John Fredrick Lange Jr. might be better known by his pen name, John Norman, who is the author of the well known Gor series that gives a backbone to the Gor subculture in Second Life. In- game zones where role playing according to the Gor philosophy, are some of the largest factions within SL. The books themselves can follow the primal instincts of man dominating over obstacles that stand in his way. As the Gor series became popular people took the books to the gaming world especially SL.
Players who enter into a Gor role playing area are welcomed into the mind of John Norman. Norman’s basic outline of his Gor series was to instill an assumed hierarchy based on talent, mainly strength of man. As man conquers the obstacles of everyday life according to Norman woman are the helpers of the male race in there everyday race to triumph over all. Woman must do whatever the man needs and create this psychological god-like role for the man. Multiple depictions of men enslaving woman are found in the Gor series and propose a gender difference between men and woman. The Gor books suggest to many readers that it is a natural way of life for a man to overrule a woman in every facet of life.
After getting a basic summary of what John Norman’s philosophy was in the Gor series I reached out to Jessica Holyoke, an experienced writer and player within SL Gorean, to get fundamental knowledge of Gor’s on SL. To my surprise Gorean’s on SL cannot be put into one certain group according to Jessica Holyoke, “…its near impossible to define as Goreans on SL are comprised of at least four different sub-groups; those who engage due to a following of RL Gorean philosophy, those who engage as a more involved form of BDSM role play, those who engage in the role play as a form of historical/tribal recreation, and those who engage in the combat recreation.” All four of these sub- groups follow the novels written by John Norman in some type of fashion with the emphasis on gender roles. It is both to my amazement that these different sub cultures can co-exist and also to Jessica’s as she states, “Amazingly, all four groups can co-exist to some extent, even if sometimes there are tensions between the four types.”
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Fighting Fire with Lanterns
The online sensation known as Second Life offers beautiful landscapes where players customize their avatars and explore this vast virtual world as well as participate in a variety of activities. This grants users a place to live out their wildest, most creative fantasies or can be a place to relax, and socialize with whomever they please. Though many people would agree that this world is one giant privilege, others are compelled to abuse the system and stomp out any dream they can. With nightmares running wild, virtual crime such as vandalism, unofficial escort services, and player harassment are just a few examples of what can take place in the shadows of SL. With so much to offer, this world has so much potential for evil to takeover.One of Second Life’s well-known peacekeepers, GreenLantern Excelsior, takes matters into his own hands by shining light in the darkest, coldest corners of this massive community. Even when the naughtiest of avatars try to run, they mysteriously trip, and find themselves face down with a mouth full of rulebook. By choosing to devote his second life to preserve virtual peace, GreenLantern is a rare breed among SL residents and a role model who may be the first person to welcome you and show you around SL. Having the opportunity to interview GreenLantern gave me a taste of his role in the world and the delinquencies he has encountered in the past. "My focus is helping people... one of the best ways I know of to help people is to report the griefers who are causing them problems." How can these efforts go unappreciated? With so many ways for griefers to master their evil tactics on good players for hours on end, it is unfortunate that the inventory to retaliate is much smaller. I have learned that when you have a social society, real or virtual, that the people involved will naturally organize themselves into segregated areas. Some spaces may be more crude than others appear and tend to be filled with many self-centered and unattractive characters; just as real cities have their bad neighborhoods. "I had a guy try to sell me drugs in SL once. I just laughed at him, because I couldn't imagine how that would work... I haven't seen any underground gambling although I've heard rumors that it's still around. There are "escorts" to be found in many places. That's not illegal if it's between two consenting adults, and there's all kinds of role play that people enjoy which isn't criminal here. Vandalism happens almost every day when someone fills a sandbox with replicating cubes. I suppose the gambling and the escort services could benefit people in the real world, but I don't think the other two could."Although SL is capable of having its fair share of grim influences, it is known for offering a majority of surreal and positive experiences such as cloths shopping, dining out, attending performances, putting on a show, or simply enjoying the scenery."I know there are people who do things here that they would never dream of doing in RL. People who are afraid of going out of their homes will talk to you in SL. And imagine someone who's bedridden, who comes to SL and can FLY. I can only imagine that must be quite an experience for them." Those who lack heroic experience may refer to GreenLantern Excelsior as a vigilante, but such a negatively viewed term does not fit his battle tactics. Earning the peacekeeper badge is much more than a title; it is a lifestyle.
Ghost Entry: Jurisdiction
In today’s world, video games are released via the Internet into cyberspace every week, thus attracting stampedes of parched gamers who thirst for newer ways of electronic recreational stimulation. Fortunately, with fun for gamers comes work for lawyers. In his book Virtual Justice, lawyer Greg Lastowka says, “the Internet could be its own jurisdiction, with its own laws and courts created by its own ‘consent of the governed,’” then states, “there would be no need for “outside” law (the law of territorial sovereigns) to intervene”(80). In other words, Lastowka feels that the government should have minimal governance in cyberspace, so “the ‘law of cyberspace’ could be a new law formed by the consent of those who ‘live’ in cyberspace” (80).
Even if Lastowka’s opinion were to come into effect, past events can heavily persuade Internet users as to who should have the most power. Cybersell Inc. vs. Cybersell Inc. II was a supreme court case used to resolve copyright infringement case that took from 1994 to 1997 to conclude. Cybersell Inc. was an Arizona corporation that temporarily closed down their website for maintenance purposes. Cybersell Inc. was a different company in the making, found in Florida. While Cybersell AZ was hibernating, Cybersell FL used the Internet to retrieve Cybersell AZ’s logo as well as company name! Obviously, Arizona wanted their identity back so the issue was brought to court, but was not as quickly resolved as they had hoped.
Since cyberspace is so vast, has never-ending dimensions, and limitless boundaries, it was a struggle to find out who would even partake in the court case because it was proven that the Internet was used for promotional purposes on AZ’s part, making it even more difficult for them to win back their losses. The Law of Arizona was applied to this case because there was an absence of federal governing personal jurisdiction. As if the complications were not filling the room up fast enough, certain jurisdictions in Florida do not even exist in Arizona, thus creating even more perpendiculars between real world laws and Internet regulations.
As long as the sun is shining, there will always be thieves wandering the streets, surfing the Internet, etc… As long as there is any compensation of money involved, the government will always count cards. Somewhat skeptical at first, but now Lastowka is heading in the right direction. If a court case’s difficulty is based solely off real-world boundaries, then new tactics should be used to resolve problems (that are not brain-busters by any means) to maintain a safe community. The parallel idea of separate jurisdictions between real world and virtual world could be worth a try so the current authority can stop wasting their time fighting boundaries with boundaries.
Even if Lastowka’s opinion were to come into effect, past events can heavily persuade Internet users as to who should have the most power. Cybersell Inc. vs. Cybersell Inc. II was a supreme court case used to resolve copyright infringement case that took from 1994 to 1997 to conclude. Cybersell Inc. was an Arizona corporation that temporarily closed down their website for maintenance purposes. Cybersell Inc. was a different company in the making, found in Florida. While Cybersell AZ was hibernating, Cybersell FL used the Internet to retrieve Cybersell AZ’s logo as well as company name! Obviously, Arizona wanted their identity back so the issue was brought to court, but was not as quickly resolved as they had hoped.
Since cyberspace is so vast, has never-ending dimensions, and limitless boundaries, it was a struggle to find out who would even partake in the court case because it was proven that the Internet was used for promotional purposes on AZ’s part, making it even more difficult for them to win back their losses. The Law of Arizona was applied to this case because there was an absence of federal governing personal jurisdiction. As if the complications were not filling the room up fast enough, certain jurisdictions in Florida do not even exist in Arizona, thus creating even more perpendiculars between real world laws and Internet regulations.
As long as the sun is shining, there will always be thieves wandering the streets, surfing the Internet, etc… As long as there is any compensation of money involved, the government will always count cards. Somewhat skeptical at first, but now Lastowka is heading in the right direction. If a court case’s difficulty is based solely off real-world boundaries, then new tactics should be used to resolve problems (that are not brain-busters by any means) to maintain a safe community. The parallel idea of separate jurisdictions between real world and virtual world could be worth a try so the current authority can stop wasting their time fighting boundaries with boundaries.
