:: Netwoman ::

:: Friday, November 24, 2006 ::

New Masters of Digital Media Program

I just wanted to pass on some information about a new Master's program - one of the many hats I wear is that of a Virtual Research Consultant for the Centre for Digital Media at Great Northern Way Campus in Vancouver, British Columbia. On Saturday, November 25th, 2006 the Masters of Digital Media (MDM) program at the Great Northern Way Campus will host an Open House for prospective students from around the globe in the online metaverse ‘Second Life’, where a Virtual Centre for Digital Media building is currently under construction. This event will be held in conjunction with a Real Life Open House taking place simultaneously at Vancouver’s Great Northern Way Campus. At both events, potential students will learn about an innovative graduate program in digital media planned to launch in September 2007.

More information can be found online here:

http://www.gnwc.ca/mdm/
http://www.mastersofdigitalmedia.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnwc

To view the building of the virtual CDM in Quicktime.

Here is a link to the flyer.

If you have a chance, it would be great if you could forward this email and flyer to anyone who might be interested in the program, and perhaps you can post the flyer in your department.

:: Netwoman 11:05 AM [+] ::
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To Wii or not to Wii - that is the Question

It's that time of year again - the time when gamers start to pant and drool at the new consoles, games and gadgets. It's heaven for geeks - myself included.

The big question this is year is - PS3 or Wii - I already have Xbox 360, but ufortunately lately, it's been sitting there because we've all gone to the PC for Virtual Reality. Nevertheless, the thought of a (another) new console was appealing but what did I really want next out of my gaming experience?

I like PS2 and it seems natural that I would want to continue with it. I would want to compare it with the Xbox 360 of course - but really that tells me that it's the same gaming experience. What can the Wii offer me (said She sheepishly)...Here are some snipits of how it's different:

The Controller
"To make gaming as accessible to people of all ages and all abilities, Nintendo wanted to create a controller that was as inviting as it was sophisticated."

"Contoured to perfectly fit a player's hand, the Nunchuk builds on the simplicity of the Wii Remote and goes an extra step to meet the needs of gamers."

What we have here is not only a system designed to accommodate different skill sets - this could be beneficial to jr gamers (likely women in my demographic?) or people who have never gamed before (again, would that be women?). Barriers to gaming (and gaming design) can be challenged by diversifying game play in a way that makes it fun and appealing to everyone (or most). This would be a marketers dream come true - a whole new demographic of people to sell games to. But anyway, it's about the needs of the gamer - whoever that may be.

I am almost convinced to buy a Wii for Christmas...AND it's not over 700 bucks. The price is ridiculous. If nothing else, this price is exclusionary - sets up barriers of class; not everyone can afford this - this is elite. Will gaming be more about socio-economic status then (and) gender?

But again, what can PS3 offer me that I don't already have? It just doesn't seem to appeal to me...is this a design issue?

OK so I'm convinced. It's Wii for Me.

I started thinking about the potential of the controller:

In a tennis game, it serves as your racket you swing with your arm. In a driving game, it serves as your steering wheel. For first-person shooters, the Wii Remote acts as your weapon that you point at an enemy. The list of potential uses goes on and on.

Wow. I'm totally curious. How will this work? I envision myself jumping around the living room knocking stuff over. I think about how I will have to move stuff out the way - rearrange the living space for the gaming space. Interactive media. I create my own gaming experience

Why limit this to the television? What about this kind of remote for the PC? Interchangeable usage with the PC (and then I don't need a remote for my itunes). Interactive with the PC - Minority Report comes to mind. I could work with my multiple windows (usually about ten) much easier I think and much more fun. of course, then I thought about Second Life and how having a controllor like this (imagine with two hands - wow) would totally change my virtual experience. The animations would be replaced with me actually waving to someone or laughing. Granted I couldn't do the back flips or run across a Sim (but good exercise-hmm-but then I would really need an entire room for my Second Life). This could certainly change Role Playing Sims as well - less text - more action. Fun sword fight, cool Karate duels. I almost feel like I'm training for the military (from Doom to Virtuspheres to this?).

Imagine what this could do for the escort services, strippers and prostitutes - then we will really see a the US Dollars Spent number jump on the main SL website. Imagine the opening of virtual fitness clubs, dance studios and whatever else we can think of. ya ya, I know - I think I've seen this in Landmower Man, but I wonder if the road Wii is taking us on will lead us to in-home virtual spaces, and truly interactive gaming (virtual - but very real) experiences. Or, it could totally be a flop - like the Nintendo Power Glove or Playstation's Guncon (which I LOVE). The didn't really catch on. Maybe we weren't ready. It will be a fun adventure.

