Flotilla Killings by Israelis in the Mediterranean Provoke Incendiary Protests at Jewish Sites in Second Life
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Finished Story
Seated in a concrete auditorium, surrounded by various non-profit organizations, the members of the “Nonprofit Commons” listen intently to a meeting hosted by a cartoon penguin and a green feline. Non-profit organizations are turning to the Second Life community as a means to promote their organizations.
Second Life is the Internet’s largest user-created 3D virtual world community, developed by Linden Labs, first launched on June 23, 2003. Users are able to create an avatar within the world, with any name, character traits or appearance the creator wishes to include. Each person is able to live out any role they wish; it is in essence a second life outside the real world.
Non-profit organizations (NPOs) are turning to this virtual community as a means to promote and further their causes. With the help of Techsoup, an organization dedicated to helping corporations understand the use of social media to promote themselves, these organizations are able to set up shop within the “Nonprofit Commons.”
The Nonprofit Commons is an area set up in Second Life, which consists of four separate virtual cities. In total these locations house over 80 social benefit organizations. The Nonprofit Commons is managed by a community of volunteers, under the leadership of TechSoup Global. With the help of Techsoup, as well as a number of charitable donations, this area was able to grow.
Techsoup created the Nonprofit Commons “to lower the barriers of access to Second Life, to create a community of practice for nonprofits to explore and learn about the virtual world, and to investigate the many ways in which nonprofits might utilize this unique environment,” according to their blog. “Through this community, we provide free office space to qualifying groups, meet and network, create a cooperative learning environment and foster outreach, education, fund-raising, all in a virtual space.” At present a representative from Techsoup was not available for further comment.
Bruce Hestley, Vice President of Vietnam Veterans Buckeye Foundation(VVBF), is currently occupying an office space within the Nonprofit Commons. This property was donated to his organization by Techsoup; normally property within the Second Life community would cost a fair amount of Linden Dollars – the currency set up within the game. However, thanks to what Techsoup is doing, these spaces are provided free of cost to interested non-profit organizations.
Hestley’s organization is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit corporation organized in Ohio by several veterans of the Vietnam War. Incorporated in 2002, it has the purpose of providing education to the general public regarding veterans’ affairs as well as outreach and assistance for all veterans and their families. In world the VVBF is represented by Vice President Murray Haefnir (the avatar of Bruce Hestley).
“A friend of mine talked me into looking into Second Life. I ran across the Nonprofit Commons,” said Hestley. “After attending several Friday meetings, I thought this might be a good way to touch base with other groups and help them or get help. The only cost was the stamp to mail the Memo of Understanding with proof of our incorporation. [The] biggest difficulty is trying to explain how a cartoon can help us.
“To operate in Second Life [there] is little or no real cost,” said Hestley. “Just a decent computer, which I already have, and an Internet connection, which I also had anyhow. When you are in your real life office reading the CPA report or searching for grants, it gets a bit lonesome. Being in SL gives you the opportunity to meet such a diverse group of people. The socializing is nice too.”
Over the past three months, his SL office has averaged 2.5 people per day, a considerable increase over the traffic their website generated. In addition, Hestley is proud to say he is learning about Facebook, Twitter, and other means of communication.
The VVBF shares their in-world office with the representatives of the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA). Founded in 2003, TAVA is an organization that acts proactively with other concerned gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) organizations to ensure that transgender veterans will receive appropriate care for medical conditions in accordance with the Veterans Health Administration’s Customer Service Standards promise to “treat you with courtesy and dignity… as the first class citizen that you are.”
Janelle Levenque, National Treasurer of TAVA, first heard about the Nonprofit Commons on a Yahoo group. “[I] thought I’d take a look,” said Levenque. [I] thought an office here would be a good way to attract people. [The] only cost was furniture, minimal as there is a reasonable amount free. [It] took a couple of hours.”
Second Life offers “the ability to meet, network, learn, and teach others,” said Levenque. “It’s invaluable.”
She recommends three reasons other Non-profit organizations should turn to Second Life. “One, inexpensive, basically no cost required. Two, chance to network with some truly savvy international people. Three, opportunity to connect with potential members and/or supporters.
Over the last several months, TAVA has been averaging five visitors per day, several of which have become permanent members.
In travelling around the Non-profit Commons, I came across GiftstoGive, a NPO that gives new and gently used items to children in need.
Paula Ritchotte, a retiree, is a full-time volunteer within the organization. Although their organization has not had a considerable amount of response and very few Linden donations, she still had a positive outlook on the Second Life community.
“Since GiftstoGive is a hands-on tangible working charity, the impact of using Second Life at this stage has been negligible,” said Ritchotte. “Our hope is that as we grow and our reputation spreads, that those interested in having a GiftstoGive in other cities will be enhanced by our Second Life exposure.”
“The best result has been the ability to network with other similar charities,” said Ritchotte. “I would recommend Second Life to other charities because of the worldwide exposure and the relative ease of using Second Life along with low cost.”
Second Life is the Internet’s largest user-created 3D virtual world community, developed by Linden Labs, first launched on June 23, 2003. Users are able to create an avatar within the world, with any name, character traits or appearance the creator wishes to include. Each person is able to live out any role they wish; it is in essence a second life outside the real world.
