A FIC and Facile Guide to Second Life
by prokofy on 19/04/07 at 8:59 am
By Prokofy Neva, Dept. of Community Affairs
While we wearily wait for Uri’s and Walker’s book to come out (when, Uri, oh, when?!), and while we save up $22.04 US for the expenso Hamlet’s et. al Official Guide to Second Life, we now have the Unofficial Tourists’ Guide to Second Life by the unknown Paul Carr & Graham Pond for only $9.95 US — so you could buy that instead of that first-land account where oops, there’s no more subsidized first land anymore and the stipend in it is only L$300 now!
But is it a good buy? No. I’m amazed that Boing Boing’s Mark Frauenfelder could write such a preposterous blurb like this: “This book is the only guide you’ll need to get past the Second Life hype and find out what all the buzz is about” — when the book makes no effort whatsoever to dig through any hype, especially the subscription numbers controversy, as you can see from the “millions” reference on the jacket. Instead, it’s FIC and facile and corporate and filled with gaffes and errors of the sort that happen when publishers make that unseemly rush to get a paperback like this out to capitalize on the apparently never-ending wave of media hype and corporate greed to be “first” and “best” in Second Life.
No, you’d be better off sitting with your Google reader and following links on planet.worldofsl.com and reading some of the basic Business Week, Information Week, Wired, Time, New York Times, etc. articles on SL — for free of the Internet — to get a basic guide to SL. Unless, of course, you’re one of those people that can never handle a new gadget unless you have a book in your left hand as you mouse-click your way through the menus — in that case, spend more to get the Official Guide.
I had expected so much more because the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, does serious and thoughtful books on history and society and politics, and I figured, unlike publishers of more mass-market popular books, they’d give this particular topic a good treatment. But already I’ve had to endure a little lecture from the editor about going easy on this one, because it’s supposed to be a book for newbies (think of the children!) and it’s well known just how snarky those oldbies get when they feel somebody’s poaching on their long-established turf.
Trust me, oldbie dog-in-the-mangerism is not the problem. I don’t know whether the two authors (Montag Alacrity and Sweetsweet Mincemeat are their avatar names)– were steered by LL or the metaversal sherpas (if so, none of them bothered to proof the ms.) or whether they just happened to naturally gravitate to the one or two well-worn grooves of studying SL, but it shows. They’ve flattered the Herald by calling it “the oldest (and arguably still the best”) of publications in SL, but they must not have ever read it for any sustained period of time.
In the celebrities chapter, they mention Anshe Chung — sure, fine — but then single out only Fizik Baskerville (well, they’re British), Adam Reuters, and Hamlet Linden and then Warren Ellis and his Army of Filth (well, they’re British) as the only SLebrities. Huh? The book contains almost no quotations from any residents interviewed. In a section called “Political People,” they don’t mention Neualtenberg/Neufreistadt at all (it later appears briefly as merely a tourist build to visit), or any other of the numerous political groups related to RL or SL.
Instead, the authors focus on this lame and discredited Second Life Liberation Army which we’ve completely exposed in the story below. Imagine, to have 2 pages on SL politics and take it up with that kind of dreck — and never mention your faithful correspondent hehe! But truly, I don’t judge books by whether they mention the Infamous Antagonist, though Hamlet et. al. thought to mention me and my salon in the Sutherland Dam. Of course from a facile book like this we’d expect a that hardy staple of FIC hagiography, the Prim Tax Revolt, but we’d expect the authors not to skip *entirely* over the years from 2003-2006 with…nothing, and not mention the telehub removal and buyback, and not mention W-hat. The only griefers they mention are something called the SL Alliance I’ve never heard of (have you?!), though the Herald is quoted about it (is this what become the Naval Alliance? Clue me in here).
Where you really have to roll your eyes, however is in the coverage of Copybot. It’s history written by the victors (libsecondlife) but a hilarious mash-up; the authors claim erroneously that the Lindens called in the FBI over Copybot (!), mixing up what had happened a year before the Copybot saga with grid-crashing by Plastic Duck and others, where the Lindens did claim they had contacted the authorities. Get your grid menace facts right, guys!
Continuing in FIC mode, the authors gushingly give Aimee Weber not only a chapter about herself and her studio but one about Midnight City, but then speak repeatedly about “The Big Three”. Now, I’m not an authority on sherpas, but aren’t they called the Big Six usually, so as to capture not only ESC, MOU, and RRR but also IVM and some of the others actually getting in the news a lot, like Keystone Bouchard’s Clear Ink which did the build of Capitol Hill?
These three get absolutely supine fanboy-type obsequenience, with absolutely not a hint of any of the controversy surrounding the topic of the corporate invasion of SL, and with way too much ink describing these empty fairgrounds that we all know have traffic in the low double digits much of the time. That’s just not Second Life.
Where I really, really take exception with this book, however, is the utterly facile, casual, and ignorant portrayal of SL history as merely a short run from the Prim Tax Revolt (Boston Tea Party) to the Gilded Age of IBM and Sony actually skipping over the entire world as it was once made by indigenous residents. I will definitely not be alone in absolutely goggling my eyes out at this eradication of the world of Second Life created by all the thousands of developers as well as ordinary people who not only populated it first, but populated it tenth and one hundred and first and one thousandth and first for 3 years. Here’s a sample passage of the awful glibness with which these two 20-something kewl kids from the UK can do to something like Second Life (pp. 134-135):
Replacing the tax system was a new land model, which basically allowed Residents to pay monthly rent in US dollars on virtual land. This enabled Residents, and real-world companies and corporations, to hold entire islands in Second Life.
