What's on First?

I am sad that The London Review of Books article, Jowls are Available by Jenny Diski, is dead wrong. I love the writing style of Diski, but I wish she would have explored SL to its fullest. Sadly, it appears that she, like so many critics, stood at the door to form her opinion.

The first great mistake is that Diski only sees SL as a game; "It’s called a game though there is no goal and no end point at which a clear winner emerges and takes the prize." I have accidentally called it a game, and I have stood corrected. It isn't a game; it is a MUVE, and there are incredible differences between the two. If this was her foundation, and she was looking for that final prize to win, then, certainly, she had the wrong perspective the whole time.

The second mistake is that Diski assumes that the majority of residents in SL are homebody creatures without the RL resources to have culture. She claims that "Second Life is organised and inhabited by beings from the real world who have by definition very little experience of being anywhere or any way else." Untrue, my dear. I challenge her to meet Charlie and Becca Nesson from Harvard. I challenge her to meet the residents - non-academic- speaking 4 and 5 languages. I challenge her to meet the many residents, as I have, that travel the world. I have met more persons with "breeding" than not...but perhaps it is because I was willing to step into the world and not just hang out in the newbie areas?

The third mistake is that Diski believes that 'there is no second life on Second Life, only more of the same old first and only one, but cartoon-shaped." Again, this is a short-sighted perception. Perhaps she didn't see the right places? Perhaps she didn't look? I question her methods and criteria, frankly. WHAT did she look at to form her opinion? Where did she go? There is a whole lot that is similar, but, again, only if you stand on the corner and peek through the window. If you get INTO the culture, you find much more depth.

She also claims that she couldn't find political activism - when RL organizations like the ACLU are present in SL and offer support to SL residents. Further, groups like Code Pink (Women against War) use SL as a place to spread their political messages. There are lot of RL groups spreading their messages by hosting talks, memorials, etc. But, again, I am not sure she would have seen that standing on the corner.

Her comments remind me very much of people who say they have been to France, but, in reality, have only ever been in the airport waiting for a transfer flight to somewhere else. You can't judge a culture by what they offer in the snack machine. You have to explore the land; you must find the nooks and crannies. This is true in real life, and it is true in Second Life.

It is very easy to see SL as just a copy of a FL with glitter. The better reporter is the one that figures out why sooooo many people choose to spend time and money building this alternate universe.

Shopping Tips

So, I posted some SL shopping hot spots over at Stingy Scholar in preparation for my very first SPA DAY in Second Life! I am taking anyone around for a few hours of avatar transformation. Join the fun....IM me inworld or email me!

Ohhhh....and see I know allll about makeovers...those are my before and after shots up there!

Game....or Lifestyle?

My buddy, Brett Bixler, has corrected me. It is worth a good discussion. His post about SL is worth reading.

Second Life is not a game in his estimation, and, after reading his post, I agree. Thanks, Brett!

Over at Stingy Scholar....

As some of you know, I also write for Stingy Scholar. I am starting a review series of awesome places to go in Second Life.

Literature Alive! and other Tales

I wouldn't consider myself a gamer in the classical sense. As a product of the 80s, I am fond of games like PacMan and Space Invaders, and I spent quite a bit of time at the local 7-11 playing pin ball with my brother.

I like games that can be used to teach basic concepts (vocabulary, decision making, etc.), but I only like them if I can see and appreciate the added value for a student. There is no point in using a game to teach a concept that can be taught a better way. The EduFrag project, for example, helps make "skill and drill" more fun than I could ever make it in real life. So it is worth it to me to use.

Second Life isn't a game; it is a multi-user virtual environment (MUVE). I have been toying with it to see what it can be used for in the classroom. Can it be used to teach a concept in a new way? Are there other ways to deliver content that are more practical? What are the risks? Do they outweigh the benefits?

In talking to various people about Second Life in higher education, I have come to understand why I think it is so valuable as a teaching tool.

As a community college instructor, I am very sensitive about the amount of money our students have to pay out in order to receive a good education. I am also aware of the personal restrictions they face (full time jobs, families, etc.). Second Life allows me to take them on virtual field trips without ever leaving PA. It also allows me to present content in new ways.

