Get real, get virtual? The choice is yours.

2007-11-13T04:49:00.000-08:00

2007-11-13T04:40:00.000-08:00

2007-11-12T05:24:00.000-08:00

2007-11-12T02:01:00.000-08:00

We asked two questions to people;

What do tou think about out window display?

Which life do you prefer to live?

Final outcome

2007-11-12T01:39:00.000-08:00

for some reasons, we cannot post our website into blog.
this is the link of our final outcome:
http://get_virtual.kkernutt.com/

Final outcome

After the survey, we found that 10% of pedestrians said they would still choose second life as there are not any restrictions, and it is fantastic so there is more freedom. On the other hand, 90% of pedestrians agree real life is better, and if given the chance would still choose real life. The reasons they would choose real life is because they can experience deeper relationship with other people and can have real emotions.

Comments:
“Real life is touchable and memorable life. It is a hard but wonderful life.”Judy
“Real life is rocks! I think to get a real feeling/emotion is the best way to experience a user journey, unless… we are in 2032!” Alvin Hermanto
“Real life looks more comfortable for me, virtual life looks a bit fake” Crarcchai Suetrongsuwan.
“Real life is better, with feelings.” YaTup Wu
“Virtual life! Try something different” Lee Lee Sung
“nothing is real!” Elliot

Aims, brief rationale and significance of our project

2007-11-12T01:31:00.000-08:00

Aims
Our project is looking at what people think and believe about real life and second life. When people live in both worlds are there any issues that are linked to their personality or influence society? We are looking at different research methods to try and access information relating to people living a second life.

Brief rationale
We set up a window display in public to stimulate and educate the general public in the difference between real life and second life. We wanted the general public, especially the people who are addicted to the Internet to pay attention to real life. The purpose of the project was to let them know that the outdoors is more interesting and activity, were online gaming is just a tool to satisfy people’s needs. What people tend to forget is that we can’t live in the game and people still need food, exercises and social activity. We used media to show images of the two lives in the same situation inside the window, letting the public compare both lives then making a decision.

Significance of our project
Get real or get virtual? Different people have different ideas about these two lives. It is true that people who play second life feel like they can do everything they want. Some people are addicted to it and it is hard to come back into the real world. Obviously it is not a healthy way of living. In the real life, there are still many things that we cannot have in second life. We want to use media to make the public more aware of the real world. The project uses the window display to make people assess which life is better.

process of outcome images and Interview images

2007-11-12T01:16:00.001-08:00

Process of outcome images

After print out our window display poster,

Kat was cutting colour rings

Pae and Judy attached colour rings on poster

Pae and Kat put the poster on the window

while Alam was cleaning window

Window display is finished

Pae recorded interview

Judy and Alam discussed that how can we make people to join our window display

Interview images

Judy asked them "Do you think why people addicted by virtual world?"
He answered that "Because people want to live in fantasy and there real life is suck, so they want to live in virtual life"

Judy asked him "Which life do you prefer to do some activities?"
He answered that "I want to get virtual life, because it is more interesting"

Alam asked her "Do you think this poster effective to people who addicted by virtual world and If you want to do some activities which life do u prefer?
She answered that "It is effective to people and I want to get real life"

Alam asked her "Which life do you prefer to do some activities?"

She answered that "Of course, real life!"

Alam asked her " Which life do you want to get between real and virtual world?"

She answered that "I like real life, but I could try to get virtual life if i were young ages"

Alam asked her " Which life are you interested in?"

She said that "I like real life even virtual life looks so good. That is still virtual!"

process of outcome

2007-11-12T00:48:00.001-08:00

Poster - first we did a poster in a simple style that matches our window display.

Window display - then we use Swinburne bookshop window to display our final outcome. In front of the window, we made two big eyes with two holes on it. Pedestrians can look through the holes and see our images. The images we chose were 10 second life pictures and 10 real life pictures in the same situations. For example, avatar in second life can fly, however, we also can fly in real life but we have to use special tools. The difference is that is second life we cannot experience the adrenalin and thrill of flying though the sky.

Interviewing people – after seeing our window display, we explained our ideas about our project to Pedestrians, video them or asked them to write comments.

Web site – finally we put all the things we done into our web site.

our new proposal

2007-11-12T00:31:00.000-08:00

Get real? Get virtual? The choice is yours.

Research question
What people want out of second life and real life?
Why people like to travel using the Internet? Is it about people’s inability to be intimate?
What are people’s feelings about Second life and Real life?
What is the core of the communication problem in both worlds?
What world would they like to live in?
How does the virtual world influence the real world?

Scope of the project
The scope of this project is to create and invent an innovative design outcome of communicating the problems that are arising from people using virtual worlds. Adjustments and improvement to the final solution will include the information collected for the target audience feedback. In addition, this project will also engage with freedom and issues that effect people who spend time in virtual worlds and real life.

-Verification, investigation and expression of addiction in virtual world

Aims
These days, intimacy of Internet addiction is not a new phenomenon. People have been using and traveling in the Internet for a long time. There are many things affecting the communication problems inspired by the fact that nobody is concerned about it. Thus, the main point of this project is to consider and recognize the communication problems arising from the use of virtual worlds. Our project is looking at what people think and believe about real life and second life. When people live in both lives are their any issue that are linked to their personality or influencing society?

