We've just returned from a fascinating townhall in Metaplace, featuring Louisiana State Representative Nancy Landry, Louisiana Superintendent of Education, Paul Pastorek and Metaplace founder and President, Raph Koster in conversation with a group of Louisian amiddle school students. The event was organized by 3D Squared and F. Margret Atkinson.
The conversation covered an enthusiastic and informed cross-section of topics including how politics work and the future of digital education in Louisiana. Raph Koster began with an important point: "I think the thing that most strikes me about an event like this is the fact that citizenship is the same whether it exists in the real world or a digital framework."
Coincidentally, the Louisiana State Legislature and the Office of Governor Bobby Jindal is discussing this very week the future of Louisiana's digital education investment strategy. The legislature has added language to support and augment the work of 3D Squared and LITE (about which Rita J. King wrote recently in VentureBeat). But the funding is not guaranteed. Based on the powerful, transformative experience we just had attending the Digital Workforce Initiative, we believe that the kind of work that 3D Squared and LITE are doing is critical in helping to prepare students to work in a 21st Century Economy. The concept is so powerful and visionary, we believe it can serve as a template for national and global economic and educational transformation.
There are a couple of key Louisiana legislators who will have an impact on whether LITE and 3D Squared receives funding for next year. We encourage you to contact them and tell them to vote in support of renewing funding for LITE and 3D Squared.
Steven Moret Louisiana Secretary of Economic Development moret@la.gov
Raph Koster offered these words at the end of the discussion: "[A]s our society's tech capabilities grow, I think it's wonderful to see that our society -- and legislators -- and principals and school superintendents, and teachers -- are willing to invest in that literacy so that future voters, citizens, will be able to participate to the best of their ability using this new technology." (Raph has since blogged about his experience. You can read it here.)
On December 11, 2008, the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs (where Josh and I are both Senior Fellows) hosted Niall Ferguson to talk about "Chimerica."
This excellent video, The Great Reset, was posted on YouTube in response.
Murphy-Goode Winery in Sonoma Valley is seeking a lifestyle correspondent. (This ad was posted by @ngahfouri on Twitter). When I was old enough to toddle, my great-grandfather (he was from Ischia but grew the most spectacular garden imaginable in Brooklyn) sent me crawling into casks to remove crushed grape skins. His delicious wine sat in neat rows in his rose, mint and coffee scented cellar alongside jars of crushed red peppers and tomatoes. When I saw this ad, I thought of him.
$10,000 per month to live in a vineyard and learn about wine? For six months?
Congratulations, Murphy-Goode Winery, for exhibiting such an exciting command of social media and the new global culture and economy!
Critics fear the game will fuel religious violence while game makers point out that such violence already exists.
Religious groups are angered over an Italian game, Faith Fighter, that pits respective saviors, sages and prophets against each other, fearing that it will incite violence.
The Italy-based game company responsible for Faith Fighter, Molleindustria, says the fighter exists to “push gamers to reflect on how sacred representations are often used to fuel or justify conflicts between people."
AM Radio's The Red and the Wild: Opening Reception Sunday, April 26th 2009 7pm SLT
Mencius Watts, who has been the house artist at DIP's the Imagination Age for several months now, invited AM Radio to install his work. Shown here with Eureka Dejavu.
The notecard from the exhibit:
THE INSTITUTE FOR DIGITAL INTERMEDIA ARTS (IDIA) is pleased to host artist AM Radio as the inaugural artist-in-residence at IDIA Labs - an exhibition and installation sim for virtual installation art and performance.
AM Radio The Red and The Wild is an experimental shift in my work. The Red and Wild has its basis in earlier builds, notably Husk and Beneath the Tree that died. This time, a third house structure appears, based on a house which figures strongly in my childhood memories. The train that appears as a symbol in many of my works returns, but revived. A doorway represents an impossible or at least implausible path. Water towers dot the horizon, displaced in the context of an over abundance of water. A large red shape looms over the water and into or out of the house.
The title itself has its origins in a film and music artist friend from Atlanta. He had sent me a collection of music experiments of his just as I was in the midst of trying to understand why I was feeling a need to bring in abstract and maybe creepy shapes into my work. One of the tracks sampled some audio from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. The audio lead me to watch the film again and read Capote's Novella. In the story, the main character Holly invents a world around her in reaction to her anxieties and fears which she describes as the “mean reds.” Holly says, "But you can't give your heart to a wild thing: the more you do, the stronger they get. Until they're strong enough to run into the woods. Or fly into a tree. Then the sky. That's how you'll end up, Mr. Bell. If you let yourself love a wild thing. You'll just end up looking at the sky " -AM Radio
THE INSTITUTE FOR DIGITAL INTERMEDIA ARTS is a hybrid art and design studio established as part of the Center for Media Design at Ball State University and funded the Lilly Endowment, Inc. The institute's interdisciplinary studio collaborative explores the intersections between arts and technology. Students, faculty, staff and industry partners engage the discourse of emergent media design on projects employing virtual reality, visualization, simulation and human computer interface in this project-based immersive research center.
