Archive for 'Philosophical Issues'
Kremlinden Lab vs. Academic Freedom: interview with Durkheim Edelbrock
Sociology Undergrad Durkheim Edelbrock Universities and the academic profession have established policies covering the ethics of academic research. So why have the Linens established themselves as arbiters of ethical research above and beyond these policies? Good question. It might be to hide unsavory aspects of Second Life, or it might be simple pandering to SL [...]
Full StoryOp-Ed: When the Game Goes Too Far
by the Teflon Don A recent incident in which three Louisiana high-school students were arrested for something called “cyber-bullying” should put the fear in some MMOG residents, as it now appears that what some groups do in-world can be considered a felony.
Full StoryTurning the Pages at the SL Public Library
by Walker Spaight Anyone who’s enjoyed the view lately from Eddie Escher’s striking Seacliff Tower has probably noticed the clean lines and purple windows of the building that sits just across the water to the south, in Gualala. A good-sized build whose heavy dark columns make the rest of the structure seem to float easily [...]
Full StoryOn Scamming Scammers
by The Phantom Recently someone on TSO scammed a scammer and then gave the proceeds to the victims of the scammer. Three cheers for the virtual Robin Hood or bad idea? A discussion has opened on Stratics.
Full Storyraganarok and cultural design
at terra nova, nick yee has written an interesting discussion about how cultural assumptions inform the design of in-game culture. he mentions the differences in ideas about how appearance and profession affect identity in western v non-western game. read it here.
Full StoryHammie ponders his independence
Hamlet Linden in a reflective mood In a recent entry in New World Notes, Hamlet Linden addresses the issue of his independence as an employee of Linden Lab. At State of Play he said it was analogous to writing for a newspaper in a company town. Now he isn’t so sure. I say he should [...]
Full StoryExploring Online Conflict Resolution
In an historic meeting at the State of Play, a group of game developers, lawyers, and conflict mediators met to discuss strategies for conflict resolution online. The headline idea emerging from the meeting was the thought that rather than impose uniform conflict resolution strategies in a top down manner, it might be more useful for [...]
Full StoryFree Speech for Avatars! And?like?Now!
Ludlow blasts Stratics. In a Session at The State of Play entitled Avatar Rights, Virtual Liberty, and Free Expression in Virtual Worlds, Peter Ludlow blasted the organized censorship policies of Stratics, while Fred Schauer of Harvard University suggested that the possibilities for free expression in virtual worlds should be used to explore alternative models of [...]
Full StoryStreaming Waggie, Teppie, and Uri
Whew, a week in detox has *almost* helped me to recover from my night with the gamedevs, and I can (belatedly) get back to blogging The State of Play. These posts will dribble out as I have time. First thing you might want to check out (if you haven’t already) is the streamcast of the [...]
Full StoryAhh, the crazy hijinks of GM created sexist NPCs
I was waiting for the situation to clarify before I posted on this, but it is really only getting more murky, and I do think it is very important that dedicated Herald readers check out the situation. Near as I can tell, the GMs in A Tale in the Desert 2 constrtucted an NPC trader [...]
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