The real thing is available for sale.
According to creator, Aram Bartholl:
"Missing Image is a piece of clothing that transfers a graphic error from the virtual
world of Second Life into the physical sphere in the form of a long-sleeve shirt."
Seen in Flickr Pool: Second Life - Best of the Best.
March 17, 2008
Mary Ellen Gordon, president of research company Market Truths stopped by here today to comment on my post about the public radio report on Second Life's economy yesterday. Although I did not address it in my post, the Marketplace reporter, Janet Babin, quoted in her story the widely repeated 5% decline in Second Life usage during November.
Mary Ellen's researcher's insight shared in her comment is well worth pulling out here in case you don't tend to dig through comments:
"I agree with all of the eloquently expressed comments in the post about avatars, but what really drives me crazy is how irresponsible people are about reporting that 5% drop figure (in the story, not the post).
This isn't the only news story I've seen it in, yet no one seems to consider the simple fact that months have different numbers of days in them and takes the obvious and easy step of adjusting for that. When you do, that shocking drop was actually 2%. While it's true that month-on-month drops have been rare in SL's history (there was a 1% drop once you adjust for days in the month in August of 2007, and an 8% drop in March 2005), the reason is that up until about the middle of 2007, SL was enjoying double digit growth (most months) in monthly hours of use. That's enough growth to mask a lot of pesky details such as variation in days in the month and vacation and holiday periods when a lot of people are not near a SL compatible computer.
But the thing is, no form of media (including those reporting this story) enjoys monthly double digit growth in hours of exposure forever. Even if you look at the second half of the year during the period of "slowdown" hours of usage increased (after adjusting for the number of days) by 14%. Most traditional media outlets would be jumping for joy if their own hours of viewing increased by 14% in six months, so I'm not sure why they're so quick to interpret it as a sign of doom when it comes to Second Life."
Personally, I've been fascinated by the fact that the Second Life usage statistics are watched and reported as if it were the stock market. That in itself speaks volumes to the obvious importance of SL has as an indicator of something bigger than SL alone.
January 23, 2008
Life is a game. Edward Castronova brings us face to face with a new twist on the concept in his newest ‘speculative non-fiction’ book, Exodus to the Virtual World; How Online Fun is Changing Reality.
Thumbing through it, you might guess this is a book about a generation of gamers addicted to seeking unending fun, opting out of the real in favor of the virtual. Or, you might think it is a sociological warning about the weird and scary world of gaming cultures, whose millions of inhabitants have entered the mainstream work world and are bringing with them their geeky scary view of society. Or, if you happen to land dead center in the book, you might think Castronova himself is living in a fantasy world where he’s mistaken game society and real world public policy as one.
Well, kind of…but No.
Grasp this book between your two hands, and before you open it, repeat three times: “this is a book of speculative non-fiction.”
And then read every word of it seriously.
The three underlying themes within this book are happening. They may be under the radar, but that doesn’t make them any less real or less disruptive to your near future. If you are in business, pay attention – it has implications for you. If you are a marketer, be aware that you have to get in the game (pun intended). If you are a public official, at least consider the possibilities.
Theme 1: Virtual economies cannot help but affect real world economies. Castronova walks us through how so. The ‘virtual economy’ as a whole is already the size of a small country. Even if people are spending only a small percentage of their time producing, buying, selling virtual goods, it is taking money/production out of the real world economy. As millions of people start doing it and migrating “there” (China is betting on it) and on a growth curve following Moore’s Law, it will make a very big difference to all of us.
“The thought of a new community, society or state emerging on its own territory should give us pause.”
Theme 2: Virtual worlds are fun; the real world is not and people like fun more than “not fun.” What’s not to love? Of course what ‘fun’ actually means here is the key to the title of the book. The case Castronova makes is that people are finding meaning/satisfaction in collaborative game spaces and virtuality that real world structures/systems don’t allow or support. It is the why of virtual world fun-ness that is key here and that may be an imperative for the real world. Fun in Castronova's sense is not ‘meaningless play’ it is challenge, mastery, learning, testing without serious consequences, survival, fairness and the ability for everyone to succeed (if eventually).
But herein lies one of the sticking points I have with Exodus to the Virtual World. Castronova seems to equate virtual worlds, video games and ‘practical virtual reality’ as one and the same, interchangeable, seemingly painting them with the same cultural and structural ‘fun’ brush. They aren’t the same. Motivations, activities and structures are different – but I forgive because this is a book about trends and possibilities – and that is the really important place he takes the reader in his discussion.
Theme 3: Game designers are designers of societies, with the goals of making people happy and improving well-being. Successful public policy might learn from game design. Here’s where you might think “okay – gone too far. I was with you for a while, but time to close the book now.”
