Disqus - Latest Comments for botgirl

Re: Understanding Second Life’s Culture

botgirl — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 09:03:06 -0000

I don't disagree with the examples you brought up, but have a different interpretation. Second Life, from all I've heard, does attract a much older demographic than video games. I believe that's mainly because people who are in their thirties or older have lost the large active social circles of like-minded people with plenty of free time on their hands of our youth and have a much greater need to replicate that through a virtual world. When you are married with kids, it's a lot easier and less disruptive to pop into a virtual world than leave your kids and spouse to hit the bars.

I think that social networks are part of the reason that Second Life lost its momentum. People realized they could get most of the social satisfaction from Second Life through Plurk, and be able to participate from the midst of their other activities. Part of what kept me in Second Life was that was the only place I could actualize the Botgirl Questi identity I'd developed. Once that extended to social networks and blogs, I was free to actualize that elsewhere.

3D television is another great example of people choosing the competing technology with the least friction. The hassle of finding 3D glasses and putting them on every time you want to watch 3D content and then taking them off for the shows that don't support them had a lot to do with their lack of success. Also, there is only a marginal difference in the quality of the experience between 3D and 2D for most content. So why spend the extra money and add the hassle?

There is no such clear mirrored counterpart between 3D virtual worlds and other mediums. If you want to experience being an avatar within a 3D space, you can't replicate that through TV or another medium.

I find your definition of virtual worlds too narrow...the contiguous space and user-generated content don't matter for most uses. I see the future as browser-based. We'll move between virtual spaces like we surf websites. I define it as any platform that you experience as an avatar in a 3D space. So I include IMVU, for instance (which does have user-generated content) and even MMOs with significant social dimensions. My bullishness on virtual worlds includes shopping for clothes by trying them on as an avatar that looks just like your RL self, for instance.

Finally, if I'm right and there ends up being hundreds of millions or billions of dollars invested in VR hardware and software platforms over the next few years, there's no telling what they'll come up with beyond what we can imagine now. I think the time is right given the state of technology, investment and a younger generation raised on games they experienced through avatars.

Re: Understanding Second Life’s Culture

botgirl — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 23:17:11 -0000

Great post. Lots of food for thought. I agree with you that Second Life users tend to think of SL based upon their personal experience there. But it's not too hard to put together basic user personas for various subcultures groups and see things to some extent from their perspectives. For instance there are social dating users who like to hang out in clubs and meet people to flirt with and hook up. There are various role playing groups, some that are mostly social and others that are related to game playing. There are sports groups who may enjoy flying, sailing, etc. There are builders, scripters, artists, live music fans, fashionista etc. Where Linden Lab has failed in their marketing and PR efforts is not putting together the compelling stories for each key interest group, nor guiding newcomers to connect with the appropriate communities of interest.

So I disagree with you that the underlying commonality is learning and that Second Life stopped growing because they've exhausted the market for lifelong learners. I think the problem is a combination of a horrendous new user experience, an over-complicated interface, and no good way for people to quickly find events and attractions that have a high probability of delivering an experience they'll like enough to return to.

That said, I'm actually optimistic about the future of virtual reality and virtual worlds. I don't think Facebook is necessarily going to create the platform that moves the masses to claim avatar identities, but there's likely going to be a lot of investment in the space for at least the next couple of years. This will spark innovation and accelerate the next generation of platforms that will hopefully offer a more intuitive user experience and connect more clearly to our day-to-day personal and business lives.

Re: An open letter to the Lindens

botgirl — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 17:51:30 -0000

Interesting post! I have no idea what the future of virtual worlds will be, but it's unlikely that it will revolve around a proprietary closed system. That said, I don't know whether Second Life's existing architecture and technology can support the kind of vision you shared.

Re: Working for free for Linden Lab’s blog

botgirl — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:57:24 -0000

I think there are reasonable arguments on either side of the issue. But the real test of whether it was a good idea or not will be whether it accomplishes Linden Lab's aims. If they end up getting a lot of great content that enhances their blog and promotes "positive" SL bloggers then it was a positive choice. That said, there would still be the opportunity cost of the good-will they could have generated by paying market rate, accepting content that is posted elsewhere and/or simply curating posts they like on external blogs with excerpts and links.

