Tracy Kennedy PhD Candidate, Dept of Sociology University of Toronto Virtual Worlds Researcher October 24 th , 2007.

“ A virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars.” (Wikipedia)

virtual reality

life before Second Life Worlds.com 1994 Active Worlds 1995

younger audiences Whyville 1999 Habbo 2000

Whyville 1999

Habbo 2000

… and many more 1995 Cybertown VZones 1997 Moove 2000 Playdo TowerChat 2001 Cyworld Dubit Mokitown ViOS 2002 Sims Virtual Ibiza Coke Studios Muse 2003 Second Life There Entropia Universe 2004 Dreamville IMVU

Second Life Not a Game! 375 square miles of Virtual Environment International users 18+ Free to access Content created & managed by users

Not a Game!

375 square miles of Virtual Environment

International users

18+

Free to access

Content created & managed by users

if you could go anywhere, where would you go?

… what would you do?

… who would you be?

… or?

Second Life snapshot September 2007 24,138,413 hrs logged 9,596,742 registrants 58% users are Male Active Users: 37% age 35-44 25% age 18-24 $6,685,585 USD exchanged http://blog.secondlife.com/author/metalinden/

24,138,413 hrs logged

9,596,742 registrants

58% users are Male

Active Users:

37% age 35-44

25% age 18-24

$6,685,585 USD exchanged

http://blog.secondlife.com/author/metalinden/

is Second Life empty? … Not really U$D spent speaks volumes Think of how much of our day we spend: Eating, sleeping & self care Housekeeping Commuting to work Working or going to school And other mundane daily tasks…that we don’t have to do in the virtual world…

… Not really

U$D spent speaks volumes

Think of how much of our day we spend:

Eating, sleeping & self care

Housekeeping

Commuting to work

Working or going to school

And other mundane daily tasks…that we don’t have to do in the virtual world…

… although sometimes we do….. Picnic in Second Life & First Life Centre for Digital Media, Vancouver BC

Picnic in Second Life & First Life Centre for Digital Media, Vancouver BC

getting started… Download Software Orientation Island Learn how to walk, talk, fly & edit appearance

Download Software

Orientation Island

Learn how to walk, talk, fly & edit appearance

Create your own 3D world… Learn to create your own world with three dimensional objects/primitives

Learn to create your own world with three dimensional objects/primitives

Objects are not static You can ‘script’ your objects Give it an action or behaviour Make it interactive

You can ‘script’ your objects

Give it an action or behaviour

Make it interactive

You build it, You own it -Intellectual property rights to your creations -Can Sell them for LL & USD -License creations in RL

creating landscapes

virtual spaces… based on reality – or physical things based on imagination based on imaginary and physical things, places, events and people….

based on reality – or physical things

based on imagination

based on imaginary and physical things, places, events and people….

social Meeting people Building Relationships Interacting Text, Voice or Video Animations, pose calls, sounds & gestures to ‘emote’ your avatar and enhance your virtual identity

Meeting people

Building Relationships

Interacting

Text, Voice or Video

Animations, pose calls, sounds & gestures to ‘emote’ your avatar and enhance your virtual identity

social support Online virtual communities offering support to others Stroke Victims Depression Support Health Info & Support

Online virtual communities offering support to others

Stroke Victims

Depression Support

Health Info & Support

entertainment

arts & culture

(re)creating art in second life Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxVDVggLqsA

Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxVDVggLqsA

business & marketing Virtual & RL products Showcase items Interactive Public Relations Customer Service Recruitment

Virtual & RL products

Showcase items

Interactive

Public Relations

Customer Service

Recruitment

http://www.kzero.co.uk/blog/?p=424

IBM December 2006 One of the largest presences in SL Employee orientation

December 2006

One of the largest presences in SL

Employee orientation

business from Second Life http://www.anshechung.com/

money maker?

politics & virtual lobbying Reaching voters in innovative ways Interaction - between avs Interactive – leave notecards, send email Raising awareness of policy initiatives

Reaching voters in innovative ways

Interaction - between avs

Interactive – leave notecards, send email

Raising awareness of policy initiatives

civic engagement Virtual IBM Strike – RL issues Relay for Life 9/11 Memorial Virginia Tech SL Ceremony Griefers & Terrorists Protests vs Linden Labs Political Protests

