- Done painting for the night, basement floor scrubbed, about 90% done with house chores. Tired. #
21
Dec 07
Twitter Updates for 2007-12-21
20
Dec 07
Twitter Updates for 2007-12-20
- @isfullofcrap Listening to juel remotely, but can’t log in! #
- @alizasherman Thanks!! #
- Is Twittermail broken? I haven’t gotten a summary in days. #
- @richpalmer Good to know, maybe I’m just cursed! #
- One of those search terms that you don’t know will bring NSFW results on google images: changing rooms #
- Still trying to digest @wporter’s post about WoW and SL http://tinyurl.com/38gxqo #
- Hey, I see Crap on TV! #
- @hmason They returned the object with no warning and no communication? #
- @hmason That is so lame. 🙁 #
- @spin did you switch AGAIN? #
- @spin and did you see @hmason’s tweets yesterday about a vendor being returned from Casablanca? #
- @hmason @spin @ordinal @goldiekatsu LL enforcement is so sporadic/uneven, but that makes no sense #
- @hmason @spin @ordinal @goldiekatsu Not sure how the hat is offensive, let alone broadly. #
- @ordinal – @hmason will be posting more details later, I gather it was a military hat. #
- @ordinal er should say posting more details later today on her blog, will link to it when I see it #
- @hmason Good heavens, are you kidding? And yes, you’re right to be concerned about academic freedom. #
- @rubaiyat @hmason It doesnt have a swastika, it looks like a military cap to me. #
- @rubaiyat Search google images for military hat and similar styles pop up http://tinyurl.com/yszae6 #
- @rubaiyat nods, I can see the issue too, but it seems the burden to censor should be more than.. #
- @rubaiyat .. "it looks similar to a nazi hat, when it also looks similiar to zillions of non-nazi hats. #
- Livingroom painting is DONE. Yay. #
- @skydaddy re: cory, nope no discussion at zero’s office hours #
20
Dec 07
SLMetrics Presentation by Ann Enigma
Metaversed brings another great event with Ann Enigma giving an overview of how the SLMetrics traffic and analytics data mapping for your sims. See http://www.slmetrics.com/login.php for more info!
posted by Fleep Tuque on Metaversed using a blogHUD : [blogHUD permalink]
20
Dec 07
Zero Linden Office Hours
A menagerie of residents at Zero Linden’s office hours today. Quite a number of rude noobs in the audience, unfortunately.
posted by Fleep Tuque on Grasmere using a blogHUD : [blogHUD permalink]
19
Dec 07
Is that a spinning upside down couch, you say?
Why yes, yes it is.
posted by Fleep Tuque on Hollywood using a blogHUD : [blogHUD permalink]
19
Dec 07
Attending the SLCN.tv Holiday Party!
Starr looking gorgeous, Beyers Sellers in a top hat, and Wiz in a… elf getup? Ooh going to give out awards!
posted by Fleep Tuque on Hollywood using a blogHUD : [blogHUD permalink]
19
Dec 07
Update: Open Letter to SL Skin Designers
Dear Skin Designers of Second Life:
I am writing to alert you to a problem that you may not be aware of, since it has likely been a very long time since you were a newbie. I and many other educators are working with faculty and student populations to make them aware of the benefits of Second Life for teaching, learning, and research. Many of these folks have little to no previous experience with gaming or virtual worlds, and find the Second Life learning curve pretty steep. This isn’t a newsflash, I’m sure, but what might be is this:
There are virtually NO fully transferable skins for folks who wish to have an african, latino, asian, or other non-white skin type.
I have looked. I have been to all the freebie barns, stores, islands, OnRez and SLX, and every other source suggested to me.
There are, of course, many such skins for sale, but for educators like myself who are attempting to ease hundreds of new users into Second Life, it would be awfully nice to also be able to offer them some diversity of skin choices in our freebie avatar packages.
What does it say about our community if there are dozens of male and female white avatars that can be given to new users for free, but none for non-white skin types?
I know that many of you DO offer freebies at your stores, and that is very commendable, but that also requires the skill level needed to use search or find landmarks in inventory, teleport around, purchase and unpackage boxes, AND the time it takes to hunt them down. Skills and time are the very thing that many new students and faculty do not have, and for all of us who are doing our best to bring new users in-world, this is something you could help us overcome.
Please consider donating a fully transferable non-white skin to the cause and help make diversity in Second Life an easy choice for new users. If you choose to do so, let me know, I will be all too happy to acknowledge your contribution here and in-world.