Hang in. Of course Castronova, economist that he is, knows life is not ‘the game.’ Not everyone finds these games ‘fun’ or are ‘technographically’ aligned with them (a point Castronova doesn’t make). People do operate in the real world. But he does run the concepts of game design and public policy in parallel with the reader, just asking the question, “can we learn something about human happiness by listening to the multi-disciplinary arena of game design?” If millions of people are migrating into virtual reality, it might be worth at least considering the question (not to mention the reasons).
These are radical and sometimes very impractical ideas. But I have to admit I marked this passage:
“Perhaps the most striking difference between fun policy and real-world policy is in the process of policymaking. Game designers deliberate briefly, then implement policies in test environments and tinker with them for a very long time. Real-world policymakers deliberate for a long time, then implement policies in the real world without any tests at all. Those who have experienced policy effects in both worlds cannot help being impressed by the difference in the policy quality that results.”
Virtual worlds do give us the ability to test real world scenarios – doing that alone could save a lot of real world human pain and distress.
A final point of digression I have with Castronova that I'll note here is that he states no other online experiences allow for these kinds of societal disruptive environments. I disagree – and in fact think by focusing only on 3D virtual worlds as where this is happening is shortsighted. Two-dimensional social networks/social media share many of the characteristics – and implications – of which Castronova speaks in his book.
So, you might think all this isn’t happening, or it is a long way off, or it is far-fetched, or it has no real implications for you or your real world…
Well, early in the year I was in conversation discussing the state of an enormous public institution with a high-ranking government official (of baby boomer age) and she said to me as we discussed solutions, “there must be a way to make it work more like World of Warcraft – how can we make it so people are encouraged and motivated that way?” I swear. It happened – in the "real” world.
Thanks to St. Martin's press for a review copy of Mr. Castronova's book.
December 3, 2007
Giff Constable over at Out to Pasture has a great post summarizing all the happenings in Second Life during 2006.
Recommended reading - and an easy way to catch up on the many SL highlights!
December 28, 2006
Second Life Insider blogger, Caliadris Pendragon, calls out Text 100 but in the process teaches a couple of really important lessons for PR and business people entering Second Life. The big one – take time to learn the culture.
September 30,2009
Drew Stein CEO of Infinite Vision Media was kind enough to email me today to let me know that The Infinite Mind public radio show has produced a new series of three one-hour radio shows about Second Life. The series is titled Through the Looking Glass: Virtual Communities. The radio shows will be available in-world in The Infinite Mind listening rooms as of tomorrow; and will begin being broadcast then on public radio shows across the U.S. and on Sirius radio. You can listen to Part 1 now on the ICMedia site.
If you've ever listened to The Infinite Mind you know the material they produce is consistently high-quality and thought-provoking.
Part 1 of the series, Exploring Virtual Communities, is easy listening yet a fascinating set of interviews. Philip Rosendale, CEO of Linden Lab and creator of Second Life, shares his thoughts on the concept of “presence” which is a vital characteristic of Second Life and he explains why presence makes SL the immersive experience it is. He also discusses “persistent identity” which is a feature that distinguishes Second Life from other types of virtual communities or games.
Dr. Thomas Malaby, anthropologist, with a grant from the National Science Foundation, did a yearlong on-site research study at Linden Lab. He tells us what distinguishes Second Life from a game – yet what certain elements of “game” it retains that make SL so compelling. He has observations about the parallels between Linden Lab as a corporation and Second Life as its creation.
Bill Lichtenstein of ICMedia and Drew Stein provide some commentary on the possibilities of Second Life. The show also reprises an interview with futurist Howard Rhinegold. Interviewer John Hockenberry always asks insightful questions, and it is refreshing to hear a truly thoughtful discussion toward finding the meaning of these virtual worlds.
The other two radio shows in the series are scheduled to begin broadcasting on October 4 and October 11. Try to catch them.
You may also purchase copies of the show or transcripts here.
Photo credit: Taken from the Lip Flap machinima, by David Laundra
September 28, 2006
The land grab for agencies moving into Second Life is officially on. Leo Burnett London announced today that they are opening The Idea Hub for its 1,600 global creative personnel to collaborate in Second Life. This follows the announcement earlier this week that advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty is setting up shop.
While the two are using their virtual spaces for very different things, the one thing they have in common is both have the attitude of "we don't quite know what we're doing, but let's see what happens." IMHO I think this is a splendid attitude and exactly what is needed! I'm especially pleased to see Burnett using the space for creative endeavors.
Quoting from Brand Republic:
"The hub is then free to grow and develop into whatever. I don't know what it's going to become. We will judge commercial opportunities on their merit when they appear." --Jim Thornton, the executive creative director at Burnett
Apparently Burnett's "Music Artists in Residence" program will also be brought into the in-world space where staffers who are members of bands will have a virtual audience, as well.
