Virtual Worlds: Chapter Prep Summary

Liz's Virtual Worlds Prep Doc for the book:

Virtual Worlds

What Is It?

1. According to Wikipedia, a virtual world is: a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars (an internet user’s representation of himself or herself). This habitation usually is represented in the form of two or three-dimensional graphical representations of humanoids (or other graphical or text-based avatars). Some, but not all, virtual worlds allow for multiple users.
2. The world being computer-simulated typically appears similar to the real world, with real world rules such as gravity, topography, locomotion, real-time actions, and communication. Communication has, until recently, been in the form of text, but now real-time voice communication using VOIP is available.
3. The earliest virtual worlds were virtual reality simulators (rather than games) and were comprised of communities and chat rooms that encouraged creating buildings, art and structures (but many did not include avatars). Credit for the first online virtual world usually goes to Habitat, developed in 1987 by LucasFilm Games for the Commodore 64 computer, and running on the Quantum Link service (the precursor to America Online).
4. In 1996, the city of Helsinki, Finland with Helsinki Telephone Company (since Elisa Group) launched what was called the first online virtual 3D depiction, intending to map the whole city. The first virtual world devoted to the education of children was launched as Whyville.net by Numedeon inc. in 1999. Whyville included many features that are now common to other virtual worlds, including user-customizable avatars, an "in world" economy, and 'bubble chat".
5. A virtual world can generally be divided into one of two categories: MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) where the user playing a specific character is a main feature of the game, or, MMORLGs (massively multiplayer online real-life/rogue-like games), where the user can edit and alter their avatar at will, allowing them to play a more dynamic role, or multiple roles.
6. One of the more popular, and readily accessible examples of a virtual world (in fiction), is in the movie series The Matrix, where many of the humans plugged into “the matrix” believe they are living in a real world and do not know they are living in a virtual world.
7. Many virtual worlds (including There, Active Worlds, Second Life) have been influenced by the cyberpunk literary movement, and particularly by Neil Stephenson’s novel, Snow Crash, in which Stephenson describes a “metaverse” as a user-defined world where people can interact, play, do business and otherwise communicate.
8. Many virtual worlds have their own economy and currency and users can create new goods and services, buy and sell them in the virtual world. In Second Life, for example, a small percentage of “Residents” (Second Life players) derive net incomes from the Second Life economy, ranging from a few hundred to several thousand US$ per month, while a larger percentage derive a gross income large enough to offset most of their expenditures in Second Life. Corporations have started selling goods in virtual worlds and organizations have begun to try to raise money in virtual worlds. In the case of the American Cancer Society the money was raised in Linden Dollars (Second Life’s currency) and then converted to US$.
9. Because some virtual worlds (like Second Life) are an open environment they can be used by anyone with a broadband connection, which can create technical, legal and moral challenges within the world and to the company.
10. Current virtual worlds are aimed at children, teens, and adults and target educational, entertainment, fantasy, social, and business interactions. **See the Virtual Worlds Map of the Space for in-depth information on many of the major players in the virtual worlds’ sphere.

Use Cases:

American Cancer Society – Relay for Life: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp?level=0

- 2007 was the third consecutive year that the American Cancer Society held its Second Life Relay for Life. The organization’s goal of raising $75,000 was reached almost a month prior to this year’s race.
- In 2006, Second Life Relay for Life raised more than $41,000 and attracted more than 1,000 participants to the walkathon event. Created by more than 30 volunteers, the track walked through representations of real-world places like Mexico, New York City, Paris, Sweden, and South Africa. Avatars encountered opportunities along the way to have fun while donating money - lighting virtual luminaria, and participating in events such as sky diving off of the Eiffel Tower.
- SL residents set up and decorate campsites, and sell small items to help raise Relay money just like in the real world local relay.
- To participate as a walker in the Relay for Life you must sign up for a Second Life account. Donations are made through the American Cancer Society’s website or through donations at ATMs throughout Second Life.
- The American Cancer Society has expanded its presence in the virtual world be establishing a virtual space on its own island. The Second Life office will serve a number of purposes including n interactive cancer information resource center, a venue for peer support groups, as well as a headquarters for in-world event planning. (The virtual world presence was developed with help from Visions Media.)
- Contact: Second Life Relay for Life at jade.lily@gmail.com.