In a nutshell, living and building in Second Life became much more economically viable.
The consequences of this were of course immense, with what can be described as a great scramble for land kicking off in December 2003. Indeed Wired magazine equated the rush with the concept of Manifest Destiny within American history, that is, the voracious appetite for expansionism that has so defined America’s ideology since the term was coined midway through the nineteenth century.
Within Second Life, then a period of industry hitherto unknown was embarked upon. Sticking with the American history analogy, we have now moved into the Gilded Age. This culminated in a huge influx of well-established Real Life businesses setting up shop in Second Life. At the time of this writing, IBM, MTV, Microsoft, the BBC, Reuters, Coca Cola, and many, many more have established a presence in Second Life.
The authors go on to give a nod to the “great deal of frustration that corporations have wandered in with sole intention fo exploiting Second Life as a marketing tool for their products. Many residents are of the opinion that the commercialization of Second Life is ruining it…That’s capitalism for you.”
Well, I guess this pair never sat in a town hall or community meeting or office hours with our beloved hippie socialist dope-smoking utopian Lindens and their pets…
Or maybe they have! Because their list of places to visit is the usual predictable roster of your Ivory Towers and Svargas — that’s to be expected – but also some totally unjustified picks of places with zilch traffic like ill-named “Democracy Island”. Some major landmarks are missing, but it almost doesn’t matter, since no SLURLs or coordinates are given for how you can find these items in world (yes, it’s an oldfashioned dead-tree book, but still…)
God knows why these books and articles today mention ‘teledildonics’. Other than qdot Linden, there’s nobody actually *using* the teledildonic thingies…are there? Tell me there’s nobody actually *using* the teledildonics thingies!
If you grabbed this book to try to have imaginary sex online in living, streaming 3-D, you’re going to get very frustrated. The authors don’t give you the list of the most popular sex joints, or even explain that Popular Places contains all the clubs like Barbies and Bad Girls where you can find the…ah…escorts. It tells you about a place called Nymphos, not one of the better-known ones, but doesn’t cover any of the most actually visited free sex beaches. There is absolutely nothing about gay life, and I think in this day and age, in a book purporting to be “unofficial,” that’s simply inexusable.
In the very superficial chapter on Groups, the Thinkers aren’t mentioned, nor any of the other very large groups, like Capture Roleplay. Not one but three Christian groups are mentioned that I can’t be sure even function anymore, other religious groups and then…Duran Duran is singled out, with no mention of the Waiting-for-Godot effect this band has inspired in SL…well, they’re British.
In short a hasty, quickie, facile and superficial book that really doesn’t live up to the expectations fostered by its title. It was really unfortunate for these two authors to have undertaken anything resembling a “history” of SL that would, even accounting for the small space available, so get it wackily wrong and skewed.
As for Key Places to Visit, I’ll invite the reader to think of whether this sums up your second life (keeping in mind that the Shelter was curiously put under “nightlife”):
Amsterdam
Nexus Prime
Svarga
Virtual Dublin
Camp Darfur
Neufreistadt
Pomponion Volcano
Nakama
Jesse
Wengen
Lost Gardens of Apollo
Luskwood
Virtual Hallucinations
Roma
Vampire Empire
Transylvania
Gor
Dark Life
Intimate Moments
To make it even more confusing, this hastily-put-together book interrupts the “key places to visit” with another odd history chapter on the war in Jesse, which I’m going to leave to experts on that war to parse — I don’t think they’ll find it unbiased.
In case you were wondering how a FIC-oriented book could leave out Abbott’s Aerodrome — don’t. It’s just that it got stuck in a later chapter called “Sport, Leisure, and Games” where you can also find Numbakulla and Hollywood and Hearts Enchanted (NeoRealms Fishing). Yes, they explain that “SL is not a game”…
Just to make sure nobody thinks my review here is sectarian, I won’t mention the sheer hash the authors made of the land sales and rental business, making only cursory mention of Anshe as a millionairess, not describing Dreamland, never mentioning Azure Islands, or d’Alliez estates or any other major business (the Independent State of Caledon” is put in the “curios” section), but singling out as “popular rental spots in SL” Legacy Gardens II, Lance Lasalle, Surf Island, and the Lofts at Mill Pond, all nice beach rentals which will now be absolutely inundated with would-be tenants they won’t be able to cope with lol. Oops, I did mention it…
Of course, I need not start in on the book’s secondary title, “The Essential Guide to an Amazing Virtual World–with Millions of Users.” There aren’t any millions of users, as poor St. Martin’s Press is about to find out. Some 200,000 soaking wet spent at least…a Linden dollar last month.
Will this book help usher in the next million? No. Far too many pages are devoted to gushing encomiums to metaversal agencies and their fabulous builds, and on the pages that are supposed to help you, the newbie, you’ll find stuff like “Your first stop after Orientation Island should be the equally-well-named Help Island” (thanks for that pro-tip, guys!) and “click the ‘fly button’ and off you go” (gosh, who knew?). Most people need a lot more hand-holding than that, and need to get some really basic boot-camp stuff like “why can’t I get this box of stuff open” or “why is my hair falling off every time I teleport” or “how do I find stuff”. A basic description of all the SEARCH functions and tips on getting them to work for you is missing.
