Sebastian Klement Prof. Dr. Caja Thimm IfK/Medienwissenschaft Avatars as media Stars : Second Life as a Global Media Event

1. Second Life as a media event 2. Avatars as media stars 3. Media events in Second Life and Real Life 4. Future of Second Life

Facts about Second Life

Explore Create Socialize Have fun Second Life is not an online computer game

Cybermoney in Second Life: Linden$ 1 US$ = 270 Linden$ Buy and sell Linden$ from Linden Lab Spend the money for … Earn money, get rich (?)

Cybermoney in Second Life: Linden$

1 US$ = 270 Linden$

Buy and sell Linden$ from Linden Lab

Spend the money for …

Earn money, get rich (?)

Capital business magazine

DER SPIEGEL weekly journal

FAZ, national newspaper

Avatars as media stars Getting started in Second Life : All you need is an avatar…

Avatars are… Internet user´s representation of himself or herself , such representations can explore the virtual universe avatars can be in the form of a 3D model (computer games) or a two-dimensional icon ( Internet forums, other communities) origin derives from the Sanscript word Avatara, meaning “incarnation” Use of Avatar to mean online virtual body was popularised by Neal Stephenson in his cyberpunk novel Snow Crash (1992)

Internet user´s representation of himself or herself , such representations can explore the virtual universe

avatars can be in the form of a 3D model (computer games) or a two-dimensional icon ( Internet forums, other communities)

origin derives from the Sanscript word Avatara, meaning “incarnation”

Use of Avatar to mean online virtual body was popularised

by Neal Stephenson in his cyberpunk novel Snow Crash (1992)

Who do you want to be? Editing the appearence…

Founder of Second Life“: Philip Linden

The Businesswoman: Anshe Chung

Real Life meets Second Life: famous ex-general manager Calmund talks about his involvement in Second Life

Rainer Calmund presents his Second Life project on TV (Stern TV)

Calmund becomes an avatar

His new appearence

Calmund as avatar in Second Life

64.000 virtual m² „Calli´s Island“

Real life meets Second Life

Media events in Second Life and Real Life Mass media in Second Life

Newspaper: The Avastar

Avastar headquarters

December 2006: German tabloid giant „Bild“ launched this in-world virtual newspaper provides news, entertainment, service and orientation for the residents issue costs 150 Linden$ being sold through street vendors and self-service boxes 4 editors and many freelancers provide the news in Second Life

December 2006: German tabloid giant „Bild“ launched this in-world virtual newspaper

provides news, entertainment, service and orientation for the residents

issue costs 150 Linden$

being sold through street vendors and self-service boxes

4 editors and many freelancers provide the news in Second Life

Television: Life-4-U

Headquarters Life-4-U

Animated anchorman

TV event: live broadcasting of Lang Lang´s concert

Also available in Real Life. Lang Lang on YouTube

Lang Lang in the press: coverage before and after the concert

Spreading the news: free television to go

News agency: Reuters

REUTERS News Center: Second Life and Real Life News

Headquarters: Reuters

The link between Second Life and Real Life

Reuters Auditorium

Live interview with Desmond Tutu

Mixed media event: Desmond Tutu and interviewer in Cape Town

Live avatar audience listen to the interview

The future of Second Life Second Life overhyped? Importance of Second Life as a space for social and technological experimentation eventisation, no future without media events in SL allowing its members freedom in how they create their world place where we can try out the technologies, improve the interfaces and figure out what forms of social relationship work online early stage in building usable and useful online environments

Second Life overhyped?

Importance of Second Life as a space for social and technological experimentation

eventisation, no future without media events in SL

allowing its members freedom in how they create their world

place where we can try out the technologies, improve the interfaces and figure out what forms of social relationship work online

early stage in building usable and useful online environments

Thank you for your attention. Kontakt: Prof. Dr. Caja Thimm : thimm@uni-bonn.de Sebastian Klement : sklement@uni-bonn.de