Re: In the Google-Facebook race, privacy will determine the winner - Fortune Tech

botgirl — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:28:39 -0000

The most fundamental level of privacy is your own identity. Google's decision to not allow registration of pseudonymous identity seems counter to that aim. I interviewed Google about this over the weekend: http://vimeo.com/26180854

Re: Google+ Says 'Use Your Real Name Or You're Out'

botgirl — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:24:21 -0000

I interviewed Google about this issue last week. You can view it here http://vimeo.com/26180854

Re: Existential questions about virtual worlds

botgirl — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 23:06:52 -0000

I like it when people agree with me! I have a few more rambling thoughts:

Another factor I've been thinking about is that social networking and games for instance, have a lot of built in positive reinforcement mechanisms that reward participants multiple times per hour. Although there are much deeper benefits to be found through creating a "virtual life" which are higher up on Maslow's pyramid, it usually takes many frustrating, boring, laggy hours (or even weeks) to start to come into your own and start feeling like you're part of some community. But even then, you have to continue expending effort to create your own positive experiences.

I know quite a few long-term avatars who have been through one or more cycles of "the honeymoon is over". The demands of time are pretty high to not only maintain relationships, but to retain the psychological sense of a viscerally real virtual environment. You can keep up with Facebook or Twitter with a few minutes attention a few times a day. To keep up within a virtual community can take quite a few hours per week. Maybe with browser-based and mobile clients, it would be easier to pop inworld during the course of a day.
It would very interesting to be able to move as seamlessly in and out of the 3D virtual world grid as you can with 2D social networks.

Re: Virtual Handheld Cameras - Taking Machinima to the Next Step

botgirl — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:10:52 -0000

That looks cool. I've simulated that a bit myself by shooting the physical screen with a video camera, but the 3D perspective doesn't change as it would if the camera were inworld.

Re: A Phase Shift

botgirl — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:00:02 -0000

It does sound like fun. I think one of my disappointments with how we've used the wonders of our pervasively networked world is that many of us tend to immerse ourselves within a very circumscribed set of ideas/topics/people/news, etc. instead of taking advantage of the almost unlimited range of perspectives available at the click of a key or a tap of the finger. I think the Second Life community would benefit greatly from a wider perspective, especially from one as thoughtful as you. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Re: Coding Our Faces for the Crowd

botgirl — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:05:53 -0000

Although body language can certainly be misinterpreted, the "natural" body language of real-time human interaction also provides a window into subconscious communication. There's a US television drama called "Lie to Me" that has recently popularized the way that voice tonality, eye movement, etc. comprise a decipherable language that reflects what might be otherwise hidden thoughts and emotions. So I like the idea of anything that automatically translates real-time body language into the virtual world.

What I'm not so crazy about are means that allow us to intentionally manipulate our avatar's body language to mimic those otherwise subconsciously generated signs and signals, because of their ability to enhance manipulative communication. I'm not saying that such interfaces should be banned or discouraged, only that we should be aware of their power.

Re: Virtua Spiritus Mundi

botgirl — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:19:16 -0000

I agree! There were two aspect of his talk that I found reassuring. The first were concrete near-term plans to fix what is broken using a customer-focused Agile development methodology validated by metrics. The second was a clear return from the M. vision of FacebookVille to the founder's transcendent vision of virtual worlds pushing forward human potential.

Re: Get a Golden Ticket for the Second Life Event of the Summer

botgirl — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:40:34 -0000

I really love the tongue-in-cheek style of your last couple of posts. I'm waiting with bated breath to see if I get one of those golden tickets. I wonder if he's going to pass on the CEO to one of the lucky ticket winners?

Re: Virtual World Views

botgirl — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:49:13 -0000

"...the difference between being happy in your life versus being happy about your life"

That's such a deep and true observation.

I was just thinking about the relationship between Behavioral Economics and SL retention recently while reading Predictively Irrational by Dan Ariely. He describes a number of experiments that speak to the power of first impressions and the long-term impact of the initial decisions we make. So the impetus behind one's initial entry into Second Life is very significant, as well as first choices in avatar name, form, etc. Seems like trying to tailor the experience to a person's particular "hot buttons" would make sense, whether through the type of test you mentioned or just a few simple sorting questions about initial interests.

Re: Indiana Rosedale Triumphantly Returns (cracking whip)

botgirl — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:02:58 -0000

I decided to help Philip with his speech. Here's some candid video from our session: http://bit.ly/d9jWmV

Re: Indiana Rosedale Triumphantly Returns (cracking whip)

botgirl — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 19:03:29 -0000

I also had a hard time deciphering WTF Philip was trying to communicate in that post. For a massively downsized organization with relatively limited resources, it's hard to see how they can manage to really go after the half dozen or so significant and somewhat incompatible priorities he threw out. For instance, how can they focus on "back to basics" (repairing all the core things that are broken in existing technology) while at the same time regaining industry leadership by "being the first to invent and deliver the solutions that evolve virtual worlds".