Virtual IBM Strike – RL issues

Relay for Life

9/11 Memorial

Virginia Tech SL Ceremony

Griefers & Terrorists

Protests vs Linden Labs

Political Protests

news

magazines

blogs

education Traditional Didactic Modes of Learning: Lecture styles with a top-down approach Information delivery is linear and static Legitimates disciplinary discourses, knowledge & information Problematic power relations between professor and student - hierarchies Does not always allow for nor encourage constructive interaction between students, and between students and instructors

Traditional Didactic Modes of Learning:

Lecture styles with a top-down approach

Information delivery is linear and static

Legitimates disciplinary discourses, knowledge & information

Problematic power relations between professor and student - hierarchies

Does not always allow for nor encourage constructive interaction between students, and between students and instructors

participatory pedagogy Content: Incorporating personal experiences, skills, knowledge and individual context Process: More interactive and empowering pedagogical style of learning and knowledge construction inside and outside the classroom Students take an active role in the learning process

Content:

Incorporating personal experiences, skills, knowledge and individual context

Process:

More interactive and empowering pedagogical style of learning and knowledge construction inside and outside the classroom

Students take an active role in the learning process

internet & education Web 2.0 Collective & interactive to an extent Text, pics, voice, video Synchronous Flat Web ie: Wikis, Blogs, WebCT, Moodle etc Web 3D Incorporates Web 2.0 features Self expression & self direction Diverse ways of learning Hands-on technical skill building Three dimensional spaces Transformation of personal experience and researched content into a tangible visual form Virtual Worlds ie: Second Life, Active Worlds, Metaplace, Google Sketch up and more...

Web 2.0

Collective & interactive to an extent

Text, pics, voice, video

Synchronous

Flat Web

ie: Wikis, Blogs, WebCT, Moodle etc

Web 3D

Incorporates Web 2.0 features

Self expression & self direction

Diverse ways of learning

Hands-on technical skill building

Three dimensional spaces

Transformation of personal experience and researched content into a tangible visual form

Virtual Worlds

ie: Second Life, Active Worlds, Metaplace, Google Sketch up and more...

modding the metaverse

virtual ecosystem Ecology in SL clouds rain on the land plants are nourished with rain & sun bees spread pollen to help the plants reproduce birds eat seeds to keep the plants from growing out of control http://www.boingboing.net/2006/05/31/user-creates-virtual.html

Ecology in SL

clouds rain on the land

plants are nourished with rain & sun

bees spread pollen to help the plants reproduce

birds eat seeds to keep the plants from growing out of control

interactive biology lessons Genome Island &Interactive cells Students can go inside cell and interact with intracellular structures A draft of a skeleton model designed by Ollie Kubrick http://mblog.lib.umich.edu/dentlib/archives/2007/06/science_educati.html

Genome Island &Interactive cells

Students can go inside cell and interact with intracellular structures

A draft of a skeleton model designed by Ollie Kubrick

blended realities

remember when… The World – first offered dial up - 1989 Mosiac – first popular web browser 1992 PowWow chat program 1994 Friendster social networking site 2002 … the internet is always changing…

The World – first offered dial up - 1989

Mosiac – first popular web browser 1992

PowWow chat program 1994

Friendster social networking site 2002

… the internet is always changing…

Web 3d The world isn’t flat… and neither is the web…

from web 2.0 to web 3D we all imagined that the Internet was full of people

we all

imagined

that the

Internet

was full

of people

blended identities…. … here they are in 3D

new worlds – old problems? Your World. Your Imagination. What if your imagination doesn’t fit with conventional norms?

Your World. Your Imagination.

What if your imagination doesn’t fit with conventional norms?

adult entertainment

subcultures

old fears… A haven for deviants False identities Safety There will eventually be no face-to-face

A haven for deviants

False identities

Safety

There will eventually be no face-to-face

post-Second Life

what’s next? universe hopping interoperability

universe hopping

interoperability

the future… Scientists use brain waves to stroll through virtual world http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5huaC9fnUY7gEVtK-K8pt_5lorjaw

Scientists use brain waves to stroll through virtual world

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5huaC9fnUY7gEVtK-K8pt_5lorjaw

with thanks... Tracy Kennedy [email_address] www.netwomen.ca/Blog Professor Tracy