Ad agency, Bartle Bogle Hegarty's early plans are to open virtual agency offices for client meetings and seminars. Read more about BBH at 3pointD.
Photo Credit: kylerroth
This past Sunday I heard the tones of Second Life coming from my real life radio. Brook Gladstone of On the Media had two segments on Second Life. In the first, called "Second Chances", she talks with former Virginia Governor, Mark Warner about why his presidential campaign will include Second Life; and in the second segment she talks with Jane McGonigal and Edward Castranova. McGonigal is an “immersive play” expert and Edward Castronova is author of Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games and blogger over at Terra Nova.
The segments are fun to listen to – the transcripts and audio are available here. In the "Second Thoughts" segment Castronova said something in fun that is probably worth thinking about seriously:
Let's look at this Iraq war as a game designer would. Let's say we're making a part of the game environment of our people, and we want them to be happier. And then you might think, gosh, that's why Iraq I was more fun than Iraq II. Iraq I had a victory condition. You know, it was limited in time. It didn't go on forever, [LAUGHS] and so on and so forth. And I'm not suggesting that we really should do policy this way right now. What I'm suggesting is that over the next hundred years, as more and more people grow up familiar with game design as a part of their policy environment within these games, we will see increasing pressure and new insights in real-world policy, where people go, hmm, now, is that the funnest inflation rate that they could have designed? Don't we want a more fun one than that? And we're going to have to deal [LAUGHING] with this.
As we move into immersive environments for learning and work, they will have a naturally profound effect on the way we deal with real world problem-solving and our expectations of our own world control/experimentation. This will bleed over into what we expect of our work and public policy environments. And "play" and "fun" may be assigned a higher value and become far more essential elements than they are now - because well, we can.
On The Media is produced by New York Public Radio and is available on local public radio stations.
Photo credit: Lizbeth Marlowe
A reminder that if you join the in-world Business Communicators of Second Life Group, you can easily connect with other group members when you are in-world. You will be able to see when other group members are online and can IM them or transport yourselves and meet-up. For those new to SL, this is a terrific way to meet people and explore places other people know about and frequent. And, it is often a great way to get into the culture - just like going to the gym, it is a whole lot easier and more fun to do with someone else.
Also, from time to time we send out communications or special attachments via the in-world group - although you can keep up with announcments here as well.
A note about business avatars and personal worlds. Many
people/avatars in Second Life do not wish their real names revealed -
and it is considered "bad form" to ask for Real Life (RL) information,
a RL name - or even to use a RL name if you know it for an avatar when using public
chat. However, in SL business environments, while we
may feel it necessary to reveal who we are in RL so that our RL
business reputations come into SL with us for that particular setting,
this is not the usual practice. Keep in mind that many group members
may not wish to mix their Second Lives with their real lives.
This opens a whole can of worms about reputation management in SL, in general, but we'll be discussing that topic in an upcoming BCofSL meeting.
If you wish to communicate with another Second Lifer outside of SL, you may email them via "SL Mail." If they have their preferences set for email, any IM you send them in-world will be delivered to their regular RL email box if they are offline. If they have not set their preferences to receive IM's via email, they will get your message as an IM the next time they log in. Any emails sent or received this way will not reveal your RL email address.
To join the in-world group, log in to Second Life and click your Search button. Click on the Groups tab at the top of the search screen. Enter "business communicators" into the search box and click search. "Second Life Business Communicators" will be listed in the results. Hightlight it and click on Join Group in the dialog box that comes up. You're in!
I'm online nearly every day - feel free to IM me: Znetlady Isbell
The thing that finally pushed me over the edge was the last line – “you'll find us on Text 100 Island.”
That’s the last line of the recently released Text 100 “Machinima News Release” (Gary Goldhammer and I landed on the phrase over the weekend), about their presence in Second Life.
I respect this PR agency hugely for making the leap into Second Life. They have taken the risk, put it out there for comment and discussion, and are the ones with the arrows in their backs (from people like me).
The “problem” I have with the Text 100 piece is point of view – narrow. Sadly, Text 100’s machinima simply encourages clients to do the same things differently instead of opening minds to the expanded expectations “our publics’ have in virtual spaces. It echoes the hollow spaces of the web left by brands that (still) fail to connect with their publics in that “old” 2D virtual space.
So, our publics have gathered elsewhere and played with our brands without us – on their own websites, chat spaces, blogs, mashups, video cameras, social networks – and on into SL.
Second Life is an immersive environment – content is 360 degrees with height and width and depth and texture and emotions that are capable of reaching the very depths of our hearts and brains in ways no 2D “media” can. It is “simulation” not “duplication.”