Taylor
Taylor writes about the different types and levels of socialization within different virtual worlds. In MMORPG's, players join together as guilds or fellowships and use each other's respective roles to defeat a powerful monster. In worlds like LambdaMOO and Second Life, socialization is what drives the game. Without user interaction, there would be no point of the world. While I haven't cooperated with other users to complete quests yet, I can tell that some experiences are in place to prepare for socialization. For example, I was recently trained as a craftsman and weaponsmith. Once I start having to work with others, these new skills will be important, in case I need to build weapons to replace damaged ones. I am a little frustrated right now, at all the little quests I have been sent on. The quests where I have to kill a number of beasts such as wolves or boars are fun. But lately I have been sent to find sand, or a fishing rod. These quests are a little nerve wracking since some of these items are so hard to find and you have to run around to find a number of them. Needless to say, I am excited for some of the bigger things LOTRO has to offer. I am excited now that I have leveled up to 10, and to be able to experience the features of MUDS that we have been reading about. Working together with the kinship that we will soon create, to kill bigger monsters, is sure to be even more fun than just getting my feet under me as a beginner in a virtual world.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Socialization in MMOG's
T.L. Taylor’s chapter out of the book Play Between Worlds: Exploring Online Game Culture we were assigned to read this week is about socialization within MMOG’s. Taylor educates us on various different levels of socialization in different games. MMOG’s such as Everquest or LOTRO uses socialization in forming for example guilds to help each other successfully and quickly progress in game play. Taylor means that these social interactions and relationships are very important in MMOG’s. In the game Second Life the social aspects of the game are what drive it and make it what it is. An even better example of a game which requires the use of socialization in order to run is probably LambdaMOO. A completely text based MMOG where the social aspect of the game, is the game. Without the social aspect and the ability to interact with other avatars/users in games like Second Life, LambdaMOO, Everquest, and LOTRO it is safe to say the games would not reach their current popularity. Also the games would become much more difficult considering you would have to play all on your own.
Taylor goes on to add though, that the social aspects of these games are not just important for in game purposes but also for the players outside the game. “One of the most notable things about games like EQ are the ways they are deeply social. While much of what we hear about gaming in the popular press evokes images of alienation and isolation, it is often grave misunderstanding of (or sometimes a willful bias against) the nature of these games” (30). What Taylor is saying is the relationships players gain in these various MMOG’s are very important to many of them and continue to be important to them in real life not just in-game. Where society has judged “gamers” of being outcasts and “socially inadequate” in real world social settings, these games end up being very important to the users in developing and maintaining a normal social life.
When it comes to my level of experience in game social interactions, specifically in LOTRO, they are slim. Considering the low level I am at though it would make more sense to comment further as I move along and gain higher levels. On the other hand the game Habbo Hotel, in which I have spent a lot of time and gained a lot of experience in, the social aspect, is what drives this game. This is a real life MMOG and just like in real life the use of social interactions is huge. You can order stuff at a restaurant, buy stuff from other users, have a party in your room, or just sit at a café and socialize. These are all things that in real life require social interactions, just like in-game. Just as Taylor describes, socialization in games are very important to the users, I one hundred percent agree from personal experiences. Without the social aspect of these games and relationships that are formed from the games, they would not exist. There are plenty of other games out there that many people enjoy that are not MMOG’s, but are not nearly as popular as some above mentioned MMOG’s. This clearly states the point that socialization in MMOG’s is very important for their existence and for their users.
Taylor goes on to add though, that the social aspects of these games are not just important for in game purposes but also for the players outside the game. “One of the most notable things about games like EQ are the ways they are deeply social. While much of what we hear about gaming in the popular press evokes images of alienation and isolation, it is often grave misunderstanding of (or sometimes a willful bias against) the nature of these games” (30). What Taylor is saying is the relationships players gain in these various MMOG’s are very important to many of them and continue to be important to them in real life not just in-game. Where society has judged “gamers” of being outcasts and “socially inadequate” in real world social settings, these games end up being very important to the users in developing and maintaining a normal social life.
When it comes to my level of experience in game social interactions, specifically in LOTRO, they are slim. Considering the low level I am at though it would make more sense to comment further as I move along and gain higher levels. On the other hand the game Habbo Hotel, in which I have spent a lot of time and gained a lot of experience in, the social aspect, is what drives this game. This is a real life MMOG and just like in real life the use of social interactions is huge. You can order stuff at a restaurant, buy stuff from other users, have a party in your room, or just sit at a café and socialize. These are all things that in real life require social interactions, just like in-game. Just as Taylor describes, socialization in games are very important to the users, I one hundred percent agree from personal experiences. Without the social aspect of these games and relationships that are formed from the games, they would not exist. There are plenty of other games out there that many people enjoy that are not MMOG’s, but are not nearly as popular as some above mentioned MMOG’s. This clearly states the point that socialization in MMOG’s is very important for their existence and for their users.
Underground Gambling
Linden Lab and the creators have always seen their world as an escape from the real world, a sort of, country of its own. Offering the same things your society offers you in the real world such as business, entertainment, social interaction, shopping, sex, gambling, and many more. However, with time and because of weak suppression upon Linden Lab’s side to prevent governance from the real world to oppose laws upon SL activity, this utopian thought of a separate world from our own has slowly diminished.
Gambling in casinos and other establishments, such as private clubs and places with play slots was a huge thing in SL until July 25, 2007. An online anti gambling law went into effect in the US banning gambling online. As an effect Linden Lab changed their policy when it comes to gambling stating: it is against SL’s policy to wager in games that rely on chance or random number generation to determine a winner, or to rely on the outcome of real-life organized sporting events; and provide a payout in Linden Dollars (L$) or any real-world currency or thing of value.This changed the face of gambling within SL shutting down many casinos and gambling establishments. For those games still allowed to be played rules were changed or revised. Revenue in currency exchange, land sales, and advertising was lost as a result. To narrow down the amount estimated, Linden Lab and its users lost several millions of dollars.
This brings up the issue of what is considered a game of skill versus a game of chance? If games of skill still exist what makes them any different from games of chance? Generally speaking games of skill that can be waged on are defined as games in which the player/players have:
A learned or developed ability
A known strategy or tactic
Physical coordination or strength
Technical expertise within a game
Knowledge of the means of accomplishing a task
Games one can bet on that require one or more of these traits to participate in, are games such as pool, darts, and certain card games like gin or rummy. Certain games can be classified as requiring both skill and chance. A good example would be Zyngo in SL. However, what defines them as legal is usually the amount of skill versus chance. In these instances, according to the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act), the amount of skill required to play the game must outweigh the amount of chance involved. There are plenty of games that require skill in SL, puzzle games or War Zone – Chernobyl Code, are just two suggestions. In these games there are no wages or bets being placed though. This brings me to the point where I wonder how games such as Zyngo, Peek-a-Nudge (one armed bandit machines), and other similar games are still allowed to exist? And if they exist what is stopping poker games to still exist? So I set out to investigate if there were still any places poker was currently being played like in an underground gambling ring or similar.
After checking various websites, forums, and through investigative reporting in world I was quite unsuccessful in actually gaining an experience when it comes to underground gambling. No one was willing to lead me anywhere that specifically engaged me in the underground gambling world, even after offering them a small amount of L$ in compensation for information. The few individuals I spoke with about underground gambling definitely said it existed, one even gave the name of a destination to go to, but once I was there I realized it was a dead-end. All individuals I spoke with wished to remain anonymous as well. So the question is not if these underground gambling operations actually exist. The question is how to get into them?
Being a fairly new user of SL probably hurt my chances slightly, considering I had not yet made a very good network with individuals that could potentially further help me with my investigation. Perhaps the fact that I was an investigative reporter on the record while speaking with individuals made them conceal information from me, very speculative but maybe. So for the mean time I will have to settle with the information I got while further investigating the world of underground gambling and SL. While I pleasure my gambling needs with existing so called legitimate “games of skill” Zyngo, Skill Deal, and Hokus Pokus and gain experience in world, perhaps in time I will be led to where the real action is happening, the underground gambling.