Non-profit organizations (NPOs) are turning to this virtual community as a means to promote and further their causes. With the help of Techsoup, an organization dedicated to helping corporations understand the use of social media to promote themselves, these organizations are able to set up shop within the “Nonprofit Commons.”
The Nonprofit Commons is an area set up in Second Life, which consists of four separate virtual cities. In total these locations house over 80 social benefit organizations. The Nonprofit Commons is managed by a community of volunteers, under the leadership of TechSoup Global. With the help of Techsoup, as well as a number of charitable donations, this area was able to grow.
Techsoup created the Nonprofit Commons “to lower the barriers of access to Second Life, to create a community of practice for nonprofits to explore and learn about the virtual world, and to investigate the many ways in which nonprofits might utilize this unique environment,” according to their blog. “Through this community, we provide free office space to qualifying groups, meet and network, create a cooperative learning environment and foster outreach, education, fund-raising, all in a virtual space.” At present a representative from Techsoup was not available for further comment.
Bruce Hestley, Vice President of Vietnam Veterans Buckeye Foundation(VVBF), is currently occupying an office space within the Nonprofit Commons. This property was donated to his organization by Techsoup; normally property within the Second Life community would cost a fair amount of Linden Dollars – the currency set up within the game. However, thanks to what Techsoup is doing, these spaces are provided free of cost to interested non-profit organizations.
Hestley’s organization is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit corporation organized in Ohio by several veterans of the Vietnam War. Incorporated in 2002, it has the purpose of providing education to the general public regarding veterans’ affairs as well as outreach and assistance for all veterans and their families. In world the VVBF is represented by Vice President Murray Haefnir (the avatar of Bruce Hestley).
“A friend of mine talked me into looking into Second Life. I ran across the Nonprofit Commons,” said Hestley. “After attending several Friday meetings, I thought this might be a good way to touch base with other groups and help them or get help. The only cost was the stamp to mail the Memo of Understanding with proof of our incorporation. [The] biggest difficulty is trying to explain how a cartoon can help us.
“To operate in Second Life [there] is little or no real cost,” said Hestley. “Just a decent computer, which I already have, and an Internet connection, which I also had anyhow. When you are in your real life office reading the CPA report or searching for grants, it gets a bit lonesome. Being in SL gives you the opportunity to meet such a diverse group of people. The socializing is nice too.”
Over the past three months, his SL office has averaged 2.5 people per day, a considerable increase over the traffic their website generated. In addition, Hestley is proud to say he is learning about Facebook, Twitter, and other means of communication.
The VVBF shares their in-world office with the representatives of the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA). Founded in 2003, TAVA is an organization that acts proactively with other concerned gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) organizations to ensure that transgender veterans will receive appropriate care for medical conditions in accordance with the Veterans Health Administration’s Customer Service Standards promise to “treat you with courtesy and dignity… as the first class citizen that you are.”
Janelle Levenque, National Treasurer of TAVA, first heard about the Nonprofit Commons on a Yahoo group. “[I] thought I’d take a look,” said Levenque. [I] thought an office here would be a good way to attract people. [The] only cost was furniture, minimal as there is a reasonable amount free. [It] took a couple of hours.”
Second Life offers “the ability to meet, network, learn, and teach others,” said Levenque. “It’s invaluable.”
She recommends three reasons other Non-profit organizations should turn to Second Life. “One, inexpensive, basically no cost required. Two, chance to network with some truly savvy international people. Three, opportunity to connect with potential members and/or supporters.
Over the last several months, TAVA has been averaging five visitors per day, several of which have become permanent members.
In travelling around the Non-profit Commons, I came across GiftstoGive, a NPO that gives new and gently used items to children in need.
Paula Ritchotte, a retiree, is a full-time volunteer within the organization. Although their organization has not had a considerable amount of response and very few Linden donations, she still had a positive outlook on the Second Life community.
“Since GiftstoGive is a hands-on tangible working charity, the impact of using Second Life at this stage has been negligible,” said Ritchotte. “Our hope is that as we grow and our reputation spreads, that those interested in having a GiftstoGive in other cities will be enhanced by our Second Life exposure.”
“The best result has been the ability to network with other similar charities,” said Ritchotte. “I would recommend Second Life to other charities because of the worldwide exposure and the relative ease of using Second Life along with low cost.”
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Success
After posting in my blog yesterday, I spent some time wandering around the Nonprofit commons. I came across two female avatars in the amphitheater both belonging to the Nonprofit commons group, or so said the tags over their heads.
Quite relieved that I may be getting somewhere this time i clicked on their in-world profiles. I noticed that in one of their profiles they had a contact e-mail for Techsoup. I e-mailed her immediately and minutes later one of the avatars approached me in-world to inform me that she had received my e-mail and would be forwarding it on to the correct person.
I apologize to Techsoup for stating in yesterdays blog post that your organization had not replied in two weeks. I take full responsibility for this lack of response as I am certain I e-mailed the wrong person at that point.
