Second Life: Nirvana or conflict? Sanjana Hattotuwa InfoShare

Qiu Chengwei stabbed Zhu Caoyuan in the chest when he found out he had sold his virtual sword for 7,200 Yuan (£473). June 2005

Why I am interested in Second Life “ It’s not a game” Second Life is to date the only MMORPG allowed to auction virtual items on eBay The commerce is real Over 1.5 million residents logging in the last 60 days / Over 5 million residents Over US$ 2 million spent within SL in the last 24 hours The interest is real Global media, think-tanks, global corporations, political parties, the Department of Homeland Defense, Governments, civil society are all in it

“ It’s not a game”

Second Life is to date the only MMORPG allowed to auction virtual items on eBay

The commerce is real

Over 1.5 million residents logging in the last 60 days / Over 5 million residents

Over US$ 2 million spent within SL in the last 24 hours

The interest is real

Global media, think-tanks, global corporations, political parties, the Department of Homeland Defense, Governments, civil society are all in it

New Communities

Characteristics Neutral Ground Individuals are free to come and go as they please. In online games, players are not obligated to play; joins and quits are not significant events. Leveller An individual’s real world identity (individual or group based) are not always as significant as they are in the real world. Players on online games use a separate avatar often unrelated to their real life person, and social status is rarely invoked. Conversations Depending on the nature of the sim, conversations play a crucial role in communications within Second Life.

Neutral Ground

Individuals are free to come and go as they please. In online games, players are not obligated to play; joins and quits are not significant events.

Leveller

An individual’s real world identity (individual or group based) are not always as significant as they are in the real world. Players on online games use a separate avatar often unrelated to their real life person, and social status is rarely invoked.

Conversations

Depending on the nature of the sim, conversations play a crucial role in communications within Second Life.

Characteristics Accessibility & Accommodation Second Life allows avatars to log on and off at will. There is always somebody online, though the hours of commerce are sometimes determined by the time-zone of the person A Home Away from Home Rootedness, feelings of possession, spiritual regeneration, feelings of being at ease, and warmth.

Accessibility & Accommodation

Second Life allows avatars to log on and off at will. There is always somebody online, though the hours of commerce are sometimes determined by the time-zone of the person

A Home Away from Home

Rootedness, feelings of possession, spiritual regeneration, feelings of being at ease, and warmth.

Community characteristics Social bonding: Bridging - when individuals connect with those from different backgrounds. The advantage if bridging social capital include gaining access to new information and resources. Bonding - when individuals that are already close provide support for each other, making the relationship stronger. In a sense, bridging provides breadth while bonding provides depth.

Social bonding:

Bridging - when individuals connect with those from different backgrounds. The advantage if bridging social capital include gaining access to new information and resources.

Bonding - when individuals that are already close provide support for each other, making the relationship stronger.

In a sense, bridging provides breadth while bonding provides depth.

Open Source Foundation SL released as Open Source its viewer code in January 2007: More complex scripting and automation Richer interactivity Better, faster, more stable viewer for a wider range of computing platforms

SL released as Open Source its viewer code in January 2007:

More complex scripting and automation

Richer interactivity

Better, faster, more stable viewer for a wider range of computing platforms

Political activism Every single major candidate in the US and French Presidential elections is on Second Life, along with their political parties The UK Independence Party has promised to open a SL office The US Congress is in SL

Every single major candidate in the US and French Presidential elections is on Second Life, along with their political parties

The UK Independence Party has promised to open a SL office

The US Congress is in SL

What I’ve proposed Sims for peacebuilding, negotiations, reconciliation Sims for future scenario building - one sim for each scenario played out in SL with representation from key political stakeholders Linking diaspora - sims that connect diaspora to local communities Mediation training - sims that help teach mediation and negotiation techniques, and test them out Language training - sims that use avatars to teach language

Sims for peacebuilding, negotiations, reconciliation

Sims for future scenario building - one sim for each scenario played out in SL with representation from key political stakeholders

Linking diaspora - sims that connect diaspora to local communities

Mediation training - sims that help teach mediation and negotiation techniques, and test them out

Language training - sims that use avatars to teach language

Challenges - Technical Scalability: Reports earlier this year that Linden Labs servers can only accommodate between 50 - 100 avatars in one place at the same time. Bandwidth Almost unplayable in Sri Lanka / Since most users in the US, low-bandwidth versions will not be a high priority Computing power High-end CPU, high-end GPU, oodles of RAM

Scalability:

Reports earlier this year that Linden Labs servers can only accommodate between 50 - 100 avatars in one place at the same time.

Bandwidth

Almost unplayable in Sri Lanka / Since most users in the US, low-bandwidth versions will not be a high priority

Computing power

High-end CPU, high-end GPU, oodles of RAM

Social & Political challenges What if violence in the real world spills over into virtual communities in Second Life, or more disturbingly, vice-versa? Privacy, identity, location, ODR Does my skin colour matter? Re-creating the real world in Second Life - how real should simulations get?

What if violence in the real world spills over into virtual communities in Second Life, or more disturbingly, vice-versa?

Privacy, identity, location, ODR

Does my skin colour matter?

Re-creating the real world in Second Life - how real should simulations get?

Other challenges The copybot challenge to copyright The “grey-goo” attack - criminal incarceration? Sex with children (well adults as children) and the imposition of real world morality What is the framework for the imagination? How deviant can we be?

The copybot challenge to copyright

The “grey-goo” attack - criminal incarceration?

Sex with children (well adults as children) and the imposition of real world morality

What is the framework for the imagination? How deviant can we be?

“ I personally think that SL is indeed a part of what will bring about world peace, through greater communication and understanding . But it cannot be the peace of the graveyard, the peace of silenced dissenters in mass graves, or the ethnically cleansed, the peace of anonymized and erased differences that in fact should remain meaningful and must be managed, not muted. It cannot be the peace of closed forums. It has to be a democratic, just peace. What the world’s hideous armed conflicts have told us is true at home as well as abroad: no justice, no peace . Work more on justice in Second Life; the peace will begin to come of its own accord; the two are inseparable. ”

“ I personally think that SL is indeed a part of what will bring about world peace, through greater communication and understanding . But it cannot be the peace of the graveyard, the peace of silenced dissenters in mass graves, or the ethnically cleansed, the peace of anonymized and erased differences that in fact should remain meaningful and must be managed, not muted. It cannot be the peace of closed forums. It has to be a democratic, just peace. What the world’s hideous armed conflicts have told us is true at home as well as abroad: no justice, no peace . Work more on justice in Second Life; the peace will begin to come of its own accord; the two are inseparable. ”

Thank You !