Global Kids: http://www.globalkids.org/
- Global Kids' programs address the urgent need for young people to possess leadership skills and an understanding of complex global issues. By educating students about international affairs and their role in the policymaking process, GK aims to inspire urban public school students, many of whom have been labeled at risk of school drop out, to succeed in school and become campus leaders.
- In 2006, Global Kids became the first nonprofit to develop a dedicated space for conducting programming in the virtual world of Teen Second Life (TSL).
- Within TSL, the organization has established Global Kids Island, which hosts interactive, experiential programs for teens from around the world. Specifically, Global Kids is conducting intensive leadership programming for youth, bringing youth from its New York-based programs into the space, and streaming the audio and video of major events into the world.
- Through the Virtual Video Program conducted in collaboration with the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, 25 students are participating in an after school program that combines education about film production and history, digital media literacy, youth media, civic engagement, and global education. Each year, the students will use Second Life to create machinima, digital movies created with video games. In addition, youth in the Playing 4 Keeps program at South Shore High School in Brooklyn are using the creative potential of TSL to develop online games that educate their peers about important world issues.
- In summer 2006, GK conducted an intensive summer camp for youth in TSL, who participated in daily workshops about a range of global issues. At the conclusion of the summer camp, the participants created an interactive maze in Second Life to educate their peers about child sex trafficking around the world, as well as raise money to address the issue. More than 2,500 teens visited the maze in its first ten weeks, with 20% donating money.
- Global Kids regularly partners with leading institutions to broadcast live events for youth in Teen Second Life. To date, these have included a question and answer session about the genocide in Darfur with Mia Farrow, conducted with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum; a simulcast of the MacArthur Foundation’s announcement of its new Digital Media, Learning and Education Initiative; and a discussion (and dance party) for youth with Henry Jenkins, MIT Professor and a leading expert on youth and digital media.
- Global Kids’ work in TSL is conducted in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation, UNICEF, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the International Criminal Court, among others.
- To create Camp GK it took three full-time staff members and two teen interns over 12 weeks. The budget was in the mid-five figures.
- Contact: Barry Joseph - Director of the Online Leadership Program, Global Kids: (212) 226-0130

TechSoup: http://www.techsoup.org/

- TechSoup (a nonprofit technology assistance agency) offers free information, resources, and support to nonprofits. Through their product philanthropy service (TechSoup Stock) nonprofits can access donated and discounted technology products.
- TechSoup has helped a number of nonprofits establish their organization’s presence in the virtual world and has been heavily involved in building out the nonprofit dimension of Second Life. Their goal is to help introduce nonprofits to Second Life’s platform and help them connect with other nonprofits that are already benefiting from the platform.
- TechSoup has spearheaded the development of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life – a place in the virtual world (set to open 8/14/07) where 32 nonprofits will come together to meet and share ideas.
- TechSoup has set up a portable virtual directory of nonprofits in Second Life that can be freely shared and distributed to others. They also held a live event, with guest nonprofit speakers who were currently working in the platform, which took place in both real life and in the world of Second Life.
- Contact: Susan Tenby, susan@techsoup.org ; Phone: (415) 633-9333 – located in San Francisco

Camp Darfur: http://www.campdarfur.org/index.php?title=Main_Page

- This Second Life installation has been the subject of some controversy. It is designed as interactive awareness and education event aimed at bringing attention to the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan.
- Camp Darfur gives avatars in the virtual world Second Life a chance to walk through a ghosttown of a refugee camp (their avatar walking through crowds of human refugees), victimized by years of torture and genocide.
- Among the tents of Camp Darfur avatars can find information, multimedia shows, posters with short refugee stories, maps, a refugee tent with humanitarian aid, sacks of rice and Red Cross packs. Huge boards show slides containing images of the genocide: villages burning, faces of the refugees, and of the children that the campaign claims.
- Camp Darfur seeks to memorialize those lost in the Sudan and offers ways to get involved in sharing this story (links to main associations involved, fundraising, meetings, etc). It has also served as a hub for discussions and meetings about the crisis where residents can come and talk about the genocide and learn about ways to get involved.
- Camp Darfur in Second Life was built by Better World Island (a collaborative virtual gaming community).
- Contact: gabriel@stopgenocidenow.org; enquiry@betterworldisland.org