The Literature Alive! project is part of the Community College without Borders project. It is aimed at bringing humanities education alive in Second Life by combining academic, corporate, and residential ideas together.

Right now, this includes two living classrooms in the Knightsbridge sim. In real life, Knightsbridge is a posh section of London. The SL creator, Debs Regent, is building a life life living community in-world. Each house in-world is fashioned after an existing house in real life. So, I rented two.

One house is my SL residence, and is like a living farm (the Amish have them...). Basically, the entire house is furnished in Victorian period furniture. Every object...paintings....furniture....etc. is clickable. When you click on it, you get notecard with a reading, an assignment, or a web link. There is a home theater on the second floor with movies (right now just my presentation from BCC), and there will be a working library on the third floor. This is the classroom for my summer Brit Lit students. These are online students who might never meet in real life, but might in SL. Also, the classroom is open to all educators for use.

The second house is a student gallery. This is a place for students to place displays. Right now, one of Bryan Carter's students is creating a display on the History of Optometry. In real life, I would have never met this student, but SL allows me to help this student create citeable material in prep for medical school. I pay him Linden to be my research assistant because I don't want him wasting his time sitting in camping chairs to make Linden. So, I pay him to help me set up displays and to do his research. In this sense, SL is incredible because it allows this student to have the help of two professors. Bryan Carter is his grade granting professor, and will guide him through the research process. As a colleague, I will help support Bryan and the student by providing some space for rich content. Without SL, I would never have met either of them.

I have also met other incredible educators like Sarah Robbins (Intellagirl Tully). I observed her class the other night, and was blown away by how she uses SL to teach live.

So, we know that Second Life can be used to deliver content and experiences that we could never provide in real life. The connections, themselves, are worth it. And, the academic resources are tremendous. But, what are the risks?

For one, there is a lot of adult content. As I told Vicki Davis when I was giving her a tour, there is a lot of content that is not edifying. This is a concern for K-12 teachers. But, how do we respond as college educators?

Well, here is the bottom line. When I was at Penn State, I took students on Spring Break service trips for Habitat for Humanity. During the day, I was responsible to guide them and make the experience worthwhile, educational, and appropriately fun, But, in their evening free time, they were free to make their own choices. I could guide them toward positive content, but the decisions resided in them. The same is true in SL; students make decisions about their free time. Since they are adults, they might choose to partake in seedy content. But, if I provide them with edifying content, they will soon get bored by the other stuff.

More risky than seeing naked pixels is the emotional side of SL. In other games, UnReal Tourney or the Sims, the player does not have to worry about the feelings of others. But, in an environment like SL, there are real people playing, and it is hard to portion out heart, head, and game.

Sometimes, games like SL can draw a population of people who lack social skills in RL. Since all of SL is about written communication via chat, it is sometimes hard to sort out the good from the bad. Also, since no one has to verify anything (including gender), there is no way to know if someone is honest. There are quite a few people that don't believe I am really a teacher, for example....they think it is part of my "game." So, it is important to go over social skills with students. Again, it is very much like the field trip idea....you might meet a cute avatar...but you are only here for a minute...be careful.

The collaborative nature in SL is incredible. This, alone, makes the tool worthwhile. My students will be meeting students from all over the world. On Friday, I am hosting a dance for college students to help them get connected. The inworld club, Aerolite, has been very good to allow me to use their facility to host student social gatherings. I am excited that my students will broaden their social connections while learning basic concepts like cause and effect writing.

Overall, SL is a powerful educational tool. There are some risks...but all learning involves at risk at some level.

Interview with an Avatar

I was very fortunate to be interviewed by The Baltimore Sun Reporter Stephanie Shapiro on my uses of SL as an instructional and research tool.