Rita J. King has a new column in strategy + business magazine, featured today on their website in their "Leading Ideas" section. "It's a Virtual World" explores how major corporations are using virtual worlds to "cut costs, improve communication, and find new ways to collaborate." It mentions the work of Manpower, IBM, and Northrop Grumman.
Cultivated Gardens is a Ning group that Louisiana F. Margret Atkinson created for her students. I love it that she asks for a thoughtful answer to the question because she's measuring the answers with the 6+1 Rubric (shown below), which I've never heard of until now but I wish I had--it could have saved me a lot of time over the years.
Margret's question to her students came from a recent essay I wrote about the evolution of a new global culture and economy. Virtual Worlds: Are They Important? The responses of the students:
Student A "This new global culture can effect the classroom in many different ways. First of all, the students will be much more involved and interested in the curriculum that the school is teaching. The things that the students are learning will be much more fun. Usually, students aren't intrigued by the things that the teachers teach. But with this platform...the students can interact with the students more freely. So, the teachers can communicate with the students in a way that was not possible to achieve with other forms. This platform...can affect the global culture because the whole world can interact with everyone. There are no more barriers. The people of the world can be re-created."
The student then noted:
THIS IS MY HOMEWORK. I HAVE DONE IT...
Student B: The new global culture and economy can affect the classroom in many ways. It can shape how as well as what students are being taught. In today's culture there are many stereotypes that can influence what a student believes and/or is taught. The new technology can be used to change these stereotypes...The economy also effects the classroom by making it harder for some to get in to college as well as limiting the resources that schools can by for a learning experience...The implications of this new program is that the method of education is changing, leaning away from the traditional text book learning to more interactive venues--a step in the right direction of properly informing America's youth." Student C: "The new global culture can effect the classroom in a very positive way. These 'worlds' allow students to connect with people all over the world and to hear their insights on various topics that are coming up in the classroom...Students will be less bored by tedious repetitive lectures, and enjoying a new method of interacting at school..."
DIP met the dedicated and brilliant teacher, Margret, in Lafayette, Louisiana at the 3D Squared Digital Workforce Initiative this week.
Stay tuned for more information about the 3D Squared project. We are proud to be working with this spectacular group.
I was asked by Signtific not to play so "enthusiastically" and another player now has nearly twice my score. Since prolific players are rewarded with points for playing a certain way, why would the community manager get in touch and contradict the system by asking me to slow down so other players can "catch up?" What kind of game is that?
I've been glued to my laptop for hours immersed in an experiment. A few moments ago I received a very diplomatic letter from Community Manager for Signtific Lab, Natalie Villalobos, asking me to kindly slow down the "enthusiastic game play" and let the other players catch up so their ideas could be heard.
In mulling this note from Natalie and looking at the game, I don't see how frequent play prevents others from having their ideas heard, since points are awarded for all kinds of play techniques associated with volume, length of thread, responses to one's own comments and other methods that encourage focused production of responses. This is the first game like this I've ever played, and I want to participate in a way that's fun for me and makes sense for the community, but if it's a game with points, it makes me wonder: are level 68 shamans in World of Warcraft told to stop trying to hard to level up? Why should this be any different? The leaderboard has no slot for those who were asked to slow down.
On top of that, Natalie has a suggestion for the tone of my future play:
"We’d especially love to see cards from you that are really closely attuned to the specific technical specs of the scenario," she wrote. "Maybe you can process the scenario details a bit more and approach it from a really focused POV!"
Huh. I watched the video provided multiple times in order to make comments that were tailored to the scenes constructed for the experiment in the category of "Positive Imagination" or "Dark Imagination." The way it works is, you post a comment about the thoughts presented in the video and then other participants can choose to click on your "Light Imagination" or "Dark Imagination" comment, or you can choose to click on someone else's. If you click on one, you are given an opportunity to choose from four categories of response to that comment: momentum, antagonism, adaptation or investigation.
"We hope you’ll understand!" Natalie wrote. But I don't. This is supposed to be an experiment, right? And there's a scoring system, no? The fact is I was playing because I truly enjoyed it, not because I was trying to rack up points--but does that matter?
This project is dazzlingly brilliant, completely perfect in its inherent design, and I loved every minute of playing. I left the experience wondering, though, what are the necessary characteristics of a truly great community manager, and do players have an obligation to slow down to create a more egalitarian atmosphere? Comments welcome.
I noticed this post while deep into the experiment and laughed when I realized that I'd just surpassed this person by four points in score. Reminds me of my cousin flipping the Monopoly board when someone else built a hotel.
This experiment continues to blow my mind. Ease of use, compelling content, taking off on the 140 characters theme with which we're all oh-so-familiar.