Our brands cannot be an “island” where we create an “immersive environment.” We need to BE the immersive environment. To further the geologic analogy - the coral reef – where life teams in the nooks and crannies and the creatures that live there become the infrastructure. From Wikipedia: “where there is mild wave action, not so strong it tears the reef apart yet strong enough to stir the water and deliver sufficient food and oxygen.”
Web-3D challenges us to define PR – indeed our organizations - within this context. Not within the context of doing the same things in a different way.
We must think of Second Life and other virtual spaces far more deeply.
Photo credit: Phinn Boffin
IBM’s vice president Dr. Irving Wladawsky-Berger, held a press meet-up in Second Life last week while in London – and in the process brought IBM’s “secret” Second Life island out of the shadows.
The purpose of the press meet-up was to discuss why IBM considers Second Life so important. IBM has been researching and experimenting with virtual worlds to understand, among other things, the importance of visual imagery to convey information - and a vast range of other aspects of human interaction with visual and virtual spaces. IBM believes virtual worlds and gaming will have a huge impact on IT, business, society and our personal lives in the very near future.
According to Wladawsky-Berger, the cutting edge of "visualizations" is taking place in MMOGs (massively multiplyer online games) and video games. And IBM is committed to being right there with them for business applications.
The IBM meet-up in SL last week was certainly not a first for IBM. IBM’s Hursley Park Lab has been blogging about Second Life and related projects over at eightbar for a while.
Depending on how closely you follow Second Life “gadgets” you may know that there is an in-world interface with Amazon.com's database, making it possible to search for and purchase books in-world. There is also a very recently released in-world language translator for use with the Second Life chat feature. Both of these have been contributed to Second Life by the research teams at IBM.
Read Dr. Wladawsky-Berger’s blog entry for some fascinating insight into what IBM has been up to and get his take on why Second Life and virtual worlds have IBM’s attention.
Read the article in the UK's Register about IBM's press meet-up as well as for a peak into IBM’s present and future in Second Life that came out of the press meeting.
While I'm on the subject, a couple more IBM notes:
Roo Reynolds, one of the contributors at eightbar (and Second Life IBM researcher) announced today he will be speaking at an upcoming conference in the UK, My So-Called Second Life, sponsored by the UK non-profit New Media Knowledge (If you are in the UK October 24th you might consider attending – the fee of £50-80 is a steal).
Finally, read in the Telegraph about IBM’s Innovation Jam – an electronic brainstorming session open to all 335,000 IBM employees aimed at developing a list of ideas for moving the company forward, and to which IBM has committed $100 million to develop. The process generated 37,000 comments from employees. The online brainstorm was informally combined with IBM's Virtual Universal Community and 3D Jam on the New Media Consortium Second Life campus.
Update: Michel Leblanc has posted some snapshots.
Photo credits: eightbar;
IBM Blog: Adventures in Gaming
You probably already know that last week MTV officially launched its Virtual Laguna Beach. But, The Electric Sheep Company has posted today that the prototype for VLB was built in Second Life – and is now open to the public there. Check out the Second Life Virtual Laguna Beach prototype here: secondlife/laguna beach/43/215/23/.
I recommend the you also drop by MTV’s “sneak peak” beta site and at least take a look at the promo video on the home page and click in on the VLB Central page (Events page wasn’t working for me). MTV is showing this Tuesday’s (tomorrow’s) Winter Formal episode in VLB before it airs on TV, and inviting everyone to join in on the “first ever” VLB Winter Formal.
They’ve done a nice “Visitor’s Guide” – which will give you an idea of the features. But, hey, go all the way and register! I'll be checking it out.
Tracking this one, but my hunch is, if nothing else, it is going to be a very interesting experiment in "socializing" a tv show and may be beating one path through to the next generation of tv.
Raz Schionning, American Apparel's director of Web services, tells the WSJ that they have sold 4,000 virtual items since opening their Second Life store in late June 2006. But, that is actually subtext to the fact that WSJ Marketplace (free) is featuring Second Life’s fashion scene in the first place. Pretty legitimizing.
The story’s essence however, is the growing competitive fashion scene in Second Life – and the importance of Second Life media to driving sales. Designers gain attention using advertising, websites and blogs – and Second Life style magazines are a key PR tool, as well. The story cites the Second Man and Fashionista blogs which are now part of Second Style magazine as key media. (If you haven’t yet checked out Second Style – wow seriously beautiful – you forget you are looking at virtual fashion.) The Second Life newspapers such as The Herald and the Metaverse Messenger also frequently feature style-related stories, as does the excellent SLATENight Magazine.
Of course “word-of-wearing” is also just as important in-world as in RL.
But what should perk up the ears/eyes of anyone paying attention is the age of the “consumers” quoted in the story, the amount per month in real dollars they spend per month on virtual fashion and the buying motivations that peak through.
Be sure to take a browse through the WSJ’s fashion slide show that accompanies the story.