Linden Lab® Official:Policy Regarding Wagering in Second Life, http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Policy_Regarding_Wagering_in_Second_Life, Games Of Chance vs. Games Of Skill, http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/games-of-chance-vs-games-of-skill.html
Gambling in casinos and other establishments, such as private clubs and places with play slots was a huge thing in SL until July 25, 2007. An online anti gambling law went into effect in the US banning gambling online. As an effect Linden Lab changed their policy when it comes to gambling stating: it is against SL’s policy to wager in games that rely on chance or random number generation to determine a winner, or to rely on the outcome of real-life organized sporting events; and provide a payout in Linden Dollars (L$) or any real-world currency or thing of value.This changed the face of gambling within SL shutting down many casinos and gambling establishments. For those games still allowed to be played rules were changed or revised. Revenue in currency exchange, land sales, and advertising was lost as a result. To narrow down the amount estimated, Linden Lab and its users lost several millions of dollars.
This brings up the issue of what is considered a game of skill versus a game of chance? If games of skill still exist what makes them any different from games of chance? Generally speaking games of skill that can be waged on are defined as games in which the player/players have:
A learned or developed ability
A known strategy or tactic
Physical coordination or strength
Technical expertise within a game
Knowledge of the means of accomplishing a task
Games one can bet on that require one or more of these traits to participate in, are games such as pool, darts, and certain card games like gin or rummy. Certain games can be classified as requiring both skill and chance. A good example would be Zyngo in SL. However, what defines them as legal is usually the amount of skill versus chance. In these instances, according to the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act), the amount of skill required to play the game must outweigh the amount of chance involved. There are plenty of games that require skill in SL, puzzle games or War Zone – Chernobyl Code, are just two suggestions. In these games there are no wages or bets being placed though. This brings me to the point where I wonder how games such as Zyngo, Peek-a-Nudge (one armed bandit machines), and other similar games are still allowed to exist? And if they exist what is stopping poker games to still exist? So I set out to investigate if there were still any places poker was currently being played like in an underground gambling ring or similar.
After checking various websites, forums, and through investigative reporting in world I was quite unsuccessful in actually gaining an experience when it comes to underground gambling. No one was willing to lead me anywhere that specifically engaged me in the underground gambling world, even after offering them a small amount of L$ in compensation for information. The few individuals I spoke with about underground gambling definitely said it existed, one even gave the name of a destination to go to, but once I was there I realized it was a dead-end. All individuals I spoke with wished to remain anonymous as well. So the question is not if these underground gambling operations actually exist. The question is how to get into them?
Being a fairly new user of SL probably hurt my chances slightly, considering I had not yet made a very good network with individuals that could potentially further help me with my investigation. Perhaps the fact that I was an investigative reporter on the record while speaking with individuals made them conceal information from me, very speculative but maybe. So for the mean time I will have to settle with the information I got while further investigating the world of underground gambling and SL. While I pleasure my gambling needs with existing so called legitimate “games of skill” Zyngo, Skill Deal, and Hokus Pokus and gain experience in world, perhaps in time I will be led to where the real action is happening, the underground gambling.
Linden Lab® Official:Policy Regarding Wagering in Second Life, http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Policy_Regarding_Wagering_in_Second_Life, Games Of Chance vs. Games Of Skill, http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/games-of-chance-vs-games-of-skill.html
Blodgett's model of protest and the EVE online Incarna demonstrations
Last year, when CCP games released the Incarna expansion to their popular MMORPG, EVE Online, they triggered a wave of protests unlike any the game world had previously seen. The catalysts for the protests was CCP's decision to replace the old ship hangar interface with one where the player's avatar exited the ship and walked about the station. This change was too graphically demanding on some user's systems, and interfered with their ability to play the game. Exacerbating the situation was a new microtransaction model put into place by CCP, in which virtual clothes for avatars were being sold at exorbitant prices. This played havoc with the in game currency and economy.
The resulting protests were a unique and interesting event. In And the Ringleaders Were Banned: An Examination of Protest in Virtual Worlds, by Bridget M. Blodgett, Blodgett classifies protests based upon their degree of virtualization, their legality, their cultural homogeneity, and the limits on participation. The Incarna protests manifested in the form of violent in game riots. Thousands of players swarmed two major trade hubs in the game, and proceeded to open fire on two large stations in game bearing large monuments. The protest is interesting in two ways. First, it was entirely legal, despite its potential to cause massive disruptions in the game. The sheer number of players unleashing their weapons in the nodes, which were central trading hubs in the game world, caused large amounts of lag within those nodes. At several points during the attacks, there were so many people in the zones in question, that other players trying to get in were locked out. However, the world of EVE is one where the law is usually made by the one with the biggest guns, and in this case, everyone's guns were pointing in the same direction. It was not a violation of the EULA for players to attack large NPC stations (though a single actor attempting to do so would accomplish little, and be in great peril besides), however, the unprecedented number of players acting in unison caused disruptions to the game's infrastructure. As all protests occurred online, there were no real world authorities involved, and players had free reign to vent their rage in game. Also interesting is the homogeneity and unity of purpose present amongst the players in what is otherwise considered to be one of the most merciless, dog-eat-dog MMO's in existence. These protests forced CCP to do quite a bit of backpedalling, and to reconsider many features of the upcoming expansion. They also serve to illustrate interesting aspects of Blodgett's models.
The animals of second life: A look at Amaretto Breedable Pets
Do a search of the word Amaretto in second life, and you will find the latest craze in-world. Amaretto makes virtual animals such as dogs and horses, which act as fully functional pets. These animals come in all manner of colors and textures, ranging from the realistic to the fantastical. They range in price from approximately 500 linden dollars to 20,000. Each animal has a number of stats, such as hunger, happiness, and energy. Pets must be given adequate food, rest, and attention in order to maintain these stats. Amaretto sells many toys and food items to assist with maintaining a pet's health and happiness, such as food, salt licks for horses, and balls for dogs to fetch. In addition, pets have a stat called fervor, raised with a special type of food, which determines when they can breed. Breeding animals with different characteristics can create children with different combinations of those characteristics. Age is measured in days, with animals becoming adults 7 days after birth, and eventually growing too old to reproduce. Animals that are not fed can even grow sick, requiring medicine to heal them.
It is interesting to note that while many residents seem to enjoy buying Amaretto's creations, given the glut of ranches devoted to the task of selling and housing them, they don't seem to spend a lot of time caring for their new pets. A cursory inspection of many ranches will find an abundance of unhappy, neglected animals, and virtually no residents to speak of. This is not too great an issue, as pets do not die, regardless of how sick they are. All things considered, it seems like a pretty good deal. You get all of the benefits of a virtual best friend, minus the dying, the housebreaking, and the waste disposal. If this sounds like fun to you, check it out at your nearest amaretto seller today.
Rivers Run Red: Still Runnning (Red?)
Rivers Run Red, the Webby Award-winning development and marketing
firm that is known for its groundbreaking work in Second Life, has
officially left Second Life. In the context of the internet this is old
news, but the past few years of quiet and the shut down of the Immersive
Workspaces project in Second Life stirred some questions this February
when Rivers Run Red announced that they had moved their services and
clients after using Second Life for nine years. Justin Bovington, the
CEO of Rivers Run Red, says that Rivers Run Red has been silently busy,
working behind the scenes to stay ahead of the game.
Rivers Run Red has been planning for the future. According to Bovington, the decision to leave Second Life was primarily a financial one. "We just couldn't justify it. The clients were saying they loved it, they really enjoy doing it, but it was a real sticking block going forward in terms of the costs." Instead, Rivers Run Red is moving to the more affordable Kitely. But the price isn't the only benefit of Kitely. Companies in Kitely are able to have their own private region, and unlike Second Life there's no focus on the commercial marketplace. Rivers Run Red didn't need the marketplace, but instead wanted a private area where companies can run securely. Kitely provides that security, and allows companies to create a space that feels like their own, rather than a small piece of someone else's product. Additionally, Kitely allows Rivers Run Red to back up their clients work. Since everything is created by Rivers Run Red's internal design team, there's no reason clients shouldn't be able to do so, but it was never an option in Second Life.