PS. I kinda have a thing about unauthorized telepresence, so this one struck a nerve with me.
This is a very tough decision for me. If you want to weigh in, please leave a comment below.
I said I was going to monotask while I did the experiment, but here I am, documenting it. This is what I mean when I talk about the evolution of my profession: journalism. I don't know yet who created this incredible experience or why and I'm not going to leave the experiment to start Googling the game when I could be playing. This is the simultaneous "light" and "dark" experience that the game makes so binary right away.
I am doing something that I haven't done in a reality long time: monotasking. This is how I plan to spend the rest of the night. Check back soon for a full report on this mysterious one-night-only experiment. I don't even know what it is but as soon as I registered my honeybee-in-the-hive avatar I got hit with a wave of that certain untranslatable feeling that means something fabulous is about to happen. Clairvoyance? Futurisma.
Thanks to a tweet by Ms. Jane McGonigal, I dove into an Alice-in-Wonderland of collaborative deep storytelling and deeper narrative crafted in a series of 140-character, tiered responses to the evolution and expectations on a immersive technology, fully-distributed world. I'll blog more about this later. But, until then, I'm in signtastic for the night.
We've just received an interesting notice from the editorial team at the digital travel guide, Schmap, that they are including some images that Rita J. King took as part of her recent "Being in Common" installation for the UK Art Collaborative, Proboscis, in a travel guide about Orlando, Florida. The images were taken at Wonderworks. A screenshot is above. The Schmap site is here. Rita's photo series on Flickr can be seen here in the set labeled, "Wonderworks."
DIP friend Sara Farley, who bridges the gap between dance and foreign policy, has just shared with us an event she is hosting on May 1 & 2 in New York City to benefit Ugandan Dance. More information below.
For two evenings and one afternoon – 8:00 pm Friday May 1 and 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm Saturday May 2 – the New York City dance community will unite to raise funding and awareness for Uganda's first ballet and modern dance school.
The Dance Benefit performances will take place in the John Ryan Theater, which is located near the first Brooklyn subway stop (A/C to High Street; F to York) at 25 Jay Street (718-855-8822). Following the Saturday evening performance, an after-party and "Dance with the Dancers" will be hosted at the Water Street Restaurant and Lounge, at 66 Water St, a short 5 minute walk away.
Purchase your tickets: Tickets for the show are $20. Tickets to the after-party, which includes drink specials, can be purchased for $15. Purchase tickets by calling 1-800-838-3006, online at brownpapertickets.com, or at the door on the day of the performance.
DIP is at the 3D Squared Digital Workforce Conference in Lafayette, Louisiana. After being incredibly impressed by the level of sophistication demonstrated by the student presentations, about which we will blog later, the attendees, who consisted of Louisiana state legislators and local municipal leaders, were given a chance to meet with a special guest during a demonstration of what Metaplace is and can do for education and economic development in Louisiana. The special guest was The Man Himself, Mr. Raph Koster, Founder and President of Metaplace. We've taken the liberty of posting the transcript of that conversation below.
josholalia: Grats on 101, raph! Raph: thanks Josh :) BenLewis: Look, Josh is almost greener than me! Digital Dave: Digital Leadership is where it's at! 3DSquared: Hey Raph, we're here and we would like you to share a bit about Metaplace and about why MP is excited about working with us. Raph: Sure! Raph: First let me say that is has been really wonderful watching these talented kids over the last week Raph: When I founded Metaplace, the intent was to take technology that was advanced and complicated and frankly kind of exclusive Raph: and democratize it, put it in the hands of ordinary folks 3DSquared: :D Raph: We wanted to do that because we saw tremendous potential for creativity, for learning 3DSquared claps Digital Dave: Welcome to MetaMentors! Raph: And I think that the Digital Workforce Intensive has been a perfect example of that potential being realized 3DSquared bows Raph: Virtual worlds today are largely the province of big business Raph: and that confers many benefits, but it also means that worlds tend to be made with a profit motive Raph: profit is wonderful -- don't get me wrong--! Raph: But at the same time, chasing the maximum audience can mean that niches gounder served 3DSquared nods Raph: So Metaplace was intended as a way to capture that "long tail" if you will, of creative ideas and projects Digital Dave: We're building, exploring and socializing! Raph: because virtual worlds about wetlands reclamation, about health, and so on, are just not likely to show up on the shelf at WalMart 3DSquared: :D Raph: The folks from 3D Squared got our vision immediately, and have been great partners over the last few months learning the system and serving as early testers of the technology Raph: and it has been immensely gratifying to us to see the vision proven out 3DSquared: :D Raph: Our goala is to allow Metaplace worlds to be built by anyone, and put on any webpage on the Internet Raph: alongside book clubs, knitting communities, and classrooms, on blogs and on profile pages