I am very excited that Techsoup is willing to talk to me and I can not wait to hear what they have to say. More on this to come :)
Quite relieved that I may be getting somewhere this time i clicked on their in-world profiles. I noticed that in one of their profiles they had a contact e-mail for Techsoup. I e-mailed her immediately and minutes later one of the avatars approached me in-world to inform me that she had received my e-mail and would be forwarding it on to the correct person.
I apologize to Techsoup for stating in yesterdays blog post that your organization had not replied in two weeks. I take full responsibility for this lack of response as I am certain I e-mailed the wrong person at that point.
I am very excited that Techsoup is willing to talk to me and I can not wait to hear what they have to say. More on this to come :)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
I am an outsider...
I am currently in the process of writing an article on non-profit organizations using Second Life, a virtual reality world, as a means to promote their organizations. In a previous post I had mentioned how an organization known as TechSoup had been successful in creating a community where non-profit organizations would be able to have a free in-world office space.
This space was paid for and supplied by an organization known as TechSoup, simply by registering with the TechSoup group. According to the TechSoup blog there are two areas for non-profits to set up shop. These locations are known as the “Nonprofit Commons.”
Intrigued by this idea, I decided I would contact the people at TechSoup to find out more about what it is they are doing. I sent an e-mail… that was two weeks ago… I am unfortunately still waiting to find out more about what it is they’re doing.
Seeing as I was getting nowhere through email, I decided I would check out the Nonprofit Commons myself in order to uncover some things on my own.
I searched for the Nonprofit Commons within the virtual world and quickly came up with a response and seconds later I was teleported to this location. Upon arrival, the first thing I noticed was the absolute beauty of this place: from the details of the cobblestone roads to the vines creeping up the cement walls of the non-profit offices, this place is truly peaceful.
Once again the game seemed to know what I was doing here, I am labeled "outsider," I hope that changes in the near future.
I decided to venture around the grounds; curiosity may have killed the cat but it certainly wasn’t going to stop me. Through my adventure I discovered that inside every organizations’ office their contact information, or at the very least web-site, is displayed. This is exactly the type of lead I need.
I began with the first office I found and continued to walk around through random non-profit organizations. By the end of this first day I had reached and e-mailed at least 40 organizations… And now I must wait for responses.
Members of Nonprofit Commons meet each Friday at 8:30 PST/SLT at Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheatre, visitors are always welcome.
This space was paid for and supplied by an organization known as TechSoup, simply by registering with the TechSoup group. According to the TechSoup blog there are two areas for non-profits to set up shop. These locations are known as the “Nonprofit Commons.”
“‘Nonprofit Commons1 sim’ was donated by Anshe Chung Studios and ‘Nonprofit Commons2 sim’ donated by TakingIT Global. The third Nonprofit Commons location, ‘EcoCommons’, was developed in partnership with OneWorld/OneClimate specifically for environmentally-oriented organizations. Our fourth sim, ‘Health Commons,’ is focused on health-related nonprofits,” says the TechSoup blog.
Intrigued by this idea, I decided I would contact the people at TechSoup to find out more about what it is they are doing. I sent an e-mail… that was two weeks ago… I am unfortunately still waiting to find out more about what it is they’re doing.
Seeing as I was getting nowhere through email, I decided I would check out the Nonprofit Commons myself in order to uncover some things on my own.
I searched for the Nonprofit Commons within the virtual world and quickly came up with a response and seconds later I was teleported to this location. Upon arrival, the first thing I noticed was the absolute beauty of this place: from the details of the cobblestone roads to the vines creeping up the cement walls of the non-profit offices, this place is truly peaceful.
Once again the game seemed to know what I was doing here, I am labeled "outsider," I hope that changes in the near future.
I decided to venture around the grounds; curiosity may have killed the cat but it certainly wasn’t going to stop me. Through my adventure I discovered that inside every organizations’ office their contact information, or at the very least web-site, is displayed. This is exactly the type of lead I need.
I began with the first office I found and continued to walk around through random non-profit organizations. By the end of this first day I had reached and e-mailed at least 40 organizations… And now I must wait for responses.
Members of Nonprofit Commons meet each Friday at 8:30 PST/SLT at Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheatre, visitors are always welcome.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Is Second Life the marketing tool for you?
"The mainstream has yet to be lured in by the potential offered of a second life for all," or so says an article posted on thedrum.com an online news site out of the UK.
The article circles around the question of whether or not virtual worlds like Second Life are still viable marketing tools. Yes the Linden Dollar(second lifes form of currency) is up this year, and yes there are still new users joining the network everyday but are they really the kind of clients that organizations are vying to market to. The answer is unfortunately no given the fact that a vast per cent of the users within these worlds are under the age of 16.
However thanks to legendary director James Cameron and his film Avatar more and more people are buying into the idea behind having an avatar. Perhaps he has played a part in saving our virtual worlds, perhaps not.
What do you think?
The article circles around the question of whether or not virtual worlds like Second Life are still viable marketing tools. Yes the Linden Dollar(second lifes form of currency) is up this year, and yes there are still new users joining the network everyday but are they really the kind of clients that organizations are vying to market to. The answer is unfortunately no given the fact that a vast per cent of the users within these worlds are under the age of 16.