San Jose Tech Museum: http://www.thetech.org/

- The San Jose Tech Museum partnered with Linden Labs to create a digital world designed especially for Netpl@net, a new permanent gallery at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose.
- Linden Lab’s contribution to the exhibit is a unique scaled-down version of Second Life designed just for kids. They access a 32-acre virtual island from 8 different computer stations in the Museum. Once on the island, kids can create and customize their avatar, explore the world, chat and hang out with other exhibit users, construct 3D buildings and objects in a giant "sandbox" area, jet- ski, get thrown from a giant catapult and create special visual effects with the "Mesmerizer."
- The goal is to get kids to use the Internet in unique new ways, and reflect on how it is changing their lives by connecting them with people and technology from all over the world.
- Kids can customize their own webpage, see global webcams, or virtually arm wrestle someone miles away.
- Contact: Linden Labs - Catherine Smith (415) 243-9000; San Jose Tech Museum (408) 294-TECH

French Presidential Election: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/29/AR2007032902540.html (link to good article about the use of Second Life in the lead-up to the French Presidential Election)
- In the lead-up to the French Presidential Election much debate (and mayhem) was centered in Second Life. All four major candidates in the election opened headquarters in Second Life.
- The campaigns attempt to create cyber-headquarters that reflect the personality and politics of the candidates through their design (i.e. environmental concerns, agricultural roots, etc).
- Avatars could attend political rallies, engage in debates, and take part in protests. Many participating avatars saw the emergence of virtual world political headquarters as proof of the next generation of internet-based political campaigning.
- Numbers of visitors to each of the politicians’ virtual world headquarters were small, but steady. Interest in the French presidential campaigns was intense enough to give France the second-highest number of Second Life avatars of any country in February.
- Because the headquarters – and the technology of the virtual world are open – in can sometimes invite extreme behavior. (John Edwards’ virtual world headquarters were also attacked.)
- Second Life presence takes real world time. Supporters of candidate Francois Bayrou spent 50 hours each over three weeks to construct the headquarters, which now requires 10 people working two to three hours a day to manage. Fifteen Sarkozy-supporting avatars guard over his cyber-headquarters 24-7.
- Many say the biggest boon of the candidates’ virtual world presence is the media attention it has generated.

agoraXchange: http://www.agoraxchange.net/index.php?page=218#20

- agoraXchange is a sort of dedicated political virtual world. It is an online collaboration for imagining and building a massive multiplayer online game that will offer a tangible political alternative to our current world order.
- This collaboration occurs on the site in the agoraXchange Game Design Room, a collaborative workspace where participants discuss, debate and develop the game design.
- Currently (in Phase 1), participants are encouraged to answer questions prompting them to make decisions about the game design and in the process explore political alternatives to the present global order by accommodating four initial decrees challenging present conventions for awarding nationality and wealth.
- When the first phase of agoraXchange is complete, a committee of artists, activists, and political theorists will convene to review the contributions, and propose three distinct game prototypes. These prototypes will then be made available for further deliberation by agoraXchange participants. At the end of this process, a jury comprised of agoraXchange participants, will vote on the proposals and decide on the final game prototype and the game will be developed.
- The project was commissioned by the Tate Museum (Tate Online) and was funded, in part, by the Tate as well as by a Rockefeller Foundation Media Arts award. The project runs as a not-for-profit.
- Contact: info at agoraxchange.net

