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Is it time for a Second Life Community Choice Award

By on June 4th, 2010

Time for a Community Choice?

Time for a Community Choice?

Linden Lab announced the winner of its 2010 Linden Prize this year. I think that the winner, the The Tech Virtual Museum Workshop was one of several well deserving finalists doing interesting things with the platform, and I offer them my sincere congratulations. There always seems to be some disagreement over whether the prize went to the best candidate, but at the end of the day, this is an award given out by Linden Lab.

However, there is something common to each of the finalists that we seem to be forgetting, the fact that as members of the community we can have an impact and a say. The only thing stopping us from raising some Linden Dollars and creating our own community choice prize is inertia. OK, inertia and somebody(ies) trustworthy coordinating it. It probably wouldn’t amount to a USD 10K prize, but it would be a winner that we choose instead of complaining about who Linden Lab chooses. Is it time for us to consider putting together a Community Choice Award, to honor the excellent work that we value as a community?

Second Life, Virtual Identity, Virtual Worlds No comments yet

Little prims on the hillside…

By on May 15th, 2010

Little Boxes

Lauren Jones has a great article on her blog about the lack of creative options in the latest version of avatar creation. Another disappointing moment for those of us who joined Second Life at a time when they were selling the world with the phrase “Your world, your imagination” instead of with an image of a Stepford family with the words “Decorate your Linden Home Today!” emblazoned above them. I can’t help but think of the Malvina Reynolds song Little Boxes when I’m confronted with M’s vision of Second Life’s future.

Little Boxes, on the hill side
Little Boxes made of ticky-tacky
Little Boxes, little boxes,
Little Boxes, all the same

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Second Life has a new TOS

By on April 2nd, 2010

Just a quick heads up: Linden Lab released an updated Terms of Service along with their push to Viewer 2. The new TOS goes into effect on 4/30/2010. Since they didn’t make this announcement on their featured blogs feed, it is likely that there are people who have missed the announcement. There are definitely some changes worth taking note of, especially if you take screen shots and/or make machinima. Their new third party viewer rules also go into effect, and if you make or even use a third party viewer, you should definitely familiarize yourself with them.

*All trademarks and service marks in this post are property of their respective owner.

Virtual Identity, Virtual Worlds 1 comment

Changing the identity debate narrative in virtual worlds

By on February 27th, 2010

dramamasks

The ongoing identity debate seems to focus primarily on the issue of immersion versus augmentation. While these two camps in their purest form do present clearly opposing viewpoints, making this the focal point of the identity debate narrative is unfortunate. First, while immersion and augmentation are naturally opposed in the realm of theory, they function more as a center-heavy spectrum than a neatly divided set of polar opposites in practice. Even the article most often credited with originally identifying this debate makes this point. Second, immersion does not cover the full spectrum of those that benefit from anonymity. While I do believe that people who choose to create entirely online personae have a right to do so without persecution, I also think we are failing to discuss the broader community of those that benefit from being anonymous.

I made reference to this in an earlier article, but this has largely been omitted from the identity debate narrative. In particular, there are three augmentationist use cases that I think deserve further discussion:

  1. Dissidents – residents of a repressive regime with opinions that would put them in danger were there real life identity tied to their virtual one.
  2. Whistle Blowers – those who do not want their real life identity associated with their virtual one for fear of reprisal
  3. Support groups and other non-profits that depend on anonymity to ease the fears of those who wish to discuss sensitive topics, and seek help they might never feel comfortable admitting to needing otherwise

If you count yourself among these groups, or any other group for whom anonymity creates a net benefit to the Metaverse, I am very interested in hearing from you in strict confidence. It is time to expand the narrative, and I would like to help make that happen. The best form of contact would be to send a notecard to Nexus Burbclave.

Second Life, Virtual Identity, Virtual Worlds 3 comments

My profile, a call to arms

By on February 24th, 2010

notresspassing_resized1

One of the many features in the new Second Life is disappointing if not surprising given their increasingly evident facebook-esque lack of respect for the privacy rights of its users. Coercion through peer pressure is still coercion, no matter how you choose to spin it.