I wonder how much rope the Linden Lab board has given Philip to improvise his way into the future.

Re: BBBC Day 6 Less Pie, More Berries

botgirl — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:44:51 -0000

I'm a berry bot myself. When I can't put a post into less than 1000 words, it's usually because I'm still not clear on the idea I'm trying to communicate. Although some people enjoy writing and reading long, rambling thought walks running multiple pages, I have a hard time making it through, no matter how full off interesting nuggets. It's just a matter of taste. The juice from a single berry bursting with sweet, rich, complex, sticky goodness is more satisfying to me than a a huge piece of underdone (or overdone) pie.

Re: BBBC Day 2 - Dream More

botgirl — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:48:06 -0000

I've also been loving the story aspect of virtual life and identity. Although some of my posts seem to bash storytelling as a vehicle of delusion, it's the lack of awareness about the process I see as the problem, not the practice itself. There is no meaning without story. And what's the value of life without meaning? So creating and sharing stories with the intension of enriching people's life is a great gift. Thanks!

Re: Observations from the Linden Lab Layoffs

botgirl — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:07:49 -0000

I love your VURL idea! Do you see it as a movable camera? Do you think people who connect that way would have presence for local chat and/or IMs?

Re: [Reset] and do a 180º turn

botgirl — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:33:31 -0000

Thanks for providing such a clear narrative. It really helps put recent events in the longer term context. Given the record revenues you mentioned that were confirmed in a Mark Kingdom's WSJ interview today (http://blogs.wsj.com/digits..., I hope they gave the people they laid off a very generous severance package.

Re: The Second Life Why Stories

botgirl — Mon, 31 May 2010 19:26:52 -0000

Will do. I just grabbed it on Kindle.

Re: The Second Life Why Stories

botgirl — Mon, 31 May 2010 11:55:54 -0000

I guess people don't ask themselves "why" very often in either the physical or the virtual world. Thanks for reminding us that it's a question worth asking.

I've wrestled with the question of SLPurpose quite a few times over the past couple of years. Most recently (http://botgirl.blogspot.com... I made the connection between my own uncertainty about why I should continue spending time and energy on Second Life with what seems to be Linden Lab's struggle to come up with a compelling "why" now that they've ditched the founder's initial utopian vision.

I like your idea of a "why" call to action. Back in January, I offered an idea to start Second Life registration by finding out what specific aspects a new user was interested in (art, building, socialization, etc.) and then taking them through an initial orientation focused on their "why" of being there (http://botgirl.blogspot.com....

Re: Transcendence through Second Life

botgirl — Sun, 30 May 2010 14:31:35 -0000

I really related to many of the ideas in your post, especially:

- the benefit (and challenge) of escaping the limited view of any particular conceptual framework;
- grounding transcendence in the work of becoming a more fully functioning human;
- valuing emotions while not buying into or acting upon negative reactive thoughts they initially stimulate; and
- the grace of realizing that some people are going to think poorly of you no matter what you say or do.

I've found that that the experience of being an avatar embodied in a virtual world can be a uniquely powerful tool of transcendence (especially when used consciously in that service.) Thanks for helping to keep that aspect of virtual worlds alive in the avatar community!

Re: Search for A Second Life Culture or Omphaloskepsis

botgirl — Sun, 09 May 2010 21:12:35 -0000

Thanks for bringing all these perspectives together! It might be worth checking out the recently published The Warcraft Civilization: Social Science in a Virtual Worlds:

"In The Warcraft Civilization, sociologist William Sims Bainbridge goes further, arguing that WoW can be seen not only as an allegory of today but also as a virtual prototype of tomorrow, of a real human future in which tribe-like groups will engage in combat over declining natural resources, build temporary alliances on the basis of mutual self-interest, and seek a set of values that transcend the need for war."

I just ordered the book and will pass along any interesting connections to our discussion on Second Life culture.

Re: A Virtual World Spawns a Very Real Lawsuit

botgirl — Mon, 03 May 2010 12:54:49 -0000

I started writing about this issue back in Nov. 2008 (http://botgirl.blogspot.com.... I’m really pleased this question is now in the courts and getting the wider media attention it deserves.

Re: The Search for A Second Life Culture - Part 0

botgirl — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:56:55 -0000

Your post just inspired me to write "The Power of Name in Post-Pseudonymous Virtual Identity" (http://botgirl.blogspot.com.... Thanks!