However thanks to legendary director James Cameron and his film Avatar more and more people are buying into the idea behind having an avatar. Perhaps he has played a part in saving our virtual worlds, perhaps not.
What do you think?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Canada's First Virtual Law Conference
Second Life is set to to hold Canada's first “Virtual Law Conference” Thursday. The conference is being put on by Queens University’s Faculty of law, and will be hosted in world at the “Queen's Faculty of Education Island.”
The story “Lawyers boot up for ‘virtual law conference'” was picked up by CTV news today.
From the looks of it participants do not have to be professional Second Life players, or even be remotely familiar with it, which is a definite positive for those taking part. The idea of Law Conferences being held in a virtual world through the use of an avatar is intriguing, it saves money and people are able to attend from the comfort of their own living room or office… but what comes next virtual trials, virtual juries, or even virtual prisons?
I'm curious if those partaking in the event were given a quick lesson in the use of Second Life, otherwise it could be a fairly entertaining experience.
The story “Lawyers boot up for ‘virtual law conference'” was picked up by CTV news today.
From the looks of it participants do not have to be professional Second Life players, or even be remotely familiar with it, which is a definite positive for those taking part. The idea of Law Conferences being held in a virtual world through the use of an avatar is intriguing, it saves money and people are able to attend from the comfort of their own living room or office… but what comes next virtual trials, virtual juries, or even virtual prisons?
I'm curious if those partaking in the event were given a quick lesson in the use of Second Life, otherwise it could be a fairly entertaining experience.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Get ready to beleive in a new world. GO JIYO.
Watch out Second Life, you've got competition on the way!
The Godrej group a self proclaimed leading business group in India has announced that they are going to launch a virtual world site similar to Second Life. The difference however will be that this world focuses on Indian users.
GoJiyo.com is set to launch in 6 days 20 hours according to their website.
According to Watblog.com the world will offer:
However there is some controversy behind the world, seemingly "Adi Godrej (Godrej’s chairman)had recently spoken about the GoJiyo platform and how it would be a platform to connect youth to the godrej brand."
Do you see anything wrong with creating a virtual world simply for the purpose of drawing youth in to buy products and could this be considered manipulation of unsuspecting youth?
The Godrej group a self proclaimed leading business group in India has announced that they are going to launch a virtual world site similar to Second Life. The difference however will be that this world focuses on Indian users.
GoJiyo.com is set to launch in 6 days 20 hours according to their website.
According to Watblog.com the world will offer:
Three kingdoms to live in: Urban Super City, Ancient Kingdom and Moon Colony.
Your digital avatars live a life and mingle with various Godrej properties.
An economy called ‘Karmic’ is going to run this world.
However there is some controversy behind the world, seemingly "Adi Godrej (Godrej’s chairman)had recently spoken about the GoJiyo platform and how it would be a platform to connect youth to the godrej brand."
Do you see anything wrong with creating a virtual world simply for the purpose of drawing youth in to buy products and could this be considered manipulation of unsuspecting youth?
More on Life 2.0
(Photo courtesy of http://nwn.blogs.com)
Life 2.0 Continues...
It seems the creators of the film Life 2.0 are easily understanding how useful Second Life really can be for promoting their product.
Today a "mixed reality" press conference took place. The director and other important members of the crew answered questions from both audience members in real life and other listeners in the Second Life community. The conference took place simultaneously in both realms.
The real world conference took place in Austin, while those who couldn't make it to Austin were given the opportunity to attend the online conference by entering an in world raffle.
Check out an article on the conference here!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
There is no longer... there?
"There" a 3D virtual world similar to Second life announced yesterday that it is closing due to a lack of revenue. As it seems even virtual worlds are able to becom victim to the ongoing recession.
"There" was created as an alternative to the Second life community, a cleaner, more child friendly place to say the least.
The website for the game describes itself:
"There is your everyday hangout where you can have fun with your friends and meet new ones -- all in a lush 3D environment that's yours to explore!"
The story was picked up by New World Notes a blog dedicated to following news in and around second life. The story: "No There there: Corporate-Friendly, PG-Rated Alternative to Second Life Closes Due to Lack of Revenue" focuses on the reasons behind the closure of Second Lifes competitor.
In a recent press release titled "There.com is closing on March 9th, 2010" "There" CEO Michael Wilson stated:
"at the end of the day, we can't cure the recession, and at some point we have to stop writing checks to keep the world open. There's nothing more we would like to avoid this, but There is a business, and a business that can't support itself doesn't work. Before the recession hit, we were incredibly confident and all indicators were "directionally correct" and we had every reason to believe growth would continue. But, as many of you know personally, the downturn has been prolonged and severe, and ultimately pervasive.
We're very sorry to announce that There.com will be closing to the public at 11:59 PM on March 9th, 2010."
The story was also picked up by "Massively", a websited dedicated to daily news about MMOs. (Also known as a massively multiplayer online game. An MMO is a video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and feature at least one persistent world.) The writers at Massively seemed to be far less surprised by the closing of the company.