I don’t know about other midbies like me, or even oldbies who go back to the heady days of Lindenor (when the Lindens still posted your “firsts,” announced events to you inworld, and paid you just for holding a meeting on your property about art), but I think even newbies will feel something hollow inside about entire pages in chapters devoted to things like “Dell” or “Pontiac Island” or “Aloft” or “Duran Duran”. Sure, all those things exist…but to make a *book* about them? And call it the “unofficial guide”? And purport to support tourists?
I’ll be utterly fascinated to see how the hype cycle moves now on this book — how all the paid-for blogs and metaversal sherpas and touts and evangelists promote it. Ultimately, one cannot complain about a book like this. One can only go out and write a better one. So somebody, please do!
Tenshi Vielle
Apr 19th, 2007
If Mark Fraunfelder endorses this book, that’s the only info I need to go out and buy it.
one at a time
Apr 19th, 2007
you sound incredibly jealous that they wrote it before you did….. lol
Nicholaz Beresford
Apr 19th, 2007
Despite suspecting you of “profile neurosis” in the other thread, and despite being slightly annoyed by your zeal in some comments I must say you are a great writer and especially in this article your love and concern for SL really shines. I have not read the book, and I’m trying to see beyond the personal viewpoints and your personal wars, but I have learned more about the history of SL through your writing than through anything else. As said, I have great respect for your dedication to make SL a better world at least … go write a book about SL, I really love your flow of words and the shorebreak of your ideas (although I don’t agree with all of them) … if you write it I’ll promise pre-order it.
Prokofy Neva
Apr 19th, 2007
1. Oh, I don’t doubt for a minute that if I don’t like a book, well, that will actually get a certain grouping of people to pump it and buy it out of spite. Still, I think the real audience for books like this isn’t just brand-new people or prospective users, but people who live in the world already and are dying to see themselves in the mirror. The reflection of themselves by the newer visitors is terribly important to them and they’ll buy even bad books just to fume over them and write corrections.
Yet I can’t help thinking that if Mark read it, he couldn’t possibly have written that line. There’s no “de-hyping” that goes on here WHATSOEVER. I mean, page through it in your local bookstore. One gush after another, of all the sacred relics and icons of SL already long, long ago established by Catherine Linden and the rest of the PR team.
There’s something “up” here with this whole concoction, I just don’t know enough about these unknown players to understand *what* is up. Perhaps someone can dig further? I found it interesting that David Kirkpatrick of Fortune, a month ago, quoted Paul Carr in the article on Coldwell Banker as an expert on land baroning and such — Paul Carr was quoted as utterly trashing the land baron class as filled with charlatans, and was now an “instant expert” just because he wrote this book, which itself is based on a facile understanding of SL. Well, what can you do. There *are* charlatans. I feel there aren’t the huge number of fraud cases that he imagines though. The list of rentals he recommends is completely wierd.
2. I don’t have any “jealousy” about not writing a book. I’d never do a book like this. In fact, I’m not likely to ever write a book. I do sometimes imagine I might release something like “My Letters to the Lindens” in samizdat, but books like these are a whole bunch of work, a real chore to do, and I’d rather get paid to work on them in RL than have to do them on spec around SL.
3. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Nicholaz, but seriously, the methodology for writing a book about this is one that suggests teams of people, or at least lots of summer interns that you put to work doing lots and lots of interviews. That’s the kind of foot-work that Uri and Walker have done. I can’t wait to see their book. I seem to recall a screenshot Walker posted on his blog of a UPS package where he was finally mailing off his corrections, so let’s breathlessly stay tuned…I do have in mind a book about my whole life, but SL would only be a chapter or two most likely in that work.
Isa Jervil
Apr 19th, 2007
ahhh how sad to be British – I forget that SL is just an extension of the good ol’ USofA sometimes….. but then this book is not going to be aimed at the midbies or oldbies (are you sure thats us?) but at those who have not yet dipped a toe iinto the virtual ocean…..
And when the darling little newbs arrive – and struggle through walking, talking and finding a tshirt they like – they will meet someone who will point them at The Free Dove, Yadni’s, Sarah Nerds, money trees and camping chairs. Or they will come for the virtual poker and look a plastic newb forever….. I wish them all luck – and if spending US9.95 (can I gloat for a moment that this is now just five quid (£4.99) – blimey I can spend that in Starbucks and not get half the value) gives them a bit of a push – well what the hell….
Auto Preminjured
Apr 19th, 2007
Let’s discuss the machinima rights to your life story Prok. I can see it now, filmed entirely in SLurround. Throw in some car chases, eye popping 3-D effects, maybe even a scratch-n-sniff card and I think we have a winner at Cannes!
Before you say no, listen to this… I think we can get Torley to play you in the film. I’m not promising anything right now, just sayin’. If I can talk Uri into writing the screenplay, I think we’ve got an Oscar on our hands! YAH BAY-BEEE!!
Call my office and have my secretary, Philip set up an appointment for you to meet with me. Be on time and having already eaten. We’ll talk.