Kitely is only a small piece of what's ahead for Rivers Run Red. Bovington anticipates that we'll see "the link between physical and virtual getting closer," and Rivers Run Red is planning on it. In response to this prediction, Rivers Run Red is working to allow clients to connect to Immersive Workspaces via tablets or even smart phones, as well as computers. Bovington suggests that the massive success of Facebook indicates a move toward text-based worlds, which will run more successfully on tablets and smartphones that don't have the graphics cards needed to run worlds like Second Life. Bovington said that Rivers Run Red is "looking at tablets to be the next level of immersion. I think we're going to find that proximity based systems like tablets will become part of the virtual experience because we can all bend information between those systems quite successfully." He also emphasized that the Immersive Workspaces project isn't dead. Bovington argues that it's still relevant and useful, but that it needed a new platform after the Second Life Enterprise platform was discontinued. The relevance, immediacy, and security of private worlds that can be accessed by tablet will provide a better system for clients to work together virtually.
Even beyond Kitely and tablets, Rivers Run Red has created a mystery gadget called the MELUX, and is looking to expand into Unity 3D, an engine which allows for the creation of games. Bovington expects that they will remain quiet for a while, but indicates that they're looking to truly take advantage of the niche market of virtual worlds. Rivers Run Red has battled through rumors of failure and cronyism, and their fair share of bad press, but in the end it really comes down to one thing for Bovington: "We are just very enthusiastic entrepreneurs who are trying to create cool stuff."
Rivers Run Red has been planning for the future. According to Bovington, the decision to leave Second Life was primarily a financial one. "We just couldn't justify it. The clients were saying they loved it, they really enjoy doing it, but it was a real sticking block going forward in terms of the costs." Instead, Rivers Run Red is moving to the more affordable Kitely. But the price isn't the only benefit of Kitely. Companies in Kitely are able to have their own private region, and unlike Second Life there's no focus on the commercial marketplace. Rivers Run Red didn't need the marketplace, but instead wanted a private area where companies can run securely. Kitely provides that security, and allows companies to create a space that feels like their own, rather than a small piece of someone else's product. Additionally, Kitely allows Rivers Run Red to back up their clients work. Since everything is created by Rivers Run Red's internal design team, there's no reason clients shouldn't be able to do so, but it was never an option in Second Life.
Kitely is only a small piece of what's ahead for Rivers Run Red. Bovington anticipates that we'll see "the link between physical and virtual getting closer," and Rivers Run Red is planning on it. In response to this prediction, Rivers Run Red is working to allow clients to connect to Immersive Workspaces via tablets or even smart phones, as well as computers. Bovington suggests that the massive success of Facebook indicates a move toward text-based worlds, which will run more successfully on tablets and smartphones that don't have the graphics cards needed to run worlds like Second Life. Bovington said that Rivers Run Red is "looking at tablets to be the next level of immersion. I think we're going to find that proximity based systems like tablets will become part of the virtual experience because we can all bend information between those systems quite successfully." He also emphasized that the Immersive Workspaces project isn't dead. Bovington argues that it's still relevant and useful, but that it needed a new platform after the Second Life Enterprise platform was discontinued. The relevance, immediacy, and security of private worlds that can be accessed by tablet will provide a better system for clients to work together virtually.
Even beyond Kitely and tablets, Rivers Run Red has created a mystery gadget called the MELUX, and is looking to expand into Unity 3D, an engine which allows for the creation of games. Bovington expects that they will remain quiet for a while, but indicates that they're looking to truly take advantage of the niche market of virtual worlds. Rivers Run Red has battled through rumors of failure and cronyism, and their fair share of bad press, but in the end it really comes down to one thing for Bovington: "We are just very enthusiastic entrepreneurs who are trying to create cool stuff."
Internet Laws
During class this week, our main topic of discussion was the laws and jurisdiction of the Internet and how it is difficult to actually govern and have set laws. One reading in particular stuck out more to me. Written by David Johnson and David Post, Laws and Borders: the Rise of Law in Cyberspace touched on many subjects that are quite relevant to today. They mainly touch on subject of the “new rules [that] will emerge, in a variety of online spaces, to govern a wide range of new phenomena that have no clear parallel in the non-virtual world.” Basically, cyberspace is an entirely new place that cannot abide by all of the rules of every country or nation that uses the Internet. Post and Johnson claim that these new rules “will play the role of law by defining legal personhood and property, resolving disputes, and crystallizing a collective conversation about core values.” They claim that cyberspace should be considered to be it’s own place and therefore should have it’s own rules.
I cannot really think of many examples that I ran into/experienced while playing LOTRO that would be considered relevant to our readings. I have not run into players breaking rules, exploiting or attempting to use cheats. I didn’t even run into any trolls while playing the game. This may be because I have not reached a highly populated part of the game quite yet. But there is an issue that is relevant both to our readings and to some current events. These “current events” would be the attempt made by the House of Representatives and the Senate to pass both the SOPA and PIPA bills. They were created in an attempt to “eliminate” copyright infringement on the Internet. In short, SOPA (aka Stop Online Piracy Act) allows companies to remove websites if they contain anything that is copyrighted or hyperlinked to copyrighted material. PIPA (aka Protect Intellectual Property Act) is very similar to SOPA, but it deals with foreign websites and attempts to stop them from hosting things like television shows, movies or anything else that would be considered copyrighted material. If these bills were to pass and eventually become laws, many websites would be shut down. Not only would websites be affected, but also many companies would most likely be destroyed in the process.
The House of Representatives and the Senate honestly has no business meddling in laws and matters that deal with the Internet. There are multiple, logical reasons why they have no business in dealing with anything Internet related. Some of these reasons include but are not limited to the basic fact that the House of Representatives and the Senate are in no way experts on the Internet and do not know how or why it works the way it does. Both Johnson and Post would agree with me on this topic. Because the United States government attempted to treat the Internet as a something under its jurisdiction rather than a new place, their actions went the exact opposite direction of what Johnson and Post were trying to promote. Johnson and Post explain that “Internet has created jurisdictional problems” due to its lack of boundaries. This supports the idea that the Internet should be considered it’s own place. Too many problems arise when multiple different governments (including both state and country) have different ideas about how the Internet should be run. No two governments would have the same ideas and standards. Like Johnson and Post said, it would be much easier to consider cyberspaces its own, separate jurisdiction. Because PIPA and SOPA are an attempt to regulate the Internet, Johnson and Post would never support either bill.
Many things could (and more than likely would) go wrong if the government was allowed to interfere with creating and enforcing Internet law. Recently, a “blackout” was held Wednesday, January 18th, in protest of both SOPA and PIPA. Sites such as Reddit and Wikipedia (along with multiple other websites) went dark for 24 hours. For one day, many Americans struggled to complete many simple tasks that only took seconds to complete the day before. The blackout attempted to mimic what the Internet would be like if SOPA and PIPA were passed. This is why the House of Representatives and the Senate needs to become more educated on both the Internet and how cyberspace should be considered a new place. And because it would be a new place, laws created in cyberspace should be treated as valid and the United States government should respect cyberspaces jurisdictional authority. Saturday, March 10, 2012
WIO (World Internet Organization)
There has been a lot of talk about governance in Virtual Worlds during the term. Whether or not there should be a governing body that dictates what goes on, on the internet, or not? With real-world commodification becoming more evident in virtual worlds the means for governance is obviously starting to enter real-life court. Issues such as these are typically stated in the TOS or EULA’s of games on where (which state or country) to handle them. A lot of games are based out of California and many users are directed to handle virtual world disputes in that state, but if a game is based out of Sweden should I have to travel all the way across the world to handle a dispute? And If I don’t want to deal with travelling, should I really just give up my rights and let it go? This is a huge injustice that gives more power to the developers and creators of these games. The following is my theory for a solution.