Raph: But I have to say that I am immensely happy that the first real large scale test of this was done with the intent Raph: of helping the next generation succeed 3DSquared applauds Raph: because there can hardly be a higher purpose than that Raph: I hope the kids had fun along the way! 3DSquared: They did! 3DSquared: We did too! 3DSquared: We just had awesome student presentations. Raph: As we move further into this new century, the sort of digital literacy that this kind of platform permits will be incresingly important Raph: as will improving my typing skills Raph chuckles 3DSquared chuckles Digital Dave: Welcome to MetaMentors! HaynieMan: add a spell check, for me HaynieMan: j/k Raph: The tools of the coming years, the everyday tools of work, are going to be very different Raph: as different can cell phones were from switchboards and MS Office from typewriters Raph: and it behooves all of us, I think, to not fear, but instead understand these changes Raph: and especially, to appreciate the way in which our children are digital natives Raph: and move in worlds real and virtual with ease 3DSquared agrees Raph: games, virtual worlds, all of it -- are new venues in which students can engage in very traditional learning goals Raph: engagement with their society, building of character, cooperation and teamwork, and strong ethics Raph: And I sincerely hope that this project has set their feet on that path to at least some degree Raph: So congratulations to all the participants -- and the hardworking mentors! 3DSquared applauds! Raph: and thank you for the opportunity to be a part of it. josholalia: Thank you Raph! DJGeki: Thank you, Raph! 3DSquared: Thank you, Raph! BenLewis: thanks, raph! Digital Dave: Digital Leadership is where it's at! 3DSquared: Hey Raph, can we ask some questions? Raph: Certainly! 3DSquared: How do you see this being incorporated into the classroom? Raph: There are a couple of obvious ways RitaJKing: Raph, how can I get more points to catch up with Josholalia? Raph: The first is to use it much as we are now -- a tool for easy distance collaboration and communication Urizenus: lol Raph: a virtual classroom, if you like HaynieMan: awesome RitaJKing: Hi Uri! Raph: Because of the low technical requirements and web embeddability, as well as the web interaction the platform provides, it's easy to accomplish a lot on that front Raph: The other way is what you have demonstrated so successfully here, which is using it as a creative canvas Urizenus: I've got a freshman seminar in here this term Digital Dave: Welcome to MetaMentors! Raph: we specifically designed it so that it had a very low barrier of entry for anyone to be able to build 3DSquared: Have you had any surprises from your original visions, if people are using it in beta in ways you haven't expected? Raph: Oh goodness yes -- ! Raph: Probably the strangest thing is bilocation Raph: It's common to see users with three or more bodies, in more than one world at once Raph: Which is a bit weird! Raph: I also think the sheer range of creative work has astounded us Raph: and the diversity of people who have found an outlet for their creativity josholalia: Raph. One of the 3D Squared students tonight told me that what he loved about metaplace was the flexibility of metaplace's policy on commoditizing and selling accounts. Raph: Honestly, THIS initiative was a surprise to us at first Raph. One of the 3D Squared students tonight told me that what he loved about metaplace was the flexibility of metaplace's policy on commoditizing and selling accounts. josholalia: This was a 7th grader! Raph: Kids these days... a lot more sophisticated than we think ;) 3DSquared: What are your plans for incorporating productivity tools, like voip and document sharing? Raph: and the diversity of people who have found an outlet for their creativity Raph: Our main emphasis is as a consumer product, not an enterprise solution, but as users start to settle on particular applications, we will of course support them RitaJKing: Hi Grace McDunnough gracemcdunnough: Hi :) Raph: voice has come up a lot,and actually, your group developed quite a nice little method for it 3DSquared: :D Raph: we already have simple whiteboards and slide shows Raph: And I do expect that in the future, more collaboration tools willemerge as well Raph: in addition, our web integration has allowed things like bridging to distance learning systems such as Moodle Raph: so Metaplace can be integrated into existig curricula Digital Dave: Digital Leadership is where it's at! Raph: so Metaplace can be integrated into existig curricula Digital Dave: Digital Leadership is where it's at! Raph: Which I find very exciting 3DSquared: And so do we! 3DSquared: Given your social justice orientation, what's your exit strategy? 3DSquared: (Jim Brazell) Raph: There is a happy confluence between embracing user creativity, and today's business realities Raph: we couldn't do what we are doing without having enlightened terms of service, for example HaynieMan: I believe that Metaplace is very effective as a social networking tool, there is something special about communicating in a virtual world in comparison to your chat room or blog. How do you plan on attracting people to this next generation platform? Raph: Increasingly, even potential exit strategies reflect that new business reality -- we're hopefully valuable BECAUSE of our ideals, not in spite of them DJGeki: I see Metaplace as a rebirth of the Web; possibly negating the need for an exit strategy as it will evolve with computer processing power and the growing accessibility of the Internet. Raph: As far as attracting users -- we plan to grow organically, actually, not do a big marketing push 3DSquared: Since you can connect any URL into Metaplace, what are your plans for securing MP? Raph: The data residing on the servers is as secure as we can make it, and there are several things we do in order to prevent vulnerabilities from the Web integration Raph: each worlds runs as a separate entity, so even if one world is compromised it is unlikely to spread Raph: worlds also have very limited access to the identity of the users who visit -- a handle is about it, basically aph: each worlds runs as a separate entity, so even if one world is compromised it is unlikely to spread Digital Dave: Digital Leadership is where it's at! Raph: worlds also have very limited access to the identity of the users who visit -- a handle is about it, basically 3DSquared: Thanks for your time, Raph! We're about to start our presentation here at LITE. 3DSquared: Thank you so much for talking to us. DJGeki: ^_^ Raph: It was my pleasure. And congratulations again, you've done a wonderful thing here. BenLewis: thanks again, Raph! we appreciate it. 3DSquared blushes 3DSquared: :D 3DSquared: The crowd cheers!
