THIS IS IT this is it, it's coming!!!

[avad]

Oh I'm so excited. B and I logged on last night on the 7dayfreetrial for Second Life. The possibilities are endless. His mind is blown. I'm trying to stop myself from my egoful 'I told you so-ing'. Yes I dreamt this back in 97 (when I was not involved with computers at ALL- not even email). The dream was intricate and detailed ...about the power of charity/philanthropy memes within this bizarre, completely engaging immersive 3d environment portal to be.
Since then I have been on a sort of quest..and now the graphics have evolved to be engaging enough (you'll be wowed) and it all seems to be coming together!! Look!:

"Morgantown, WV -- June 4, 2004 -- On May 28, thirty or so people gathered for a charity auction to raise funds for the Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF). They bid on a variety of items, including one of a kind couture from the world's top designers and a set of sculptures from an up and coming artist, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars. What makes this event so unique isthey gathered in the online world of Second Life(r) and the hundreds of thousands they raised were in the game's currency -- Linden dollars -- that were then converted to US$900 on the currency exchange site Gaming Open Market (GOM).

This event was the culmination of a month-long fundraising campaign launched in Second Life by Virtual Economies Realizing True Usefulness (VERTU), a virtual non-profit organization founded by player Sarah Einstein. Einstein, who is known in world as Bhodi Silverman, started VERTU as a way to bring real world philanthropy to the gaming community. Says Einstein, "I wanted to create a way for the virtual community to participate in real world efforts for social justice and to bring awareness of these issues into Second Life."

The EFF campaign, VERTU's first, raised over $1,700.00 during a month of activities that included parties, auctions and even lectures with EFF's Activism Coordinator, Ren Bucholz, on topics such as Exporting American IP: Trade Agreements, Treaties and Policy Laundering. "This is a great example of what can happen if technology users aren't treated solely as 'consumers.' I'm really happy to have been a part of this," says Bucholz about the campaign."
READ all about it, see links and project ahead!!!!

Comments

[unluckymonkey.livejournal.com]

It IS coming but it scares the hell outa me. I want to go live on a farm and raise sheep, chickens, alpaca and goats. people getting wrapped up this much in something like this scares me as an anti-gamer. I'm looking forward to your writings about it. I want to see it through your eyes because it tends to jsut leave me with my head shaking in disbelief. Keep me posted! You're intelligent, insightful and I am truely curious.

[avad.livejournal.com]

It is truly overwhelming!. But one important distinction that must be noticed is this is gaming technology being used differently for the main purpose of communication/interaction between humans at a distance. Just as email and message boards revolutionized our communication systems before, the immersive graphic interface was a projectable next step.
In general, I don't play 'games', always had an aversion, especially since most were violence based....but I did fall in love with the concept of LiveJournal, of what it was doing for connecting humans.
Have you ever tried to describe the allure of LiveJournal to someone who avoids email? Not so easy. Do you relate 'me' to my LJ icon? Then you would have no problem with an avatar. You and I have never met in real life. Yet I consider you a friend, am concerned for your welfare and the progression of your dreams and we share information constantly. The connection between us may end up effecting your 'real life' significantly...and in a way that you may be able to pursue that dream of a farm.
Bit by bit we will all most likely adjust over the next years to a new interface when we log into our computers. One that is more visual and intuitive than textual. It is a way to condense information in a way that our brain accesses and stores more easily. The phrase 'a picture is worth a thousand words'is true in this way.
I'll write more later. *hugs*:)

[unluckymonkey.livejournal.com]

That certainly puts a more friendly light on it that is in my head. that's why I commented. I knew you'd put a spin on it that's not like my experience. I've seen so many people spend hours and hours and hours online gaming or in Sims and never accomplishing anything but learning the quirks of the system and how to get around blocks etc. I like LJ better because you can choose who and how you interact with and, for the most part, people are themselves. I imagine my xenophobia makes me think of being trapped next to someone I don't like somewhere in an environment I otherwise like. Other than the occasional irritating person in a community I've had none of that sort of thing in LJ.

[avad.livejournal.com]

this is very true. LJ is definitely more my comfort zone. You can wander invisibly, read, speak when you want, wander off, answer to who you want, when you want. And yes, for the most part people are themselves. Secondlife is throwing a whole bunch of challenges and discomforts my way. But what I want to do is get acclimated, learn the ways in which I have control of a situation and my avatar so that I lessen the anxiety. It's the unfamiliarity that is most uncomfortable. It's SO much like dreaming! And the challenge is to become a lucid dreamer and use it as a tool. Then I can use it in addition to LJ....as a meeting ground for those i choose to meet with, in a setting I may have designed or that reflects a mood or the information I would like to share. Eventually, I would like to be involved in the educational and fundraising aspect of it. Set up an information kiosk, etc. Use it to spread information that I would like to share with many.