That was a lot of fun, and I will write more about it later. But, I mentioned these folks:


The Cyber One Project - Harvard School of Law, Charlie and Becca Nesson
The Black Sun II - Dr. Bryan Carter (and student Richard Mnumonic), UCM
Aerolite Dance Club and Mall - Liam Clinton and Sophia Harlowe, Owners
Middletown - Sarah Robbins/Intellagirl Tully
The UsefulChem Project - Jean-Claude Bradley, Drexel University
The London Sim Project - Debs Regent, et al
Verum's Place and The Diversity Project - Verum Vacirca, Owner
Phoenix Designs (student laptops) - Neoznet Watts, Owner
Aerolite Studios (community college building project) - Liam Clinton and Neoznet Watts, Consultants
Literature Alive! - Beth Ritter-Guth, LCCC

Cool Video from the NMC

This is a sweet movie from the NMC and Second Life.

Observations on Gender Communication

Well, sadly, my study on gender discourse in SL is ending. I decided to cut my research early for a few reasons. First. it is virtually impossible to verify any data. Second, I don't have RL samples of the same sort. Third, I want to work on other projects in SL. SL has been a whirlwind experience for me, but I see its value.

Since I can not verify that men are men and women are women, it is impossible to know whether the communication patterns are gender connected. Further, I can not prove my initial hypothesis - that SL, as a utopian community, fully embraces the communication structure of lifeworld and system communication as presented by Jurgen Habermas. The evidence just doesn't exist.

My research has been gathered in a dance club. Most of the other female dancers are at home moms or single moms in their 30s. None of them are dancers, escorts, etc. in real life. More than half, myself included, have ever been to a club of this type. Further, most of us, myself included, do not know women or men in this profession. Therefore,I have no real basis for comparison, and I don't intend to study this in RL.

When i first went into SL, I had designed a virtual Barbie. My idea that a Barbie with Brain would solicit a unique kind of response in a dance club was wrong. I am treated as all the others. Most people are kind and fun. Some people are not. It is just the same as real life. It is really annoying that my avie gets hit on 12 times a day, on average, by newbies looking for sex. I have learned that I would not be happy as a Barbie in RL; I couldn't handle all that attention. People are forced to love me for my wit and charm....and I prefer it that way.

I wouldn't say that the whole enterprise was a waste; I have learned a lot about myself. I also made a lot of great friends. I hope to keep them as I move on. I will likely host a college night each week at the club, but I will serve as a hostess.

I have decided that I want to use SL for other things. I really want to use it to teach, but I do not want to do research. I am working creating a houseof the Jane Austin Period. I will also do some work in Calendon. I have found a whole new world of historians and others that share my passion for teaching and learning.

Gaming Presentation

This is a link to a presentation I am giving today at BCCC.

OCC 2007 Tour Pics

The night tour meets in London - at Desi's house in Knightbridge!

Dr. Bryan Carter's SL classroom at Black Sun II...

The tour group hits the sploder at Aerolite Dance Club!

The tour group visits Verum's Place and learns about the Diversity Project.

Desi chatting in class at ItellaGirl Tully's Classroom!

OCC 2007 Tour

I had a wonderful time today giving tour to some colleagues participating in the OCC2007 online conference.

I am amazed by how SL connects educators!

Another Month in Review

Even though I take a lot of notes, it seems that I never get over here to write up my ideas. So, I apologie for the length of this post and the scattered nature of it.

My SL has been (literally) exhausting. In trying to balance three personaes (the real me, the educational me in SL and the "working" avatar in SL), I have become overwhelmed. Thus, I have decided to take a few days off for the sake of sanity.

I will try to go in once a day to spend time with a few educators and my special friend. But, I know how to contact all of them out of world, so I may do that, as well, so I don't get sucked into playing too long.

The thing about SL is that is really really is a second life. A full one, no less. So, now that I have multiple properties (an office, a group home, a retreat cottage, and a private residence), I feel like I must go in every day and maintain each property. Also, since I have worked very hard at my SL job, I am now quite popular there and feel compelled to work extra shifts, etc. And, really, the real life of me has limited time to do that.

I have had to sit back and really take in a perspectives POV. SL is addicting, and it is difficult to sort out the ethics of one avatar from the real me. In RL, I am very detail oriented. I am an over-achiever. I have high standards. In SL, I tend to be the same way. But, I can't live both of these lives at that level - it is exhausting. And, since my RL job is the one that pays the bills, I am going to have to limit my playing of SL.