Rita J. King has a new column on Venture Beat about her experience working in virtual worlds and observations on the incredible work of Spencer Zuzolo and Joe Castille of 3D Squared leading and innovating in the field of digital learning and education at their Digital Workforce Conference in Lafayette, Louisiana. DIP will be presenting at the conference on Saturday, discussing the power of immersive virtual environments for education and economic development in a global context.
DIP is participating in 3DSquared's Digital Workforce Conference this week "exploring how Digital Technologies & Creative Processes will transform Louisiana’s society, government and economy." This event is an exciting synthesis of our work integrating Rita J. Kings's extensive work in the Gulf Coast with DIP's focus on business and policy-oriented solutions in virtual worlds. For more information about the 3DSquared community you can visit their Ning group. We recently blogged about their economic workforce redevelopment efforts using the virtual world of Metaplace.
BBC 5's Pods and Blogs DIP's Rita J. King and Joshua S. Fouts are interviewed by the BBC's Jamillah Knowles in this week's episode of BBC's "Pods & Blogs." The interview crosses a wide-range of thoughtful topics including the future of journalism in virtual worlds and authentic expression of self through virtual worlds. We have posted a mirror of the podcast on the DIP News & Press page. (The interview begins about 20 minutes into the podcast.)
DIP's key interest is the transformation of the global culture and economy and the role that digital culture is playing in that transformation. We also have a keen interest in the Gulf Coast. DIP's Rita J. King spent 2006 working on, “Big, Easy Money: Disaster Profiteering in America's Gulf Coast.” It is the position of DIP that one of the most immediate benefits of the Internet is that it can provide meaningful work to people who live in local communities that lack a thriving economy yet need inhabitants to stay and continue working together toward improved local infrastructure.
And so it was that on my second night in Metaplace I ran into an avatar named Joe Castille. Joe found me exploring one of his worlds which had a voice component. The world took text and translated it into voice. (In Metaplace people can create multiple worlds of their own. Metaplace itself does not yet have a voice feature.)
I learned that Joe is based in Lafayette Louisiana and part of an organization called 3DSquared. 3DSquared is a Louisiana-based non-profit dedicated to “workforce development for the game and digital media industry.” It is lead by Spencer Zuzolo, an academic and game developer who splits his time between Lafayette and Austin, where he teaches game design. Joe invited me to the 3DSquared headquarters in Metaplace, a geodesic dome with sleek office furniture and a nice park surrounding it. The place was abuzz with avatars, many of whom, I learned, were interns and students participating in 3DSquared and involved with its parallel venture, GameCamp. As I chatted with the students and Joe, I asked to learn more about why they found Metaplace to be such a robust environment. Joe directed me to Spencer Zuzolo.
Spencer, by phone, has a casual, jolly voice that translates into compelling narrative on the various videos they've posted on Gamecamp's website. He is immensely concerned about the transformation in the economy and how to prepare tomorrow's workforce to adapt to it. “How to engage the students and connect them to parents, teachers and students. Part of it is language,” he explained. And that language lies in the culture of games. From that was sprung the idea of Spencer's other baby, a project of 3DSquared called Gamecamp. Gamecamp is “a summer program for high school and middle school students interested in careers in the video game industry.” Students from all over the US come to Louisiana for an intensive course in game development instruction. Spencer said they already have students coming from China, Europe and possibly, if they can find the time, the Middle East.
But he is firmly committed to the Gulf Coast. “We believe in our work in Louisiana,” Spencer Zuzolo told me. “We believe the problems can be fixed by intertwining this kind of training in a 21st century economy.”
I've been hearing Rita J. King talk about that ever since we've been collaborating on the development of a new global culture and economy. I've seen her give presentations about disaster management, cultural preservation, rebuilding and job development potential through virtual worlds to conference crowds in the Gulf Coast to a mixed response of confusion, irritation and completely rapt fascination. When she heard about 3DSquared's work she announced immediately that we would be setting aside time to work with them.