Prokofy Neva
Apr 19th, 2007
Like I said, they’re British…
Hey, have fun with Sarah Nerd, but are you sure she’s still in business? Oh, and they don’t mention her AFAIK.
It really is mind-blowing reading the shopping and freebie sections. “Shopping” in their view consists of Midnight City, Wiccan Shop, and Luskwood, and then Dell, Pontiac, Adidas, Toyota. It’s as if they take that corporate PR stuff for the shopping world of SL. Midnight City is one of the lowest traffic shopping sims in SL. My God, you could be there for 24 hours and figure *that* out.
And freebies? They actually put forth Nissan, etc. as the freebie go-to places. Huh? Yadni’s is mentioned as an afterthought, and New Citizens isn’t mentioned at all that I saw.
I don’t see at all how this book is going to solve the anti-American’s problem of wishing to get beyond what he views as crass American mass taste exemplified by plastic or poker or camp chairs. If anything, it will plunge them far deeper into that hated mass commercial experience. So whether it’s the price of a latte or not, I don’t think it’s a bargain.
Cocoanut Koala
Apr 19th, 2007
“Replacing the tax system was a new land model, which basically allowed Residents to pay monthly rent in US dollars on virtual land. This enabled Residents, and real-world companies and corporations, to hold entire islands in Second Life…
“…Within Second Life, then a period of industry hitherto unknown was embarked upon. Sticking with the American history analogy, we have now moved into the Gilded Age. This culminated in a huge influx of well-established Real Life businesses setting up shop in Second Life. At the time of this writing, IBM, MTV, Microsoft, the BBC, Reuters, Coca Cola, and many, many more have established a presence in Second Life.”
That is awfully glib. It jumps from “Enabled residents to buy land” to “real life businesses!”
I hate the phrase, “established a presence.” What they mean is, “are now advertising in SL.”
Two whole different things going on there. Advertisers versus residents. I really can’t tell at this point who is going to win.
But I do think one or the other will, because they have been tossed into the same pot as if they are the same thing: Residents, who live their lives on SL, and/or make things to use in SL to sell to other SL residents, versus companies who are here to advertise products not usable in SL at all.
Which will prevail? Your guess is as good as mine. But that is probably the main conflict going on in SL right now.
This book seems to be written as though corporation “presence” was the end-all and be-all of the whole thing, and the intervening years can pretty much be glossed over for that reason.
“Yay! Corporations are here! Game over!”
The question is, is the game over? Will the corporations become the majority, and the eyeballs will leave as a result (since few people want to live in Advertising Land)? Or will the corporations languish as people go on living their second lives without giving them much of a thought?
Or will both coexist?
I don’t think both will coexist. Because I think it is impossible to set up a situation where sponsors (the corporations) are treated as nothing but residents (and charged nothing more), when they are anything but residents, and then expect this construct to be a lasting one.
Because the foundation is thus fatally flawed, I think ultimately one or the other will essentially have to go. I could be wrong.
OK, I’ll venture a guess! I will guess that the residents will perservere and the corporations will lose interest.
coco
Diet Coakes
Apr 19th, 2007
For those of you with an open mind, or anyone who wants to find out more, the authors will be doing a talk at the SL Book Fair at The Book Publishing Village this Sunday, 22nd April. You can contact me either by email or IM me for further information.
We will be giving the book away as a free in-world version, so everyone will be able to see for themselves. You will be able to pick up a copy at the Bergman Books stand from Friday 20th April. Falk Bergman has created the Book reader for us, and it will include a surprise feature; something never done before!
(And as a newbie myself, albeit a British one, I find the Guide helpful. SL can be a bit daunting!)
Simon Wagstaff
Apr 19th, 2007
anything glocal in it?
Artemis Fate
Apr 19th, 2007
Hahah I’d love to see Prokofy’s book, would probably be called “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius: The trials and tribulations of the hero Prokofy Neva in the world of dragons” and would be a 700 page rant about how the FIC are constantly after him, stalking him to his house, peeping in his windows, teleraping his children, and making the world a worse place, where brave landbarons only dare pioneer the land, with their leader the brave and kind anshe chung, freeing the newbies of their cheap land and doing what’s best for them by charging them 3 times more. I’m sure you’d have to wash your hands after reading it, it’d be seething with so much hate.
Not that this book seems much better, you are right that if a person wanted a guide of second life, you could google something up much cheaper and faster.
Auto Preminjured
Apr 19th, 2007
That’s what I’m sayin’ Arte! And if it flops in Hollywood (green-screening Torly might present some technical challenges), we can always release it as an “After School Special” type of movie for the kids!
Brace
Apr 19th, 2007
Any Book on SL without Brace Coral in it – is buncha crap and not worth soiling yer eyeballs to even look at the cover
Beverly
Apr 19th, 2007
Nikolaz, I disagree,
Prok’s writing drives me crazy.
I’m not disagreeing just to be disagreeable, but I do want to point this out because Prok does this all the time and I’m hoping will soon stop. Here’s a sentence to consider;
“Now, I’m not an authority on sherpas, but aren’t they called the Big Six usually, so as to capture not only ESC, MOU, and RRR but also IVM and some of the others actually getting in the news a lot, like Keystone Bouchard’s Clear Ink which did the build of Capitol Hill?”
