Second Chances: Depictions of “Nature” in Second Life joseph clark florida state university november 2008

Second Life? Utopian/dystopian fantasies Real enough for suspension of disbelief User-generated content

Utopian/dystopian fantasies

Real enough for suspension of disbelief

User-generated content

Virtual Worlds? Liminal spaces, real experiences “ One phenomenal body” (Stewart & Nicholls, 2002) Key idea: only one of many virtualities in our lives

Liminal spaces, real experiences

“ One phenomenal body” (Stewart & Nicholls, 2002)

Key idea: only one of many virtualities in our lives

But it’s not real . Virtual Tourism adds recreational element -> motivation -> a vehicle for change (after Turkle) Virtual experiences can in fact “facilitate an enhanced and more authentic relationship with actuality” (Stewart & Nichols). Virtual spaces “encourage movement, exploration, and engagement even as they promote escape” (Book) Even “real” parks, preserves, forests are constructed, filtered, thus “virtual” (Patin) Science itself is an abstraction, thus virtual “ Virtual” = “not actual”? or “indistinguishable from”?

Virtual Tourism adds recreational element -> motivation -> a vehicle for change (after Turkle)

Virtual experiences can in fact “facilitate an enhanced and more authentic relationship with actuality” (Stewart & Nichols).

Virtual spaces “encourage movement, exploration, and engagement even as they promote escape” (Book)

Even “real” parks, preserves, forests are constructed, filtered, thus “virtual” (Patin)

Science itself is an abstraction, thus virtual

“ Virtual” = “not actual”? or “indistinguishable from”?

Limitations: Light and Vision Moving from Maya to Empiricism Observation as Dominance (Patin, 1999) Tourists gazing on The Other (Urry, 2002) ...but visual valorization perhaps only a temporary phenomenon (Book, 2003)

Moving from Maya to Empiricism

Observation as Dominance (Patin, 1999)

Tourists gazing on The Other (Urry, 2002)

...but visual valorization perhaps only a temporary phenomenon (Book, 2003)

Touristic Hyperrealism, Pre-Computer

The Grand Tour: Nonessential travel as edification Reconnection with nature, “The Wild”, the Sublime (Stewart & Nicholls, 2002)

Nonessential travel as edification

Reconnection with nature, “The Wild”, the Sublime (Stewart & Nicholls, 2002)

Retro VR: English Gardens An “improved” version of Nature A recollection of GT experiences Organized as Views Real yet Unreal “ Englishness”

An “improved” version of Nature

A recollection of GT experiences

Organized as Views

Real yet Unreal

“ Englishness”

National(ist) Parks (Patin, 1992) A frame that comprises “the discourses of tourism, nationalism, romanticism, expansionism, and religion” (DeLuca, 1992)

Thus Nature Idealized, Hedonized, Commoditized Hovardas & Stamou (2006) Turnhout, et al (2004)

Hovardas & Stamou (2006)

Turnhout, et al (2004)

And the Virtual, made Virtuous? Engaging effects of virtual tours (Utterson, 2003; Book, 2003) Attachment to virtual tours (Book, 2003) Preservation via virtual tour (Krug, n.d.)

Engaging effects of virtual tours (Utterson, 2003; Book, 2003)

Attachment to virtual tours (Book, 2003)

Preservation via virtual tour (Krug, n.d.)

Or More Villainous? Sea World: corporate fantasy veneer of concern consumption of images anthropocentric visions Davis, Spectacular Nature , 1997

Sea World:

corporate

fantasy

veneer of concern

consumption of images

anthropocentric visions

Davis,

Spectacular Nature , 1997

Machiavellian Museums? Mitman (1996) on the obsession with visual recreations of nature in museums, backgrounding the human role, reflecting the growing importance of the camera: “an omnipresent and omniscient Being: invisible, yet ever watchful, ready at any moment to intervene and impose divine justice. They had become the divine arbiter, ensuring the police of nature."

Mitman (1996) on the obsession with visual recreations of nature in museums, backgrounding the human role, reflecting the growing importance of the camera: “an omnipresent and omniscient Being: invisible, yet ever watchful, ready at any moment to intervene and impose divine justice. They had become the divine arbiter, ensuring the police of nature."

Nature in Computer Games Opel & Smith (2004) decontextualized animals commodity culture animals as customer attractions Jones (2006) on SL

Opel & Smith (2004)

decontextualized animals

commodity culture

animals as customer attractions

Jones (2006) on SL

So: Do representations of Nature in SL reproduce hegemonic anthropocentric/ consumerist/ hedonistic notions? Focused on aquatic environments Convenience and snowball sampling (keyword searches, lists and guides, talking with avatars, scanning maps)

Do representations of Nature in SL reproduce hegemonic anthropocentric/ consumerist/ hedonistic notions?

Focused on aquatic environments

Convenience and snowball sampling (keyword searches, lists and guides, talking with avatars, scanning maps)

Emergent Types: Pastoral Idylls more than Wilderness (Turnout, 2004) Tropical Islands (Book, 2003) Critical / Ironic “ Realistic” / Educational “ Stark abyssal plains” (Robertshaw, 2006)

Pastoral Idylls more than Wilderness (Turnout, 2004)

Tropical Islands (Book, 2003)

Critical / Ironic

“ Realistic” / Educational

“ Stark abyssal plains” (Robertshaw, 2006)

A Note on SL Biophysics Rain slakes no thirst Wind and gravity, but no currents or tides Night/day rhythms Terraforming

Rain slakes no thirst

Wind and gravity, but no currents or tides

Night/day rhythms

Terraforming

Nature Objects Large default library of plant life Linden Plants a special category of prim The three-prim plant (Honjo, Lim & Meruta 1999)

Large default library of plant life

Linden Plants a special category of prim

The three-prim plant (Honjo, Lim & Meruta 1999)

Plant library

Splash aquatics store

Splash aquatics store

Splash aquatics store

Bora Bora atoll

Bora Bora atoll

Bora Bora atoll

Chi’s pond life

Chi’s pond life

Chi’s surf beach

Chi’s aquarium

Click here for disaster

Click here for disaster

Click here for disaster

Click here for disaster

Dams without damage

Dams without damage

Realistic reefs

Realistic reefs

Realistic reefs?

Realistic reefs?

Realistic reefs?

Realistic reefs

Cf. Capability Brown’s work at Blenheim Palace

waterfalls

and falls

and falls … from no basin

in fact, it’s just the basement

fishing for profit

fishing for profit

fishing for profit

fishing for profit

fishing for profit

fishing for profit?

sinkhole model

“ biocultural resources”

“ biocultural resources”

Center for Water Studies

ANWR

Calleta Infohub

Calleta Infohub

Conclusions SL Nature: For human use or edification Can preserve, yet trivialize the voiceless (O'Neill, 2001) or extrahuman (Latour, 2006) Can convince while misleading (Orland, et al, 2001; Lange, 2001) Can resist, a la Greenpeace (DeLuca, 1999) Future: (auto)ethnographies of builders?

SL Nature: For human use or edification

Can preserve, yet trivialize the voiceless (O'Neill, 2001) or extrahuman (Latour, 2006)

Can convince while misleading (Orland, et al, 2001; Lange, 2001)

Can resist, a la Greenpeace (DeLuca, 1999)

Future: (auto)ethnographies of builders?