Next week in Lafayette they are hosting a Digital Workforce Initiative conference in which DIP will be participating. The conference is an opportunity for 3DSquared to explain their work to community and political leaders for whom games are still very foreign, if a necessary evil that their children love.
Joe described how the Gulf Coast, which is not so much in the headlines here in the US, (save for its governor Bobby Jindahl) is still reeling from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. “We have the largest outmigration of any state in the Nation. And 100,000 skilled labor jobs are unfilled.” That has been a lethal combination on the Louisiana economy.
“We're using metaplace as 'the first rung' of the skill ladder for teaching virtual world development,” Joe told me.
I'm amazed and excited about the work of 3DSquared and Gamecamp. I've since visited dozens of Metaplace worlds created by their students. And the videos on the website are another interesting testament well worth watching.
As we've written before, the best way to engage a culture is to take it on its own terms. 3DSquared and Gamecamp understand that there is a new generational culture developing; a culture which will have effectively grown up on games and the Internet. And the educational system needs to be prepared for how to best communicate with that culture.
Click to enlarge this screenshot that shows Mitch Wagner in my Tweetdeck stream, old profile picture, and new.
First, Mitch wanted to congratulate us for getting boinged. Then he wanted to know if DIP is representing in Metaplace.
The Copper Robot hasn't been reading Dispatches from the Imagination Age (though he did interview Felicia Day and members of "The Guild" recently, so we forgive him), or he'd know that Josh is the reigning rocker of Metaplace. In fact, we recently communicated between worlds. I hope Raph Koster is well rested tonight, because if he isn't, Josh will certainly overtake him in rank and then start going after that other guy he keeps mumbling about in between bouts of bouncing between worlds, the one who better enjoy his remaining time as that particular platform's most dedicated member. Stay tuned--Josh is planning to blog about 3D Squared, led by Joe Castille and Spencer Zuzolo. He met them in Metaplace on his first or second night.
The new public blog by Egyptian blogger Miral Brinjy.
At yesterday's premiere of our Virtual Journalism documentary, journalist Wagner James Au who was hosting the panel during which the video was shown, interviewed Rita J. King and me in Second Life about the making of the documentary and the project. One of his questions was, "How were you able to assemble Egyptian bloggers critical of their government to participate in Second Life without fear of reprisals, as have hit other bloggers in that country?"
As if on cue, we received an email today from Miral Brinjy, one of the bloggers who participated in the virtual newsroom project. We blogged about Miral in our coverage of the Egypt Blogs America project. Miral also appears in the short clip and full length video archives of the January event on the AUC Virtual Newsroom page.
We are thrilled to have been part of this process. During our work with Miral she became a prominent voice in the Second Life troupe and ultimately was the spokesperson for the group during the press conference with James K. Glassman.
Her email follows:
As most of you may know, I blogged anonymously for almost three years. But since the 'Egypt Blogs America' project I have been getting encouraged gradually to blog under my real identity instead of hiding behind aliases and alter-egos, trying to veil what should be accentuated most about anyone's opinion - their voice.
As of recently I started a new blog and I named it "Miral Speaking..." for claiming ownership of my 'long known by no name' voice.
The AUC Virtual Newsroom project idea was hatched by Pintak and DIP's Joshua Fouts over tea in Amman, Jordan at an Aspen Institute Retreat on U.S.-Arab Media. Fouts and Pintak were interested in trying to explore how blogging and other evolving Internet-based technologies could be used to illustrate how journalism is changing and what role these technologies, especially virtual worlds, can play in empowering and training journalists worldwide. Second Life, in particular, had a robust user base with a diverse global population.
This project, which was funded with support by USAID, was the second part of a larger project that brought the group of bloggers to the US throughout the fall of 2008 to cover the US presidential campaign season.
In the initial leg, the bloggers reported via their blog about their observations on the campaign. After the election, DIP built them a virtual newsroom. Shortly thereafter we hosted the first press conference in the newsroom. Coincidentally, while learning about Second Life, some of the bloggers were able to attend a rally on which DIP reported about the recent conflict in Gaza. Their first public news event was the press conference with James K. Glassman.
The Flickr Gettr is one of the tools in the AUC Virtual Newsroom. It enables visitors to search for Flickr tags. Images tagged with a match are projected into the virtual newsroom to demonstrate a snapshot of the collective global consciousness.
The documentary produced from that event and subsequent interviews examines how journalism is changing and what potential opportunities for journalism came out of that experience. As Pintak offers at the end of the video, "Journalism adapts to its environment."
DIP has a longstanding interest in understanding the upheaval in the journalism industry. The company was founded in 2006 when I had a realization that the industry had changed in ways that required me to approach it in a radically different way in order to continue delivering investigative reports on complicated issues.
