What are the Australian Politicians doing ? Who relected them? Are they CRAZY ? APLINK astonished…
The Australian Minister for Censorship has today confirmed what I’ve been reporting for nearly two years: online adult games including Second Life will be banned in Australia.
A spokesman for Censorship Minister Stephen “Goebbels” Conroy confirmed to Fairfax newspapers that “under the filtering plan, it will be extended to downloadable games, flash-based web games and sites which sell physical copies of games that do not meet the MA15+ standard.” In Australia, the MA15+ rating means that the content is restricted to those aged 15 and above. Australia does not have a R 18+ or similar rating for computer games, with all adult games automatically being classified as RC (Refused Classification.)
an APLINK wink – Is Immersive technology just waiting for the right combination of technology and comsumer dseire to propell its mass adoption?
Will “Immersive Internet’ become the next buzz word ?
Or should I put it this way : Will the term “Immersive Internet” be the next buzz word to replace that of virtual worlds in the coming months ?
Like the term “2.0″ added some glamor to the poor old web of researchers and academics, like the term “serious games” has made video games more politically correct to the anti-players, will “immersive internet” open a new era where real-time 3D surf will become hype and sexy …
An era that sweet and crazy dreamers who inhabit immersive platforms in the shape of all types of avatars will boast of being there first, missing those ancient times when the world sill had the flavor of the garden of Eden … the time before the “market” …
At the speed in which new technologies evolve and converge, change is imminent, although professionnals predict it will take two to five years to “cross the chasm”,Geoffrey Moore in Crossing the Chasm), which separates the adoption of a technology by early adopters to a take-up (early majority).
At the speed in which new technologies evolve and converge, change is imminent, although professionnals predict it will take two to five years to “cross the chasm”, Geoffrey Moore in Crossing the Chasm), which separates the adoption of a technology by early adopters to a take-up (early majority).
In the same way that it gets more difficult to imagine ourselves working without internet, it should be the same in the next five years for immersive Internet. Soon, we will study and train ourselves in virtual campuses where immersion and simulation will provide unimaginable benefits for the understanding of situations and familiar or professional applications.We will do some part of our work in 3D environments where we can communicate, collaborate with colleagues all over the world, working to produce prototypes, visualize complex datas, interview and recruit candidates.
In 2007, I met with Management at Suntec Exhibition Centre in Singapore regarding virtual worlds and the opportunity for Real & Virtual World events to be run in Unison with each other. Singapore recently held the IT Show at Suntec, 770,000 people packed the centre and SGD58.5 million was spent in four days – how much more could have been spent if they held a virtual event for those unable to make it to Singapore over the 4 stipulated days – i wonder ?
Excerpt from Travel Industry Article below:
At the ITM’s 37th annual conference in Liverpool this week, the people responsible for spending an annual £34bn ferrying business executives and staff around the world will hear that physical attendance is not always the ideal way to convene conferences and confabs. Instead, the technology of online virtual worlds can bring delegates together in an equally productive, immersive, businesslike environment which is also socially responsible, greatly reducing the impact of corporate travel on the environment.
Alan Haymes, director of London-based New Business Horizons – which provides Second Life offices, meeting and conference facilities for other clients as diverse as Universal Music Group and the London Chamber of Commerce – will be leading the ‘Meeting in Cyberspace’ session at the ITM conference, explaining the business benefits of events that take place in a virtual world and comparing the experience not only to physical meetings but to the ‘traditional’ virtual option of teleconferencing.
Haymes comments: “Virtual world conferencing is a more complete experience than the webcam or teleconferencing suite, which means that the ITM’s initiative extends beyond saving money and improving CSR. In a virtual world, delegates can immerse themselves fully in the conference environment and truly feel part of a big event. Breakout and one to one sessions can be easily incorporated, there’s less pressure on performance and appearance … and it can be more fun.”
I think this maybe a very cool way of Uniting with other virtual world bloggers – if you’re blog is in the list below I invite you to connect with me via twitter http://twitter.com/aplink or facebook
Just in case you are not below – your welcome to connect also
It would appear that things are changing at Linden Lab lately. There’s a new post up on the “official” blog about upcoming changes:
It looks like maybe the right people have been making noise about the prevalent adult content on the main grid of Second Life. I’ve always complained about it and promoted a zoning of the Main Grid to resolve the issues of conflicts in land use. I’ve had the experience numerous times in the past with educators fleeing the grid after only a short visit due to some casual encounter with one of the flamboyant “adult” citizens. One teacher who was taking a look said inside of 30 minutes of arriving with a new avatar on Second Life she was aggressively propositioned. Not to mention all the teachers that were scared away by the adult video stores, escort services, and other adult establishments that seem to be sprinkled liberally across the Main Grid of Second Life.
I wonder why Benjamin Joffe does not appear to know about Twinity as yet ? I just watched his 60 min presentation slides – wish i could have been at the event but i kinda got what he was presenting – below he summarizes plus the link will take you to his slides.
To summarize the summary:
* The 2D web of virtual worlds is doing well, while the 3D web is recovering from the “Second Life Aftershock“
* Regulation is going to be very complex as 2D and 3D environments allow the conduct of various “activities” from creation and remix of content to commerce, gambling and more. Of course, Internet is global which makes things VERY hard to regulate.
* Most “digital immigrants” do not understand that the term “virtual” simply means “digital” and that there is no special magic there. Great post here on this topic by Bill Gurley at Benchmark Capital
* Our hopeful conclusion promoted awareness campaigns about the risks associated with digital identities and the celebration of the benefits of what is becoming a “digital third place”.
