Bonus Mission #2: Want to Start Afresh Anyone?

Just a week ago, I started using Second Life (SL). The signing up procedure for SL was interesting and fun. I think I enjoyed the name selection part the most. As the days went by, everyone in class was hooked up on SL and had started exploring its virtual land.

Second Life is a 3-D online virtual world where avatars do the kind of stuff real people do in real life: Buy stuff, sell stuff, gamble, listen to music, buy property, and flirt.

BUT IS IT A GAME?

To be honest, when I first started in SL, I thought that it was a game. Furthermore, this week’s topic for Com125 is “Online Gaming”. So I simply assumed it to be the latest ‘technological game’ (if there’s such a term?). However, it is not a game (shocked!!!)

WHY IS SL NOT A GAME?

The mainstream press has struggled with how to characterize Second Life. The term “3-D online virtual world” doesn’t roll off the tongue as easily as the term “game”. Linden Lab, the company that created the platform that is Second Life, is definite that their creation is not a game.

“There is no manufactured conflict, no set objective,” says spokesperson Catherine Smith (Second Life, 2007). I agree with Catherine Smith. SL has no objective, scores, winners or losers, levels, an end-strategy, or most of the other characteristics of games. In my opinion, it is an entirely open-ended experience. Everything is totally under your control or decisions.

Communication

I feel that the means of communication itself sets it apart from being deemed as a game. Avatars converse either through local chat and global "instant messaging" (also known as IM). IM is used for private conversations, either between two avatars, or between the members of a group. This is not exactly a characteristic of a game.


Creation and Copyright

Another thing that makes SL to be beyond entertainment is this ‘Creation and Copyright’ feature.

It is true that Second Life lacks a designed conflict and end objective. Nevertheless the real difference between games like “World of Warcraft,” “The Sims” or any other game Second Life is compared to is this: Linden does not create the content. The residents build everything there. The residents themselves are an example of user generated content.

The primary source of activity in this economy is the residents building virtual buildings, landscape, vehicles, furniture, and machines to use, trade, or sell using the 3-D modeling tool. Once the creation is in the world of SL, the system makes efforts to help protect the exclusive rights of the ‘content creator’. This is exactly what happens in our real lives too. The creator can mark an item as "no copy," which means that no copies of it can be made by others, "no mod," which means that others may not modify the item's characteristics, and "no trans," which means that the current owner may not give it to another.

Business Oriented

SL has its own economy and a currency referred to as Linden Dollars (L$). Residents create new goods and services, and buy and sell them in the SL virtual world. There are also currency exchanges where Residents can exchange US$ or other real world currencies for L$ through their credit card lines. Residents (avatars) also gain a certain amount of net income from this economy. Residents also engage in buying and selling off land. This demonstrates a real form of business taking place in SL as legitimate transactions are taking place. SL allows users to create an economy of their own.

Furthermore, a combination of Linden Lab granting Second Life Residents the copyright over their content, and legal trading of the in-world currency "Linden Dollars" (L$) has encouraged the creation of solely in-world businesses and the creation of legally registered companies that were previously solely in-world. In addition there is also the in-world participation of previously unrelated companies and organizations.

For example, the Swedish Institute have mentioned of wanting to set up an Embassy in SL (Second Life, 2007). Once again, this shows how SL not only reflects but is merging and becoming one with the real world.

In Conclusion

In my opinion, the business world created in SL is the most crucial factor that points out that SL is more than a form of entertainment.
For me, it is just like another life. Another world, where I can choose my location, appearance and actions. It is not a game but a place where I can erase the current and start afresh!

References

Second Life. (2007, April 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:40p.m, April 4, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Second_Life&oldid=120268909

Second Life (2007). In Second Life What is Second life?. Retrieved 1.15a.m, April 5, 2007 fromhttp://secure-web11.secondlife.com/whatis/

Business Week: My Virtual Life (2006) Retrieved April 3rd 2007 from http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_18/b3982001.htm

QotW10: NEW ATTRACTIVE EXPERIENCE!

AT MORRIS- NEAR THE ARK

WITH EUNICE (ME IN GREEN)


Just a week ago my friend Cheilla came out of my lecturer’s office mentioning about ‘Second Life’ being our next blogging assignment. Though I did not pay much attention to what she was saying, I soon received an email from her to join ‘Second Life’ (SL). Soon I had my own account and had started to explore the world of virtual reality.


My Avatar (CAN YA SPOT THE REFLECTION ON THE MIRRORS?)

My name in SL is Francessca Ronmark. I have always loved the name Francessca and have a lovely 3 year old cousin in the States with that name. However, “Ronmark” was not my first choice. My initial choice of ‘Rossca’ was rejected and for this reason I settled with Ronmark (however, it is my granddad’s middle name).


My avatar relates to me in a couple of ways. Firstly, my avatar is a young female- just like me! Since I prefer to dress casually, I dressed Francessca (avatar) in that way too. Though I like the color lime green, I have always felt that it would look too bright if worn out. Hence, I chose the lime green top for my avatar. I also made sure that my avatar wore the type of jeans with similar cutting and style as mine.

Whenever I am overseas, I love to try on different types of snow caps. I am crazy about them. On the other hand, using one in Singapore would probably make me look ridiculous due to our humid and unpredictable weather. So I chose an avatar that already has something similar to a snow cap on. I went on to darken the already red hair to make it blend with the color of the clothing. I made the eyes larger and the features sharper to match my physical appearance. Oh yes, as all my friends are well aware, Maria never leaves home without her high heels!Therefore, Francessca needs to have a pair too.

Well, the only description that does not match me is the short hair (my hair is long and curly). However, it does not bother me as I think the short hair makes my avatar look great. Haha !

ME DOING THE HULA DANCE- (NEAR THE AREA THAT REMINDS ME OF A PARK)

Location

The location I am in is known as ‘Morris’. I was teleported there by Cheilla. I think that it is a great place with an excellent architecture. I still recall how the ‘Orientation Island’ was more like a castle area to me. It was dimly lighted and I felt kind of trapped trying to complete it. However, ‘Morris’ is bigger and more spacious. The place is brighter and more filled out with the other users.

The structure of the location is interesting. It has mirrors at weird locations and a really strange looking dragon model. I like walking out to the open part of the location which reminds me of a park (no longer around) I use to frequent when I was younger. The atmosphere is refreshing. Sadly, after a while I often got dragged into the ground and can never discover how to stop it. Anyway, I just found out that it happens whenever I am out of sync with the rest of the users in the location.

I would like to end off by saying that SL is an attractive new experience.