are 494 digital ethnography

1. International Spaceflight Museum
DIGITAL ETHNOGRAPHY

2. WHAT IS ETHNOGRAPHY/ DIGITAL
ETHNOGRAPHY?
Ethnography: The study of human
races and culture. You learn about the
different ways that an individual or
the society of that culture interacts
with others with in and without of
their society. You also learn many
things about their culture, like their
art, language and lifestyle, all while
trying to remain detached from the
society.
Digital Ethnography: The same concept
except using digital means.

3. STAGES:
• Data Collection
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.
Content Analysis: Accurate data
collection is important because as it
helps to ensure the integrity of
research. It also makes it easier to
assist other researchers in re-creating
the same experiments and getting
accurate results. The way data
collection is perceived depends mostly
on what is being researched and the
focus of the research/ study.
(wikipedia)

4. STAGES: (CONTINUED)
• Comparative Analysis:
The item-by-item comparison of two or more comparable
alternatives, processes, products, qualifications, sets of data,
systems, or the like. In accounting, for example, changes in a
financial statement's items over several accounting periods may be
presented together to detect the emerging trends in the company's
operations and results. (business dictionary)

5. QUESTIONS TO
ASK:
• what Artwork Forms
and Methods do they
use?
• What are their Art
Preferences?
• How did they make the
art piece?

6. CONTEXT AND ATMOSPHERE: INT. SPACEFLIGHT MUSEUM
• Very flat area with little vegetation mostly shaped more to the
building as a way to make space for all of the structures with in the
building. The building has an open top for sunlight to shine through
and has an area for many people to be seated in case there was a large
presentation going on. This Space Museum is also surrounded by
many different space shuttles that are amazing and very well placed.
There are also a lot of other things within the building that have been
placed to inform many of the participants about spaces shuttles, space
rovers, and many other things that involve space travel.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Spaceport%2
0Alpha/83/152/23

7. DEMOGRAPHIC
This museum was focused towards anyone who had an interest in space and everything
surrounding space travel or research. It was really amazing how they had it all setup and
how there many things to do and many models to observe. They had everything from
satellites to rovers to Space shuttles. I thought it was really cool how they showed the
transitions of a space craft going from flight mode to landing mode. For me this was a
very amazing experience to behold because I really enjoy anything that has to do with
space or the NASA program, so this was a good chance for me to see what it would be
like to experience something like this in secondlife.

8. INTERVIEW
• The artist that I chose for was
Ruby York. I chose her
because she was a really
interesting individual who
comes from a diverse
background. She also works as
a mesh designer and does help
many people out in SL but does
not do it as a means to have a
business it is usually on
request. I found her by asking
a group if anyone would be
willing to let me interview me
and she was one of the few
that responded back. She has
also worked on many things for
the creators of the game Sims
2, and now teaches a class
how to use Maya and
Autodesk.

9. INTERVIEW[20:19] J64Hoff: ok
[20:20] J64Hoff: so what kind of art do you make?
[20:20] RubyYork: I make mesh assets and environments for video games
[20:20] J64Hoff: thats pretty cool!
[20:21] RubyYork: Thanks! The pay is shit.
[20:21] RubyYork: :-)
[20:21] J64Hoff: lol is it something that you enjoy doing?
[20:22] RubyYork: Yes, I do. It took a while to adjust my pattern of thinking to 3d, but the range of colors and materials I can use made th e transition way
worth it. There is only so much you can convey with traditional media
[20:23] J64Hoff: Thats true
[20:23] J64Hoff: I actually really enjoy using digital medium
[20:24] J64Hoff: is this something that you are part of in secondlife as well in real life?
[20:26] RubyYork: I doodle in Second Life, I build things for other people to sell. I don't really have any interest in being an "SL designe r". I provide a lot of
stuff for "SL Designers". The irony is, I design the things they need, because they want to be where 'I' am at. I feel like applying my skillset to this place
would be like using a medical degree to paint houses.
[20:26] RubyYork: But I do doodle for fun. And it is sort of fun.
[20:26] J64Hoff: What memorable responses have you had to your work?
[20:27] J64Hoff: it canbe both in SL or out of SL
[20:27] RubyYork: Let me think
[20:27] RubyYork: Oh, the Sims2
[20:28] J64Hoff: Sims 2?
[20:28] RubyYork: I did some basic asset work for Electronic Arts, and it was sort of plunky, very basic shapes, stupid materials. But SO many people
played that game, I was sort of astounded by it.
[20:28] RubyYork: yeah, let me find you a link
[20:29] RubyYork: http://www.ea.com/the-sims-2