As well as a number of personal websites, and forums picked up the story. The gaming community will be at a loss on March 9th.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Life 2.0
Looking for a daily dose of politics? Well you will be happy to hear I may have found such a thing. Politics Daily is a completely online newspaper produced throughout the day for the average reader. There pieces are generally longer than those most often found on the web, but are written well enough that they are able to keep you attentive throughout the piece.
I was brought to this site based on an article posted January 31st, 2010, titled “Second Life Addicts, Dropout Factories and Sundance 2010's Last Gasp.” The fact that I am following and attempting Second Life compiled with the fact that I am interested in Sundance from both a journalistic and personal point of view contributed to the piece peaking my interest.
“Another winner of a film is "Life 2.0" which reveals the phenomenon of "Second Life, a fascinating train wreck of a social experiment that is uncomfortably revealing about where we are as a society,” said the article on Politics Daily by contributors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady.
It continues “People invent their avatar, and then actually build a second life online, where they can be anything they dream: rich, attractive, popular. A sexy, thin avatar named Asri Falcone is a mini-mogul in Second Life, building homes and living a life of luxury. Her creator is an obese Detroiter, chain-smoking in her mother's basement, but reality and fiction become hazy and confusing after 15-hour days in this alternative reality. I was alarmed at the millions of people that were spending the majority of their "earthly" time in this fantasy world. Extremely weird.”
Produced by PalmStar Entertainment (the indie movie company of Stephan Paternot- co-founder of theglobe.com) and Andrew Lauren Productions (The Squid And The Whale).
A press release on PalmStar’s website describes the film:
“This feature-length documentary follows a group of people whose lives are dramatically transformed by the virtual world Second Life, which as of this year boasts over one billion US dollars in cumulative transactions amongst its residents, and over one billion hours of total usage time. More than an examination of a hot new technology, the film is foremost an intimate, character-based drama about people who look to a virtual world in search of something they are missing in their real lives. The results are unexpected and often disturbing: reshaping relationships, identities, and ultimately the very notion of reality.”
Directed by documentary film-maker Jason Spingarn-Koff the film is said to delve into the core concepts of basic human interaction.
I will definitely be checking this film out when it is released to the public.
Friday, February 26, 2010
SL= good PR for Non-profits
A greatly informative video on how Second Life is being used by non-profit organizations as a means to make a real-world difference through virtual world work. As it seems donations in the game can be transferred into real money in your first life. It may simply be good public relations work but hey it is interesting none the less.
“Help us change the world, one avatar at a time.”
The second video is actual reporting on this up and coming means for non-profit organization to get their names out as well as the disinterest in SL for investment money by most companies due to the fact that they do not understand it and are not able to chart out money making strategies within the game. It is far less Public Relations based and is actually what one might consider news. If you still have no idea what Second Life is at this point or how it works, you may want to check out this second video. John Stewart of the Daily Show makes an appearance as a dolphin avatar.
“Help us change the world, one avatar at a time.”
The second video is actual reporting on this up and coming means for non-profit organization to get their names out as well as the disinterest in SL for investment money by most companies due to the fact that they do not understand it and are not able to chart out money making strategies within the game. It is far less Public Relations based and is actually what one might consider news. If you still have no idea what Second Life is at this point or how it works, you may want to check out this second video. John Stewart of the Daily Show makes an appearance as a dolphin avatar.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Ku Klux Klan meetings, Strippers, and prostitution!
Now that I have your attention I would like to direct you towards a very interesting article written by Joseph Brean of the National Post. The article, titled “Tales from the hate crime underworld,” appeared in the National Post Friday, February 05, 2010.
The article circles around “a legal conference on hate crimes this week in Toronto, attended by senior judges, Crowns and defense lawyers, chiefs of police and politicians.”
The article starts:
As it stands these “Internet neo-Nazis,” like many others, have found a fairly secretive place to carry out hate mongering, within the imaginary world of a video game that is. But what can be done about it?
Seeing as the internet, and Second Life in particular, are not technically under the jurisdiction of a single country or government for that matter, is there anything the government can and should be doing as a means to stop it?
A large part of that issue could lay within the fact that many government officials have no idea what Second Life is, or how to use it, however it is not the only form of social media that such hate mongering has been taking place.
What do you think the government should be doing to stop hate mongering within social media or if they should be doing anything at all?
The article circles around “a legal conference on hate crimes this week in Toronto, attended by senior judges, Crowns and defense lawyers, chiefs of police and politicians.”
The article starts:
“The Island of the White Supremacists is not, as it might sound, a Survivor-style reality show in extraordinarily poor taste.
It is more like a private video game, set in an imaginary tropical paradise in the online virtual world of Second Life, where "Internet neo-Nazis" gather around a digital tiki bar "for planning and plotting recruitment efforts and gatherings," according to an Ontario government hate crime expert.”
As it stands these “Internet neo-Nazis,” like many others, have found a fairly secretive place to carry out hate mongering, within the imaginary world of a video game that is. But what can be done about it?
Seeing as the internet, and Second Life in particular, are not technically under the jurisdiction of a single country or government for that matter, is there anything the government can and should be doing as a means to stop it?
