’t obvious (although you could conceivably argue the same thing about a conference call versus Web conferencing).
- It’s debatable how conducive Second Life is for meetings. It’s safe to say that even Second Life enthusiasts would say that a standard meeting doesn’t particularly take advantage of the unique aspects of Second Life (for example, 3-D).
All of this reminds me of word processing on PCs in the 1980s: the advantage of typing a memo in a word processor in 1988 versus on a typewriter wasn’t all that great. It was the potential — that everyone would eventually be a content creator, content storer, content sharer — that was the big thing.
We’ll probably continue to meet in Second Life periodically because (a) the “field trip” aspect is fun for our team and (b) it seems important to “feel” the progress of Second Life, Wii, and similar tools."
Project document template
The newly revised project document template is now available on the class resources page. It includes several questions by Gary and answers by Arturo and myself. Special thanks to Gary for coming up with such excellent questions!
I am looking forward to reading your proposals next week.
Dennis
I am looking forward to reading your proposals next week.
Dennis
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Clarifications...
I wanted to clarify some of what I said today. The more I thought about my comments on spanking the more worried I became about offending others in the class, particularly the other parents. I have a very different view of parenting than most. My style is related to Attachment Parenting first described by Dr. Sears. This method focuses on fostering a bond with your children early with the ultimate goal of creating an independent adult. The way we APers take to get there has recieved much flack from traditional parenting philosophies. I can't count on my fingers and toes the number of times I've been told I am ruining my son, usually by very good parents in my opinion. I did not allow my son to cry-it-out (meaning they are left to cry alone in thier crib until they learn not to cry at night) to teach him to self soothe and sleep through the night. He did learn to do so, just not at 4-6 months, but at 18-20 months. I held him nearly constantly (don't worry, he's pretty independent and doesn't require coddling). I also discipline by a different method, one that does not use traditional time-outs, or spanking, smacking, or any physical pain. My method of discipline is not easy and takes much effort and time. It also is tailored to my son and what he needs at the time. A lot of focus is given to the root cause of a problem. If my son is acting up, I look for a medical reason (hunger, illness, thirst, discomfort) before assuming behavior. This usually takes about thirty seconds to determine (though occassionally I've missed illness at the start of a cold). If the reason is different from medical, then I move into looking at boredom, opportunity, etc as a potential cause for the behavior. If he is simply bored, then I encourage him to find an activity he can do with the confines of our situation which might be entertaining for him. 90% of the time, this solves all our behavior problems. If the root cause is simply him being defiant, I understand his need at 2 to try and assert his independence. This need occurs in children at toddlerhood and later as a teenager. The difference between the two is that in the teen years, the independence needs to be encouraged as they are nearing adulthood. At 2, my son's independence efforts lead back to the knowledge that he is still dependent upon me and his Dad.
The articles I was referring to are varied in thier purpose. Many dealt with "paddling" in schools by school officials. Several dealt with spanking in a home or research setting. The results of these studies determined that in most cases, spanking brought about immediate results, but the lesson was not taught. This usually was the result of being spanked without explaination (or explaining to the child while they were too distraught to understand what was being said to them), and the later life problems were typically associated with a lack of re-bonding with the child. Also remember the spanking situations I spoke about varied from daily to weekly. Many cases, the spanking was done with an object (deemed abuse by today's standards, but at the time participants in the long-term studies were spanked, it was considered appropriate to use a switch or wooden spoon, or even a belt). The spankings were also used more frequently and for less severe offenses as the child progressed in age.
I do not believe in spanking my child. I do not feel that I have the right to tell other parents how to raise thier own children. I do not want to be forced to spank mine, so why should I take away that right from others? I typically come on pretty strongly about this issue because I am so often called a "permissive" or "lazy" parent by those that have not met my child, and assume this simply by virtue of the fact that I do not spank him. I am often asked by family members what I use to spank him, a switch or wooden spoon.