I too would like to learn the history of SL, but can never do so by reading Prok. She doesn’t define her terms or explain any allusions. In literature that’s fine but in journalism it’s sloppy. I can go research the “ESC” and the “IVM”, but the point of good newswriting is to give me the information I need to understand the story without having to go look it all up.
I find that Prok’s sentences are often muddled with pronouns that lack clear antecedents and the woman can’t punctuate to save her life. Here’s another example. It’s a terrific run-on that teachers could use as an example of how not to write for newspapers because it is a run-on, but also because only those very familiar with the subject would have a clue as to what she’s actually talking about. (I didn’t have to hunt for this, it popped up. There might be better examples in the article above even).
“Just to make sure nobody thinks my review here is sectarian, I won’t mention the sheer hash the authors made of the land sales and rental business, making only cursory mention of Anshe as a millionairess, not describing Dreamland, never mentioning Azure Islands, or d’Alliez estates or any other major business (the Independent State of Caledon” is put in the “curios” section), but singling out as “popular rental spots in SL” Legacy Gardens II, Lance Lasalle, Surf Island, and the Lofts at Mill Pond, all nice beach rentals which will now be absolutely inundated with would-be tenants they won’t be able to cope with lol. Oops, I did mention it…”
I’m doing my best to stick to writing and but as style and substance often go hand in hand, I need to mention that it drives me crazy that she’s able to make every story about her. (Though she didn’t explain what it was, I’m guessing she had something to do with the prim tax rebellion? Isn’t she in the land business or something? Didn’t she “jokingly” lament that she’d been left out… a couple of times?).
Prok, for the slower readers like myself, a little less ego and a little more journalism might go a long way.
Thanks
Torin Golding
Apr 19th, 2007
Wow, my little ROMA sim gets a mention? Did they spell it all caps like it is supposed to be? Did they illustrate with any of my intellectual property? I was certainly not contacted by the authors for any info or background. I’m flattered, but wary. I guess I’ll have to pick up the book myself now.
urizenus
Apr 19th, 2007
Good review.
Brendan Recreant
Apr 20th, 2007
I have to agree with Professor Neva on this, I read the ‘guide’ myself, and I wouldn’t even call it an unnoffical guide, as it doesn’t do very well at guiding.
Prokofy Neva
Apr 20th, 2007
Beverly, at $1000 Lindens per article, I can guarantee little else but that I’ll be fairly unbalanced.
Joshua Perenti
Apr 20th, 2007
I’m sure you’d have to wash your hands after reading it, it’d be seething with so much hate.
Seriously LMFAO!!!
Good story, nothing wrong with a little ‘unbalanced’ journalisim
Anonymous
Apr 20th, 2007
__Beverly, at $1000 Lindens per article, I can guarantee little else but that I’ll be fairly unbalanced.__
I’ll be sure to mention that the next time you blast a commenter (who is not beiing pais AT ALL) for their writing style, complete with that link you gave to some manual of writing style.
Never seen a bigger hypocrite in my entire life. On that note, I can’t wait until Uri and Walker’s book comes out so we can watch you drool all over it, simply because it’s bound to mention people you like.
Mark
Apr 20th, 2007
^^ That comment above is from me, Mark. also “beiing pais” should read “being paid”. What can I say, it’s late and I’m bleary-eyed. I’ll bet that The Chicago Manual of Style, or one of the other similar publications, warns against composing while dead-tired.
Isa Jervil
Apr 20th, 2007
Wow – Mr Neva; as a newish reader of the Herald I am impressed your extensive knowledge of SL – surely comparable with the RW in terms of scale and experience options never fails to amaze (and I am so pleased it includes SIMs outside the para-militaristic)- and like offering a ‘Rough Guide’ or even one of those terminally twee ‘Blue Books’ no guide to SL will please all of the AV’s all of the time. Nor include details of every new or closed SIM…
Yes Sarah Nerd is still going strong – re-designed maybe but still there (I was there last night – or for you yesterday morning!).
As an aside I am pleased to see that the usual entente cordiale of SL rarely shows its face in the Heralds articles.
The Libertine
Apr 20th, 2007
Prokofy, I just want you to know that every time you refer to the FIC, I die a little bit inside.
I’m sure this’ll come as nothing like news after the streams of informational terrorists and W-Hatters whose unbounded and childish ire you so artfully provoke, but I’ll be damned if I don’t get images of some sort of strange jackbooted hobo-creature ranting about the ZOG everytime you use those letters.
Nicholaz Beresford
Apr 20th, 2007
Beverly,
I can’t say why exactly, but I relly liked this article. I’ve read a lot by Prok (in comments here), and mostly I don’t get past the first few sentence (sometimes I get as far as even halfway through), but I guess I developled sort of a filter to ignore the high rpm overtones of his personal fights and in many comments/replies little is left when applying this filter.
But this one was different for me. I don’t expect book reviews to be unbiased or journalism, actually I don’t think that is possible. I like the rhythm and flow of the words (although I may not be an authority on that as English is my second language) and after the filter I saw a deep love for this place called SL, which I also feel, and which probably is the reason why Prok seems to fight so hard against everything that he perceives as a threat to it (be it Linden&Friends, corporate presence or griefers). But I actually saw quite little of that in the article (although writing by Prok is always writing by Prok), and the knowledge, dedication and love for SL impresses me.