A large part of that issue could lay within the fact that many government officials have no idea what Second Life is, or how to use it, however it is not the only form of social media that such hate mongering has been taking place.
What do you think the government should be doing to stop hate mongering within social media or if they should be doing anything at all?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
As it appears I am not the only female blogging about politics in Second Life, well, that was something I knew a while ago; however I just came across something interesting.
Gloria Feldt is a best selling author and self proclaimed leading women’s activist. She is a keynote speaker and commentator on politics, women, leadership, and media among other things.
On February 4th, Gloria made the debut of her Second Life avatar under the name GloriaFeldt Tungsten. I am by no means a feminist myself but can support and acknowledge the fact that she is branching out into the Second Life community with her message and opinions.
“I believe passionately in the power of your voice and mine to make a difference. Let’s speak up together about Heartfeldt Politics, Courageous Leadership and Powered Woman on my blogs.” – Gloria Feldt
Gloria also offers audio recordings of her podcasts about politics if you’re interested in hearing what she has to say check them out here.
On February 4th, Gloria made the debut of her Second Life avatar under the name GloriaFeldt Tungsten. I am by no means a feminist myself but can support and acknowledge the fact that she is branching out into the Second Life community with her message and opinions.
“I believe passionately in the power of your voice and mine to make a difference. Let’s speak up together about Heartfeldt Politics, Courageous Leadership and Powered Woman on my blogs.” – Gloria Feldt
Gloria also offers audio recordings of her podcasts about politics if you’re interested in hearing what she has to say check them out here.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Yesterday in Second Life, the members of the group "The Grand Old Party" met at the GOP Cafe at 6pm. The group meets on a weekly basis to discuss matters of a political nature. The subject of discussion yesterday was not really a discussion, but the opportunity to listen to Ronald Reagan's first State of the Union Address.
The address itself is just over 5,100 words and ends with a powerful message:
"One hundred and twenty years ago, the greatest of all our Presidents delivered his second State of the Union message in this chamber:
'We cannot escape history,' Abraham Lincoln warned. 'We of this Congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves.' The 'trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation.'
That president and that Congress did not fail the American people. Together, they weathered the storm and preserved the union.
Let it be said of us that we, too, did not fail. That we, too, worked together to bring America through difficult times. Let us so conduct ourselves that two centuries from now, another Congress and another President, meeting in this Chamber as we are meeting, will speak of us with pride, saying that we met the test and preserved for them in their day the sacred flame of liberty--this last, best hope of man on Earth."
-Ronald Reagan
According a January 28,2010 article by Aaron Zelinsky, Articles Editor, at the Yale Law Journal, current American president Barack Obama's State of the Union speech was inspired by Reagan. For those who are not aware Ronald Reagan is often referred to as the Gipper.
"The three major themes of Obama's State of the Union were straight out of the Gipper's playbook: First, resolve in the face of adversity. Second, a folksy demeanor laced with jokes. Third, a persistent reminder that he took office amidst a sea of trouble.
President Obama's glance toward Reagan for inspiration is unsurprising. During the 2008 campaign, candidate Obama stated that he "admired" Reagan for changing the "trajectory" of American politics. "
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
An adventure of sorts
Ever have a sudden urge to go on a random historically relavant and interesting adventure? No?
Okay so maybe that's just me. I often find myself bored in my current life... well when i'm not busy beyond all beleif that is, I feel the urge to pack my dog and boyfriend into my cramped car and drive across Canada or the US to scope out some interesting and historically packed landmarks.
However, the fact that I am slightly lacking in time and the funds to do so are a constant raincloud over my adventure parade. As such I have searched out and found a more time and cost efficient means to take these adventures... Or at least thanks to a website and my second life I am.
It's purpose: A registry of historic places that have been replicated in the Second Life community. Some of the highlights include The statue of Liberty, the Empire State building, and even the 911 memorial sight. So if you're looking for a nice escape from reality, and you have a second life account or are interested in creating one, check out the site.
Okay so maybe that's just me. I often find myself bored in my current life... well when i'm not busy beyond all beleif that is, I feel the urge to pack my dog and boyfriend into my cramped car and drive across Canada or the US to scope out some interesting and historically packed landmarks.
However, the fact that I am slightly lacking in time and the funds to do so are a constant raincloud over my adventure parade. As such I have searched out and found a more time and cost efficient means to take these adventures... Or at least thanks to a website and my second life I am.
It's purpose: A registry of historic places that have been replicated in the Second Life community. Some of the highlights include The statue of Liberty, the Empire State building, and even the 911 memorial sight. So if you're looking for a nice escape from reality, and you have a second life account or are interested in creating one, check out the site.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Interesting article
An interesting article on
A chinese teacher on Second Life who fears SL will go the way of google & advice for effectively engaging students in SL
Welcome to Richmond
As I arrive in “Richmond city” I am greeted by a set of laws that appear to only be effective in Richmond. I have not encountered such a thing before, but in my mind this is certainly a positive discovery. The fact that they have laws implies they have someone who created them and possibly even someone to enforce them. I have a feeling I am on the right track, or at the very least I am hopeful. The rules are as follows:
1. Immaturity and Disrespect will not be tolerated.
2. No roleplaying with kid avatars at all.
3. Your avatars roleplay age MUST be 16 years old on SecondLife to be on this sim alone, under 16 must be with an adult avatar.
