Second Life in 3600 seconds or “My life in the bush of avatars”

Second what? 3-D virtual world run by Linden Lab ‘ proprietary’, but public commitment to open standards and OSS populated by avatars, aka residents a ‘metaverse’ (from the book: Snow Crash) www.secondlife.com

3-D virtual world

run by Linden Lab

‘ proprietary’, but public commitment to open standards and OSS

populated by avatars, aka residents

a ‘metaverse’ (from the book: Snow Crash)

So it’s just a game right? can use SL to build games – including shoot ‘em ups but such activities frowned on in public spaces looks and feels like a gaming environment but no purpose as such use it to buy / sell, entertain, learn, collaborate, … do not approach it simply as a game – you’ll be disappointed! image by J0@nn@ @ flickr.com

can use SL to build games – including shoot ‘em ups

but such activities frowned on in public spaces

looks and feels like a gaming environment

but no purpose as such

use it to buy / sell, entertain, learn, collaborate, …

do not approach it simply as a game – you’ll be disappointed!

Ain’t you got a first life mate?

Joining SL two steps register install client software note technical requirements

two steps

register

install client software

note technical requirements

What does it cost? basic accounts are free need to pay monthly subscription ($10) to own land land can be quite expensive ‘ land use fees’ for owning more than smallest plot

basic accounts are free

need to pay monthly subscription ($10) to own land

land can be quite expensive

‘ land use fees’ for owning more than smallest plot

Naming / identity every avatar has a name chosen at registration can’t be changed though can have ‘Alt’s mine is Art Fossett - not an anagram!

every avatar has a name

chosen at registration

can’t be changed

though can have ‘Alt’s

mine is Art Fossett - not an anagram!

Identity / appearance on the Internet no one knows you’re a dog in SL no one knows you’re a bloke appearance can be changed instantly wings and tails (‘furries’) seem oddly popular!

on the Internet no one knows you’re a dog

in SL no one knows you’re a bloke

appearance can be changed instantly

wings and tails (‘furries’) seem oddly popular!

Communication chat IM group IM IM <-> email no in-built support for voice promised soon but residents have added Skype integration

chat

IM

group IM

IM <-> email

no in-built support for voice

promised soon

but residents have added Skype integration

Getting around walking flying teleporting locally via scripted objects longer distances via ‘landmarks’ in-world search engine locations exposed to Web as SLURLs

walking

flying

teleporting

locally via scripted objects

longer distances via ‘landmarks’

in-world search engine

locations exposed to Web as SLURLs

Virtual land rent or buy needed for permanent buildings shops, galleries, universities mainland areas private islands (~$1000 for non-profits) issues with ‘land barons’ buying up available land and selling for profit

rent or buy

needed for permanent buildings

shops, galleries, universities

mainland areas

private islands (~$1000 for non-profits)

issues with ‘land barons’ buying up available land and selling for profit

Building stuff anyone can build in sandboxes or on own land objects made out of basic building blocks – prims (cubes, spheres, …) prim limits usually apply prims can be textured for realism – but uploading costs L$10 objects as HUDs

anyone can build

in sandboxes or on own land

objects made out of basic building blocks – prims (cubes, spheres, …)

prim limits usually apply

prims can be textured for realism – but uploading costs L$10

objects as HUDs

Scripting scripted objects C++ like, event-driven language move, change shape, etc. interact via clicking, chat, sensing the env. modify avatar behaviour in-world physics engine

scripted objects

C++ like, event-driven language

move, change shape, etc.

interact via clicking, chat, sensing the env.

modify avatar behaviour

in-world physics engine

Multimedia limited integration of audio and video files SL client has built-in support for Quicktime can play anything that QT supports pulled in from URL associated with land parcel however, significant limitations currently

limited integration of audio and video files

SL client has built-in support for Quicktime

can play anything that QT supports

pulled in from URL associated with land parcel

however, significant limitations currently

SL and Web 2.0 scripting language can issue HTTP GET and POST requests can integrate with Web 2.0 services but significant limitations currently no built-in HTML, XML or JSON parsers so need to parse externally SLURLs can be bookmarked in del.icio.us some good examples – Second Talk, SLoodle, SLtwitter, BlogHUD, RSS readers

scripting language can issue HTTP GET and POST requests

can integrate with Web 2.0 services

but significant limitations currently

no built-in HTML, XML or JSON parsers so need to parse externally

SLURLs can be bookmarked in del.icio.us

some good examples – Second Talk, SLoodle, SLtwitter, BlogHUD, RSS readers

IPR IPR on in-world objects rests with creator e.g. rights to game designed in-world subsequently sold to Nintendo by its creator however, objects essentially remain locked in-world

IPR on in-world objects rests with creator

e.g. rights to game designed in-world subsequently sold to Nintendo by its creator

however, objects essentially remain locked in-world

Money in-world currency Linden dollar (L$) $1 = ~L$280 fluctuates but supply influenced by Linden Lab currency market to buy and sell L$

in-world currency

Linden dollar (L$)

$1 = ~L$280

fluctuates

but supply influenced by Linden Lab

currency market to buy and sell L$

Commerce many big brands in SL hype => presence some criticism from older residents that SL is becoming a ‘brandscape’

many big brands in SL

hype => presence

some criticism from older residents that SL is becoming a ‘brandscape’

