December 2011
11 posts
IMPLICATIONS AND POLICIES
Ok, I know it is 2 and half hours from when this is due, but I am going to write any way. I agree with Castronova when he says that people do need to care about the large things, not the details. (so much) Online living is becoming a reality, although it may not be the world of SL. It is becoming apparent that getting by without the internet (in some form) is becoming increasingly difficult. ...
Interactive media
I absolutely agree with how Interactive Media is a step towards harmonizing human imagination with scientific technology. Even though today’s media still seems to be boxed in, ‘Its like a Monologue’, the Nike campaign as discussed in the article ‘The three dimensions of Iculture’ seemed a very intelligent step towards mass interactivity and consumerism, allowing...
A not so different world
I don’t believe virtual worlds create a false environment that doesn’t equal, the “real world”. In Baym’s conclusion she mentions how quickly people have adapted to new technology such as the internet that weren’t meant to be used socially, but have turned into tool we use to interact with others. She also states “I am optimistic that we will navigate...
World 2.0
“Synthetic worlds […] provide a forum of interaction that is potentially beyond the reach of any Earthbound power” (254). Well you got that right Castranova.
Although not even completed yet, our group project for Second Life has already proved this to me. Our group is setting up a charity event for the Project Jason foundation. We have been advertising for the past few days and...
AI closer to our bodies
After reading Castronova’s article about synthetic worlds, I really agreed with some of the points about immersing oneself in virtual worlds. It was a great way to start off the article to make the point about how we should not have to care about the ogres and elves in cyberspace rather we should care about their existence in these games and that we should consider virtual world on a...
is this real life?
This weeks reading on Synthetic Worlds by Castranova was very eye-opening from the very beginning. He begins off saying his goal was to persuade an intelligent, skeptical reader that this vision of virtual worlds was worth thinking about. Throughout the course I have been probably one of the biggest skeptics you could find in terms of just about everything involving Second Life. What Castranova...
Synthetic Worlds... to care or not to care?
Within reading the first three pages of the Castronova article, I immediately come up with my discussion question: Will the existence of “normal” professions become minimal in comparison to the growing careers in professional gaming, development of games, and careers that solely involve playing these games? And does learning how to develop things in a synthetic world serve as a...
Ahhh. This can't be living!
In Edward Castronova’s text Synthetic Worlds he discusses how “play only serves its purposes when it is play, and therefore not serious, we have an entirely natural predisposition not to care”. This immediately drew me into the article and forced me to be attentive. It reminded me of last week’s lesson on Gold Farmers. It’s supposed to just be a game, but that game becomes someone’s obsession and...
Do the Monster Mashhhh
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Today’s Internet Use
Maybe I’m a bit biased about the mash-up music industry because I love well executed mash-ups so much, but I don’t believe that an artist who combines multiple musical compositions must give a portion of their earnings towards the original artist. I do believe that they may however need to ask for permission before doing so,...
Real Life Sucks
Castranova’s article on synthetic worlds brings up a lot of different ideas and possibilities that I myself have thought about before. The idea of synthetic worlds being “realms that will one day be preferred to Earth” is quite a terrifying idea. In fact, I have read a science fiction book before that addresses this issue in quite some detail.
The Pendragon Adventure is a...