I hae gathered a lot of great information about communication styles, but, sadly, I don't know that I will be able to use much beyond my observation. Since I can not verufy the genders behind the avatar, I can't actually extract any good data. I have noticed some trends in my SL workplace - gossip, competition, outlandish talk to be "above" and "beyond" the next person. I will blog about these later, but even I fall into some of these patterns, and that surprises me. IRL, I am not competitive, and I do not gossip. I also am a bit conservative in terms of what I will discuss in the open. In SL, Iespecially at my "job," I feel that my avatar is very worried about being number one, she hates the new girls that compete against her, and she gets drawn into gossip. The RL me would never stand for such behaviour.

In Sl, my avatar is obsessed with her looks. Again, this is not true of me IRL. I am comfortable with my looks IRL, and I don't get all gussied up. My avatar, though, must look perfect all the time. And I feel that I spend too much time creating her perfect looks.

In SL, my avatar has not been able to be close to anyone. This is much like me IRL. While she has many friends, she can not be close. And, that is just like how I am IRL. There are only 2 people she is personally close with in SL, and one was someone I brought in from RL to play the game. The other is private, and he knows who he is.

I like my bosses very much. I think that the owner has a great vision, and his RL and SL girl (same person) wants him to be successful. They are very busy, though, and I feel bad about contacting them inworld.

So, my SL is a challenge. My most rewarding time is spent working on educational material. Neo, this awesome designer, built these incredible personal laptops for my students. I can't wait to use them!!!!

The Sadness of SL

In my previous post, I wrote about the break up with my inworld partner. I wrote it when I was a bit angry, but I want to post now a little more about my thoughts on inworld relationships.

The truth is, Desi really cared about, and loved, her inworld husband. She found him to be warm and funny and kind and gentle. While, at first, he was a good ally to have, he became much more than that to her. But, she couldn't be what he needed her to be, and that made her feel bad. Even worse, it made her creator feel terrible.

In saying she didn't expect or need this kind of relationship, she didn't mean this as a slam against him. She was speaking of her own heart. She hadn't expected to get so immersed in the emotions of this game, as she is not generally this way in RL. She enjoyed his inoworld company very much, and she misses his company now. He was there when all the world was foreign to her. He was her comfort; he was her best friend. Desi will always love him, and she wishes, even now, to just sit and talk to him.

The abruptnesss of SL divorces is daunting. It happens so quickly, and there is no time to talk or create a resolution. She would have liked to sit down with him to talk about his feelings. But, there is a line that becomes fuzzy between Desi and Beth, and she isn't sure she can differentiate the lines.

So, SL romance is a bad idea.

A Week in the Life of Desi

When I am inworld, I take a lot of RL notes. I look at all sorts of things, and, most of them are things that I am not qualified to assess. The psychology behind SL is amazing, and players seem to view the game quite differently. In the past two weeks, I have found this to be too true.

My avatar has a job inworld, and she is very responsible when it comes to her job. She is also very concerned about the feelings of others and helping the "under dogs" (or, as they say in SL, the "Noobs"). She, too, is a noob, but learns fairly quickly.

A few weeks ago, she found a noobie guy wandering in the snow outside of her cabin, and they became fast friends. She helped him get skin and shape, and he knew how to move her furniture around. So, she wanted him to be her partner (inworld) for a number of reasons. First, he could move objects in the cottage. Second, she felt she would be safer with a partner listed. Third, she thought he was really friendly and fun and was a nice diversion when she wasn't inworld working her RL or SL jobs.

Well.

She should have known better.

See, behind the avatar is a real person that Desi (and Beth) don't know. Desi and Beth see the game as a game, and, even though Desi has made some great friends at work (one security girl is so funny that Desi has to tell Beth to grab the tissues because she laughs so hard she cries). But, Desi and Beth have a good grip on reality and don't fuse the two worlds. They were silly to think that everyone plays the game the same way.