Joanna Robinson's thoughts on the future of gaming...

A New Style of Gaming
Wii will break down that wall that separates video game players from everybody else.
Wii will put people more in touch with their games … and each other. But you’re probably asking: What does the name mean?
Wii sounds like “we,” which emphasizes this console is for everyone.
Wii can easily be remembered by people around the world, no matter what language they speak. No confusion. No need to abbreviate. Just Wii.

:: Netwoman 5:56 PM [+] ::
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Second Life - Media

Eszter Hargittai sent me a link to this article in Business Week:

Second Life Lessons
You may have heard the hype about popular 3D online universe Second Life, but setting up shop there presents unique challenges
For real-life companies from Warner Bros. (TWX ) to Adidas (ADDDY ) to Intel (INTC ) seeking to brand themselves as hip and forward-thinking, virtual community Second Life has quickly become a trendy marketing and advertising outlet. Opening virtual offices or shops, selling and market-testing digital replicas of products, and creating 3D online personas or "avatars" in Second Life are becoming items on the to-do lists of those eager to tap into the nascent market.

Very cool overview of virtual worldsat this slide show:

Life After (Or Before) Second Life
There are plenty of sites similar to the much-hyped, avatar-populated, virtual world. Your business may feel more at home in one of these:

Yeah, yeah, you've heard over and over that the 3D online virtual world Second Life is a forward-thinking platform where real-world businesses can market digital versions of their goods and build their brand recognition among the young and tech-savvy. But more than a decade ago, the concept of pixellated parallel universes where users created customized avatars, socialized, and even paid real currency for digitized goods had already existed. And today, amid the hype surrounding Second Life and its growing popularity, it's easy to overlook other three-dimensional online worlds — many with “populations” dwarfing that of Second Life and potentially signifying larger audiences for brands.

Some statistics about Second Life from Steve Rubel - his recap:

* Second Life citizenship grew 995% just this year.
* Commerce, a more important statistic, rose to $9M, up 287% this year
* The male/female split is close to even -57 to 43%
* Finally, more than 55% of citizens hail from outside the US.

More can be found at Business Week.

:: Netwoman 1:07 PM [+] ::
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Rave in Second Life
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

Rave Adventures In Second Life

I was in Second Life last night and went to a Rave at a club. Everyone was dressed up and we danced to the techno-tunes with our glow sticks. I had a 'rainbow sphere' that enclosed me in this cool coloured globe, so I decided that my first slide show for SlideShare would be from the rave. You can see my pink tu-tu sticking out here and there. The only problem with SlideShare is that my slide transition doesn't work, neither does any music that I have for the ppt. So, to get the full effect - you have to click the arrows quickly hehe. But it's neat anyway...Have a look.
I was thinking this would make a cool ipod commerical...

:: Netwoman 3:42 PM [+] ::
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Real Life & Second Life Education
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

Real Life & Second Life Education

Well, that didn't take long. SlideShare has a wealth of useful and interesting stuff. There's a great SlideShow about Teens & Video Games and there's a SS about Mobile Gaming Options. This picture is one of the slides from the presentation.

What you see here is a 'real life' lecture taking place, and the laptop you see in the front shows the same lecture taking place in Second Life. They've made the SL room almost identical to the lecture taking place in the physical world. I think this is huge in terms of future initiatives for education and learning - among many other things.

:: Netwoman 4:54 PM [+] ::
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Goodies

Jeremy Hunsinger recently told me about an online game called Meridian 59. It's been around since 1996. Here's some info on it:

About Meridian 59
Meridian 59 is an online role-playing game (RPG). Online RPGs are also referred to as MMORPGs, MMOGs, and other acronyms. It's a very confusing bit of alphabet soul for a very cool concept: you will get the opportunity to meet and interact with hundreds of other players in a computer game. But, you will find your favorite RPG elements in the game: you can wield swords and shields and cast spells in order to vanquish horrible monsters, run quests for citizens of the various towns, explore areas while searching for adventure, and build a unique character that can be recognized for his or her individual heroic actions by others. You will make friends, perhaps make some enemies, and have fun playing in a fantasy world.
Are you...
Someone who does not regularly play computer games but enjoys socializing online.
Someone who enjoys computer games but doesn't know much about online RPGs.
Someone who has played other online RPGs besides Meridian 59 before.
Someone who played older versions of Meridian 59.

