2. Digital Ethnography:
Winter’s Gallery
Do you remember the 50s?
Gwendolyn Davies Avatar: Gwynllian
Jacob Fendley Avatar: JacobFendley
Ashley Neuman Avatar: WasteOfPaint
Professor Stokrocki
Spring 2014
SL URL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Summer%20Heat/16/178/21

3. Definitions
Ethnography – The descriptive study of a particular human society. Contemporary
ethnography is based almost entirely on fieldwork. The ethnographer lives among the
people who are the subject of study for a year or more, learning the local language
and participating in everyday life, while striving to maintain a degree of objective
detachment. He or she usually cultivates close relationships with “informants” who
can provide specific information on aspects of cultural life. While detailed written
notes are the mainstay of fieldwork, ethnographers may also use tape recorders,
cameras, or video recorders. Contemporary ethnographies have both influenced and
been influenced by literary theory.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
Digital Ethnography - Digital ethnography is the study of online communities and human-
technology interactions through the use of qualitative research methods. There is no
universal approach to digital ethnography, and there are diverse methods to learn
from.
https://www.edelmandigital.com/

4. Data Collection - Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information on
variables of interest, in an established systematic fashion that enables one to answer
stated research questions, test hypotheses, and evaluate outcomes.
www.wikipedia.org
Content analysis - Content analysis is a technical research tool used to examine the presence
of specific terms, words, concepts, or themes in media. It is usually broken down into two
categories of analysis: conceptual and relational. Conceptual analysis looks for reoccurring
themes and concepts. Relational analysis is analyzing relationships of concepts within the
text. Relational analysis usually follows conceptual analysis and examines relationships
within one or all of the conceptual categories. Content analysis is used in many fields
including marketing, psychology, sociology, and political science, cognitive science, gender
and age issues, and ethnography and cultural studies. It helps reveal differences in
communication content across cultures.
https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~palmquis/courses/content.html
Comparative analysis - Comparative analysis is the method of comparing and contrasting two
or more concepts found within the data collection, content analysis and research
literature.

5. Second Life Newbies
We were all new to Second Life when we started this course. As a
group, we decided to explore the many different locations on
Second Life, which brought us to an installation based on Alice in
Wonderland. This installation was created by Winter Wardhani, an
artist and curator from Portugal. We wanted to learn more about
Winter and the work that she has done on Second Life, which lead
us to her gallery and attached installation which she uses for
gallery openings and special events. After exploring this island on
our own, we reached out to Winter to learn more about her work
and experiences on Second Life.

6. Context and Atmosphere
When arriving at Winter’s Island, you land on the beach. It appears to be a private
beach with a hammock for napping. As you look around, you notice that there are various
inviting areas to sit in. There is a large building with many glass windows around the exterior.
This is Winter’s gallery, where she shows mostly unknown photographers within Second Life.
She currently has a show up highlighting themes from the 1950’s. After walking in the doors,
there are monumental size prints of photographs displayed throughout the gallery, all looking
like they were taken in the ‘50’s. To the right are a couple of ’50’s diner booths where groups
can sit to chat. The space is bright and casual creating an inviting gallery space. The pieces
seem to flow well and speak to one another.
As you leave the gallery and go to the right, there is an elaborate installation, which
currently has a ‘50’s theme to coordinate with the gallery showing and has a dance floor for
social gatherings. As you walk into the installation, it appears as though you are walking
down the main street of a small town during the 1950’s. Even for someone young, who has
never experienced the ‘50’s, it has a distinct feeling of nostalgia. At the end you may choose
to enjoy the dance floor, complete with a juke box or, if you prefer, you may go sit and talk in
the diner.

7. Winter
SL Avatar: Winter Wardhani
RL Name: Ana Duarte
RL Location: Portugal
SL Location: Winter's Gallery
SL Art: Digital Photography and Gallery
Curation
Winter’s avatar is a very attractive, stylish
brunette with large blue eyes. Though her
pictures on Flicker indicate she changes her
fashion and hair style frequently, she is always
a brunette. She is very casual and
approachable. She is very open and easy to
talk to. Her excitement for SL and the
opportunities in this world are evident. She is
eager to share her knowledge of the culture.
We found her to be a great source of
ethnographical information as well as
practical advice for newbies to SL.

8. Winter took us on a tour
of her gallery....
She explained the
cooperative effort of the
current 50's themed
digital photography
show. She was also happy
to tell us about her
personal SL journey, how
the art community works,
and answer ethnographic
questions about second
life in general.

9. Interview Summary
Winter is not an artist in RL, however SL gives her the opportunity to take
part in the art community through her own work and the promotion of the work of
others. This platform allows her to participate in a culture she may not otherwise
be able to be influential in or actively participate in. Winter uses her gallery to
promote new and unknown artists on Second Life since, like in Real Life, finding
the place and opportunity to get artwork out to the public can be challenging in SL.
Winter is also very active in promoting and participating in the art community on
SL as a whole. She told us about numerous artists and galleries worth seeing and
has a blog about art and locations on SL.
Winter feels the only limitations one has in SL are those imposed upon
yourself. She feels SL has helped discover new skills and develop many areas in her
life including her photography hobby and overcoming stage fright in ways she
couldn't in RL. It is also a great forum for meeting and collaborating with people
from all over the world. This also makes it much easier to collaborate and set up
shows for the gallery than it might be in RL. Winter utilizes many other social
networks to reach out to other on SL.