It is not foreign to us that issues have existed between governance that crosses geographical borders. War crimes, economical crimes, personal crimes etc. have all previously been committed overriding country borders. That is why organizations like the EU, UN, or NATO have come into existence. Not only have such crimes existed, but also, media crimes such as pirating films or p2p sharing of music. The organization Interpol exists for certain issues that pertain to these types of crimes. My point is clear here, issues of legality have previously been handled when it comes to crimes that go beyond geographical boundaries. Also issues that arise when there is no one particular means for governing these. A coalition or an organization is formed in order to handle such problems. Thus, an organization should be formed to govern the internet.
An organization like this would definitely have some issues considering everything we have examined throughout this course; particularly arguments in readings by authors Lastowka, Castronova, and Post/Johnson. The issue of virtual justice, governance, and jurisdiction are major issues. The answer is to form an organization that allows the freedom of the internet to remain fair, whilst handling issues that for example are too hard for either party involved addressing through courts in their particular area. This organization will also dictate what is legal or not. For example all things that currently exist: child pornography, fraud, theft etc. will obviously remain illegal while certain issues such as intellectual property will be handled by the organization. When governance of virtual worlds comes into mind this organization can see over the TOS’s and EULA’s to perfect any issues that can become iffy. The key here is to create a sort of mediator of all the things that can arise as an issue online or in virtual worlds, this way confusion would be eliminated. One may argue also, it is not even clear what should or should not be governed in real life. That is exactly what an organization such as this one will do.
An organization such as this would cause much controversy to arise about the freedom of the internet. With an imperfect world though there will always be imperfect answers or solutions. All we can do is to try and limit the amount of problems that currently exist or that will arise in the future. The internet is so broad no one person can know all of its capabilities, which is both a good and bad thing. All one can hope for is to allow us humans our freedom and to protect us against those trying to limit that freedom; which would be the main goal of an organization like this.
Virtual Worlds in a Global View
Regulation of virtual worlds has been a very controversial subject in later years. With the increasing importance of virtual worlds in everyday life it is becoming much harder to separate our real-life from our virtual lives. When there is so much time, money, effort, and commercialism involved in virtual worlds today, the need for regulation and protection of our rights is in much higher demand. Much effort has been put into the regulation of these virtual worlds and particularly many virtual worlds that started in the United States. Many EULA’s nowadays deal with the fact that disputes may arise from users in the games, and have specific instructions on how to deal with a dispute. Typically disputes are handled in the state of which the game originated. But do all these dispute policies work merely for Americans? What happens if a dispute must be handled with a game from a foreign country? Or the laws of a foreign country apply to disputes arising from a foreign game?
Many games originate in the United States and in the United States there are currently laws to help regulate what goes on in these games and in virtual worlds. As many games start becoming a part of our everyday lives the need for regulation in them becomes increasingly important. Jack Balkin says, “ In the future, virtual worlds platforms will be adopted for commerce, for education, for professional, military, and vocational training, for medical consultation and psychotherapy, and even for social and economic experimentation to test how social norms develop” (2044) This is a very true statement that corporations like IBM have already proved, for example in the game Second Life, where they conduct business meetings already. If disputes arise with IBM in the virtual world, they can be handled through a United States courtroom. What if a dispute happens in a virtual world from another country for example Minecraft of Sweden? In their EULA the authors keep it simple having only one rule and mentioning that your personal information is covered by the Personuppgiftslagen of Sweden. If you do not speak Swedish it is hard to know exactly what the outlines of this law mean to you. Therefore you just click yes, you agree, and do not think twice about it. One reason Minecraft’s EULA is so simple is the fact that the game itself is very simple and allows the users to have a lot of freedom. But also deputes regarding games in Sweden rarely occur, it is not common in Sweden that people enter into a lawsuit to take care of conflicts and as for personal information in Sweden people are very open about theirs, for example your social security number consists mostly of your birth date.
Balkin describes that many of the issues with virtual worlds today involve your First Amendment rights and are handled under the laws of the United States First Amendment. Now, not all cases involve your First Amendment rights, Balkin states that, “important aspects of the freedom to design and the freedom to play are concerned with freedom from state regulation of game spaces” (2052) This means that each dispute in a game that cannot be taken to court against your First Amendment rights or other federal rights, have to be settled within your statutory laws on game regulation. Given proof that it is already problematic to deal with disputes within the United States, one can only imagine how hard it would be to start handling a dispute in or with a foreign country. If we take Minecraft for example, the first step is to try and resolve the issue with the creators/administrators of the game (which in most cases works but takes time). If not satisfied with that the next action would be to contact the Swedish law authorities or your local American embassy to see what rights you have in the country you are seeking to take legal action in. These first two steps alone are very time consuming and difficult, especially if you do not want to use a lawyer whom you must pay thousands-plus dollars to. Obviously this all sounds very discouraging and in most cases people just cut their losses.
It is not always futile to handle disputes with international game creators/administrators though. As an American citizen your intellectual property within a game can be protected by the United States law and even abroad. In most games from foreign countries the EULA’s do not prevent you from seeking protection for your intellectual property within the game, therefore you are free to do so within the confinements of the United States law. These are points on how you can protect your intellectual property within a game/virtual world that applies both in the U.S. and abroad (unless otherwise prevented by the EULA of the game):
· In the U.S., patents may be available to any person who "invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof." Patent protection must be sought by application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
· Trademarks protect words, names, symbols, sounds, or colors that distinguish goods and services from those manufactured or sold by others and to indicate the source of the goods. Registration with the USPTO is not required, but does provide certain advantages.
· Copyrights protect original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic and certain other works, both published and unpublished. In the United States, the U.S. Copyright Office handles copyright registration that, although not required for protection, does confer advantages.
Obviously the downside of this entire thing still is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and money to pursue action. One other thing to also take into account is that the laws of a foreign country may not always be as forgiving as the laws of the United States, when it comes to taking legal action in those countries. An example of this would be a U.S. Marine who was convicted of spying for the CIA. The marine was sentenced to death in Iranian courts for using video games to manipulate public opinion about U.S. military in Iran, Iraq, and around the world. Great advice to attain from that is to use caution when handling disputes abroad.
As virtual worlds continue to grow and affect real-life, real-life will also affect these virtual worlds. The freedom virtual worlds have provided us with through time might start to diminish as they slowly turn into more of a reality. It is inevitable that games and virtual worlds will be regulated more strictly in the future by laws all around the world. As there are global organizations that regulate interactions between different countries within commerce, currency, and crime there may soon be an organization to regulate virtual international interactions. Balkin puts it perfectly when he says, “Precisely because virtual worlds are fast becoming important parts of people’s lives, and because they are likely to be used for more and more purposes in the future, legal regulation of virtual worlds is inevitable” (2045). This quote puts it best and as “real-world commodification” continues to increase, intellectual property continues to become more real for every individual, as will the consequences of our actions in virtual worlds. For every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction.
Governance of the Internet
Much controversy has arisen over internet governance and how uncontrolled it is. The fact that the internet has no physical location makes it hard to govern what is shared online. Information can be shared from computers all around the world almost instantly, that is the great thing about the internet, and it brings the world together. But if any information can be shared, then good as well as bad information can be distributed. For example, personal information about anyone can fall into the wrong hands because there is no governance and who is there to control the consequences of your personal information being exploited? The answer right now is no one.
Because there is no physical location for the internet or cyberspace, territorial based governance and control is not applicable with internet cases. In an article by David Post he states, “Cyberspace has no territorially-based boundaries, because the cost and speed of message transmission on the Net is almost entirely independent of physical location: Messages can be transmitted from any physical location to any other location without degradation, decay, or substantial delay, and without any physical cues or barriers that might otherwise keep certain geographically remote places and people separate from one another”. Post is saying that there is no physical address for these computers that are transmitting information across the internet, just IP addresses. This is the problem with controlling what these computers share. Even if you are to find the physical location of the IP address, by the time you get there the person using the computer could have moved anywhere, still online though carrying on with their business. Without being able to completely control and dictate what is shared on the internet governance over it becomes futile.