Research exists on nearly ever topic and with nearly every result as the outcome. There is certainly as much evidence to support the use of spanking as to discourage it. My research has focused on the effects seen of spanking, not on the possitive aspects of that disciplinary style. I do not feel parents that spank are abusive and I do not feel that they are in anyway less "parental" than I am. The whole point of me bringing that topic up was to suggest that parents will usually continue to do what they believe is right, regardless of what information they are provided. This is just as true in my household where I continue to allow my son to have bottles at night despite the fact that it may disrupt his tooth position. I am concerned about it, however, have decided that 20 minutes of a bottle of water is not the worst thing in the long run. The reason he still has a bottle instead of losing it at 1 year is medical and was a decision based on health problems he had at the time.
So anyway, another long post, but I did want to clarify what I was intending. The ultimate comment, which I think got lost due to my strong opinion, was that typically telling parents that a violent media source can cause violent behavior in children may be acknowledged, but may have little effect in the household activities. Part of this I feel is related to guilt (if I did this for so long already, I cannot accept that I've done damage so I will continue and disregard the information). Lots of people that practice Attachment Parenting like I do refuse to vaccinate thier children, fearing the medical problems which can result. They know that thier children will be at risk of contracting potentially fatal illness without those vaccinations, however, they feel that the risk (roughly.01% or so of children have severe reactions to vaccinations which can cause permanant damage or be fatal) to the children is too much in comparrision with the potential of contracting a disease. They believe this strongly and disregard what they are told concerning vaccinations in part because they do not want to be told how to parent. I on the other hand, vaccinated my child as reccomended (though a reaction forced a delay in the vaccination schedule for a time).
I hope I haven't offended anyone as that was not my intention. I also hope my point is more clear now. Thanks for listening. If you ahve been offended by my snap comments today, please accept my sincerest appologies for doing so.
The articles I was referring to are varied in thier purpose. Many dealt with "paddling" in schools by school officials. Several dealt with spanking in a home or research setting. The results of these studies determined that in most cases, spanking brought about immediate results, but the lesson was not taught. This usually was the result of being spanked without explaination (or explaining to the child while they were too distraught to understand what was being said to them), and the later life problems were typically associated with a lack of re-bonding with the child. Also remember the spanking situations I spoke about varied from daily to weekly. Many cases, the spanking was done with an object (deemed abuse by today's standards, but at the time participants in the long-term studies were spanked, it was considered appropriate to use a switch or wooden spoon, or even a belt). The spankings were also used more frequently and for less severe offenses as the child progressed in age.
I do not believe in spanking my child. I do not feel that I have the right to tell other parents how to raise thier own children. I do not want to be forced to spank mine, so why should I take away that right from others? I typically come on pretty strongly about this issue because I am so often called a "permissive" or "lazy" parent by those that have not met my child, and assume this simply by virtue of the fact that I do not spank him. I am often asked by family members what I use to spank him, a switch or wooden spoon.
Research exists on nearly ever topic and with nearly every result as the outcome. There is certainly as much evidence to support the use of spanking as to discourage it. My research has focused on the effects seen of spanking, not on the possitive aspects of that disciplinary style. I do not feel parents that spank are abusive and I do not feel that they are in anyway less "parental" than I am. The whole point of me bringing that topic up was to suggest that parents will usually continue to do what they believe is right, regardless of what information they are provided. This is just as true in my household where I continue to allow my son to have bottles at night despite the fact that it may disrupt his tooth position. I am concerned about it, however, have decided that 20 minutes of a bottle of water is not the worst thing in the long run. The reason he still has a bottle instead of losing it at 1 year is medical and was a decision based on health problems he had at the time.
