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Gary Hazlitt
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6 months ago
in A quick tour of Sony’s virtual world - Home on The Metaverse Journal
OK timeout - but the header on your blog reads
"The Metaverse Journal - Australia's Virtual World News Service' - it used to be called, I think, SLOz (Second Life Australia?). Please don't tell me you are not Australia's self proclaimed news source. I cannot recall any other sites globally that use these words - eg: UK's Virtual World News Source, America's Virtual World News Service etc etc:
If you were a government department officially mandated to provide this service then fine, but again using 'Australia' and selling ads in my mind is not ethical. Regardless of where the money goes (we all have hosting costs etc).
As regards complaints - let me put this gently - you are the only blog I have ever complained about in the comments. So I hope you feel special.
Regardless - this is a personal view about the quality of some of your output and you and others can ignore it. Off to publish 'Australia's Leading News Source on Social and Game Virtual Worlds - or something like that' :)
Best Gary
"The Metaverse Journal - Australia's Virtual World News Service' - it used to be called, I think, SLOz (Second Life Australia?). Please don't tell me you are not Australia's self proclaimed news source. I cannot recall any other sites globally that use these words - eg: UK's Virtual World News Source, America's Virtual World News Service etc etc:
If you were a government department officially mandated to provide this service then fine, but again using 'Australia' and selling ads in my mind is not ethical. Regardless of where the money goes (we all have hosting costs etc).
As regards complaints - let me put this gently - you are the only blog I have ever complained about in the comments. So I hope you feel special.
Regardless - this is a personal view about the quality of some of your output and you and others can ignore it. Off to publish 'Australia's Leading News Source on Social and Game Virtual Worlds - or something like that' :)
Best Gary
1 reply
6 months ago
in A quick tour of Sony’s virtual world - Home on The Metaverse Journal
I suppose, Lowell, I am hoping for something more from a blog that purportedly represents Australia's view and the many virtual worlds out there. I suspect I am after some real insight, a depth of coverage, a sense that the editor of this blog actually truly understands this area. I appreciate the other writers you have brought into the fold but compared with sites like Gamasutra, Terra Nova and even NWN and NPIRL, this blog falls far short.
Thank you for posting and letting my opinion be known which is very simple - your blog needs to evolve and become a richer voice vs something aimed wholey at getting traffic so you can sell ads. Remove the ads and I will be less concerned and appreciate a slightly misguided altruism - the fact you really want to grow the understanding of the metaverse in Australia and beyond. As it stands I get twenty times more insight about what is actually happening from a couple of google alerts and twitter feeds each day. You should provide opinion and voice and raise deeper issues. Perhaps you think you are, in which case ignore this.
The only real answer is to do it better myself - and it seems although I am extremely busy (actually making these worlds, doing key Australian R&D and as a leading educator) that perhaps its the best way. So expect a new Australian information source (with a voice) to spring up in the next few weeks Lowell - I will point it out to you so you get an idea of why I feel you are letting the side down.
A merry XMas to you and your important sponsors too :)
Gary
Thank you for posting and letting my opinion be known which is very simple - your blog needs to evolve and become a richer voice vs something aimed wholey at getting traffic so you can sell ads. Remove the ads and I will be less concerned and appreciate a slightly misguided altruism - the fact you really want to grow the understanding of the metaverse in Australia and beyond. As it stands I get twenty times more insight about what is actually happening from a couple of google alerts and twitter feeds each day. You should provide opinion and voice and raise deeper issues. Perhaps you think you are, in which case ignore this.
The only real answer is to do it better myself - and it seems although I am extremely busy (actually making these worlds, doing key Australian R&D and as a leading educator) that perhaps its the best way. So expect a new Australian information source (with a voice) to spring up in the next few weeks Lowell - I will point it out to you so you get an idea of why I feel you are letting the side down.
A merry XMas to you and your important sponsors too :)
Gary
1 reply
Lowell Cremorne
Gary,
The comment on advertising is offensive and as I've told you a number of times before, the money received from the advertising goes to:
1. Paying other writers on the site
2. Covering web hosting costs and subscriptions to the virtual worlds I pay to access
3. Any remaining money goes to our charity of choice: Kiva (www.kiva.org) - the same reason we are running their banner for nil charge at present. I could talk about Kiva all day - one of the finest 'charity' models around that helps people help themselves. I've only manage to fund a dozen or so entrepreneurs so far but that's growing each month. I've just set up a Kiva Team for future sponsorships from Australian virtual worlds users, something I'll be writing about in the new year.
