As some predicted, it wasn’t more than a publicity stunt, but Governor Mark Warner’s appearance in virtual form in Second Life still was a historic occasion. When a possible contendor for the US Presidency makes a pit stop in a virtual world, you have to think that something new is in the air. Others, particularly…
Governor Warner brings real world politics into the virtual world
The blogarati and the media are abuzz about the Second Life appearance of Mark Warner in Second Life this afternoon. Getting boingboing‘ed doesn’t hurt, of course. My buddy Hamlet Au at New World Notes made a very last minute announcement yesterday night that he will be interviewing possible presidential candidate Mark Warner, the former governor…
Mark Warner, Possible Presidential Candidate appearing in SL tomorrow!
Just a couple of days ago I blogged about the possibility of a "darkhorse candidate" with a virtual campaign headquarters. Two days later Hamlet Au at New World Notes announces that he will be interviewing possible presidential candidate Mark Warner, the former governor of Virginia, live in Second Life tomorrow afternoon! Hamlet says that in…
I < heart > Beirut / Israel
Cindy spotted this bumper sticker interchange on the corner of 23rd St and 2nd Avenue, Manhattan.
Aimee Weber on SL Business and Marketing
I was delighted to spend last evening hanging out with designer/ master builder / cool chick Aimee Weber, as part of the Kuurian Expedition. The Kuurian Expedition is a group of researchers and academics exploring what they call "Synthetic Worlds" i.e. virtual environments like Second Life and Worlds of Warcraft. Aimee in her talk gave…
Using virtual environments for political organizing
Andrew Poppin in the article "Second Life Targets Existing Branded Communities" on Corante.com makes some interesting comments about how SL could be mobilized for political organizing: Imagine the 699,000 of 700,000 DailyKos political blogging community members who will NOT make it to next year’s YearlyKos conference in Chicago being able to "attend" online side by…
Yet another SL Serenity build!
Abby Dawson has her own version of the Serenity spaceship (or "boat" in Firefly parlance.) Head over the "Abby’s Serenity" in Rua to check it out in person (SLURL link). Or just see my pics here.
The American Memory Exhibit: Using virtual environments to teach about American history
The Second Life Librarian Shadow Fugazi has created an American Memory Exhibit on Info Island featuring a larger than life Declaration of Independence. The exhibit draws from the Library of Congress’s American Memory division, which provides free access to "written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps and sheet music that…
Serenity gets a Second Life! (pics)
I just found out about a cool new sim in Second Life devoted to the short-lived but much beloved sci-fi series "Firefly" and the subsequent movie "Serenity." Called "Washtown," the sim is a place for Firefly fans to role-play as browncoats and Alliance troopers or just hang out with other fanatics (like myself.) (Click here…
“Play Money” and the ethics of MMORPG cheating
I just finished Julian Dibbell’s informative and entertaining new book on virtual economies Play Money. If you will recall, I purchased both the virtual and real world versions of the book last month, opting to read the dead tree edition. It’s a quick read, told from the wry and clever personal perspective of the author,…