Technical Overview:
Key tech features

- Three-Dimensional virtual worlds typically provide three main features: the illusion of 3D space; avatars that serve as the visual representation of users; and an interactive chat environment for users to communicate with one another.
- A virtual world is a two-way media experience that allows users to play, work, talk and share content using web-enabled, graphic software.
- Today's virtual worlds are equipped with social networking capabilities, blogging tools, personal webpages, and some with VoIP.
- Virtual worlds are often defined and differentiated by the following criteria (from Online Virtual Worlds: A Mini-Guide http://www.masternewmedia.org/virtual_reality/virtual-worlds/virtual-immersive-3D-worlds-guide-20071004.htm)
o Users can build new environments: the possibility for users to build personal environment outside of the ones already available (for example, new businesses, new houses, new products, etc.)
o Property ownership: the availability of certain rules that attribute property ownership to an user who created or purchased a product
o 3D or 2D avatars: the type of avatars available, whether two-dimensional or three-dimensional
o Edit avatars: the possibility to edit avatar and create custom characters
o Text chat: the availability of a text chat that allows immediate interaction
o VoIP: the availability of integrated VoIP that enables users to communicate with their voice (currently an advanced feature)
o Integrated e-commerce: the integrated support for e-commerce and the possibility for users to sell their own products in the virtual world
o Local currency: the availability of a currency that regulates the economic exchanges within the virtual world
o Community events: the possibility for the users to create events and publicly showcase them
o Games: the availability of games (both one-player and multiplayer) within the virtual world.
- Most virtual worlds have the following features in common (from What is a Virtual World? http://www.virtualworldsreview.com/info/whatis.shtml)
o Shared Space: the world allows many users to participate at once.
o Graphical User Interface: the world depicts space visually, ranging in style from 2D "cartoon" imagery to more immersive 3D environments.
o Immediacy: interaction takes place in real time.
o Interactivity: the world allows users to alter, develop, build, or submit customized content.
o Persistence: the world's existence continues regardless of whether individual users are logged in.
o Socialization/Community: the world allows and encourages the formation of in-world social groups like teams, guilds, clubs, cliques, housemates, neighborhoods, etc.
- Community -focused virtual worlds (worlds that emphasize socializing rather than gaming) are strongly influenced by the cultures of text-based chat rooms. Although small-scale, casual games may be incorporated into a social world, participants are not necessarily there to win or play a game, but rather to socialize with others and, in many cases, create and decorate a personal space such as a home, room, or apartment.
- Social worlds tend to use settings based on idealized versions of reality. Most provide some basic building tools and the ability to host activities and events that revolve around a wide variety of topics.

Getting Started:

- For many organizations the largest expenditure in getting started in a virtual world is time. At this point many of the tools, scripts, and display items that are technologically necessary to get a presence up and running in a virtual world are free. But establishing the technological know-how to maximize and organization’s presence in a virtual world takes time.
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- Nonprofits (if they are to use the technology in-house) must learn how to use the tool in innovative ways and build in the scripting language, mixed-reality events (collaborating between the real world and within the virtual world), a best practices wiki, a community blog, etc.

- For those with basic technological know-how mastering a presence in a virtual world is possible and can certainly cut down on the expense of outsourcing the building, scripting, event-hosting, etc. But the learning-curve can often be steep (steeper, for example, than social networking sites and with a much higher investment of time) and it is important to fully appreciate the time commitment involved.

- Organizations should create an avatar and then spent a good amount of time scouting the virtual world (getting an idea of its users, its features, and its relevant spaces) before building within it.

- It is especially important in virtual worlds to really understand the culture of the place and to not just immediately set up an office or classroom for fundraising. The goal should be to understand the collective conscience of a virtual world and to then work with that conscience and mission to further the organization’s goals.

- Once an organization has an idea of what sort of presence and/or environment it hopes to establish in a virtual world, it should try to work with an organization that is already operating in the virtual world, perhaps and organization in line with one’s mission/goals/objectives.

- Additionally, some virtual worlds are specifically targeted and/or set-up for business/educational ventures and may offer the technology and infrastructure companies need to get started. Second Life offers the “Developer Directory” (http://secondlife.com/developers/directory.php) which lists Second Life residents with a proven track record of professional success in SL.

- Some organizations have had success working with corporate sponsors (Microsoft) and philanthropic foundations (MacArthur Foundation) which have provided financial assistance to nonprofits looking to establish an educational and/or philanthropic presence in virtual worlds.

- Second Life offers the Nonprofit Commons – a communal gathering place in the virtual world for 32 nonprofits. This virtual acre of land was designed as a pilot project to lower the barriers of access to Second Life, and to create a community of practice for nonprofits to explore and learn about the virtual world. The Nonprofit Commons provides free office space to qualifying groups to meet and collaborate, create a cooperative learning environment, and foster outreach, education, and fundraising, all in a virtual space.

- TechSoup.org – powered by CompuMentor (a nonprofit technology assistance agency) – offers nonprofits technology assistance in the form of free information, resources and support. Additionally, they offer a product philanthropy service called TechSoup Stock, where nonprofits can access donated and discounted technology products.

- Organizations need to evaluate their audience before committing resources to a virtual world presence. For example, does an organization’s audience have access to the technology required (broadband access, bandwidth) to connect to the virtual world on a regular basis?

- Many have found that the largest benefit to their organization from a virtual world presence is increased knowledge and awareness (in the form of feedback, collaboration, and interactivity) rather than monetary effectiveness (fundraising). Additionally, some believe virtual worlds may hold more dialoguing potential in the realm of peace negotiations, humanitarian disaster relief simulations, and online dispute resolution - areas that are more heavily dependent on internet-mediated communications, than in the realm of politics.

