Archive for 'Philosophical Issues'
Commodify Me! Chapter 2
Thanks again to Clickable Culture for reporting on this little gem — A breakdown of the way Massive Incorporated‘s in-game advertising works. Seems that not only are the ads placed in the game, but the marketers collect information about the amount of time the ad is viewed by individual players, the size at which they [...]
Full StoryUri Chills with the Salonistas!
A Future Salonista shows us what we will all look like in 2020. Last night’s Future Salon had its usual share of technical snags, but it was interesting – more interesting for me perhaps, because I had an opportunity to be on the other side of the discussion. It certainly gave me lots to think [...]
Full StoryGames, Learning, and Second Life
Terra Nova has a preliminary report from The Games Learning and Society conference, with notes from the talks by Henry Jenkins and James Gee. Almost on cue, there is an interesting related post by Zero Grace on Clickable Culture. It does seem like games are promising environments for learning, but Second Life seems disappointing in [...]
Full StoryProk/FIC Wars Lead to New Forum Policies
The repercussions of the board war between virtual agitator Prokofy Neva and the Feted Inner Core (the SL denizens who have allegedly found favor with Linden Lab and constitute an in game Aristocracy according to Prok) has led to the announcement of a new policy governing behavior online and in game. Of special note is [...]
Full StoryOne Life is Not Enough
by Budka GroshommeThe brains behind Linden Lab? See below. Three months ago somebody whispered “Ever tried Second Life?” When I hesitated he added, with a knowing smirk, “Come on, the first week’s free.” Since then I’ve become a regular, but I’m not particularly worried about it. I’ll make certain that it doesn’t start controlling my [...]
Full StoryBack to the Future Salon
The line-up for the next SL Future Salon has been announced, and it features media empire builder Urizenus Sklar (semi-retired publisher of the Second Life Herald) and up and coming cyberlebrities Amanda Congdon, vlog anchor of Rocketboom, video blogger, and actress, and Keith Halper, CEO, Kuma Reality Games, makers of KumaWar. Date is June 30, [...]
Full StoryInterview with the Anthropologist
Tom Bukowski (no relation to Charles) We know they are here. Philosophers, journalists, sociologists, anthropologists, proctologists… And worse! But what are they up to as they skulk around the grid? In this interview our intrepid reporter Montserrat Snakeankle talks to Tom Bukowski, who by day is an anthropologist at UC Irvine and an avid shopper [...]
Full StoryAnother Meeting. Another Post-Literate Future.
Yesterday I attended a meeting of the SL Future Salon, organized by Jeffrey Paffendorf (SNOOPYbrown Zamboni ) of the Acceleration Studies Foundation. The idea of the SL Future Salon is to bring clever futurists (and presentists?) together in SL to discuss the shape of things to come. This round the speakers were Betsy Book (Skyllar [...]
Full StoryIs Beauty Only Pixel Deep?
by Budka GroshommeKim Charlton fuels a few philosophical ponderings Can one fall in love at first sight? Could the sunset ever be as lovely as the time you first glimpsed the girl of your dreams walking along the seashore, coming toward you, a vision with flowing blonde locks and tight bodice? The sight of her [...]
Full StoryFootnote-In-Mouth Disease
Neal’s brain hurts. My virtual-world name is now footnoted in a real life essay by a real life Law Professor writing about the virtual-world tabloid journalist who is also a real life Philosophy Professor. Welcome to the metaverse!
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