4. No automatic or semi automatic weapons allowed, handguns and shot guns only allowed.
5. If you carry a weapon you MUST wear HP meter, please contact any sim official for a HP meter.
(If you are not wearing a HP and are shooting at someone with a HP or involved in ANY form of roleplay it will be considered griefing and could result in a 24 hour or permanant ban)
6. No flying vehicles, objects or avatars in this sim.
7. No Explosives are to be used on the sim.
(Use of explosives will be reported for griefing and banned from the sim)
8. If a person is wearing a RSPD Official or RFD Official or Estate Manager tag no trying to engage them in RP.
9. Zero Tolerance of ANY kind of sexual harrassment on the sim, reports will be investigated
10. When your HP runs out you must stay dead till the end of the roleplay.
11. IF YOU ARE UNDER 15 DAYS OLD ON SECONDLIFE YOU WILL BE TELEPORTED HOME!
Easy enough… Lets give it a whirl.
An avatar pulls up to me in what appears to be a fairly sleek sports car. "Hello there, anything I can help you with," says Davey Shelter. After explaining to him what I am doing and the purpose of my visit he tells me to get in his car, as he wants to show me something. I am obviously apprehensive about getting into a strangers car. My mother did teach me well after all, but seeing is this is my second life I hop in the car and hope for the best...
We safely arrive at what appears to be the white house once again. As it seems Davey's SL father is the president, or at least here in Richmond city he is. from what I have been told he is a rather political man but is unfortunately not available at the moment for an interview. I settle for a tour of the white house, complete with the Oval office. As with the real white house there are certain sections that I do not have access to, but Davey seems to be able to enter them all and I follow in his footsteps. Now I feel as though I am headed in the right direction.
1. Immaturity and Disrespect will not be tolerated.
2. No roleplaying with kid avatars at all.
3. Your avatars roleplay age MUST be 16 years old on SecondLife to be on this sim alone, under 16 must be with an adult avatar.
4. No automatic or semi automatic weapons allowed, handguns and shot guns only allowed.
5. If you carry a weapon you MUST wear HP meter, please contact any sim official for a HP meter.
(If you are not wearing a HP and are shooting at someone with a HP or involved in ANY form of roleplay it will be considered griefing and could result in a 24 hour or permanant ban)
6. No flying vehicles, objects or avatars in this sim.
7. No Explosives are to be used on the sim.
(Use of explosives will be reported for griefing and banned from the sim)
8. If a person is wearing a RSPD Official or RFD Official or Estate Manager tag no trying to engage them in RP.
9. Zero Tolerance of ANY kind of sexual harrassment on the sim, reports will be investigated
10. When your HP runs out you must stay dead till the end of the roleplay.
11. IF YOU ARE UNDER 15 DAYS OLD ON SECONDLIFE YOU WILL BE TELEPORTED HOME!
Easy enough… Lets give it a whirl.
An avatar pulls up to me in what appears to be a fairly sleek sports car. "Hello there, anything I can help you with," says Davey Shelter. After explaining to him what I am doing and the purpose of my visit he tells me to get in his car, as he wants to show me something. I am obviously apprehensive about getting into a strangers car. My mother did teach me well after all, but seeing is this is my second life I hop in the car and hope for the best...
We safely arrive at what appears to be the white house once again. As it seems Davey's SL father is the president, or at least here in Richmond city he is. from what I have been told he is a rather political man but is unfortunately not available at the moment for an interview. I settle for a tour of the white house, complete with the Oval office. As with the real white house there are certain sections that I do not have access to, but Davey seems to be able to enter them all and I follow in his footsteps. Now I feel as though I am headed in the right direction.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Economy of Second Life
An interesting article on the economy of Second Life, complete with numbers, graphs and what seems like a fair amount of research. Enjoy
"Here are the highlights for the Second Life Economy as a whole in 2009:
Financial
* User-to-User transactions in 2009 totaled US$567 million in 2009, growth of 65% over 2008.
* The total amount of virtual currency in circulation reached L$6.95 billion, growth of 23% over December 2008
* The US Dollar value of L$ in circulation totaled US$26.5 million in December 2009
* Sales of User Generated virtual items on Xstreet SL, reached L$1.6 billion or US$6.1 million, growth of 74% over 2008
*
The total US dollar value of all Linden dollars traded on the LindeX™ currency exchange in 2009 reached US$115 million in value, 7% growth over 2008
*
The total US dollar value of all Linden dollars traded on the Xstreet SL™ currency exchange in 2009 reached US$1.5 million in value, 169% growth over 2008
Usage
* Residents spent 481 million hours in Second Life in 2009, 21% growth over 2008
* User hours lost to downtime as a portion of total user hours were down 66%, to a best-ever low of 0.19% for the whole year
* Monthly Repeat Logins reached an all-time high of 769,000 in December 2009, 15% growth over December 2008
Land
* Resident-owned regions reached 23,900 in December 2009, up 6% over December 2008
* Total Resident-owned land (including Mainland) reached 1.85 billion square meters in December 2009, up 7% over December 2008"
Sunday, January 24, 2010
You won't find politics here
New search idea… Let’s find Ottawa. As with before I type “Ottawa” into the game search perameters. The parliament building is located in something called the “Helix CATA (Canadian advanced technology alliance) Canadian innovation centre.” A CTV banner stating “save local television” is prevalent in the distance, I walk over to it to read a petition that I can click to sign. I wander around until I finally find what I assume is the parliament building but once again I am wrong. After entering I can find books on immigration to Canada, in a section clearly labelled “Citizenship and Immigration Canada” maybe I will spend some time reading these. Buy sitting at a computer in this office I can axis the official website for the Canadian Citizenship and Immigration office, I am impressed, but this does not entirely pertain to what I am looking for.
