The document discusses digital ethnography research conducted in Second Life. It describes the researcher's avatar, which was designed to resemble them. Definitions of ethnography, digital ethnography, and the researcher's chosen artist are provided. Methods of data collection discussed include content analysis, comparative analysis, and interpretation. An interview transcript with the artist documents the creative process and collaborations. The analysis finds that Second Life allows for narratives that can be understood across distances and increase understanding between individuals.

1. Digital Ethnography
Lands Unnoticed
Julian Johnson
Professor Strokrocki
Spring 2018 Avatar name: jejohn35

2. CONTEXT
I tried getting my avatar to look as close to me as possible. Going
in I didn’t think the game would accomodate for every detail I
desired. My Avatar exists in this virtual world as a version of me.
My avatar looks like a clay model molded after me. My Avatar
sounds like he’s constantly walking on a marble floor. He feels like
a flexible clay material without bone. My Avatar smells like the
fumes of warm plastic.

3. Definitions:
Ethnography:
The detailed study of human social working.
The data collected in contemporary
ethnography is mainly based on field work
Digital Ethnography:
The process and methodology of doing
ethnographic research in a digital space.

4. Artist:
The artist I chose is Mary Strokrocki.
Her installation located at the non
profit commons features the Art Ark
and a school in the sky.

5. Methodologies
Data collection is a process of recording an event and
gathering pertinent information. Following are some
suggestions for collecting data.
Content analysis is a search for conceptual themes or
patterns of meaning both scientific and emerging. Content
analysis also entails writing data summaries, clustering data
to form relationships, condensing information to the most
significant meanings, and writing stories (Huberman &
Miles, 1994, p. 429).
Comparative analysis is a process of interrelating
findings or explanations in one class session or several
class sessions to form [suppositions] propositional insights.
Interrelation consists of both internal analysis (within your
own study) and external analysis (comparisons with other
cases and the related literature).
interpretation, a process of translation of texts, which is
as old as the Bible itself. Many types of interpretation exist:
psychological, historical, legal, religious, and symbolic. The
process of interpretation is similar to a detective searching
for clues and establishing facts. Interpretation is concerned
with uncovering the multi-layered meanings of a
phenomenon and understanding them more deeply.

6. Data Collection
[18:14] jejohn35: jump right in?
[18:14] Marylou Goldrosen: How did I get started on SL?
[18:15] jejohn35: perfect
[18:15] Marylou Goldrosen: In 2006, I was mentored by my grad
student who wanted educational resources for her Floaters group
and meeting place on SL. My painting illustrations for children's
book, Lindsey's Desert Surprise, are collaged at Floaters.
[18:16] Marylou Goldrosen: What kind of artist are you outside of
Second Life?
[18:17] Marylou Goldrosen: Well, my first degree was in
Commercial Art, so I am a designer and Editor of 2 college
yearbooks and a website director for 6 years. My photos are well
edited in my research studies and I illustrated children’s books for 6
years (remember Floaters “Lindsey’s Desert Surprise. What is
remarkable about this book is that I did 3 research studies with
children. The book inspired them to draw their favorite ecocritter
and write a story about it. One study was just published in
Canadian Review of Art Education.

7. Content Analysis
What is Art?
She is a designer/editor and illustrator
How made?
The artwork was originally a screenshot of her
avatar’s face and was blown up to a larger photo.
She then cut out the background and made it into
a PNG.

8. Comparative Content Interview
What is your
name?
Who is your
avatar?
Artwork Title What kind of
Art? Art
Style?
Why make
it?
How was it
made?
Process?
Who do you
Collaborate
with?
Mary
Strokrocki
Marylou
Goldrosen
Lizard of
ARS
Digital To question
the duality of
artist and
It was
originally a
screenshot
that was
enlarged.
The
background
was then cut
out and
placed into
second life.
Published with
graduate
students and
teachers at ASU.
Renee Emiko,
Zinnia Zauber on
Hue R U and on
Nonprofit, at
their National Art
Ed Conference
in SL and in real
life

9. Comparative Analysis and Conclusion
In Second Life, Mary is a teacher and artist who believes art as a whole is overlooked in some
cases. The naked eye isn’t the only tool used when understanding art. What is also needed is
creative thinking and a receptive mentality. As said in Sanchez’ ‘Implementing Second Life:
Ideas, Challenges, and Innovations’ Second life gives many people a way for a narrative that is
digestible to the masses. A conversation between two individuals who are thousands of miles
away is impressive alone, but the understanding of those individuals is even more outstanding.

10. URLS
Lands Unknown
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Storybook/164/129
/105
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Plush%20Nonprofit
%20Commons/127/23/27
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Plush%20Nonprofit
%20Commons/129/19/498
Cay’s Cafe
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Pismo%20Beach/1
69/188/24
Arc de Triomphe
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Paris%20Eiffel/7/1
63/25