Photo credit: Dow Jones & Company Wall Street Journal Online
YPulse , a GenY trend and news publication, posted a call the other day on behalf of Fleishman Hillard’s NGT initiative for a “manager of virtual world avatar.” The job description includes managing the avatar, interacting with players, sending blast emails to members, and being able to “handle in-game requests with the interest of the client in mind.”
Tony Walsh over at Clickable Culture has an amusing response to this career call for an “advertar-puppeteer.”
On a more serious note, if companies are going to explore virtual spaces, they need to “staff” them. It is a criticism I’ve made of the W’s Aloft hotel property – there is no one there to interact with.
In fairness to FH, the tasks listed are exactly what educational institutions are doing in “staffing” their virtual spaces…someone to meet and greet, ask questions of, and provide information both in-world and out (via in-world IM, or via SLMail).
Now, execution on FH's part is everything - and training their avatar managers is key. But if creating community is the new marketing/communications paradigm, then we are going to see more calls for avatar managers. And we communicators are going to have to learn some new skills ourselves.
Photo Credit: © Roland Csuhaj
BBC’s early morning show, Breakfast, did a three-part report last week, Where for the web?, looking at the future of media – specifically, the web, music, and television.
They profile Second Life in the first report as a representation of the future of the web – which they predict will become an immersive, “3-D” environment. The fragmentation of television audiences and the “socialization” of music are themes from the other reports.
Catch these short reports on the BBC website. The video reports range from 1.5 minutes to 4.5 minutes.
Netg is using Second Life to offer real-world enterprise training courses. The in-world campus mirrors the classrooms, labs, social spots and communication centers you would expect to find on any campus…and they are staffing some centers with mentors who act as guides and helpers for avatar students.
In addition to courses with live instructors, Netg has virtual learning spaces for on-demand training with individualized media and streamed audio and video presentations or podcasts. However at the students’ discretion, the media can also be a shared experience.
Okay. So cool - using cutting edge technology to teach techies tech things.
Yes, but what is really important here – is that Thomson Netg is teaching something more than Microsoft and Cisco certification to thousands of techies. What they are teaching enterprise students is to expect media, training, learning and working spaces of the “immersive kind.”
We’re ever so surely moving to training our staffs through this type of immersive media for all sorts of cost and benefit reasons. Add to that the fact more than 50 academic institutions are training our future staffs in Second Life alone today. It is a very logical extension that the people inside our organizations will very soon expect they can also operate in their jobs in these types of environments.
The campus is open so you can easily investigate it in-world : Thomson 117/127/35
Or, get a ten-minute tour of Netg’s Second Life training center via Thomson NetG’s video on YouTube (10:41):
Be sure to be there! The Infinite Mind radio show producer Bill Lichtenstein and Drew Stein, who worked on the development of the Second Life The Infinite Mind facility and collaborated on the in-world radio shows, will both be there to act as hosts and tour guides. They will provide us with brain food about experiential media, their own experiences with creating a radio show in Second Life, and how people process 3D immersive environments.
You do not have to be a member of the in-world group to join our meeting. Just gather at The Infinite Mind at 3:00 p.m. Second Life time. If you need a transport, just IM me (ZnetLady Isbell) once you are in-world.
We will meet for about an hour. Below are a few questions I thought would get the conversation going, but we will have the opportunity to ask Bill and Drew specific questions about their project or about operating in virtual environments.
1. How do you define experiential media? Is it specific to virtual environments like Second Life?
2. What are the major challenges in disseminating information in Second Life?
3. With the technological issues to deal with, why would this “medium” be more compelling than media people are familiar with?
4. What are the major challenges with presenting information in Second Life?
5. Do you have some “best practices” to share?
If you have suggestions or questions you want to be sure we cover, leave them here in comments and we’ll put them high on the priority list of topics. But bring your questions, as well!
Let me know if you are new to Second Life and need help getting in-world or to The Infinite Mind sim. Drew has offered to help anyone who is new – so don’t be shy and take advantage of having an expert ready to help you get started! Many of us weren’t this lucky. Email me at lzimmer[at]marcominteractive.com.
The Infinite Mind sim is located at: The Infinite Mind 209/76/46
I hope you can join us Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 3 p.m. (SLT)!
Media is so flat. Newspapers, magazines, books. Even the web we interact with is as flat as our monitors. TV and film - your screen might be big or HD, but it’s still flat. Audio – okay, not flat. Audio fills our ears and our minds.
But what if we thought of media as magic? More like this.
Only, magical media it is a whole lot closer than 50 years.
Popular Science is sponsoring the Creative Commons Concert in Second Life on September 14 at 5:00 p.m. (SLT/PDT). Actually Popular Science Magazine is teaming up with Creative Commons on a series of tech-oriented cultural events designed to promote the Creative Commons mission. There are several interesting things about this – not the least of which is that they are “walking the CC walk” with this event.