Back to the White house I go. Arriving at the White House two avatars stand before the building, I approach them somewhat apprehensively, noticing that there titles are SL president and SL first lady. I am welcomed by them and asked if there is anything they can help me with. Finally someone whom I can speak with about politics!
“You won’t find politics here,” says Joker Terasaur (Mr. President himself) “Politics keep things from actually getting done.”
Darn, my political attempts appear to be folied once again.
“Try Richmond,” says Terasaur. “Richmond seems to be rather political.”
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Politically unaware
Second Life; Logging in…
After a vary confusing hour setting up my avatar to be the best possible resemblance of myself I am able ready to teleport, did I mention you can fly in this world? I am able teleport to the main island with ease and the adventure begins… now if only I could figure out how to teleport to “capital hill” all would be well. After a couple of failed attempts I search “white house” in the search bar in the table titled “places” the search comes back with a definite possibility for my voyage, upon arrival after teleportation I learn that it will cost me L$50 to enter, a donation claims the sign at the door. A logical idea, but unfortunately this means I need to learn how to make money in this game before I can hear any sort of political speech. This certainly seems like a lot of work just to hear a politician speak, perhaps I am missing the point, perhaps I should stick to Facebook or learn Twitter for that matter. At least there I understand what is going on. I attempt once more the search function, this time under "groups", perhaps this will lead me in the correct direction. As my search returns in a positive means, I join as many free political discussion groups as possible, all the while noticing that this game is very American based. My hope is that these people will be able to keep me informed. Within another five minutes I realize that the place I should be searching for is in fact called “capitol hill,” not “capital hill.” Feeling slightly foolish I attempt to teleport, the feeling that I have gotten myself into something far over my head is looming in the air, it is certainly a good thing I have never claimed myself as being politically aware or knowledgeable in the least bit.
Upon closer examination of my avatar however, a title has appeared above my name, seemingly this game has correctly analyzed and decided what I am attempting to do in my Second Life.
"Politically aware, Kaleena Charisma"
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The beginning
After entering the site at http://secondlife.com/ and deciding to join the community; the experience of second life begins by first entering your real life information. The act of creating a character begins with you naming yourself, finally a universe in which your parents are not capable of burdening you with a label you dislike. After picking a first name, a list of 40 randomly selected last names appears for you to choose from. I am curious if this list is something similar to what immigrants would have experienced when moving to North America hundred of years ago, being told that your current last name is not acceptable in the new world is somewhat shocking, but acceptable in creating a new life, or second chance at life for that matter. I feel a strange connection to a person being placed in the witness protection program and after roughly ten minutes I finally select a name.
It’s nice to meet you world my name is “Kaleena Charisma.”
It’s nice to meet you world my name is “Kaleena Charisma.”
Purpose
Second Life is an online virtual world in which a person is able to escape the real, tangible world around them, through the use of an Avatar (yes something similar to the movie Avatar) a person is able to create a “Second Life” for themselves. A user can be whoever or whatever they want in the second life world. It is a means to escape this universe and enter into one somewhere in the world of the Internet. It allows you the ability to connect to people that the current restraints of things such as gravity, time and space put limitations on in our universe. Politicians have seen the opportunity in this game and are taking advantage of the fact that they can reach people all over the world through this community. As a result, politicians are beginning to use the Second Life universe as a means for political advocacy. The allowance of press conferences and lobbying within this world provides a forum for their messages to be presented.
The purpose of this blog will be to follow my experience through the game and document my understanding of political advocacy through this form of social networking.
I will create an Avatar, find employment and search out the virtual capitol hill, a far less expensive approach than physically travelling to Washington or Ottawa in the real world. The reasoning for chosing the american alternative to Canada's Ottawa is because the game is very much American based and at this point I am uncertain if I can find a Canadian Political hub, but it is certainly worth a try.
The purpose of this blog will be to follow my experience through the game and document my understanding of political advocacy through this form of social networking.
I will create an Avatar, find employment and search out the virtual capitol hill, a far less expensive approach than physically travelling to Washington or Ottawa in the real world. The reasoning for chosing the american alternative to Canada's Ottawa is because the game is very much American based and at this point I am uncertain if I can find a Canadian Political hub, but it is certainly worth a try.
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