Nicholaz Beresford
Apr 20th, 2007
Btw, what does FIC mean?
shockwave yareach
Apr 20th, 2007
Nicholaz: Feted Inner Core (FIC) — a reputed secret clique of movers and shakers that supposedly have some control – or at least some influence – in the daily operations of Second Life.
Nacon
Apr 20th, 2007
No, it’s Fake International Cum… or something like that.
(Who knows? Don’t care, it’s one of many things that Prok made up.)
Nacon
Apr 20th, 2007
Federation of International Canines… get it?
She’s a bitch. (har har har..and done.)
rockman1876
Apr 20th, 2007
These books are total Shit so no surprise this one is a dud. Lets just hope nothing else in this line emerges.
The Libertine
Apr 20th, 2007
To offer a kinder side, though, I’d like to say that while I agree with Beverly’s style criticisms, there’s still a part of me that’d like to read the Neva-penned Unabridged History of the Metaverse and Travel Guide.
I never quite know how to feel about your writing, honestly. You have the incessant name-dropping of a college hipster, the logic patterns of a conspiracy theorist, and kinda hurty grammar. But on the other side, there are moments where your analysis strikes me as remarkably and amazingly sharp, and your dedication to this strange little online venture makes you a storehouse of information that I’d love to be able to actually interact with by some means other than the receiving end of your meandering prose.
The Libertine
Apr 20th, 2007
Last question: I missed the news that qdot had gone Linden. When did this happen?
*Sigh* I was reading slashdong before that fellow ever mentioned the metaverse.
The whole history-in-fast-forward nature of this venture gets to me sometimes.
Paul and Graham
Apr 21st, 2007
Hello. The authors here! Gosh – that’s quite a review. It’s unseemly when authors try to defend against reviews so we won’t whine about the specifics of what you’ve written. We will say, though, that we appreciate you taking the time to read the book and to write such a lengthy and factual review. The only thing it is worth noting is that our brief for the book was to produce something that would encourage total newbies – those who have heard the words ‘Second Life’ but know very little else – to give SL a try. By necessity that meant glossing over huge amounts of insider information, complexities, controversies (and, dare we say, acronyms) in order to give the target reader a broad picture of what is a massively complex social, political and commercial ecosystem. It was also – firstly and foremostly – supposed to be an entertaining read. There are jokes in it. Honestly there are. Graham’s particularly sad you didn’t mention his ball-gag. Anyhow! Hope you can make it along to the book signing / Q+A thing tomorrow. Thanks again for the review. And sorry for being British.
Suzanna Soyinka
Apr 22nd, 2007
Amsterdam – Sold for 50,000 USD to a Banish business interest, Stroker is working on version II…overall, good on him. 50,000 for a sim is a nice turn around.
Nexus Prime – Haven’t been there in ages. Usually only showed up to check out one of the primary content designers shops.
Svarga – Left SL due to real life stuff didn’t he? I can’t remember, maybe I’m thinking of something else.
Virtual Dublin – Never heard of it.
Camp Darfur – Ummm see the above?
Neufreistadt – Not sure what this is either.
Pomponion Volcano – Seen it, interesting maybe worth a look for a new resident.
Nakama – Unknown
Jesse – Nothing says SL Combat like overshielded script monsters orbiting each other in an unrestricted manner.
Wengen – Unknown
Lost Gardens of Apollo – Loved this place, really enjoyed Dane’s design work. Lost its shine for me though due to my own artistic bend towards grime, dirt and urbanism.
Luskwood – ???
Virtual Hallucinations – I don’t even think any of my really weird friends know about this one and I’ve some really weird friends.
Roma – Unknown
Vampire Empire – Gone
Transylvania – Still there, its now both Trans and VE.
Gor – What the whole thing?
Dark Life – Dead but version 2 in the works.
Intimate Moments – Never heard of this? Is it a Apollo knock off?
Overall that list has a few places of interest but its like “what was big in SL” in 2005. Things have moved on a bit, entire new genres and business models have been introduced just in the last year alone. I can name five sims off the top of my head that are pulling more genuine and real foot traffic (not camping chair traffic) than all of these combined (except maybe Gor…if you’re counting all the sims that offer it).
Overall I have to agree with the review. Sounds like the ten dollars this book costs would be better spent at McDonalds, and 10 dollars spent at McDonalds isn’t really all that good an investment either.
Suzanna Soyinka
Apr 22nd, 2007
Thats DANISH business interest. Teach me to type before the second cup of coffee.
qDot
Apr 22nd, 2007
Other than qdot Linden, there’s nobody actually *using* the teledildonic thingies…are there? Tell me there’s nobody actually *using* the teledildonics thingies!
Ya know what? I highly doubt there’s anyone, or, barring that, more than 10+ people using TD hardware with SL.
Why? Well, two factors. First off, the only available public software (that I know of) is mine, and it’s violently anti-user-friendly, because I coded it in a couple of hours as proof of concept and never went back to it to actually clean it up. That’s on my schedule for “sometime soon”, but, well, I’m damn busy.
Secondly, toys haven’t been easily and cheaply available ’til a couple of weeks ago when the Open Source Drmn’ Trance Vibe came out. With the price point on that ($30) plus some decent software, I think we’d start seeing more users, but until then, it’ll remain mostly proof of concept stuff.