Her partner was upset that she couldn't spend more time with him. Well, in reality, Desi has all the time in the world, but her creator has a FT job, a FT family, etc., etc. While everyone agrees that RL should come first, sometimes people are really hurt if they are neglected. The time change, alone, created a problem (he was from the UK). But, other than that, the whole emotional connection is something she didn't expect or, quite frankly, need.

So, they parted. And, sadly, both Desi and Beth were affected. It is amazing how much this game isn't a game in this regard. Beth felt bad because she clearly didn't articulate her plans carefully enough to the former partner. She never wanted an inworld romantic involvement; she simply wanted a friend for entertainment and protection. She didn't pay close enough attention because he wanted more that that, and she could never give that. Beth felt bad about that because she thinks she hurt the person behind the avatar.

In SL, Desi has an active life. In addition to her job, she also had the awesome opportunity to host a discussion at Verum's Place about Body Image. The discussion was well attended, and it was an awesome experience overall. The weekly meeting will focus on different topics, and someone suggested another section be held for UK players. Desi and Beth hope that someone will step forward to take over that commitment. The discussion group was exactly why she wanted to get into SL. The opportunity to have discussions about topic is liberating, and to have the perspectives of so many diverse people is incredible. Desi and Beth look forward to the weekly series! This is her motivation to play SL, and, as such, is more important than the other tasks.

At her job, Desi is doing very well. She has made some friends, and she has learned to like the music. Certainly, Beth would never be caught dead in a job like this and she would not enjoy it in RL. But, the avatar she created wants this job because it allows her to view gender discourse from the heart of the SL world. Desi and Beth are very ethical about their work and try to set a good example for fellow workers. They are also committed to only saying nice things to and about others.

In the past few weeks, Desi has learned that real people operate avatars. And, while it is easy for her creator to maintain a distinction between AV and human, it isn't so easy for others. In her case, neither she nor Beth wants to hurt anyone, and so she has decided to avoid all partnerships.

She has also decided that the psychology of the game is something she isn't qualified to monitor or assess. In the SIMS, when she created everyone, Beth had ultimate control of the feelings and well being of others. In SL, she does not. And thus, she must be careful.

As far as gender discourse goes, Desi and Beth have learned a great deal. Desi is designed as a SL Barbie Doll taking the measurements and "clothes" of the Barbie Beth played with as a child. Her hope is to be a "Barbie with a Brain" since she cannot separate Desi's brains from Beth's brain. Desi has popped into events that are conservative (book clubs, political rallies) wearing "Barbie Clothing." She was ignored, IMed, etc. as being "lost." The question that came to Beth's mind was this: if this avatar is the duplication of the doll most American girls played with in the 70s and 80s and these are the clothes she could wear, is it any wonder that there are image problems with American women?

The Year in Review on Second Life

So, I signed up for my SL account a few months back; it was all the rage. But, when I went in, all I found were strip clubs and escort services. Everything cost money, and, well, I just didn't see the advantage.

A month back, I decided to give it a go again, and signed up for the SLED discussion group. OMG! The ideas are overwhelming; the advice is incredible. Educators are doing some really great stuff in SL. I had no idea.

This time around, I decided that my Avatar would have a real "life" with a house, a job, and friends. I also decided that my Av would be nothing like the "me" of RL, as I don't want an identity crisis any time soon.

My first task was to find a place to live. Well, that was something of a task. You can't really rent anything if you don't have money, so I shelled out what I generally shell out for my other computer games. 20 bucks can get you a long way in SL. Plus. I founds loads of freebie stuff that wasn't too bad (including a harp that actually plays music...go figure). I searched the ads and decided that I couldn't buy land, as I didn't know how to build. So, I looked at rentals. Holy smokes! Some are really expensive!!!! But, I found a modest little cottage that allowed me 100 prims of space, and, well, I set up the harp (my connection to RL, haha). I have had some trouble moving objects; it is likely that I am a bit daft. But, my SL friend has been helping move stuff for me, and the cottage is looking pretty cute.