The presentation is hereunder without the 60 minutes talk but the full report should be made available soon.
Made in IBM Labs: IBM Creates Software for Holding Face-to-Face Meetings in Virtual Worlds
Allows Meeting-Goers to Teleport Themselves From Instant Message Chats to Virtual Conference Rooms — No Reservations Necessary
ARMONK, NY–(Marketwire – March 4, 2009) – IBM (NYSE: IBM) is making it easier for widely dispersed businesspeople to interact and collaborate without the time and expense of in-person meetings.
What is making all this possible is the marriage between “virtual world” Web sites, and “unified communications and collaboration tools” — technology that links such things as voicemail, audible chat, and instant messaging. Virtual worlds are interactive, immersive Web sites with three-dimensional graphics. There, people are represented by versions of themselves, called avatars. With origins in multi-player gaming sites, virtual worlds re-create the social and visual dynamics and cues of human interaction, and are now increasingly used in business settings.
IBM is now allowing selected clients test Sametime 3D, a new tool which will let business colleagues not only exchange instant messages and chat verbally, but also share presentations and ideas in private, prefabricated, reusable meeting spaces located in a variety of virtual worlds. These spaces will allow participants to, literally, throw ideas on the wall during a meeting to “see what sticks,” and to vote on, organize, and save the most promising proposals. Avatars can make presentations to one another, socialize, debate, or, literally, examine ideas and 3D objects from all angles.
IBM’s new software enables groups based in different locations to meet on a regular, periodic or impromptu basis in these virtual worlds. With this new software tool, IBM is providing several reusable meeting spaces, including a theater-style amphitheatre, a boardroom and a collaboration space which can each be used for impromptu or scheduled brainstorming sessions, status updates, town hall-style meetings, rehearsals, training classes, and more.
“This project is part of IBM’s ongoing work to redefine the nature of online meetings,” said Colin Parris, IBM’s Vice President for Industry Solutions and Emerging Business. “The work that takes place during a meeting is hard enough; people shouldn’t have to struggle with logistics. Whether through improvements to Web conferencing capabilities or with special offerings such as Sametime 3D, IBM is offering new ways to engage and collaborate, making meetings more effective and productive.”
The new software overcomes several challenges that have existed for businesses wishing to hold meetings in virtual worlds: First, businesses can collaborate the way in which they are accustomed, using software they may already have, such as electronic presentations, enterprise security, and instant messaging tools. Second, IBM has prefabricated a variety of re-useable spaces specifically designed for productive meetings, making it unnecessary for adopters to painstakingly build meeting rooms each time they want to meet. Third, these spaces are secure, overcoming privacy concerns manifest in many public areas of popular virtual worlds. And finally, colleagues not wishing to participate in a given virtual meeting can still view documents, presentations and results from those sessions — or even snapshots of a previous meeting.
In the future, the software will provide a variety of ways for participants to circulate reports to one another that document the meetings’ progress. IBM will also make it easier for users to chat verbally and exchange information generated by and for virtual meetings, with traditional computer software already installed on their computers and servers.
Selected IBM clients and business partners are now being invited to work with IBM’s Lotus Services organization to test this new software. The solution, which may be available by the second half of 2009, uses version 8.0 of IBM Lotus Sametime, and a plug-in designed by IBM Research for virtual worlds. When the software is developed fully, clients will be able to use it to connect any number of virtual worlds, such as OpenSim or Second Life. A demonstration of the software’s capabilities is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfqGwKFStuw
IBM is in the forefront in exploring virtual worlds. Hundreds of IBM researchers, consultants, and developers are developing and providing new ways of learning, collaborating and doing business in virtual worlds. IBM is helping clients to develop their virtual world strategies, and is providing them with solutions and services that enable adopters to better collaborate. In addition, IBM is leading an initiative to help improve compatibility between disparate virtual worlds. Internally, IBM uses virtual worlds to conduct research, host events, and to acclimate new employees.
Guests include co-founder of the virtual world Twinity, Jeremy Snyder, about the exciting new gothic machinima contest there and plans for more virtual cities to be released onto the internet in 2009.
Social Networks guru Andrew Peters looks at the changing face of Twitter and reports on US Military plans to use holograms to keep service personnel in touch with their families while stationed overseas.
On a more serious note, we take a look at a moving tribute in music and pictures by some Second Lifers to the victims of the devastating bush fires in Australia with their song, ‘Too Many Tears’.
And American singer/song writer Dann Russo performs ‘Parking Lot Kings’.
In this edition of Life On Line SpaceJunky performs Gravitational Pull. Steve’s interview guests talk about how frequent masturbation by young men can lead to prostate cancer in later life and how online escapism is actually good for your mental health.
Now will people become more PRIVATE in facebook !!
Gay or straight, your Facebook is their fortune
FACEBOOK is planning to exploit the vast amount of personal information it holds on its 150 million members by creating one of the world’s largest market research databases.
In an attempt to finally cash in on the social networking site, once valued at $US15 billion ($23.6 billion), it will soon allow multinational companies to selectively target its members in order to research the appeal of new products. Companies will be able to pose questions to specially selected members based on such intimate details as whether they are single or married and even whether they are gay or straight.
The company, which has struggled to make money from advertising, has been demonstrating the benefits of its new instant polling tool to business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Lavish Style:!: by Katy Angel