According to the event announcement on the Creative Commons wiki,
“PopSci.com editor Megan Miller says, 'We're in the midst of an information revolution, and the editors of PopSci are excited about the possibilities for digitally sharing ideas through open-source software, wikis, and alternatively licensed creative works—that's why we're proud to support Creative Commons.' "
If you are not familiar with the Creative Commons license, it allows for a “some rights reserved” copyright. In other words, it allows you to keep your copyright, while still allowing others to share your work. It’s the modern approach to the copyrighting of intellectual property.
True to the CC form, anyone has the right to record, copy, distribute, and play audio and video of the concert. The concert will feature popular in-world musicians and will be simulcast in 4 in-world sims; available via Internet radio; will be streamed on the web, and is available for anyone to stream into their own SL land. Sometime after the event, there will be a Second Life show of the best Creative Commons licensed photos, recordings and machinima of the event (prizes will be awarded). To participate in the contest you just upload to Flickr and tag them appropriately, or add them to the Second Life group – and of course add your CC license.
By the way, Jonathan Coulter, who is a featured performer at this event, is also the host of the Now Hear This Popular Science podcast, so I’m guessing a podcast of the Second Life event may be available as well.
Another “interesting” aspect of this is that Popular Science has roots in the print tradition – which holds tightly onto the “all rights reserved” mentality – indeed it is printed right there on their web site for all to see.
But, the PopSci online tag line is “delivering the future every day” so could that mean a print publication publishing under a Creative Commons license is in our future??
Wired has sponsored this event in the past but their web site and blogs still bear the standard “all rights reserved” copyright.
The concert will be held in-world on Menorca.
Photo credit: Zenigma Suntzu's Flickr photos
The 2-D world of wikis, blogs, tagging and social networking are difficult to wrap our minds around and, in terms of our communications objectives they may seem rather – well, subtle (if not down-right obtuse). A lot of us are still trying to get a handle on many of the 2-D new media tools and are wrestling with how they fit into our communications initiatives.
Fortunately, innovation doesn’t wait for us. The 3-D web is under very active development. So, how about a dose today of what’s coming in the delivery of 3-D content in our own real life?
Last February at the TED conference Jeff Han of the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences demonstrated publicly for the first time his “interface free” touch-driven computer interface that will “change the way we interact with machines.” You simply need to watch this.
In April, Google released SketchUp and 3D Warehouse that allows us to create and then overlay a 3-D model onto Google Earth. With the 3D Warehouse Network Link installed, when you are viewing Google Earth images you see little blue house icons all over the globe - those indicate where 3-D models are available. With a click you zoom down into a 3-D model of The White House, a giant glacier off the coast of Nova Scotia, Santa Claus’ house in Finland, the Notre Dame cafeteria in France. And of course it is all “consumer generated.” No way to describe it in words – go see the (5 second) demo at Google Earth.
And, in July, Microsoft announced Photsynth – again you have to see it to appreciate it, but basically it finds similar images all over the web and stitches them together to create a 3-D model you can explore. This Microsoft video demonstrates how Photosynth works with everyone’s web images of Saint Peter’s Basilica.
These 3-D “interfaces” are 5 years away - but now is the time to start thinking and experimenting with 360-degree content. Simply start adding 2-D multimedia to your content to begin "thinking 3-D" – audio, video, animation, podcasts, blogs, wikis, tagging - they are all available now and assist us in thinking about the “total content experience” that is going to be a requirement for the 3-dimensional, immersive web.
Second Life is a great 3-D laboratory we can use now. It’s readily accessible, it’s cost-effective, it’s a platform into which you can build 360-degree content. But, it’s only one of the ways the web is moving to 3-D.
There has been so much coverage – in both blogs and mainstream media – about Starwood Hotel’s Aloft brand opening in Second Life (grand opening any day now), that I just couldn’t rehash it here. But I finally had a chance to sit down with this month’s SL Business Magazine, which has a two-page spread on the project, and I decided I just had to pen a few lines.
While the magazine’s story centers on whether this will impact the economy of SL, that isn’t the reason you should care.
First and foremost, this is the ultimate brochure – maybe some would call it a 3D website. I won’t go that far - yet. But, you can literally walk into the pictures – sense the spaces, and experience the Aloft “story.” All without words.
Our stories are almost never about our products themselves (can you hear Seth Godin here?), but they are about what our products provide customers. It is story of the experience (not The Brand). Yet we are so “word” focused.
Aloft’s story is written in 3-D; it’s “urban inspired landscapes” and “energetic lounge scene” make you upscale, hip, fun, modern. No matter what font or photos you use, “Experience it here!” is a weak call to action compared to an invitation to walk through the space and to sell the upscale, hip, fun, modern experience before your guest arrives.