So anyway, another long post, but I did want to clarify what I was intending. The ultimate comment, which I think got lost due to my strong opinion, was that typically telling parents that a violent media source can cause violent behavior in children may be acknowledged, but may have little effect in the household activities. Part of this I feel is related to guilt (if I did this for so long already, I cannot accept that I've done damage so I will continue and disregard the information). Lots of people that practice Attachment Parenting like I do refuse to vaccinate thier children, fearing the medical problems which can result. They know that thier children will be at risk of contracting potentially fatal illness without those vaccinations, however, they feel that the risk (roughly.01% or so of children have severe reactions to vaccinations which can cause permanant damage or be fatal) to the children is too much in comparrision with the potential of contracting a disease. They believe this strongly and disregard what they are told concerning vaccinations in part because they do not want to be told how to parent. I on the other hand, vaccinated my child as reccomended (though a reaction forced a delay in the vaccination schedule for a time).
I hope I haven't offended anyone as that was not my intention. I also hope my point is more clear now. Thanks for listening. If you ahve been offended by my snap comments today, please accept my sincerest appologies for doing so.
Gaming in SL
I was wondering if anyone knows how to use SL as a video game. I know that the purpose for this class is to research innovative ways to accomplish things within this virtual world. However, I was wondering if there is any way to battle, race vehicles, or undertake conquests similar to a traditional video game. SL has a lot of characteristics that resemble MMORPGs, and I'm very interested to see if there are ways to similate video game activities through SL.
If anyone has any idea how to do this, please let me know. I am anxious to find out if I can do these types of things when I am not working on my project.
If anyone has any idea how to do this, please let me know. I am anxious to find out if I can do these types of things when I am not working on my project.
Random Sample
How would someone go about getting a random sample of Second Life educators? Is this possible in the current structure of Second Life? I am trying to assemble a survey for another project and I want to make sure my research will respected. I am trying to assemble a complete list of people who teach in SL at this point, but I am wondering if I will be able to feasibly do that. Any comments would be helpful.
Monday, February 18, 2008
TV and Second Life
The main objective of the project I am working on with my group is to show the potential of virtual worlds like Second Life in enhancing the future the TV industry. I recently found one article from the New York Times, which, ithink, could be the fundamental framework of our project. I though it may be beneficial to share it with you guys.
Just in case you don’t have time to read it all, here are some excerpts:
Just in case you don’t have time to read it all, here are some excerpts:
if the wildest dreams of some very excited technology developers come true,
virtual reality might finally be the medium that unites the passive experience
of watching television with the interactive potential of the Web.
As broadcasters and media companies have entered virtual spaces, among the
earliest content they have provided residents has been, not surprisingly, television programming, which inhabitants can watch on two-dimensional movie and television screens that appear throughout the world. “It’s obvious, but it gets fun,” said Sibley Verbeck, the chief executive of the Electric Sheep Company, which creates programs and content for virtual worlds. “It starts being a more social experience.”
At minimum broadcasters want a presence in these virtual worlds because they
know that significant numbers of their viewers are already visiting them. “We
have to take our content to the community,” Mr. Smith of CBS said. “We have to
take it where the users are already.”
Additionally television programmers see the games and social activities within
their online communities as an opportunity for viewers — whether they are
designing and selling their own fashion lines on Virtual Laguna Beach or
building and wrecking cars on Virtual Pimp My Ride — to continue to engage with
their brands long after the shows themselves are over.
The proprietors of these worlds say this freedom has profoundly altered the way their users experience the medium of television. “Television has created a public opinion that we are mostly consumers and not very creative,” said Philip Rosedale, the founder and chief executive of Linden Lab, whose company started Second Life in 2003. “But that’s simply an artifact of the technology of television. If people
are given the ability to co-create, to make something using the pieces and parts
of media, they will do it.”
Live Webcast
I thought some of you might find this to be an interesting event, I recieved this email from the Entrepreneurship department in the college of business.
The UF Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation presents:
"How Virtual Worlds Will Transform the Way We Do Business"
Wednesday, February 20 , 2008 in Stuzin 255 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Just as the Internet revolutionized the business world, pundits are now speculating that virtual worlds are the next step in the evolution of technology. Presented by Enterprising Georgia, a joint venture of the MIT Enterprise Forum of Atlanta and the Georgia Research Alliance, this cutting-edge presentation will answer the following questions:
· What are the business applications of virtual worlds?