I do not choose to be pressured into merging my avatar and real life identity beyond what I decide to give out on my own. I do not choose to let shifting standards of privacy by a company that once respected it go unnoticed. I do not choose to let others dictate what I must or even SHOULD share with others.

I choose to make my feelings crystal clear…

notresspassing_detail

Join me. Let Linden Lab know that you value your privacy and you expect them to do the same. Add a “no tresspassing” sign as your “real life info”. Add a link to the EPIC.org page on social network privacy. Tell them that you will not be bullied into sharing more than you choose to!

*All trademarks and service marks in this post are property of their respective owner.

Second Life, Virtual Identity, Virtual Worlds 1 comment

Why identity verification doesn’t matter (and anonymity still does)

By on February 12th, 2010

My name is...

My name is...



I will get much more in-depth explaining my reasoning behind this title, but first I’d like to explain why identity verification doesn’t matter in two words: “Bernard Madoff“. What is widely accepted as the single biggest fraud ever perpetrated, was not done anonymously but rather by a person who was well known even to those tasked with regulating the sector in which the fraud was perpetrated. That’s an estimated ten to seventeen billion dollars worth of assets that no amount of identity verification could have protected. To put that in perspective, that is larger than some estimates for the total value of the combined assets of all Virtual World economies.

Put simply, hubris makes being anonymous an unnecessary pre-condition of perpetrating fraud. Further, many people run successful businesses under pseudonyms with integrity. Some have even gone the extra step of registering their pseudonym as a DBA to enable entering into contracts. The reputation of their assumed name is no less important to their future business dealings in virtual worlds than is the reputation of their identity outside of these environments.

Anonymity still matters for many reasons, not the least of which is the physical safety of a virtual world’s users. When you know somebody’s real name it is a lot easier to find them. Making identity public by default creates a veritable gold mine for potential stalkers and other would-be criminals. Anonymity also protects a number of other individuals. The Electronic Privacy Information Center has a great article on why internet anonymity matters to a number of people, including would be whistle-blowers, political dissidents as well as people simply seeking anonymous advice (something to consider given the number of nonprofit organizations covering sensitive topics active in virtual worlds).

Some may indeed benefit from the ability to tie their real world identity to their avatars in a verifiable fashion, and they should have that option. However, it should be just that – an option. Your identity is yours, and nobody should strong-arm you into revealing more than you wish to share.

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Important Lessons from the Metaplace Closing

By on February 3rd, 2010

Maria Korolov has a great article on the Metaplace closing and the lessons that users can learn from it. I think it is an important read both for people looking to depend on platforms that they don’t control, and for companies wishing to run platforms effectively.

Second Life 2 comments

If we wanted your opinion, we’d purchase it

By on February 3rd, 2010

Silence is Golden

Silence is Golden


When Linden Lab™ announces new acquisitions, I can’t help but think of this gem from their Blog and Forum discussion guidelines:

We expressly prohibit posts that enable, encourage, or instruct others to leave Second Life, the Xstreet SL marketplace, or any Linden Lab property so that they can sell, buy, or trade on non-Linden Lab websites, virtual worlds, or online services that include the sale or trade of products or services. Included in this prohibition are posts promoting or advertising to buy, sell, or trade outside a Linden Lab property (such as Second Life or the Xstreet SL marketplace), and posts linking to websites that include offers to trade, sell, or purchase outside a Linden Lab property.

Exceptions:

Exceptions for Designated Commerce Forums: In the Commerce forums titled “Services: List your Second Life related services”, “Employment: Help wanted and work wanted”, “Wanted: Are you searching for something you just can’t find? Post it here!” you may advertise or promote your own products and services for Second Life, your stores within Second Life, and your Xstreet SL marketplace listings, provided that you do not advertise or promote any sale, purchase, or trade outside a Linden Lab property (such as Second Life or the Xstreet SL marketplace), and you do not link to websites that include offers to trade, sell, or purchase outside a Linden Lab property. If you’re posting to these designated Commerce forums, you may use SLurl links to your inworld stores or links to your marketplace listings on the Xstreet SL website, as well as links to your personal website, so long as the website does not include any offers to trade, sell, or purchase outside a Linden Lab property as described above.