Still, I’d like to thank the authors for mentioning my work! I’ll definitely have to check this out. I’ll even sign your copy if you ask nicely.
Prokofy Neva
Apr 22nd, 2007
>actually clean it up.
that’s the part that’s kinda yucky, qdot. You don’t know where it’s *been*.
Artemis Fate
Apr 22nd, 2007
I thought teledildonics was a weird joke o_o
Norman Lancaster
Apr 24th, 2007
It’s a pity that 2L falls into the category “hey anyone can write about this”, whether they know or care about the subject or not.
Still, don’t let it bother you too much. There are a lot of bad books in the world. Paul Carr and Graham Pond have just added one more piece of drek to a very large pile.
Prokofy Neva
Apr 24th, 2007
A reader helpfully contributed a link to Paul Carr’s blog that shows what a hack he is, he brags, in the usual web2gen sarcastic way, about how he’s writing much of this book in a day before he visits McDonald’s:
http://alljustwords.blogspot.com/2006/12/hole-in-my-shoe-is-metaphor-for-my-soul.html
urizenus
Apr 24th, 2007
They missed you at the in world event, Prok:
http://preposterity.blogspot.com/2007/04/moving-in-world.html
Prokofy Neva
Apr 24th, 2007
Falk Bergman invited me, but I was busy with RL stuff and couldn’t come, and I didn’t think it was appropriate to come and snipe at somebody I gave a bad review to.
What’s particularly facile and FICy of “Preposterity” (rolls eyes) is his claim that I gave them a bad review because they didn’t mention me. That’s pretty retarded. I gave them a bad review because their book sucked? I mean, hello? Toyota is a shopping sim? Huh?
What’s even more sad is that since writing this review, I’ve had at least 3 people contact me, either nervously to ask me to read their book before it comes out so I don’t pan it, or nervously to ask if I will give an interview or help them write it so it doesn’t get panned.
The SL world is so sycophantic and Fanboyzy and FICy, bleh.
jdtrue writer
Apr 24th, 2007
I am about 80% done the book right now. No it is not as good as the offical guide I would not call it bad. Add to this that it is just about the only other book out there right now and only $10 I am sure each SL user could find some new info.
For people that just want to look in to something a book like this is a great way. also not everyone can sit and read blogs for hours on end a Low tech (book) can be a nice fill.
Also you seem to have missed a big part of the book the small one line jokes added to many of the sections.
Paul Carr
Apr 29th, 2007
I was going to let this lie, but now you’ve called us hacks twice and your hypocrisy is deafening even on this side of the Atlantic. You very kindly link to my blog post but give no context. You don’t even do me the courtesy of acknowledging that I mention in the post the sack load of research that had been done for the book, prior to sitting down and writing it. Actually sitting down and writing a book in a short space of time to keep it as up to date as print publishing permits is much, much different from researching and writing at the same time. If writing frantically up to deadline is the mark of a hack then I’m happy in the room with the hacks.
As a journalist, I thought you’d understand the process. But maybe that’s the problem. And, as an aside, calling me sarcastic and ‘web2gen’ and using the word ‘retarded’ without irony or wit makes you sound both bitter and thirteen.
Once again, I’m happy in the room with the hacks.
Artemis Fate
Apr 29th, 2007
“The SL world is so sycophantic and Fanboyzy and FICy, bleh.”
Maybe you should hang up your hat and retire your position as leader/founder of the FIC and pass the buck to someone else?
“As a journalist, I thought you’d understand the process. But maybe that’s the problem. And, as an aside, calling me sarcastic and ‘web2gen’ and using the word ‘retarded’ without irony or wit makes you sound both bitter and thirteen.”
Hahaha Prokofy a journalist? That’s like saying the crazy hobo on the corner ranting about the government being after his shopping cart full of cans is a professional public speaker. Actually that’s barely even a metaphor.
urizenus
Apr 29th, 2007
the “crazy hobo”
i) *is* a public speaker even if unpaid, and
ii) may well be right
Art, if you think you are right why do you keep attempting to marginalize your opponent by reciting the mantra “crazy, crazy, crazy”. Prok’s review of that book seemed very much on target to me.
Prokofy Neva
Apr 29th, 2007
Paul,
You *are* a hack. You thought you could use your usual arrogant, facile and glib approach to this topic, and I think bunches of people will step up and say no, you can’t.
I don’t see what “context” I need to understand somebody who says they wrote half a book in a week or something, even with “research” which itself is visibly, woefully inadequate.
If there is a sackload of research, why RUSH to press merely to capitalize on the bubble of media now? Why not take the time to parse it and review it properly? Isn’t that letting greed get a little too way out in head of substance? After all, your book could have a shelf life if you hadn’t been so unseemly.
Write a magazine article or 3, if you think the subject matter is such that it can only stand up-to-the-minute crazy gonzo journalism. Something calling itself a *guide* and even promising to “cut through all they hype” simply has to do a lot better and offer more substance.
Artemis, you really are such a wannabee, and will always remain a wannabee until you stop acting like such an asshole. Actually, I’m always paid for my public speaking gigs, I wouldn’t bother otherwise most of the time unless it’s some really super visible venue that would have some merit by itself.
Yes, I’ve long worked as a journalist on deadline for various publications, and I quite understand the exigencies. So my response is then…don’t write a book. Be a hack, but be a hack in real time without pretending to posture for posterity.