10. Data Collection
What new interests have you
found since beginning SL?
“Well, I overcame my stage freight
here when I started giving classes
and although I give private classes
for ages, on a one to one basis I
discovered I can really speak to a
public and that helped my RL a lot. I
also learned how to be more
tolerant with people and not to
judge the book by the cover”

11. Data Collection
What are some challenges you find
with using SL to display art?
“Here is not easy either, mainly to
spread the word about your works…
most people become known due to
their blogs or to their photo galleries
on Flickr and Koinup… in what concerns
photography, of course the network
you build here is also important but it is
much easier than in RL, you just have
to have a piece of land and you can
show your work…”

12. Data Collection
...So, this is not your first gallery? do you still have your
previous galleries?
“No I don't... This is my third
Gallery.. I started with gallery LX,
which is now curated by Ibrahim
Bates and Tary Allen... I left the
island where LX was and rented a
homestead and build Owl's Eye
there... They just exhibit works of
known artists ...The exhibition they
have there now is gorgeous...”

13. Data Collection
Are there any subcultures or groups that exist only on SL and are only
possible because of SL? that you know of, that is...
“... lots of subcultures like the Furries, Gore,
Vampires, Mermaids, you have cos-play, trekkies,
medieval communities, steam punk... a nasty
place with role play of rape and torture...
whatever you can think of it exists here. You also
have people role playing children... they use child
shapes, skins and clothes and they act as a ___
year old. I once asked a girl in IM, so that she
wouldn't get out of character (OOC) ,why she
was doing that, and she said she had always been
in foster families and that she felt here, for
the first time what it was like being part of a
family....”

14. Our exploration took us through the whole gallery showing titled “Do you
remember the 50s?”
This nighttime picture of a luminescent diner, with a “50's” sign pointing
within, is the cover photo for the for the show and does a great job of
summarizing what you will see inside the gallery. It, like the rest of the
photos of the show was taken in Second Life by Ana Maria (ana.vhargon).
The original location is not disclosed.

17. Content Analysis
Who and Where Avatar: Winter Wardhani
SL Location: Winter's Gallery
Winter's Art Curates Gallery and Photography (All made in Second Life )
Gallery Collaborative themed exhibitions of New/Unknown SL Artists
Correlation to Real
Life
Only a love of art
Team - Flor – Photographer
- Chagal – Master Builder/Photographer SL & RL
The team forms ideas for shows and sends challenges to Artist for
submissions
Art in SL Only limitation is yourself
Other Media Used - Facebook
- Google+
- Koinup
- Flickr
Installations Next to gallery can be used as a standalone exhibit like Alice in
Wonderland. This installation preceded Do you Remember the ’50’s.
Or complimentary to gallery for opening receptions

18. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS &
CONCLUSIONS
"Digital ethnography incorporates new technologies in the study of online films, platforms, digital games, blogs,
and virtual worlds, to name a few. Possibilities are endless..." (Stokrocki, Qualitative Research) In addition to her gallery
and photography in SL, Winter maintains a blog called Warm Winter Nights. Winter has also been a second life mentor
since February 2007 and sees the opportunities she has had there as things that have helped her develop confidence in
RL. She also believes that anything is possible in SL, the only limitation is yourself. She makes friends in SL but those
friendships often cross over into RL. She spends a lot of time on SL and the blog connects her RL with SL. The main intent
of the blog is to share interesting, unknown locations both through word and photography just as her gallery is to
promote unknown artists on SL. Some of her offerings are places but many highlight artist and art installations such as
the Red Shoes Exhibit that was recently on SL, but is no longer showing in SL. This show was based off of a show that was
touring museums in RL. In this way she uses her blog as an outlet very similar to how she uses her gallery. “A third way is
visual analysis in which researchers search for common themes of uploaded artworks or those already on a website, Blog,
or on Flickr.” (Stokrocki, Qualitative Research) Winter uses her blog, her Flickr and her gallery in Second Life in similar
ways across all three forums. She sees her photography in SL as a way of saving and remembering her life there much the
same as we use photography in RL. She also uses Flickr to share her SL photography. Her photography is vibrant and
enchanting. She uses beautiful color and skillful compositions as well as special effects and creative angles to create a
beautiful portfolio. While Winter does not call herself an ethnographer, based on Stokrocki’s description of ethnography
her work in Second Life is very ethnographic. “Through ethnography, we watch others build or construct and transform
such things as their avatars, homes, businesses, curricula, and/or installations, which requires patience for capturing and
storing information. Ethnography is a process and product of everyday documentation of an event, and a picture of a
group's way of life (Wolcott, 1988, p. 188). Mentoring individuals is a good way to start participant observation pilot
studies.” (Stokrocki, Qualitative Research)
Warm Winter Nights Blog: http://wintersights.wordpress.com/about/
Flickr: Winter Wardhani: https://www.flickr.com/photos/winterwardhani/

19. Sanchez discusses the ability for students to use Second Life
as a platform to role-play and have experiences through
someone else’s eyes. SL gives you unlimited customization
options for your avatar and while some people try to make their
avatars resemble themselves in real life, many other chose
alternative forms. During our interview with Winter, she told us
about an avatar that she came across that had the form of a
child and also spoke with child-like language. Winter wanted to
learn more about the inspiration behind role-playing a child and
sent her a private message so that she would not have to get
out of character (OOC). Her reply to Winter was that she had
always grown up in foster homes and that she felt like being on
SL was the first time where she was part of a family. SL can be
completely life changing for some people and it can allow them
to explore their own identity.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS &
CONCLUSIONS

20. Sanchez talked about difficulties with how time consuming
Second Life can be. Anyone that works in the art community
knows that this is also true in RL, but it is especially true of artists
on SL. SL artists have to spend many hours planning, managing,
creating, and networking. In our limited experience on SL we
also found that it easy to lose track of time in this virtual world .
Winter Wardhani told us that she spends about 4 hours a day on
SL, a huge commitment for someone who doesn't make a living
on SL. The shear amount of hours she puts into her work reflects
the dedication she has to both Art and Second Life.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS &
CONCLUSIONS

21. The End