So, an interesting combination of social interaction and gaming, but quite structured - and therefore different from SL. Although, there are sims in SL that do have this - so the potential is there, but it's just not the only thing SL is about.

SlideShare

I recently discovered SlideShare from the people I blogged about earlier who are researching SL and identity. I had a look at the site, and I have to say it's pretty cool. This is a good place to put up lecture stuff for class - among many other things....

How are people using SlideShare?

Teachers are uploading their own slideshows and also asking students to upload their assignments to SlideShare so that parents can see their work.

Conference organizers are uploading presentations from their conferences.

People are uploading photo slideshows to memorialize a wedding or other special event.

If you are bored, check out the humour on SlideShare. There's tons of it there!

Very cool, I'm off to create an account and see what I can find.

:: Netwoman 4:38 PM [+] ::
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CDM Nov 18th, 2006 - Interior
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

The outside of the CDM building is coming along, the builder - Scope Cleaver - is starting to work on the interior. You can see the big screen here, where we will be showing some videos of the program and the build itself.

:: Netwoman 2:54 PM [+] ::
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Link Round-up & Interesting Things

From Danah Boyd - Announcing the MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media and Learning Initiative:

The MacArthur Foundation has been an amazing source of inspiration for me. As many of you know, my dissertation research is funded through a large grant by the MacArthur Foundation to my advisors to investigate Kids' Informal Learning with Digital Media. Well, the MacArthur Foundation has decided to take it to the next step. On Thursday, i had the fortune to be in New York for the launching of MacArthur's broader initiative on Digital Media and Learning. All sorts of folks gathered at the launch - press, academics, educators, policy makers, non-profit leaders, corporations, etc. - to celebrate the new $50M launch. The President of the Foundation spoke and then three grantees - Mimi Ito, Henry Jenkins, and Nicole Pinkard - discussed the significance of this research.

Second Life & Identity

Some interesting presentations on the construction of identity in virtual spaces such as Second Life. Check out "Can you See the Real Me?" by Mark Bell and "The Avatar as Communication" by Dr Angela Thomas | Anya Ixchel.

An article from the Toronto Star: No man is an online island

One U.S. study suggests men are losing friends thanks to the Internet. Another study says the Web can enhance your social life. Bottom line: men need friends
Nov. 12, 2006. 01:00 AM CHRISTIAN COTRONEO
The isolation of William Wagner didn't happen overnight. In fact, it took decades for his network of close friends to shrink.
Bright, outgoing and bristling with big ideas, Wagner nevertheless finds himself at 35 with precious few friends he would consider confidants.
"I have one very good friend that I've had for the better part of 10 years, from the navy, and any number of casual acquaintances," says the Toronto filmmaker.
The 35-year old is not alone. A study conducted by sociologists at Duke University in North Carolina and the University of Arizona suggests that men are losing close friends thanks to long, demanding work schedules and the pervasive appeal of the Internet.
Published earlier this year in the American Sociological Review, it's the first survey in 19 years specifically looking at friendship in the United States.
It's also part of a massive new area of research being pursued by academics and marketers alike — the effects of the Internet on human psychology.
Sociologist Lynn Smith-Lovin, who co-authored the friendship report with Miller McPherson and Matthew E. Brashears, compared data from 1985 and 2004.
The result? Men admitted to having nearly one-third fewer close pals than they did in 1985 — a mean average of 2.08 compared to 2.94.

Article from Statistics Canada: Our lives in digital times

Digital technology did not create "the paperless society" that many had predicted, at least not yet, but it does have people communicating more than ever, according to a new assessment of the impact of information and communications technologies (ICTs).

The study, published today in the Connectedness Series, examines some of the expected outcomes expressed about the widespread use of ICTs in everyday life when these technologies were introduced, and shows that some of them have so far not materialized.

It finds that some of the key outcomes of ICTs are manifested in shifting behavioural patterns, including communication and spending. For example, patterns of communication are changing and people are talking on the phone and using email more than they ever have.