[avad.livejournal.com]

by the way, this month, VERTU (virtual economies realizing true usefulness)is raising money for the Heifer project heifer.org (http://www.heifer.org)
and gifts like knittingbasket (http://catalog.heifer.org/basket.cfm) I'm sure you can relate to.;)! The thing about the online world that i am most interested in is how it can POSitively effect the real world by direction/redirection of energy and education.

[zensaru.livejournal.com]

I've looked at SecondLife and it's amazing - probably too amazing - I might not escape :)

A few years ago, there was a similar, but mush less pretty 3D environment called ActiveWorlds. Did you ever visit that? Many many similar social concepts and experiments existed there, although I must say that AW just a 3D chatroom for most people I encountered. My daughter spent a lot of time building environments there over the course of 2 or 3 years.

[avad.livejournal.com]

isn't it though?!!:)

ActiveWorlds was what I had been looking into, researching before. All in theory. We never actually downloaded it, though we meant to. I was absolutely mesmerized by screenshots and articles especially by the aerial maps (http://www.cybergeography.org/atlas/muds_vw.html) (scroll down on that page) of its growth over 3 years and the implications of that.It seemed to have so many of the components needed. Sims Online was another. One that is supposedly on par or almost as good as SecondLife is called 'There'. We have not looked into that one. Seems SecondLife and There are the main ones now, the most advanced.
On heavier deeper notes:
I'm just so excited that the philanthropy meme has already been introduced and seems to be spreading quickly in these worlds, and according to message boards, there's even a bit of competitiveness going on between There and SecondLife with regards to raising donations and spreading information inworld about various benevolent organizations.!! If my predictions are correct, we will be open to a different view of self soon (en masse), where pleasure/play/reward is positively and inextricably linked with helping humanity as a whole.Where symbiosis rules. Where as John Nash tried to explain mathematically(in A Beautiful Mind)we all get the blonde.;)
ohboy, I'm in for this ride.
SecondLife, making the evolution of our species Fun. hehe. breeeeliant.
let's play.

[zensaru.livejournal.com]

Of course, the defining characteristic is property rights and an open approach to markets. Contrast this to the other online games that claim all digital assets belong to the provider (I'm thinking EverQuest). I was really excited to see land auctions, because this means that there will be monetization as a matter of course rather than as a black market/afterthought.

[avad.livejournal.com]

amazing, no? B's all crazy over the economics,gamingopenmarket, land auctions aspects as well.
Projecting ahead...it's just baffling.

[zensaru.livejournal.com]

Well, if/when you buy land, let me know. Couldn't hurt to be *your* neighbor :)

[avad.livejournal.com]

aw that's sweet!:)
I'll let you know. I think it's going to take me quite a while to get used to the very basics of SL....and i'm going to have to figure out how much time to allow myself on there to do so. What's your SL name?

[avad.livejournal.com]

hey there. did you enter SL yet?
If you do, please enter my name (Ava Dougall) as a referral?...it'll show up and I'll be rewarded in lindendollars which I can then donate and build with and i can IM/meet you!

[rosylavie.livejournal.com]

Thanks a lot for this entry! I'm going to subscribe to Second Life. Can you tell what is your SL name, so I can refer your name in the subscription form? Also... we may meet there sometimes :-)

Peace,

Julie

[avad.livejournal.com]

Ava Dougall.:)and you?
She/I was just 'born' yesterday and am still trying to figure out the very very basics of movement and modifications. Since i'm not a gamer or a chatter I need to practice everything that takes others two seconds to catch onto. ugh.
Last night was actually scary for me...it was 'night' in SL and it was just too eerie a feel for a first time wandering.

Second Life

[rosylavie.livejournal.com]

When does your trial end?
Do you intend to subscribe ($10 for life)?
Me I do...

If possible, I would like to meet you there. My avatar's name is ElektriX VosmoX (I'm not registered yet).

Julie

Re: Second Life

[avad.livejournal.com]

yes, definitely subscribing.:)
Probably upgrade later on so that i can buy some land and try building something (goodgod the learning I have to do)!.
We should meet up, yes. That'd be great. Don't know when i'm going on again, but if you have a time, let me know and maybe i go. A decent safe-feeling place is the intro teleports area at Ahern...parklike with benches.

Re: Second Life

[rosylavie.livejournal.com]

hmm... at first it sounds like ActiveWorlds.

I already tried Worlds.com, ActiveWorlds and other ones (I would need to search to be able to mention the names). Someone told me that "There" was the best one.

I shall keep you update this week-end about my registration.

Julie

Re: Second Life

[rosylavie.livejournal.com]

Yes, I will need another computer to be able to penetrate the wonder cyberworlds...

I'll be patient, sooner or later I will have the hardware necessary to have a decent life in the virtual worlds... once the one in the 'real' world will be decent enough first :-)

Peace,

Julie

[rokkitz.livejournal.com]

ah hrmm hmm time to upgrade computer...