Based on these guidelines, this blog is forever off limits for linking from official SL Blogs and forums if I link to my products on slapt.me, apez.biz, or even my personal Web site if I happen to sell products for other virtual worlds in addition to Second Life. This is the case even if I give equal billing to my XStreet page and my products on the grid.

So now I sit here wondering what will be the next shoe to drop now that Linden Lab has acquired Avatars United™. How will the Draconian Terms of Service apply to this newest Linden Lab acquisition? Will we now be forbidden from talking about other social networks on the official blogs and forums? Will we soon be unable to mention our personal Web sites, Virtual World alternatives, or XStreet alternatives in our Avatars United profiles and groups. Will apez, slapt.me and other similar sites be allowed to keep groups on Avatars United?

I didn’t like this policy update when it was announced, and I like it even less now. It is an anti-competitive practice, particularly when undertaken by the gatekeepers of the platform. The insular walled garden approach is exactly what virtual worlds don’t need if they are to continue growing and developing. When open competition stagnates, so too does innovation. Competing firms profit through innovation. Monopolies profit from cutting their expenses (e.g. staff and servers) and raising their prices. Which approach would you rather see pursued by your platform provider?

*All trademarks and service marks in this post are property of their respective owner.

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Still Thankful For Second Life

By on November 29th, 2009

destination unknown

destination unknown - image by Tribbles Altneu

I’ve been complaining a lot lately in this blog and in other venues, so when Hamlet Au posed the question, “Who in Second Life are you thankful for”, it seemed like a good opportunity to share my answer, and say something posititve.

I’m thankful for the original dreamers that created Second Life®. I’m thankful for the cyberpunk authors that inspired them, especially Gibson and Stephenson.

I’m thankful for the artists, educators, philanthropists, and entrepreneurs that have stuck to their creativity and imagination in the face of an increasingly mundane grid. I am thankful for “your world, your imagination”. It may be gone from the Second Life* Web site, but as long as there are people who remember it and live by the mantra, there is hope for the metaverse.

I’m thankful to the bloggers, forum frequenters, and social butterflies that keep us all informed of both Linden Lab activities and those of our fellow citizens.

I am also thankful for my RL partner, whom I would not have met, were it not for Second Life.

*All trademarks and service marks in this post are property of their respective owner.

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Xstreet: e-commerce solution or newspaper classifieds?

By on November 24th, 2009

A copy of the Xstreet Gazette?

A copy of the Xstreet Times?


It seems that we have finally arrived at the crux of the disconnect between those trying to use Xstreet SL and those trying to run it. Deep down into this, the second thread discussing the Xstreet changes, Colossus sets up an analogy treating Xstreet as equivalent to newspaper advertising. This confuses me, as I have apparently been operating under the false assumption that Xstreet was an Ecommerce fulfillment site. Am I to understand that Linden Lab* bought the two biggest Ecommerce fulfillment sites serving Second Life* with the intention of turning them into a single virtual craigslist? I have to say that if that is indeed the case, I am more than a little bit underwhelmed and disappointed with the vision.

Whether you are Bob’s Bait and Tackle or Walmart, you don’t keep your full catalog of available items in your store. That is space and cost prohibitive. Instead you set up an ecommerce site that allows you to offer items for special order that you would never be able to fit inside of your brick and mortar. “Brick and click” businesses have a larger selection of items available on their website than they do in their stores, pretty much without exception.

I need an ecommerce site so that I can make my full catalog available. I suppose if that is not what XstreetSL is intended to be, it is good to know that. Instead of getting angry at this misunderstanding, perhaps I need to accept that this site serves a different purpose than I had thought, and I need to look elsewhere to fullfill my online catalog needs.

*All trademarks and service marks in this post are property of their respective owner.