Educators explore 'Second Life' online - November 14, 2006 By Grace Wong

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The classroom of the future isn't on a college campus. It's in the virtual world of "Second Life."
In "Second Life," virtual residents -- cartoonish-looking characters controlled via keyboard and mouse -- create anything their hearts desire.
Also known as avatars, the residents start up businesses, stage their own concerts, sell real estate and design fashion lines. Reuters news agency even has a correspondent based in the cyber community.
A growing number of educators are getting caught up in the wave. More than 60 schools and educational organizations have set up shop in the virtual world and are exploring ways it can be used to promote learning.
The three-dimensional virtual world makes it possible for students taking a distance course to develop a real sense of community, said Rebecca Nesson, who leads a class jointly offered by Harvard Law School and Harvard Extension School in the world of "Second Life."
"Students interact with each other and there's a regular sense of classroom interaction. It feels like a college campus," she said.
She holds class discussions in "Second Life" as well as office hours for extension students. Some class-related events are also open to the public -- or basically anyone with a broadband connection.

Avatars at the Office More Companies Move Into Virtual World 'Second Life'; Ugly Bosses Can Be Models By EMILY STEEL
November 13, 2006;

Ad agency Leo Burnett is building a facility to encourage collaboration among its 2,400 creative staffers around the world, but employees won't have to leave their desks to get there. The company's new "Ideas Hub" is located in Second Life, a popular three-dimensional online computer world.
Increasingly, businesses, particularly in the advertising and media industries, are opening virtual offices in Second Life as an internal communications device, a way to keep their fingers on the pulse of the fast-changing digital landscape -- and as a tool to recruit tech-savvy employees. By using Second Life, agency staffers, especially older ones or those who may be uncomfortable online, can experience the virtual world first hand, making it easier to respond to clients looking to design campaigns for new media platforms.

Families in Modern Society - Too close for comfort by Stephanie Coontz

Ever since the U.S. Census Bureau released figures last month showing that married-couple households are now a minority, my phone has been ringing off the hook with calls from people asking: "How can we save marriage? How can we make Americans understand that marriage is the most significant emotional connection they will ever make, the one place to find social support and personal fulfillment?"

I think these are the wrong questions - indeed, such questions would have been almost unimaginable through most of history. It has only been in the last century that Americans have put all their emotional eggs in the basket of coupled love. Because of this change, many of us have found joys in marriage our great-great-grandparents never did. But we have also neglected our other relationships, placing too many burdens on a fragile institution and making social life poorer in the process.

SimTeach: Information and Community for Educators using M.U.V.E.'s
Multi-User Virtual Environments

:: Netwoman 3:10 PM [+] ::
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CDM - Nov 15th 2006
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

It's coming along....CDM - Nov 15th, 2006.

:: Netwoman 12:39 PM [+] ::
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World Usability Day

World Usability Day, November 14, 2006, is for everyone who's ever asked these questions. This Earth Day style event, focused on raising awareness and visibility of usability engineering and user centered design, is currently being organized by volunteers and local event coordinators from around the world. Whether a usability professional or just an enthusiastic (or frustrated) user, each participant is making a contribution to "making life easy".

Check out the website.

:: Netwoman 3:51 PM [+] ::
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Who do you look like?

From Florence Chee - I found myheritage.com - a site that shows you what celebrity you look like. This is mine:

:: Netwoman 12:43 PM [+] ::
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CDM - Nov 13th, 2006
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

Virtual Centre for Digital Media Building - Nov 13th, 2006.

:: Netwoman 1:00 PM [+] ::
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CDM - Nov 12th
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

Virtual Centre for Digital Media Building - Nov 12th.

:: Netwoman 4:15 PM [+] ::
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CDM Nov 11
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

Virtual Centre for Digital Media Building - Nov 11th.

:: Netwoman 4:14 PM [+] ::
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Novell to Get $348M from Microsoft

You might've heard about this already:

Novell on Nov. 7 published additional details about its agreements with Microsoft concerning Windows and Linux interoperability and patents.

It seems the company is receiving an up-front payment of $348 million from Microsoft, for SLES (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server) subscription "certificates" and for patent cross-licensing.

Other related articles:

Microsoft, Novell Make Peace over Linux:

Additionally, the two long-warring companies will create a joint research facility at which Microsoft and Novell technical experts will architect and test new software solutions and work with customers and the community to build and support these technologies. At this center, developers will focuses on three major technical areas.

The first of these is virtualization. The companies will jointly develop a compelling virtualization offering for Linux and Windows. During the press conference in San Francisco announcing this deal, Jeff Jaffe, Novell's chief technology officer, said the result will be to enable Windows to run under Linux and Linux to run under Windows.