One country that has been pretty successful in governing their internet is China. The Chinese government has successfully blocked citizens from numerous user generated websites, according to ABC reporter Emily MacDonald, “When you try to access Facebook in China, an error message appears saying “Network Timeout.” This means that Chinese residents are without Youtube, Twitter, and other sites where content is predominantly user generated”. Even though there are Chinese equivalents to these websites the Chinese have successfully blocked the access in order to stop international criticism. Sites in China such as Google that have not been blocked are still closely monitored by the government. When you search for something via Google that has to with for example the riots in Urumqi, Xinjiang, which is bad publicity for China, the search engine will abruptly stop working for a while. This is all in effort to censor negative Chinese media, and it works.
The way China deals with their internet would not work for every country in the world though. In the United States this oppression would be considered against our constitutional rights. In many other countries the effort to block international criticism is not nearly as important as it is in China. Though, the issue of governance of cyberspace and the internet remains an issue for everyone. There are so many possibilities with the use of cyberspace and computers, if it is not regulated somehow vital information could fall into the wrong hands. If something like that would happen a so called “fire sale” (as seen in the movie Live Free or Die Hard) could be possible and would be able to destroy the world as we know it today. A “Fire Sale” is an assault against the government, transportation, and economy by computer hackers. This could put the world into chaos in a very short period of time; this is why the internet needs a better governance system and laws before it is too late.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Extra Blog Post
As I sat down in my room to decide what I wanted to write about for my extra blog post, it hit me almost too perfectly. I leave my TV on a lot, and the Simpsons came on. In this particular episode, Marge sits down to play an MMORPG similar to LOTRO, with a medieval theme. First, she goes through the EULA, which a gamelike character tells her to ignore and click "agree." Within the game, Marge meets the toons of the other Simpsons characters, including, Moe, Principal Skinner, Apu, and Mrs. Krabapple.
Marge gets so involved in the game that she ends up playing for over a day at a time. This humorously illustrates the intense dedication some people hold. She goes through quests, collaborating with other players, and earning gold. She continues to enjoy the world, until she is unintentionally killed by Bart's character.
During the course of her gameplay, Marge also encounters a griefer. Shadow Knight, a character all others fear, turned out to be Bart's character. Bart and Marge engage in quests and end up in Bart's trophy room. Marge changed all Bart's skulls and weapons to Hello Kitty themes, which Bart goes around destroying, proceeding to inadvertently killing Marge. Marge is so upset, she gets angry with Bart in real life. Bart makes it up by pressing alt + f5, sacrificing two thirds of his power to revive her. Bart's griefing ways come back to haunt him, however, as the other characters band together and kill the Shadow Knight in his Dungeon.
Metaverse Dreams Re-Write
“The Metaverse needs to be built differently,” are the wise words of Cory Ondrejka, a man who studies the possibilities of this alternate universe and teaches us about the arts of crafting and creation. The Metaverse would have to be so enormous that every single player should be able to build his or her own world. “It must expand through viral growth and produce an increasing supply of active creators who create wealth within a generalized virtual world” (Ondrejka, 176). The residents, or players, of this world attract an audience who would later become a customer by showing off their ownership of creations and rights. Thus, the Metaverse would have to be so vast that it could hold millions of millions of objects without crashing. This virtual universe would change both the online and offline worlds forever. Second Life takes the first steps towards the construction of the Metaverse. These steps are to be taken on a tightrope because if this universe is rushed, then it is predicted to fail to maximize its potential to the consumer.
With Second Life taking the first steps towards perfecting the ultimate gaming world, I find the problem lying in the hands of the gamers instead of with the developers. If Second Life was launched back in 2003, I cannot even begin to imagine see how advanced the next installment would be nearly a decade later. If my 2011 laptop is struggling to keep this “old” program running smoothly, I do not want to jump into the next world yet. It has to be up to the players to spend thousands of dollars on futuristic computer models to play or the developers have to find a way to make an enormous Metaversal environment compatible for the recreational gamer’s technology. If I have to spend large sums of money to enter into a second life, then I am very uninterested in what the MMORPG world holds in the near future.
After creating an account in Second Life, I now see how huge of a project this would be if it were done flawlessly. The world of Second Life is so large that even on an up-to-date computer such as mine was running the program slowly. Simply by wandering around a small amount of land, I ran into tens of players show casing their newest creations: a tiny percentage of what to expect in the creative boundaries of this world. With a fellow classmate constructing a basketball court, I started to build my hockey ice rink with dreams of The Second Life Winter Olympic Games nearing. While experiencing the most lag possible, I was unable to pull off my architectural greatness. Next time I fire up the program, I have to make sure to do so on an even faster computer that is more able to hold the capacity of such an immense universe.
A few days later…
Now firing up Second Life on a better computer, I began to expand my creative architectural horizons. Constructing a cannon that shoots multi-colored half-spheres and other geometrical shapes was my creation. This time, Second Life was very enjoyable. If the Metaverse has to be created differently, then I see no reason to not follow the footsteps of Second Life’s developers. There is definitely room for improvement since Second Life launched, but it is up to the developers to either build on what they have started or take it in a different direction to create the flawless universe every gamer is craving.
My Second Life Experience
One of the MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role playing game) that we spent a lot of time in during our Intro to Virtual Worlds class was Second Life. Second Life is an online virtual world that was created by Linden Lab in 2003. In Second Life, players can interact with other users by using custom avatars. Not only can they be social, but they can also explore the world (also known as the “grid”) and have the ability to build almost anything. You also have the option to make real world money by trading in Linen Dollars you gain in game. I actually had played Second Life one time before this class back in 2007.
The only issue with playing back in 2007 is that I had not played since. So I basically had to learn how to do most basic tasks over again. I was skeptical when our class first played during class because my last experience had not been something to write home about. After playing in world for about an hour in class, I still was not quite convinced that Second Life was all that great. It didn’t help that all the other times I attempted to play on my laptop the game glitched and would not load objects or avatars correctly. At that point, I was nowhere near excited to do really anything related to Second Life.
A few weeks after our first Second Life introduction, our class was assigned our final blogging assignment. Our task was to write an article based on a given topic that we were to investigate in Second Life using in game participants as informants. Once again, I was slightly skeptical about how much I would learn from this experience but I still tried to be positive about working in Second Life. Our class was going to be writing for a real online newspaper called Alphaville Herald. One of the editors, Pixeleen Mistral, would be giving us our article assignments after we sent her an email. Our professor listed off some possible article topics and one stuck out to me, Bronies. A Brony is a name given to (a usually male) fan/viewer of the new television show, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I myself am a Brony and knew that this was the topic for me. As soon as class was out, I sent Pix an email asking for an article about the Second Life Bronies. Pix granted my request and gave me a Brony themed article topic. She also gave me a few different ideas of what I could focus my article on, for example Brony politics, Brony businesses or the overlap between Bronies and Furries. I decided it would be the most interesting to go with the third article option.
Now that I had my article assignment I had to go in world and interview some of the Second Life Bronies. My only issue at this point was making time to log onto Second Life to actually conduct the interviews was slightly difficult. My laptop still did not like the Second Life viewer that I installed. Not only that, but I had to work around the time that the campus computer lab was available for use. Once I finally was able to get into the lab, my Second Life journalist adventure really started to bloom.
My first stop was BronyTown. As I found during my travels of the Second Life world, BronyTown is one of the larger and more popular Brony communities. I entered the world in my started German shepherd avatar and began to wander around the sim. I found some ponies and I asked them if they would allow me to ask them a few questions for an article that I was writing. One pony (who was wearing a Rarity avatar) was very nice and answered all of my questions. Another pony was more wary of my intentions, but he stubbornly gave me some answers. For the most part, the ponies I ran into just were role-playing and didn’t take the time to talk. After a slightly disappointing Second Life adventure I had to leave the computer lab at closing time.