Artemis Fate
Apr 29th, 2007
“Art, if you think you are right why do you keep attempting to marginalize your opponent by reciting the mantra “crazy, crazy, crazy”. Prok’s review of that book seemed very much on target to me.”
I used to take Prokofy seriously and respectfully, politely disagreed, offered serious viewpoints, treated Prokofy like we were both sane. And that kind of marginalizing, insulting, and attacks is what I got back. Even afterwards, I kept believing that maybe just MAYBE he wasn’t nuts and one could actually have a productive debate with him. But after years of evidence piling up, all I can see is that Prokofy does not run on that little agent we like to call “logic” and “reason”, i’ve seen him go into situations where he was 100% proven wrong, and still support his viewpoint with the same vitrol he started with, i’ve seen him make up lies and spout them at every turn like truth (and I honestly think that he BELIEVES they’re true). So what else is there to do but simply poke him every once and a while to get him going, because GOD knows there’s nothing else you can do with the guy. He’s nothing but a screaming bag of hatred, lies, hypocricies, and conspiracies that thankfully few take seriously.
I’m not debating his review of the book, after all I haven’t even read it, infact if you look above you’ll see that I agreed with him on his point that you can just look this stuff up on the internet faster and cheaper. I was replying to Paul’s mistake of refering to Prokofy as a journalist, which he isn’t. After all, Journalism is about non-partiality, and Prokofy is nothing but a bag of opinions, leaking with hate, he never seems to write anything that isn’t HEAVILY skewed towards his worldview, even when it isn’t listed as an editorial. If that’s journalism, than what I say about Prokofy being insane is just as journalistic.
“Artemis, you really are such a wannabee, and will always remain a wannabee until you stop acting like such an asshole.”
Yadda yadda yadda yadda. You never really even apply words that fit, what exactly am I being a “wannabe” to? You, oh mighty egomaniacal captain of the stars? So i’m a wannabe for not just blindly agreeing to whatever you say “Oh right-o Mr. Prokofy, dead on this time! Flipper and the FIC certainly did help the bolshevik’s overthrow the Czar, oh yes you are dead on this time, oh great one! The Sherpas are selling American secrets to the chinese in an attempt to overthrow the government! Wow you’re so insightful!”
I’ll stop acting like an asshole to you, when you stop acting like an asshole to everyone who disagrees with your nutjob theories. Especially when you stop treating your crazy-ass tinfoil like it’s the god’s truth, i’ve seen you say, what 3 times, that whenever you harrassed someone in real life, it was because it was the JUST and right thing to do because of your crazy ass theories.
urizenus
Apr 29th, 2007
I’m just sayin’ your criticism of Prok would go farther if you retired terms like ‘nutjob’, ‘crazy’, etc. Lots of good ideas get dismissed with those terms, often for little reason except that the ideas go against common wisdom.
And journalism is not about impartiality. There is no such thing as impartiality, although yes, some editorial positions claim to be impartial, and/or fair and balanced. As our masthead indicates, we don’t roll with that deception.
The two points are related. The received wisdom is “impartial” and the people who disagree with it are “crazy” or “nutjobs” and certainly “not real journalists.” I’m allergic to that sort of talk, if you hadn’t guessed.
Artemis Fate
Apr 29th, 2007
“I’m just sayin’ your criticism of Prok would go farther if you retired terms like ‘nutjob’, ‘crazy’, etc. Lots of good ideas get dismissed with those terms, often for little reason except that the ideas go against common wisdom.”
Why don’t you say that to him?
“And journalism is not about impartiality.”
From American Heritage Dictionary, Answers.com, thefreedictionary.com, and Merriam-webster’s definition of Journalism:
“3. The style of writing characteristic of material in newspapers and magazines, consisting of direct presentation of facts or occurrences with little attempt at analysis or interpretation.”
I agree that there’s no such thing as perfect impartiality, but what Journalism is an ATTEMPT at impartiality, Prokofy on the other hand, douses everything with a strong sense of opinion, analysis, and interpretation. What you’re talking about, isn’t journalism, it’s editorializing.
urizenus
Apr 29th, 2007
That definition of journalism is the worst ever. Read “The Gang That Wouldn’t Write Straight” if you want some idea about our ideas about good journalism:
Here is your link:
http://www.amazon.com/Gang-That-Wouldnt-Write-Straight/dp/1400049830/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-9066097-2819319?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177899458&sr=8-1
Here is some promo stuff from the cover:
“Starting in 1965 and spanning a ten-year period, a group of writers including Tom Wolfe, Jimmy Breslin, Gay Talese, Hunter S. Thompson, Joan Didion, John Sack, and Michael Herr emerged and joined a few of their pioneering elders, including Truman Capote and Norman Mailer, to remake American letters. The perfect chroniclers of an age of frenzied cultural change, they were blessed with the insight that traditional tools of reporting would prove inadequate to tell the story of a nation manically hopscotching from hope to doom and back again—from war to rock, assassination to drugs, hippies to Yippies, Kennedy to the dark lord Nixon. Traditional just-the-facts reporting simply couldn’t provide a neat and symmetrical order to this chaos.”
I would add that traditional just-the-facts reporting also fails catastrophically in explaining the continuing chaos that is Second Life. Now if we could only replace Audrey in typesetting…