This is where “the web” is moving. This is the way our stories need to be told. Even in the 2-D web today we should be thinking beyond words.
The success of any modern marketing or communication new media initiative is dependant on one thing – connecting people to each other. Aloft is only living that to a degree - in that they offer avatar-friendly gathering places in their virtual 3-D build. Where they fall short is they appear to have no current plan to engage their people with the visitors to their virtual space. In SL, just like in real life, the brand experience is brilliantly colored mostly by the people you interact with.
So, Virtual Aloft will remain a 3-D brochure.
But Aloft has accomplished something for SL as well as for themselves with its build – and that is putting one more credibility pin in the Second Life map as a PR and marketing medium.
Lori Bell (aka Loreli Junot) of the Second Life Library 2.0 is doing an orientation of Info Island tonight at 7 p.m.( SLT/PDT). She has generously opened it to anyone who is interested. Lori also indicated that she is planning others in the next weeks, so if you can’t make tonight’s orientation she will announce them in the events calendar and I’ll post them here, as well. This is a great opportunity to learn about how the library is making information available in Second Life.
If you stop by this blog regularly, you might have picked up that I spend some considerable time in the educational areas of Second Life. Partly because there are so many of them, but mostly because they have a lot to teach us business communicators.
What business communicators can learn from librarians:
They make information attractive.
Photo credits: Joannamkay Flickr photostream.
Pathfinder Linden Flickr photostream
Second Life has gotten tons of media coverage in recent weeks – and it’s not limited to just the gaming or tech pubs. Much of what I find in the news media is fairly light and airy but there is other reporting going on that is much more enlightening.
Here are pointers to a few stories you might find interesting that report on Second Life from different angles.
Popular Science (September 2006)
Your Second Life is Ready
The reporter enters Second Life with guide Hamlet Au of New World Notes and tours several aspects of Second Life.
Open Source Radio: International Public Radio
Living in Game Space. (mp3, 24 min, aired March, 2006)
A broad-ranging interview with an educator from MIT, SL reporter Hamlet Au, and others, about SL sociology, real life versus virtual life, sex, education, architecture and more; with questions coming in from the listening audience.
Be sure to check out some of the reading material at the end of the accompanying blog post.
The Phoenix (August 2006)
Right Click to Learn
Second Life as a learning space and for educational collaboration and community building.
ClikZ Network
Marketing Opportunities Emerge in Online Gaming Venues (August, 2006)
Statistics and research about gaming for marketers.
At 3:30 EDT today former Democratic Governor - and potential presidential candidate - Mark Warner appeared in Second Life for a brief interview with Hamlet Au over at New World Notes. A preview of a soon-to—be announced virtual town hall, Governor Warner took to the stage at the Old Globe Theater in-world, to declare his “Forward Together” political initiative will be using every tool – including virtual tools – “to communicate his ideas about how to get the country back on the right track.”
The Governor, via his avatar, said his immediate activities in Second Life are forming a Second Life group and holding an upcoming virtual town hall in the early Fall. His in-world group is called Forward Together and is the Second Life version of the RL Forward Together Political Action Committee. As of this moment his in-world group has 30 members and is open to all residents.
According to a press release on the Forward Together PAC website, the entry into Second Life is an experiment:
“This is in many ways an experiment,” said Forward Together’s Internet Team leader Jerome Armstrong. “We want to see what people make of this. How will they organize? How will they interact with each other and with Governor Warner? We’re all figuring out new ways to do things online – in how we work, play, and share ideas. We don’t know yet how people will use Second Life to engage in politics. But we want to find out.”
The Washington Post’s, Chris Cilizza says,
“ …“Warner's online efforts shouldn't be discounted. His willingness to participate in a campaign event on Second Life shows that candidates are seeking to reach voters wherever they are -- online and offline, in the real and virtual worlds.
Virtual worlds such as Second Life are still very much emerging. Second Life reached 600,000 registered members just yesterday, which hardly makes it a critical mass “medium,” but understanding the need to reach people where they are and a willingness to experiment – that’s critical.
The Forward Together Political Action Committee blog has more, and promises to release a video of the Second Life event.
The transcript of the in-world event is at New World Notes here.
Photo credits: Forward Together PAC
Join us in The Infinite Mind simulation for a presentation and in-world tour on September 19 at 3:00 p.m. (PDT, SLT). I’m delighted that Bill Lichtenstein, president of Lichtenstein Creative Media, producers of The Infinite Mind public radio show and Drew Stein of Infinite Vision Media, developers of The Infinite Mind presence in Second Life, have generously agreed to be our hosts, presenters and guides for our September meeting. These two companies collaborated on the creation of The Infinite Mind in-world facility, and are enthusiastic about sharing their insight and experiences with us.