My past work includes long-term investigations of the energy and nuclear industry, the relationship between corporations and regulatory agencies, potential voting fraud on Diebold machines, studies on the history of the civil rights movement, the evolution of multinational corporations and the economic effects of such development and extensive reportage on post-Katrina corporate profiteering in the Gulf Coast, which yielded "Big, Easy Money: Disaster Profiteering on the American Gulf Coast" and the recently published book that I co-authored, "Race, Place and Environmental Justice After Hurricane Katrina." It is my belief that corporate culture must evolve in order to serve the greater public good and make a profit as awareness of complex social issues continues to grow within the digital culture. We work with a growing number of Fortune 500 clients, think-tanks, global governments and institutions that are looking to amplify their efforts to achieve this goal.
DIP's Joshua Fouts first began chronicling this transformation as editor of OJR the Online Journalism Review -- the first Internet-based journalism review -- which he co-founded in 1998. We've both been watching and participating in this evolution since the late 1990's. My 2001 Village Voice cover story, "Terms of Service: Sweaty Scenes from an AOL Censor," contributed to a new conversation around identity and the consequences of anonymity in online communities. Our primary mission is to enhance knowledge of physical world systems that affect millions of lives through sophisticated, creative use of Internet technologies.
The AUC Virtual Newsroom includes multiple zones which show both ancient and modern Egypt.
We have watched with interest the important work of industry leaders; Dan Gillmor, whose guidance led to the Pulitzers finally accepting digital journalism;Clay Shirky, who is a concise, visionary leader on the subject, and Jay Rosen, who recently was tapped by the Huffington Post as a senior advisor for their investigative journalism fund. I started blogging for the Huffington Post the week I found out about Second Life, back in 2006, and I'm amazed at how far the field has advanced since those early days. Now I'm writing case studies for Linden Lab to document the business enterprise use of Second Life, and we can't write them fast enough.
Media coverage of Second Life has consistently missed the mark on the business value of the platform, mistaking the visibility of random Pamela Anderson doppelgangers for the population of a world that continues to dazzle through the resourcefulness and creativity of its population, which today includes the illustrious Bob Schieffer and Helen Thomas, both of whom are participating in the WSU Virtual Journalism Summit today from the physical and virtual world. Keynote will be delivered by Erica Driver of ThinkBalm (the company published a special report for the event that includes our work).
It is our hope that the AUC Virtual Newsroom project and documentary will move thinking forward toward a more nuanced understanding of the utility and value of virtual worlds for journalism.
DIP assesses the value of potential experimental models for funding and delivering world-class journalism and works with clients to create new models for both. If you're interested in more information or the development of a project, please contact us. We also conduct media strategy for projects that work toward a new global culture and economy. DIP is frequently featured globally. Click here for a sample of recent press.
In which I receive an IM inside Metaplace from Eureka Dejavu in Second Life.
In a fascinating discovery tonight, I learned that Second Life builder Miki Gymnast who is known in Metaplace simply as "Miki," has built a dialog tool for her world in Metaplace that allows a person to send instant messages from Miki's Metaplace world to a user in Second Life. In the image above, Eureka Dejavu (DIP's Rita J. King) sends me an IM.
Connectivity between virtual worlds is an ongoing issue. And a critically important one as people find their lives, both virtual and physical, to be increasingly distributed.
In preparation for the Virtual Journalism Summit on Monday, where DIP will premiere the Virtual Newsroom project, Eureka Dejavu visits the venue (twice!) and wonders what to wear. Eshi Otawara's Jardin des Milles Fleures gown costs L40,000, $150 in USD. And what kind of message does it send to a real world audience with little or no knowledge of Second Life? With no knowledge of the context of Eshi Otawara's spectacular work or awareness of the story of her life, it might just appear to be too glam or too much of a costume instead of an exquisitely shimmery work of art. Shown with the inimitable Hamlet Au, who will be conducting the interview in SL, and Schmilsson Nilsson.
Eureka Dejavu and Christa Linden, who work together on case studies for Linden Lab, checking out Eshi's Jardin des Milles Fleures and discussing Eshi's incredible real-life story.
"The world is facing an unprecedented crisis and you want to buy that dress?" Diandra typed incredulously in the chat window of Skype. "What are you trying to do, relaunch the economy?"
For those of you who are hearing about Diandra Louarn for the first time, she is DIP's new Project Manager. She's a young woman from France, a brilliant student of journalism. She is taking classes an NYU, and she tells me everything she's learning. As the debate about the future of journalism continues to frighten the industry, she is a shining example of how the curious, passionate and talented young journalists of the world (coupled with the experienced professionals who have been struggling for years to inform the public of serious and complicated issues) will not let us down.
Diandra came to us through the Council on International Exchange (CIEE). DIP would like to thank CIEE for smoothly facilitating the process of working with Diandra. The cheery inspector from CIEE came on a rainy day, and I will never forget her shaking off her umbrella, taking a look around at the paintings, glowing globe, stained glass and mirrored curtain. "This is the first time I've ever seen an office like this," she said. "First. Time. Ever."