Also:

Virtualization has become a hot topic in IT circles over the last few years. IDC predicts that the total market for virtual machine software will be $1.8 billion by 2009.

:: Netwoman 1:37 PM [+] ::
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Microsoft mapping goes 3D

Microsoft on Monday unveiled a new, downloadable browser application that brings the photorealism and maneuverability of gaming into its online mapping and local search service.

In Virtual Earth 3D, which is part of Microsoft's Live Search, users can "fly" over cities and in between buildings just like they do in virtual-reality environments, like that found in the online 3D world of Second Life. However, in the Microsoft interface there are no avatars, and the buildings, roadways and geographical landmarks depicted are replicas of real urban landscapes rather than versions of a community based on fantasy.

But Virtual Earth 3D does include fixtures that might not necessarily be visible in the real world: "virtual billboards" float above buildings with advertisements on them as part of a pilot advertising program, said Stephen Lawler, general manager of the Virtual Earth group. For instance, Fox has a virtual billboard hovering above the AMC cinema in downtown San Francisco. Other advertisers are Nissan Motor, Zip Realty and John L. Scott realty.

:: Netwoman 4:43 PM [+] ::
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Nov 9th - Virtual Centre for Digital Media Building
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

Virtual Centre for Digital Media Building - on November 9th.

:: Netwoman 2:33 AM [+] ::
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Nov 8th - Virtual Centre for Digital Media Building
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

Virtual Centre for Digital Media Building

Here's a shot of what SL builder - Scope Cleaver - have been up to. The progress on the Virtual Centre for Digital Media Building in Second Life is well underway....

:: Netwoman 12:59 PM [+] ::
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Virtual Centre Nov 7th Evening
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

The Building Begins...

This is the Virtual Centre for Digital Media Building being that is being built in Second Life - on Nov 7th in the evening. It's amazing to see how quickly the builder puts it all together...

:: Netwoman 12:55 AM [+] ::
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Tracy & Joanna Under Construction
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

Constructing Virtual Spaces

The SL builder - Scope Cleaver - has been working hard on the Virtual Centre for Digital Media Building. JoannaTrail Blazer and I stopped by to see how it was going - here we are in our construction hats amd hammers :)

We're getting ready for the Virtual Open House for the new Masters of Digital Media in Second Life on Nov 25th.

:: Netwoman 12:21 AM [+] ::
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Virtual Office
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

Virtual Office in Second Life

I felt that I needed an office space for my av in SL to work - so I created some office space for me (TracyTrail Blazer). Here I am in my new Virtual Office at the computer - where you will generally find me in RL as well.

Now I have a place where I can do my SL work. I also have a sitting area to stream movies and there's a meeting room - complete with a flat-screen TV mounted to the wall (with a slide show of Tracy's academic adventures in SL) and kitchenette with an expresso coffee maker :)

I share my office space with fellow Virtual Research Assistant JoannaTrail Blazer who has her office on the other side of the 'building' and there's a large gallery in the middle of our offices where we can hold symposiums, meetings or whatever!

:: Netwoman 8:51 PM [+] ::
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My Class in SL
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

Higher Education and Second Life

I am teaching a course called "The Information Society" at Brock University, and on Thursday the topic was Viritual Realities & Gaming. I decided to have my class in Second Life to talk about the role of VR in the information/knowledge/network society.

I asked students who had laptops to bring them to class - though they had to try and download and install SL first, as SL doesn't run on everyone computer/laptop. Most of the students had laptops and many had already created their accounts. Those who didn't have them shared with others, and I projected my SL onto the overhead projector. Other's who hadn't created their accounts did so in class and they wrote their RL name and SL name on the board so that we could add each other as friends. The students had a great time customizing their avatars and taking a tour of SL.

We started off at San Diego State University where we spoke to someone there; we moved on to a theatre group - Shakespeare & Co - to a Dance Club in the UK - to the International space center - to a Telus store. It was quite the adventure. My students were quite surprised at what there is to do in SL - how this VR is much like RL...

At the end of the class, I took this snapshot of a couple of students - and JoannaTrail Blazer who helped me navigate my students when I had connection problems at the university.

I would really like to do this again, and even more so start to hold lectures, seminars or tutorials in SL. The problem is making sure everyone can run SL on their computers/laptops - some won't have either - and the universities are often strange about installing new software on their machines...but something to try and get them to do....have to think more on this later - but what a fun experience!

:: Netwoman 8:40 PM [+] ::
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