Next, I went out and found a job. The job search was EXHAUSTING. I went everywhere. I tried the camping chair thing...no go. I can't sit still in any reality. I tried professional gambling. Some guy named Potogogo has all my hard earned camping lindens.

So, I got a job (and no, you can't know where it is). I was actually interviewed. I was sooo impressed. Two people interviewed me and asked really good interview questions. They gave me the rule book to make sure I understood all of the policies (again, very impressed). And, they sent me a schedule. So, like, I have a RL job that is exhausting and a SL job, too!

I picked the job I am in because it gives me a great perspective for my research. I am interested in communication, so I wanted to be in place where others would be. I also wanted a place that was upscale. I also wanted a place where there were real bosses and rules like a RL job. I didn't want a newbie operation. I am pleased with my position, and wouldn't trade it for the world. Daily, I am surprised by how nice the people are and how much they help each other out. I am also impressed by the owners, as they seem to have it really together.

So, my newest thing is making friends. I forced a RL good friend to play, and she and I pal around shopping and whatnot. I hate shopping in RL and wouldn't buy hair for all the anythings in the world. But, in SL, I LOVE IT. Where'd you get those cute shoes? Where'd ya get that hairdo? Oh, ETD!? Let's go! If ANYONE ever said that to me in RL, I would burst out laughing and roll about on the floor. In RL, I am sorta anti-glam, but in SL I am all into shoes and hair and clothes and jewelry. In RL, I don't buy jewelry because of the whole blood diamond business in Sierra Leone. In SL, no one is hurt by the diamond trade, so I can have as many as I want.

My education friends obviously know me in RL and in SL. My neighbor knows me. My furniture friend knows a little bit about me from this blog. And, ethically, I feel bound to be honest with my employers. It is funny how ethics transcends; they seem to operate an honest operation, and, in turn, I feel bound to be ethical, as well. It was, after all, why i chose them (and I even tested it to make sure it wasn't bunk, and, I am pleased to say, it isn't bunk).
I found the furniture guy in the snow, and we have become SL friends. We decided to partner so that people would stop hitting on us. In SL, you have to pay to partner and pay to divorce. That is kind of interesting.

I have also tried to build a social life. I have attended a few lectures, discussions, and cultural events (including religious services of all kinds). I have gone to charity events, music events, and other cultural things.

I have explored the darker sides, too. I have found that people generally want to explore and SL is a safe place for them to do it. I think it wears off after a while, as I generally only found newbies in those places. The better places are the ones with rules, and those people have been on for a while.

At present, I keep my RL identity kind of private in SL. I feel ethically bound to include a bio in my SL profile; if people care to look, they will know that I am doing this game (right now) for research. My hope is to write about communication between men and women. My theory is that SL allows for a truer sense of what Jurgen Habermas called "lifeworld" communication. I don't have enough info gathered, and I am not doing interviews yet. So, really, it is casual research, but it will turn into something magical at the end :-)

So, overall, I think the year has been pretty good in SL.

Second Life Discussion Group

Thanks to Verum V, I will be hosting a Monday night discussion group in SL. It is titled "A Woman's World: Feminism in the Age of SL" and is open to men and women. We will discuss issues pertaining to women "in world." It will take place at 3 pm SL time, and I will post the coordinates as soon as I know them :=) Of course, it will be listed in "events," as well (under Discussion).

It's a Wonderful World

Gary Hazlitt put together an awesome SL video and is hosting it off of YouTube. It is worth the look see!

My Tour of Second Life - Berkman Island, Austin Hall

This is a brief tour of Austin Hall on Berkman Island. This is where Harvard hosted their Fall 2006 CyberOne:Law in the Court of Public Opinion course.

Thanks, Stuart Ewen!

Stuart Ewen sent me an incredible link called "Stereotype and Society." I plan to use this in my class. They aim to educate others about the problems with stereotypes. THANK YOU!!!

Assignment 1: Stereotypes

In real life, and in Second Life, we are influenced by stereotypes. The first assignment will ask students to create a biography for the avatar in the picture above. This will be used as the writing sample for the class, and we will use the writing to discuss stereotypes of women.