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.