Looking Forward:

- At this point there is still a bit of uncertainty about how to establish best practices in virtual worlds. To some extent virtual worlds are still an emerging technology. In terms of their technological trajectory, many feel that they are still in their infancy. (Second Life – the virtual world behemoth – has only been around since 2002).

- According to Nancy Scola, author of “Avatar Politics: The Social Applications of Second Life”: "The future of the virtual world in the political context will likely be a road paved with more failures than successes. We do not yet know what we are doing in the virtual world and that ignorance will likely show in our efforts. But with the barriers to entry so low and the potential enjoyment so great, those failures will be at the same time minimally painful and highly educational."

- Currently, activism in virtual worlds may be less about direct action and more about education and community-building. The three-dimensional displays and interactive features (contained within virtual worlds) can serve as a powerful tool for teaching and raising awareness. Additionally, virtual worlds can connect people who are thousands of miles away from one another, but who may have the same political/social/activist goals.

- As broadband gets more common and the technology becomes cheaper, people will likely become more comfortable using technology for everyday use, and may come to rely on these communication platforms for social/political issues/causes.

- Technology companies seem optimistic about the future of virtual worlds, which they envision as the natural evolution of the web. Virtual worlds have the capacity to expose a large number of people to more sophisticated technologies (an obvious boon for tech companies) that can aid them in their everyday lives (work, commerce, etc.).

- Philip Rosedale (of Linden Labs) predicts that in ten years virtual world access will be more ubiquitous than Web access (http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=5825&tag=nl.e539). He noted that not only will this evolution make money for infrastructure providers, but it will also make content creation a viable virtual world business.

- Google, Second Life creator Linden Lab, IBM, and a bevy of additional companies are moving toward the day when you can stroll around a 3D Web--and not just their own sites--using a virtual replica of yourself that you've created. They are working to establish technical standards (open to all programmers) that would allow the entire Internet to become a galaxy of connected virtual worlds. Such an advance in technology will require overcoming massive hurdles. The computer interface to take 3D imagery and interaction beyond the confines of Second Life or other virtual simulations will have to be intuitive to users. That would entail breakthroughs on the order of those that took Web pages from static documents to dynamic pages updated in real time and navigated via hyperlinks (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_33/b4046064.htm?chan=technology_technology+index+page_top+stories).

- It could take up to a decade before the above advances become mainstream. But companies already are developing new browsers and other technologies that are the baby steps toward making the 3D Net a reality. Linden Lab plans to publish the software code for its servers within a year or two. When it does, developers will be able to modify it to create their own Second Life-like sites and build connections so that a store or other application in one virtual site could interact with those in others.

- Within 18 months the Web3D Consortium hopes to launch an avatar that can jump between sites.

- Qwaq, based in Palo Alto, Calif., has developed tools to build virtual worlds, for customers such as Intel Corp. and BPPLC. Different companies, such as a vendor or a supplier, can connect their virtual spaces and drag-and-drop any document, spreadsheet, or Powerpoint presentation from their desktop into the "world" to share with others.

- Researchers have very different visions of what a 3D Internet will look like. Most agree it would not eliminate the Web as we know it. Rather, it will be possible to move back and forth between Web sites and virtual worlds, just as we now switch between reading a news article and watching a video clip on YouTube.

Comments

[Popster]

Whoa... that's quite a bit of information. It's all very interesting though. I'm glad that Second Life has released it's voice chat! It brings us one step further in the virtual worlds space. So the first virtual world was created 20 years ago... I can't wait so see what Virtual Worlds look like in 20 more years.

By the way, the Voice in Second Life is very good quality and easy to use. That's pretty good considering that it's the first implementation.

[Popster]

Whoa... that's quite a bit of information. It's all very interesting though. I'm glad that Second Life has released it's voice chat! It brings us one step further in the virtual worlds space. So the first virtual world was created 20 years ago... I can't wait so see what Virtual Worlds look like in 20 more years.

By the way, the Voice in Second Life is very good quality and easy to use. That's pretty good considering that it's the first implementation.

[Beth Kanter]

There's a lot more depth to the nonprofit use of second life that this post implies.

Check out for more information
http://beth.typepad.com/beths_blog/npsl/index.html

Also, the nonprofits and second life wiki
http://npsl.wikispaces.com