Entertainment hard to tell hype from reality some experimental use of SL to host events and/or mirror RL events e.g. BBC One Big Weekend but significant problems with scalability

hard to tell hype from reality

some experimental use of SL to host events and/or mirror RL events

e.g. BBC One Big Weekend

but significant problems with scalability

Machinima the use of SL to create movies application in film studies and related areas of interest because the techniques are the same but costs significantly lower

the use of SL to create movies

application in film studies and related areas

of interest because the techniques are the same but costs significantly lower

Crime not a significant issue (yet!) some anti-social behaviour some reports of people pretending to be shop owners when they are not some reports of fraud around land sales one major incident of hacking into SL databases image by ay1ene @ flickr.com

not a significant issue (yet!)

some anti-social behaviour

some reports of people pretending to be shop owners when they are not

some reports of fraud around land sales

one major incident of hacking into SL databases

Hype SL very over-hyped significant complaints that stats are misleading i.e. worse than Web stats LL have improved the way they report usage but… SL also (inappropriately) touted as Web NG

SL very over-hyped

significant complaints that stats are misleading

i.e. worse than Web stats

LL have improved the way they report usage but…

SL also (inappropriately) touted as Web NG

Demographics 0.61% China 0.88% Denmark 0.95% Sweden 1.29% Japan 1.29% Switzerland 1.48% Australia 1.93% Italy 2.63% Belgium 3.30% Canada 3.77% Brazil 3.83% Spain 6.55% Netherlands 8.08% United Kingdom 10.45% Germany 12.73% France 31.19% United States % Country 15 11.61% 45 + Average Age on Teen Grid 21.13% 35-44 38.88% 25-34 27.16% 18-24 33 1.23% 13-17 Average Age Adult Grid % Age 58.93% 41.07% February 2007 58.89% 41.11% January 2007 58.58% 41.42% December 2006 57.86% 42.14% November 2006 57.35% 42.65% October 2006 56.24% 43.76% September 2006 M F

Time SL runs on US West Coast time (GMT-8) many events tend to run on that basis SL tends to be empty during our working day actually, SL tends to look empty, full-stop! in-world daylight hours run on 4 hour cycle

SL runs on US West Coast time (GMT-8)

many events tend to run on that basis

SL tends to be empty during our working day

actually, SL tends to look empty, full-stop!

in-world daylight hours run on 4 hour cycle

Gambling and porn both exist… in abundance! as with early Web, both areas quick to exploit the technology indicative of flexibility? causes problems because of load on ‘sims’ not possible to choose who your neighbours are!

both exist… in abundance!

as with early Web, both areas quick to exploit the technology

indicative of flexibility?

causes problems because of load on ‘sims’

not possible to choose who your neighbours are!

SL rules code of conduct in public spaces no griefing / hassling of other residents no use of offensive language no nudity no public sex no police as such but breaches can be reported to Linden Lab areas can be explicitly marked as ‘mature’ (or for gaming)

code of conduct in public spaces

no griefing / hassling of other residents

no use of offensive language

no nudity

no public sex

no police as such

but breaches can be reported to Linden Lab

areas can be explicitly marked as ‘mature’ (or for gaming)

Politics RL politics surface in SL every so often – anti-war, anti-NF, … SL politics also feature – pricing, land policies, IPR, open sourcing of SL software

RL politics surface in SL every so often – anti-war, anti-NF, …

SL politics also feature – pricing, land policies, IPR, open sourcing of SL software

SL and learning widespread interest in use of SL in education explicitly encouraged by Linden Lab not clear that people really know how to use SL yet but some interesting examples of use arts, social sciences, law, psychology, archaeology, languages, …

widespread interest in use of SL in education

explicitly encouraged by Linden Lab

not clear that people really know how to use SL yet

but some interesting examples of use

arts, social sciences, law, psychology, archaeology, languages, …

Teen Second Life note that SL is segregated Teen SL (14-18) and SL (18+) no cross-over allowed except in limited cases (e.g. teachers) well enforced presumably to prevent threat of legal action in US

note that SL is segregated

Teen SL (14-18) and SL (18+)

no cross-over allowed except in limited cases (e.g. teachers)

well enforced

presumably to prevent threat of legal action in US

SL and research even less clear what is possible here but note that Nature Publishing have an island (‘Second Nature’) speaking at our symposium in May

even less clear what is possible here

but note that Nature Publishing have an island (‘Second Nature’)

speaking at our symposium in May

SL in context SL is one of many virtual worlds there.com, World of Warcraft, Entropia Universe, Active Worlds, … not clear that SL is the answer SL client now released as open source clear demand for server to made OSS also some commitment to this by LL (partly because people are reverse-engineering the server anyway)

SL is one of many virtual worlds

there.com, World of Warcraft, Entropia Universe, Active Worlds, …

not clear that SL is the answer

SL client now released as open source

clear demand for server to made OSS also

some commitment to this by LL (partly because people are reverse-engineering the server anyway)

Conclusions… too much hype no clear best-practice (or even much practice) around e-learning high technical requirements no voice integration but… useful experimental environment building and scripting environment very powerful seems likely that 3-D virtual worlds of some kind will be part of the future

too much hype

no clear best-practice (or even much practice) around e-learning

high technical requirements

no voice integration

but… useful experimental environment

building and scripting environment very powerful

seems likely that 3-D virtual worlds of some kind will be part of the future

Four examples…