I make exactly zero after the above three points and that's fine - as I said it's a passion. I'm sorry you don't like my style, that's fine too. I've never claimed to be the 'number 1' information source, nor claimed equality with Gamasutra, NWN etc.
I write what I can in the time I have. I've covered your work repeatedly, along with a lot of other Australian virtual worlds users. It obviously doesn't meet your benchmark but the close to 2000 individuals who read the information on the site have generally good feedback.
In fact, in two years I've had a total of six complaints about coverage: five from yourself and one from a story subject who disagreed with my thoughts on an issue, not the facts of the story. Add to that a handful of factual corrections (all appearing in comments of each story) and that covers it.
Would I like to write more? Absolutely. Would I like to cover virtual worlds full-time? Again, absolutely. Both are goals I'm working toward as the site continues to grow.
It's great to hear there's another Aussie information site on the way - the bigger the variety in coverage the better as it all helps document the opportunities and challenges virtual worlds provide.
On the jibe about purporting to represent Australia's views - I have never claimed that in any way, shape or form. I write on virtual worlds from an Australian perspective. I'd never claim to be 'Australia's view' on the area. Like any issue or discussion topic, there's never 'one view'
My Xmas wishes were sincere and remain so.
The comment on advertising is offensive and as I've told you a number of times before, the money received from the advertising goes to:
1. Paying other writers on the site
2. Covering web hosting costs and subscriptions to the virtual worlds I pay to access
3. Any remaining money goes to our charity of choice: Kiva (www.kiva.org) - the same reason we are running their banner for nil charge at present. I could talk about Kiva all day - one of the finest 'charity' models around that helps people help themselves. I've only manage to fund a dozen or so entrepreneurs so far but that's growing each month. I've just set up a Kiva Team for future sponsorships from Australian virtual worlds users, something I'll be writing about in the new year.
I make exactly zero after the above three points and that's fine - as I said it's a passion. I'm sorry you don't like my style, that's fine too. I've never claimed to be the 'number 1' information source, nor claimed equality with Gamasutra, NWN etc.
I write what I can in the time I have. I've covered your work repeatedly, along with a lot of other Australian virtual worlds users. It obviously doesn't meet your benchmark but the close to 2000 individuals who read the information on the site have generally good feedback.
In fact, in two years I've had a total of six complaints about coverage: five from yourself and one from a story subject who disagreed with my thoughts on an issue, not the facts of the story. Add to that a handful of factual corrections (all appearing in comments of each story) and that covers it.
Would I like to write more? Absolutely. Would I like to cover virtual worlds full-time? Again, absolutely. Both are goals I'm working toward as the site continues to grow.
It's great to hear there's another Aussie information site on the way - the bigger the variety in coverage the better as it all helps document the opportunities and challenges virtual worlds provide.
On the jibe about purporting to represent Australia's views - I have never claimed that in any way, shape or form. I write on virtual worlds from an Australian perspective. I'd never claim to be 'Australia's view' on the area. Like any issue or discussion topic, there's never 'one view'
My Xmas wishes were sincere and remain so.
10 months ago
in Second Life - on the wane for aussies? on The Metaverse Journal
My response to this on my own blog at Personalizemedia - I doubt though Lowell will let this through, or if he does it will be to prove he does let them through :) The only way I can actually get to speak on this blog!
The title of the post btw is
“A Few Lives Left” for Poor Research into Virtual Worlds
The title of the post btw is
“A Few Lives Left” for Poor Research into Virtual Worlds
1 reply
Lowell Cremorne
The URL for Gary's critique is:
http://www.personalizemedia.com/a-few-lives-lef...
As far as your assertions on censorship of your comments, I'll once again repeat that in this site's near two year history, one comment (from someone in Europe) was not published due to it being defamatory. No other comments have ever been prevented from appearing beyond the usual spam filter false positives which I scan for regularly (we use Akismet on this site).
http://www.personalizemedia.com/a-few-lives-lef...
As far as your assertions on censorship of your comments, I'll once again repeat that in this site's near two year history, one comment (from someone in Europe) was not published due to it being defamatory. No other comments have ever been prevented from appearing beyond the usual spam filter false positives which I scan for regularly (we use Akismet on this site).
Please don't tell me you are not Australia's self proclaimed Best Gary. I cannot recall any other Gary, globally, that use these words - eg: UK's Best Gary, America's Best Gary etc etc:
Regardless - this is a personal view about the quality of your salutation and others can ignore it. Off to publish 'Best Toby on Stirring Possums - or something like that' :)
Best Australian Toby Posting Here Today.