10. INTERVIEW[20:19] J64Hoff: ok
[20:20] J64Hoff: so what kind of art do you make?
[20:20] RubyYork: I make mesh assets and environments for video games
[20:20] J64Hoff: thats pretty cool!
[20:21] RubyYork: Thanks! The pay is shit.
[20:21] RubyYork: :-)
[20:21] J64Hoff: lol is it something that you enjoy doing?
[20:22] RubyYork: Yes, I do. It took a while to adjust my pattern of thinking to 3d, but the range of colors and materials I can use made th e transition way
worth it. There is only so much you can convey with traditional media
[20:23] J64Hoff: Thats true
[20:23] J64Hoff: I actually really enjoy using digital medium
[20:24] J64Hoff: is this something that you are part of in secondlife as well in real life?
[20:26] RubyYork: I doodle in Second Life, I build things for other people to sell. I don't really have any interest in being an "SL designe r". I provide a lot of
stuff for "SL Designers". The irony is, I design the things they need, because they want to be where 'I' am at. I feel like applying my skillset to this place
would be like using a medical degree to paint houses.
[20:26] RubyYork: But I do doodle for fun. And it is sort of fun.
[20:26] J64Hoff: What memorable responses have you had to your work?
[20:27] J64Hoff: it canbe both in SL or out of SL
[20:27] RubyYork: Let me think
[20:27] RubyYork: Oh, the Sims2
[20:28] J64Hoff: Sims 2?
[20:28] RubyYork: I did some basic asset work for Electronic Arts, and it was sort of plunky, very basic shapes, stupid materials. But SO many people
played that game, I was sort of astounded by it.
[20:28] RubyYork: yeah, let me find you a link
[20:29] RubyYork: http://www.ea.com/the-sims-2

11. INTERVIEW
• [20:29] J64Hoff: wow thats awesome did you enjoy working for EA?
• [20:30] RubyYork: I was just one of many people who worked on it, but it was really fun to see it come together.
Now when I say I worked on it, people are like "Oh my god I LOVED that game!" and thats always nice to hear.
• [20:30] RubyYork: Ehhh, no, not really, no.
• [20:31] J64Hoff: Professionally, what’s your goal?
• [20:32] RubyYork: EA is a fine company, but they have a way of squashing out anything amazing. The directors
are very...how do I say this...controlling. Its sort of like the policy for amazing concepts to be dumbed down, so
the least of the mesh monkeys can keep up on the project. I think they don't WANT their customers to expect too
much, because then they may have to hire artists for more than 9 dollars an hour.
• [20:32] RubyYork: My goal...shit.
• [20:32] RubyYork: I don't even know.
• [20:32] RubyYork: Ride it till the wheels fall off?
• [20:33] J64Hoff: I see, do you currently work for EA still?
• [20:33] RubyYork: The industry is in such a strange state of flux right now, its hard to say what my goal would
be, if any. I would have to say survival is the number one goal. Keep your nose clean and stay away from
interstudio drama, that can kill a career forever.
• [20:35] RubyYork: No, I don't work there anymore, I left on good terms though. I went home, hung out on the
rez for a few months, learned Z brush, took my cert program to teach Autodesk Maya.
• [20:36] J64Hoff: oh cool do you do most of your work in Maya?
• [20:36] J64Hoff: and also What do you like about your work?
• [20:36] RubyYork: Yeah, Maya is a HUGE piece of my workflow. Its also the industry standard.

12. CONTENT ANALYSIS
• What’s Their Art Form?
• She does most of her work in Maya and mostly works in RL then SL , but she does
enjoys working for people in SL as well.
• What is their favorite artwork?
• Her favorite work that she has done has been in for electronic arts working on the
mesh for Sims 2. She really enjoyed it because everyon always says “omg. I love
that game!”, and it’s really awesome to hear that people enjoy what she got to be
apart of.
• What was her background?
• She grew up in a very religious and educated home, her parents always made sure
that she was well educated and that she knew her stuff. She was also mixed culture
being born of a Caucasian father and Native American mother giving her a
perspective from three different points.

13. COMPARATIVE ANLALYSIS
• Ruby York, is very cool person and
is definitely bound to leave an
impression on you. She has
definitely been through a lot of
experiences that has made her who
she is today. She enjoys making art
in her form because it gives you a
really good feeling when you can
make something from nothing and
have something in the end. When it
comes to MAYA she says she loves
sitting down on a whim and just
literally create an entire world, down
to the smallest detail. She also
mentions that this can definitely give
on a “God Complex.”

14. CONCLUSION
• Second life is definitely a world within a world and many people enjoy it because of that. It
gives you a chance to check out from your own world and visit another world, and this is
not including the countless amount of worlds with in secondlife already.
• I have definitely met some interesting people and it is truly amazing to see that you can
make some sort of a business on secondlife, it’s surprising that many people do make a
business on here. I have learned many things about secondlife and realized that there is a
lot diversity, many people from many different backgrounds and cultures.