If you’ve been following the Second Life news recently, you probably know that last month The Infinite Mind broadcast a series of live radio shows originating from Second Life with guests such as singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega and author Kurt Vonnegut. The shows had simultaneously a virtual in-studio audience, web audience and radio audience.
Bill and Drew (aka Boliver Oddfellow) have promised to enlighten us as to how they are connecting Second Life with broadcast media, to discuss issues surrounding leveraging a brand here and advise on how people process this media.
The success of the Infinite Mind project has prompted Lichtenstein Creative Media and Infinite Vision Media to combine their expertise into a joint venture call Infinity Squared. The venture focuses on the full scope of participatory educational, social and non-gaming experiential activities that 3-D environments uniquely facilitate. I’ve been promised more information about this and will update you here as I get more information. In the meantime, plan to attend our meeting on September 19 and grab this opportunity to learn and ask questions.
You do not have to be a member of our in-world group, however if the number of people who wish to participate is especially high, preference will be given to members of the in-world group. To join, simply use the in-world search, search for “SL Business Communicators” and click “Join” in the dialog box.
If you would like an email reminder – or to receive other announcements by email – please send me a note at lzimmer[at]marcominteractive[dot]com, or join our in-world group, SL Business Communicators, and receive SL email.
More information to come. Join us!
The Infinite Mind simulation is located at: The Infinite Mind 209/76/46.
Photo credits: From ICMedia Flickr photostream
The Library 2.0 has been working with the Library of Congress on a Declaration of Independence display that was officially announced and which opened yesterday on Info Island in Second Life. The exhibit includes dioramas, streamed audio, text in the form of larger-than-life documents and SL notecards, information kiosks and even period furniture. My favorite is the 12-part timeline, “America During the Age of Revolution.”
The materials for the Second Life Library 2.0 display are on loan from the American Memory division of the Library of Congress, and highlight the Declaration of Independence. It is a nicely executed build which links to and complements the Library of Congress’ American Memory website. It appears that over the next few months Shadow Fugazi of Library 2.0 may be coordinating other LOC exhibits in the space.
This is worth a visit to see how the library is interfacing visitors to printed material. SL is not particularly “print friendly,” but the exhibit includes lots of audio alternatives. I listened to a reading of the Declaration of Independence while I walked around and looked at other aspects of the exhibit.
Audio, in fact, is an extremely effective way to deliver content in SL. While it is an immersive and visual environment, audio shouldn’t be limited to ambient sounds or background music. Overall, audio is often overlooked as a content delivery method in our communications on the web (unless you are thinking podcasts), but in SL it is particularly attractive because SL is normally a fairly silent experience – except for the ole’ click of the virtual keyboard as we chat. For example, during the Artists on the Green event at the New Media Consortium Campus a couple of weeks ago, they streamed the audio of a panel discussion so visitors could listen to the panel while browsing through the artwork throughout the island.
The Library of Congress exhibit will be on display at Library 2.0 through the end of September. It is located in Parvenu Towers on Info Island at: Info Island 214/17/39.
Time. If there was a universal theme at last weekend’s Second Life Community Convention, it was time.
From Mitch Kapor’s keynote and Cory Ondrejka’s SL history lesson, through the panels on business, media, sex, social views and education and training; time was the common thread.
Time, past and present: Second Life is something extraordinarily influential. Today it is the village green of a tiny percentage of the population – but these are early adopters who see that something very formative is happening.
Virtual worlds like Second Life are at least as powerful and disruptive as the personal computer and the World Wide Web. We can look back now and see that the skepticism surrounding these in their early adoption days was intense and shortsighted, but today we could not even consider doing business without these tools and spaces. Many of us dismissed the signs then of the huge disruptions about to take place, but perhaps we should take a cue from recent history and look more deeply at this developing force.
Mitch Kapor’s keynote illustrated these themes and he has indeed proven himself soothsayer extraordinaire. In case you don’t know of him, Kapor is developer and founder of Lotus 1-2-3, the Open Source Applications Foundation, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation; founding investor of Real Networks (web video streaming) and UUNET (oldest and largest ISP), and founding chair of the Mozilla Foundation (of Firefox browser fame) to name just a few credentials. Albeit, he is chairman and major investor in Linden Lab, developers of Second Life, but you have to admit his track record in identifying the disruptive innovations of our time is awfully good.
Heads-up time?
Short-term versus long-term: Macromyopia is the state of over-estimating the short term affects and underestimating the long-term impact. I’d say this describes us early business adopters of Second Life quite succinctly.
In the Hype Cycle we’re in the “peak of inflated expectations” right now. Lots of pie, lots of sky. There’s lots of interest and lots of media coverage. Every new business application of it gets