"Even during tough economic times," the organization's literature states, "companies see the value of of being involved in the CIEE Intern/Trainee program...Having people from different cultures and backgrounds creates a more dynamic office environment that fosters new ideas and new ways of doing business."
Diandra's presence at DIP has given the process of cultural and economic transformation a face. Her family business--call centers across Europe and Africa--has been jeopardized by the changing economic climate and new technology. Rather than succumb to the fear that threatens their home and livelihood, we have seen this family bond together over Skype on a daily basis.
I can't decipher Diandra's feverish, melodious French (yet!) but I know that they are planning a collective strategy for evolving together into the new economy--one in which their expertise in communications can be maximized within a digital infrastructure. I have listened to them laugh as her father takes his first steps in Second Life, and I've waved hello to Diandra's incredulous grandmother as she looks for the first time into a web cam. I greatly admire these people; not just because they send gifts of wine, foie gras and delectable little chocolates from France, but because they are working together to overcome adversity and smiling while they're doing it. In the meantime, we have benefited greatly from the sophisticated graphic design work of Diandra's sister Anne-Alexia Louarn, who both executes beautifully on my designs and creates her own (see below...enlarge for more detail...)
Diandra has become a daily inspiration to prove to people in their twenties that they aren't inheriting a massive steaming pile of destruction with no channel for their considerable strength, talent and good humor. Something new is being born from the rubble of broken systems. Each generation is a midwife responsible for facilitating the birth of new awareness despite not being present for the conception.
Each generation has a collective ethos but is nevertheless composed of individuals, each of whom happened to be born at a certain place at a certain time but, increasingly, can also take part in the vibrant global digital culture that gives us, each day, new opportunities to be creative, to change, and to become smarter through what John Hodgman brilliantly calls HIVE MIND.
Stayed tuned for more on the magnificent Christa Linden and the launch of the Virtual Newsroom project on Monday.
In which the activists reply to a watcher named Ed Webb who suggests that they follow a storyline involving zen and quantum paths not taken. If you want to be a part of the narrative, leave your comments, suggestions, random thoughts and ideas below. Tell us something about yourself.
Seen here with Pixeleen and Urizenus of the Alphaville Herald (It's true I am everywhere in Metaplace these days!)
Urizenus Sklaar in response to my inaugural post about Metaplace offered his own brief comment about an encounter that took place that evening. I submit the following graf from that post:
Joshua Fouts, the Chief Global Strategist for Dancing Ink Productions (hereafter DIP) is everywhere in Metaplace these days. DIP in turn is most famous for their CEO and creative director, Rita J. King, who in real life is hotter than any avatar will be until we achieve Singularity...But I digress yet again. Josh's most recent post on DIP's Dispatches from the Information Age details the Studio 54 circa 1977 atmosphere swirling around Uri's place in Metaplace. As Josh reports, Raph stopped in to ask Uri for some help with a tough Lua scripting problem, and then Tish Shute (immortalized by Prokofy Neva as "The Chirpy Whitewasher from Ugotrade") dropped in and offered to whiten Uri's wash, metaphorically speaking. Is it like this every day? Only the Cyberlebrities know for sure.
I've been looking for a simple, straightforward way to create an immersive narrative that relies on comments to move the plot forward, and when I heard about xtranormal tonight, I drifted into a rapture. Here's Episode One of a new series, "Now That You've Noticed." If you'd like to contribute ides to the content of the next episode, please leave a comment below or catch me on Twitter.
[Ed. Note: Click the numbers for episodes 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6.]
Eureka Dejavu (left), in mulling over whether to buy a L40,000 dress made by Eshi Otawara, seeks counsel from the exquisitely attuned Bettina Tizzy, a collector of all the designer's work.
I've been teleporting every day to Eshi's shop to stare at her latest creation, a gown that looks like the view through my favorite kaleidoscope. I can only imagine the way it would move and shine. It reminds me of a story I loved passionately when I was little in a book of Italian fairy tales by Italo Calvino. A princess requests that her father, who travels, bring her back three gowns, one made of air, another of water and a third of stars, or the cosmos. Perhaps the universe itself. I wanted to live in that starry gown. I would fall asleep at night imagining myself in conversation with people whose eyes would glow with a million distant sparkling points of light.
Is L40,000 (about $150 in USD) really too much to spend for one of Eshi Otawara's magnificent gowns? It's nothing compared to the brilliant, pain-free fishhook dress that Eshi auctioned off for Relay for Life for L460,000. A dress made of light and motion is simply not possible in real life.
The question if whether the dress is "real" or not isn't the point.
"For me" Bettina Tizzy said, "it is art, not just fashion."
Say it again, sister.
What is "professional" dress in a virtual realm? Is it necessary to don a suit every time another meeting starts just to show that you mean business?