Thanks,
Fleep Tuque
PS I am glad to see I am not the only one thinking about these issues, just today Poinky Malaprop writes about Avatars and Prejudice and asks a very relevant question, via Ren Rennolds at Terra Nova: Do virtual worlds liberate us from prejudices, or reinforce dominant stereotypes?
I would argue that virtual worlds enable us to challenge dominant stereotypes, but it’s all in how we choose to use the tool. Perhaps I need to re-think my own avatar choices as a result of this conversation. Thanks Poinky!
PPS Thanks to Celebrity Trollop of Second Style Fashionista for a possible lead on a transferable skin, I’ll follow up and report back!
18
Dec 07
Twitter Updates for 2007-12-18
- Here’s the NPR story on the FISA bill, seriously people CALL YOUR SENATORS: http://tinyurl.com/3awhhu #
- No immunity for telecoms who conspired to spy on us, no to expansion of warrantless wiretapping powers! #
- Cory goes to Google Worlds? Anyone have a link on that? #
- Crap. Bush’s phone immunity demand wins initial Senate vote http://tinyurl.com/2muzar #
- But wait! Senate delays government spying bill until January http://tinyurl.com/3abcre #
- Now I’m confused, so what got voted on and what got delayed?? #
- Anyone have a reliable citation for how much Blizzard made on WoW in the last year? #
- You guys have to read this virtual worlds report, some of it is hee-larious. #
- "What are your goals for next year, Mr. CEO?" "TO TAKE OVER THE WOOOOOORLD." #
- @LPT Hehe, some of these responses sound very much like The Brain. 😉 #
- @lyrlobo Wow, that looks like fun, can I be a stowaway? #
- @hmason Hah! Great minds think alike. 🙂 #
18
Dec 07
Fleep’s Take on the Virtual Worlds Industry Forecast 2008
Virtual Worlds Management released an Industry Forecast whitepaper for 2008 today, see the previous post for details to get your own copy.
The group asked 45 virtual world “industry leaders” to answer a series of 5 questions about the future of virtual worlds in 2008. These are fairly open ended questions, what are the top trend predictions, what are your goals, what challenges will the industry face, etc., and from all appearances they took the answers verbatim and pasted them all into a single document, which gives us some interesting insights into the personalities and writing styles of those who responded.
Most Interesting Responses:
Hui Xu, Founder & CEO, HiPiHi Co., Ltd.
Sure, you expect the typical buzz words and market jargon in a report like this, but of all the respondents, Hui Xu’s remarks were the most human and in parts, downright inspiring and hopeful.
Favorite quote:
“Avatars are cute, so is a world with no limits on imagination, but we have to drill down to the essence of human nature and find out how virtual world technologies can really support real human needs.”
Bravo Mr. Xu, I agree.
Brevity Award:
Guy Bendov, Co-Founder, Journeys
How to say the obvious in 10 words or less! Only one really substantive response, the rest are no-brainers.
Favorite Quote:
“Mass market adoption of virtual worlds as a main source of online entertainment will grow.”
Gee, you don’t say?
Paying Attention and Making Sense Award: Erik and Erik
Erik Bethke, CEO GoPets and Erik Hauser, Founder/Executive Creative Director of Swivel Media
Erik Bethke raises the issue of safe spaces for those under the age of 14 and the growing sophistication of internet users who will have less tolerance for clunky interfaces and privacy invasions. He also mentions legal ramifications of EULAs that make promises to the userbase that aren’t being kept. Erik Hauser discusses the difficulty in investing in experimental media in the face of a US recession and creating content that adds value to existing communities. I like plain talk and no footsy around the white elephants in the room.
Favorite Quote: (from Bethke)
“Things like [user councils] are absolutely necessary when you’re talking about a social space, which all virtual worlds are, and yet we’re only starting to see them come about in a formal way very recently. .. If you let the users themselves take ownership for their governing, they’ll catch things and smooth them out before you get in trouble with the law.”
Most Forward Thinking + Fun To Read:
Jerry Paffendorf, Co-Founder and Normative Futurist, WelloHorld
Ok, so maybe it’s a gimme that the only futurist on the list gets the Most Forward Thinking award, and perhaps I am charmed by his direct and colloquial tone, complete with smiley faces, but he’s thinking like I’m thinking and I’m looking forward to seeing what this mindshift will bring, too.
Favorite Quote:
“Unleash the Wello and take over the Horld!”
This is a 36 page document and beyond the generalizations and “how do we make money” analysis, it provides a framework for thinking about what 2008 might bring for those of us invested in the virtual worlds concept. Add it to your Must Read list, for sure.
Thanks to Virtual Worlds Management for providing it, and gratis to boot.