I was back in the computer lab as soon it opened again. This time, instead of going right back to finding ponies to interview, I decided to check out the rest of the sim. While flying above the trees of the EverFree Forest, I had the idea to change my dog avatar into a pony one. I figured people would be more likely to talk to me if I looked like them. I ended up running into a random Brony, who was able to help me create my very own pony avatar (that was dark gray with a blue mane and tail). Donning my new avatar, I went back on the prowl for new Bronies to interview. Yet this time I was very unsuccessful this time around. I got a few words from a couple Bronies but no one would stay to chat. For the most part they kept role-playing or just didn’t respond. Slightly irritated with the lack of willing Bronies, I decided that I needed to take a break and do something else until more Bronies showed up in the sim. I explored almost all of what I think was the entirety of the Brony sim, I had the idea to visit Nope.
Nope is a sim in Second Life that our class was told about by our professor when we were learning about griefers. Griefers are people that can be found in almost any MMO, and who enjoy irritating and harassing other players for fun. In Second Life there is always a place where people who affiliate themselves with or are griefers’ home base. Our class had been granted access to Nope by one of the well-known “griefers” in Second Life, yet no one had bothered to venture there. I didn’t have any thing better to do at the time so I decided to check it out for myself.
I arrived in Nope and the first thing I noticed was how random and slightly chaotic it was. There were random meme references scattered about the land, which I found quite amusing. I wandered about in my pony avatar when suddenly I was surrounded by a very random assortment of people. I was a newcomer in an invite only sim so they were all slightly confused. Many of them began to ask me questions like how did I know about Nope? Was I apart of the JLU? Who invited me? Was I lost? I put on my headset and attempted to explain myself as they bombarded me with questions. I tried to answer their questions as best as I could. I told them about the class I was taking. How I knew about them. I explained that I was not a JLU member. I then told them about the article I was writing and my lack of Bronies willing to participate in my interview. Instead of messing with me like I had expected them to, they actually were interested in what I was telling them. Some thought it was funny that my professor was writing a book about griefers and some wanted to know what it was called so they could check it out when it was finished. After I told the group about my article, a few of them decided to help me. A couple Bronies happened to be in the group, so they told me what they thought about the relationship between the Second Life Bronies and Furries. One went as far as to get in contact with the owner of the EverFree Forest, which is one if not the biggest pony sims in Second Life. That griefer accompanied me in going to meet up with zedmastermind (the owner of the sim). I learned a lot about the Second Life Bronies and about some of their different groups and even some stuff about Second Life itself from talking to Zed and the griefer. The three of us talked about many random things like Woodbury and what we thought of the JLU. They even gave me helpful advice about where to download a better viewer for Second Life so it will actually work on my computer. Our chat was cut short when security was closing up the computer lab. I thanked Zed and the griefer for all of their help and logged off.
In the end, I actually really enjoyed my experience in Second Life. After I fix my game viewer (so I will hopefully be able to play it on my computer) I will probably continue to play it every now and then. I loved how helpful many of the players were and they would take time to explain things to me even though I was new to the game. Even the griefers that I met were both funny and enjoyable people. I was able to learn a lot about Second Life from people who actually witnessed many of the events that we had previously discussed in class. I am glad that I kept an open mind about Second Life because the experience that I had was not only enjoyable but I was able to learn more about Second Life and the people who play it more than I thought I ever would.
User Created Content
After playing Lord of the Rings online for a few weeks, our class moved onto a new game called Second Life. Second Life is a cool game where you can create almost anything out of basic shapes and actually make real world money off of your creations. Our first official Second Life reading was Escaping the Gilded Cage: User-Created Content and Building the Metaverse by Cory Ondrejka.Ondrejka talks about the importance of user created content for virtual worlds. He claims that by having more user created content in world, we are moving closer to a metaverse (which is basically a place where people can effectively connect and be productive). Many games have come close to this metaverse but no one has been able to achieve it yet. Ondrejka thinks that Second Life is the closest virtual world to being a metaverse due to the allowance of user created content in games. Because people can create rather than craft (crafting is not creating, rather just helping your player get achievements accomplished) in game, "this allows users to create iteratively and interactively, while sharing the act of creation with other users" thus creating a closer community. Ondrejka says that because so many Second Life players contribute to creating their world it makes a strong and diverse social network.
I have actually played Second Life before so this was not my first time building objects in game. So when we played in class it was a refresher for me. But even though I had played before it took me a bit of playing around to figure out how to create shapes properly (along with doing tasks like coloring, texturing and connecting shapes). It is a lot of fun to create things in Second Life.
I actually ended up creating a small doghouse-like structure as my object. I chose to create a doghouse because my avatar at the time was a German Sheppard so I thought that it would be funny to create a house for him.
For the creation of the doghouse, I used the basic prism tools to create the house. I used the cube and cylinder tool to do most of my work. I created a base, and three back wall panels of the doghouse by stretching out the cube prim to make a floor and walls. I then used stretched cylinders to create columns for the front of the doghouse. I finally finished the house by placing a large pyramid shaped roof over the structure. As for textures, I just used the basic textures that came in my texture pack. I didn’t really feel the need to go out and buy new textures because the ones that I already had were fine for what I was building.
While some people get help building things, I did not end up collaborating with anyone on making my doghouse because I didn’t feel the need to. I was just building something for fun, nothing too big that I would need someone’s help with.
I think that the user created content really does make Second Life different from most if not all of the games that I have played. Having all of creative creations in world really does make it a different experience. Creating houses, automobiles, and even clothing makes the in game experience awesome. Even though I did not have help creating my doghouse I am pretty sure that if I was creating something bigger, I could get the help I needed considering most of the people I met in-game were quite helpful. If I play Second Life more I feel as though Ondrejka’s argument would apply more than it does to me now.
Pool's Closed: Online Protests
Our virtual world class, we read an article called And the Ringleaders Were Banned: An Examination of Protest in Virtual Worlds by Bridget Blodgett. We focused on protests that have happened within virtual worlds. Ultima Online, World of Warcraft, Second Life, Eve Online and even Habbo Hotel are just a few virtual worlds that have experienced large in-world protests. In her article, Blodgett discusses how protests change when they are moved into a virtual space. Blodgett uses a model to analyze how technology and virtual worlds causes different protest methods to be necessary. In her model Blodgett explains the four concepts that make up the model: the degree of virtualization, legality, cultural homogeneity and limitations of participation. The degree of virtualization is “a simple percentage of the amount of organization and participation that was achieved offline or virtually”. This is a pretty simple point. Next, legality is “a measurement of how legal the actions of the protests were both in planning a protest and holding it”. Often, protests that bridge the online/offline gap break the law, while purely online protests do not. The third point is cultural homogeneity. Cultural homogeneity is “a measure of how more similar individuals within the protest are to each other in regards to their cultural views and identity”. And the final point is the limitations on participation. The limitation on participation is “a measure of if and how individuals are prevented from participation in the protest”. These are all unique parts of the different aspects of a virtual protest that are often needed for the protest to have that framework.
One of the more interesting/amusing protests that occurred were the Habbo Hotel raids. Every single year since 2006 on July 12th, hundreds of black avatars donning afros and gray suits flood Habbo. This all began on the /b/ thread of 4chan back in 2005. Some /b/tards heard a rumor that some of the Habbo moderators were racist and banning black skinned avatars without reason. To protest, the group went in-world with avatars wearing gray suits and afros. They would block the entrances of the pools and claim that “Pools closed” to all those who entered. It was one of the biggest raids of its time.
What does this protest have to do with Blodgett’s virtual protest model? All of the protesters participated online. There are a couple instances of people dressing as the black avatar symbol at conventions but other than that it has no real life influences. I do not believe that this protest continued outside of 4chan and Habbo. Also this raid was completely legal. There are no laws in the Habbo EULA that ban avatars to wear a gray suit and afro. Also the fact that the game did not allow players to walk through each other was a design flaw (which was later changed). As far as cultural homogeneity goes, protesters were from all backgrounds. On the final note concerning limitations on participation, I do not think that individuals were prevented from protesting. This protest meets all of the parameters to fit into Blodgett’s model for online protests.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Gabe- Furries Alphaville Herald
Profile: Furries
An Outsider’s Look into Furnation
by BigOldFlyinShip Feb. 29 2011
Furnation is a place like no other. In fact, it’s not even a place. Furnation is a way of life. Furries hail from all corners of the globe, not only in Second Life, but in real life, and other parts of the web as well.