· How will virtual worlds impact corporate IT in 2008 and the years ahead?
· What are the opportunities for savvy entrepreneurs?
Panelists:
· Deborah Dunagan, Global Methods Program, IBM
· Juan Pablo Gnecco, Founder & CEO, Studiocom
· Christopher W. Klaus, Founder & CEO, Kaneva
· Benn Konsynski, Professor of Information Systems & Operations Management, Emory University
· Mike Vizard, Editorial Director & Sr. Vice President, Ziff Davis
For more information on this forum please visit http://enterpriseforum.mit.edu/network/broadcasts/200802/index.html
I have seen a couple of these webcasts and they are usually pretty good. I think its good to know that UF is getting involved with virtual worlds even outside of this class. It is obviously inevitable that virtual worlds will be playing a greater part in our everyday lives and I am glad I am taking this class to be ahead of the curve for the future.
The UF Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation presents:
"How Virtual Worlds Will Transform the Way We Do Business"
Wednesday, February 20 , 2008 in Stuzin 255 from 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Just as the Internet revolutionized the business world, pundits are now speculating that virtual worlds are the next step in the evolution of technology. Presented by Enterprising Georgia, a joint venture of the MIT Enterprise Forum of Atlanta and the Georgia Research Alliance, this cutting-edge presentation will answer the following questions:
· What are the business applications of virtual worlds?
· How will virtual worlds impact corporate IT in 2008 and the years ahead?
· What are the opportunities for savvy entrepreneurs?
Panelists:
· Deborah Dunagan, Global Methods Program, IBM
· Juan Pablo Gnecco, Founder & CEO, Studiocom
· Christopher W. Klaus, Founder & CEO, Kaneva
· Benn Konsynski, Professor of Information Systems & Operations Management, Emory University
· Mike Vizard, Editorial Director & Sr. Vice President, Ziff Davis
For more information on this forum please visit http://enterpriseforum.mit.edu/network/broadcasts/200802/index.html
I have seen a couple of these webcasts and they are usually pretty good. I think its good to know that UF is getting involved with virtual worlds even outside of this class. It is obviously inevitable that virtual worlds will be playing a greater part in our everyday lives and I am glad I am taking this class to be ahead of the curve for the future.
Questions on upcoming Project Documents
Dennis/Arturo:
Some members of our group (Group 2) met on Sunday to discuss the project scope and how our project was shaping up with respect to the project guidelines given. As we went over the project spec documents provided on the course web site, we had many questions about the structure of the project document and the terms inside. Our uncertainty about the directions we should take kept us from going forward with the preparation of our proposal. We went through the two project spec documents again and wrote up a list of questions about the things we weren't sure about.
We decided the best thing was to come to office hours on Tuesday and discuss them. Rather than bombarding you with a load of questions that you didn't have time to think about, though, we thought we would write them up so you could go over them before Tuesday. (Writing them up would also help other groups when we find out the answers.)
You can see the list here. Most of them will probably be pretty simple answers for you.
You don't need to reply here, we'll see you on Tuesday. Thanks.
Some members of our group (Group 2) met on Sunday to discuss the project scope and how our project was shaping up with respect to the project guidelines given. As we went over the project spec documents provided on the course web site, we had many questions about the structure of the project document and the terms inside. Our uncertainty about the directions we should take kept us from going forward with the preparation of our proposal. We went through the two project spec documents again and wrote up a list of questions about the things we weren't sure about.
We decided the best thing was to come to office hours on Tuesday and discuss them. Rather than bombarding you with a load of questions that you didn't have time to think about, though, we thought we would write them up so you could go over them before Tuesday. (Writing them up would also help other groups when we find out the answers.)
You can see the list here. Most of them will probably be pretty simple answers for you.
You don't need to reply here, we'll see you on Tuesday. Thanks.
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