Many furries dwell within the realm of Second Life, where creativity is nearly limitless. As I explored the sims of Furnation, I saw many interesting things and met many interesting individuals. As I interacted with a number of them, it was difficult to choose my words correctly, as I had no clue what could be perceived as offensive. I was literally clueless. But everyone I chatted with was extremely friendly, and willing to answer any questions I had. I quickly came to the conclusion that Furnation was a very amiable society.
Furnation is a fun-loving place whose citizens live off the beaten path. Cave Drawer, who I ran into as I explored, put the appeal of being a furry very simply.
“Very creative.”
“Each one has a unique different personality.”
“friendly too.”
Every furry I talked to had the same opinion. They enjoy each others’ openness and creativity, and the friendliness they show each other. The normalcy most people (and avatars) find comfortable is simply not enough for those who live a “furry” lifestyle. These individuals seek something outside of what’s normal. As far as fun goes, fur is their outlet.
Sometimes, however, friendliness and uniqueness can have its downfalls, as Furnation knows all too well. Furnation has long been the target of ridicule from Goons, a band of characters whose users stemmed from the humor site, Something Awful.
Furnation is still going strong though, and furries seem to be enjoying themselves within Second Life as much as ever. To outsiders like me, the first thing that came to mind before I actually learned the ins and outs of the culture, was that all these characters did was dress up in animal suits and run around having sex with each other. While this is certainly not the case, as I found out quickly, there is a strong culture of sex within Furnation. When asked about the appeal of sex as furries, Cave Drawer told me,
“It’s more colorful.”
The sexual aspect, like most other aspects of Furnation, are just that: more colorful. But while many people think first of sex when the topic of furries comes into discussion, Furnation is not a purely sexual culture. Corsi Mousehold, the top of the hierarchy in the sims I visited, made it clear that sex is not the prime attraction of Furnation. When I asked about the sexual nature of furries, Corsi surprised me with the response that,
“There really isn't one. We frown on open sex in the sims.”
Corsi continued to inform me about the places where furries are allowed to pursue sexual encounters and engage in what suits their interests. However, users have raised concern about furries and non furries engaging in sexual activity. This form of interaction could be interpreted as a form of bestiality, and, according to the book, Sex Lives in Second Life by Robert Alan Brookey andKristopher L. Cannon,
“Linden Lab, which reserves the right to restrict ‘‘broadly offensive’’ behavior in SL,
should begin cracking down on the sexual activity of Furries.”
One important thing that some people may not think about is that behind the fur-covered avatar is a user that is very much human. These users have human interests as well as their furry virtual intuitions. One of these interests is making money. As a more creative group, furries create material and sell it just like human avatars. EpicGordon Broome, explained to me that he earns relatively large sums of real-life money with his creations within Second Life. But he made it clear early into our conversation that it was the design aspect he was initially pursuing.
“I got into it as a hobbyist in 3D, as it offered some simple and fun tools for easy 3D-sketchup.”
Then the money just came.
Modestly, he told me,
“I’m pretty mediocre at what I do.”
But with the sums of money he rakes in, he can’t be that mediocre. EpicGordon Broome’s success within Second Life demonstrates the platform of creativity on which furries and human avatars alike use to thrive.
Economics are a big part of Furnation, and in the past, Furnation was struggling with is finances. When I asked Corsi Mousehold about the state of finances in Furnation.
“Was,” Corsi said when I asked if it was a problem.
What changed it, surprisingly, has nothing to do directly with furries as a culture.
“Guns”
Furries love combat sims within second life and buy guns created within the sims of Furnation. Corsi even told me that human avatars enter the sims to buy guns too, and sales are booming. On that note, Corsi made sure that the entire Second Life population be informed on the state of furnation,
“It’s not closing anytime soon.”
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Teamwork Wins Championships
When thinking about MMORPG’s the typical person would probably describe a video gamer as someone who has no life and socially cannot hold a conversation in public. This is where the general public is wrong. One of T.L. Taylor’s main arguments in his reading is the fact that these MMO’s such as Everquest actually do promote team work and social skills. T.L. Taylor is wrote, “One of the biggest thing about games like EQ is that they are deeply social. While much of what we hear about gaming in popular press evokes images of alienation and isolation, it is a misunderstanding of the nature of these games. The sociality of the space is not simply a matter of players talking to each other but a web of networks and relationships-sometimes weaving between on and offline life, in-game and out-game-developing, and disintegrating over time.” Videogame’s are not people who just play on there computer in the complete dark only coming out when they have to go to the bathroom. Gamers develop relationships which may last a life time or just for that raid which proves that they are just as capable to do anything a non gamer can do out in the real world.
In my experience on LOTRO I have gotten help multiple times with other players. A perfect example of this is when I could not pass a quest given to me by a NPC and I needed help. So I called up my partner and asked him for some help. He came into the game we strategized about how to attack these bears which I had to kill. Then went into battle and came out victorious. The team work that each of us showed was something that can be used out in the real world.
This experience that I had within LOTRO is exactly what T.L. Taylor is trying to argue to the non gamer. Video gamers have team work skills that some people do not have and this should be considered when applying for jobs out in the real world. You can have one applicant who went through college just studying by themselves and getting excellent grades but really has no social or leadership qualities. Or on the other hand you have a person who might not have as good of grades but plays these MMORPG’s and has learned about being a leader and how to successfully lead a team to the finish. I’m sure 90% of people will want the gamer who has leadership skills and can socially talk to another person in there business.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Gold Farming
Gold Farmers across Ultima Online are feeling the impact of the feud between Blacksnow and the EasyUO Cartel. Rich Thurman, a leader of the EasyUO Cartel and user of the exevents code, has been repeatedly banned from Ultima Online following a conflict with the Blacksnow-Ingotdude coalition. Blacksnow is now reeling from massive account losses, attributed to the hard work of the EasyUO coalition.
Lee Caldwell, a leader of Blacksnow and Ingotdude, originally contacted Thurman and the two discussed the possibility of joining forces to control the economy of Ultima Online. Thurman’s team was made up of strong programmers, while Caldwell’s team had extensively studied the market and had already been successful at manipulating the market. If the two groups combined their skills, they could completely control the market, and would have immense power within Ultima Online, possibly even more than game developers had. But Caldwell wanted access to the exevents code in exchange for his teams’ talents, and Thurman was unwilling to agree. Thurman explained that the creator of exevents did not give it to ay outsiders, and that it was impossible for Caldwell to get the code. Caldwell and Thurman parted on good terms without coming to an agreement.
But one day later Caldwell contacted Thurman with the news that someone had been reposting his characters to game masters, and that his characters had been banned. Thurman denied any involvement and claimed that all of his characters as well as his team members’ characters had also been banned. A suspicious Caldwell found a character belonging to Josh, another member of the Cartel, and asked Josh about the widespread banning. Josh explained that exevents had been given to a blackmailer to keep him quiet. Caldwell reported this information back to Thurman who denied everything and stood by his original statement that exevents could not be given to players outside of the Cartel. Thurman also claimed that exevents had been shut down by its creator, and that other players could no longer use it. Caldwell was infuriated that Thurman gave exevents to a blackmailer after refusing to give it to Blacksnow in exchange for their cooperation. After a brief argument, Caldwell promised that he would get revenge, while Josh promised to destroy Blacksnow.
Reports now state that Blacksnow has had massive account losses, which are credited to the work of the Cartel. In response to the conflict, Blacksnow has been searching for and immediately reporting and banning every character that is created by Thurman. Thurman has not yet been able to keep a new character in the game. The Cartel is now looking to discover new bugs that will allow them to continue to farm with less exposure and less competition.
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