Project Objectives
- To seek communication problem that appear in virtual worlds
- To produce a new media design strategy and idea for portraying how virtual worlds change the way we think.
-To interview target audiences and find out what attracts them to virtual worlds
- To attempt to change the attitude of people
- To produce and design an outcome to demonstrate and illustrate information and images on the Internet by using video in a window display.
- To give an opportunity for the target audience to express their feeling, emotion and explanation about the two worlds
- To get reasons and responses about what people think and try to justify these comments

Research Methods
We are looking at different research methods and theories to try and access information relating to people living a second life. This part will include the results of cultural probe, probe kit, blog, literature review and interview run by target audience feedback. This section is to use results and responses of target audience as a demonstration to the public through the use of a suitable medium such as a website. Then we will attempt to make target audience consider the options. Is this about deception of others or freedom of expression?

Target audiences
The primary target; Internet intimacy
Male and female (all age), people who love to travel using the Internet

The secondary target; Window display
Male and female (all age) people who walk pass the Swinburne’s window (window display)

Cultural probe
Cultural probe is a research method that will hopefully return interesting results about what the target audiences identities and personalities are. We have divided it into 3 sections:

1st task:
Take 10 photos of things in your house that are important to you.

2nd task:
In a world unlike anything you know what would be the five most important things you would take with you to create your identity (5 images to be included)
- From Internet, Magazine, newspaper, etc.

3rd task:
Create an interesting sequent of evens that link the 5 included images from second life

Critical analysis of cultural probe

1st task
After we had tried to link the 10 pictures of each person. The results were that every people had different things that they would like to take with them. The common items included eclectic equipments and things in their rooms, such as television, MP3, iPod, computer, and radio, etc. Each person’s items were slightly different to the others and the significant of this may have been cultural. Interestingly, the important things we do in the real world are also the things that were important for them in the virtual world. Some examples of this were that people still wanted to be able to communicate in the virtual world and it was important for them to still look there best. One interesting result of this task was that most of the responses included a toilet. Why was the Toilet so important? In the virtual world, you do not need to use the toilet.

2sd task
This task shows that the target audience creates their identity in different ways. They all have different ideas of who they are and how they want other people to identify them. It is interesting that the character of each person is totally different. Some of the results showed pictures and things to describe themselves, feeling and emotions, where the others wanted to make themselves look good and have impressive conditions. This result of this task link to the virtual world for many reasons. If they where to go into second life they would probably use these identity feeling or emotion to create their character or avatar.

3rd task
This task is more interesting. We have given them 5 second life images to create a fascinating sequence of event. The stories show that they have good imagination and ideas. The question was how to link the stories together. The stories were really impressive, some of them used their own experiences or situations that they have been in before to tell and design the story. The results also show that they have tried to put themselves into the surreal situation of the 5 images.

3 concept designs

1st concept
Billboard

We tried to make people think about the different between virtual and real worlds, and also to put virtual world images on walls or buildings, when people go into the building they can imagine that they will get into virtual world and when they get out they will see and get back into the real world again. In addition, this idea will be included a video camera to record the movement and sound. The response of this concept that we can get from target is their reaction.

2sd concept
Internet café
Putting 3D images of Second life environments on walls in an Internet café. This was to make people realize they were in second life and not in the real world. This concept attempts to make people realize the two worlds are different.

3rd concept
Virtual world plays with real world (advertising)
Video of an avatar that has a male head and female cloths. This avatar would be playing real life from second life

This idea involved advertising showing that s males wear female cloths, sitting in front of the computer and playing second life. These days, there are many people try to swap gender in second life. We wanted people to understand this and to try and make people more aware that this is happening.

literature review

2007-11-11T23:52:00.000-08:00

Literature Review
In the media driven world we live in. What is gender? What is the difference between male and female and why is there such a divide? How do we define what we know as real or make believe. So when more and more people start playing on-line games the line begins to blur and we are stuck in the middle unsure of what to think. Excited about the ability to experiment and not be judged, but unaware of the consequences this brings to the game. Is it freedom of expression or are we being deceived? This review looks at the studies that have been done and analyses the results to create a clearer picture of what we know as virtual worlds now and in the future.
In Marshall McLuhan’s, ‘Understand media. The extension of man’ he delivers the idea that media should be defined as hot or cold media depending on the amount of audience participation that is needed. He defines this as “A hot medium is one that extends one single sense in “high Issues of gender in media definition”(McLuhan 1964, p.22) His idea is that hot media is low in audience participation and cool media is high in participation. He continuous with the same theory when likening this to the use of glasses on people. He explains that clear glasses show outward going vision, where “dark glasses” portray inaccessible and hidden identity. His theory is that dark glasses invite a grater deal of participa tion and completion from the audience. I feel that Marshall McLuhan’s perspective on hot and cold media is relevant to the current use of virtual worlds and hidden identity’s on the Internet. His idea however, has been slightly confused with the induction of virtual worlds. I feel that the virtual worlds are a mixture of both hot and cold media. Hot media being the ‘high definition’ 3d world which the avatar’s lives in and cold media being the freedom the player has to experiment by creating mystery in virtual worlds like second life.
Second life encourages the user to experiment and enjoy the freedom that virtual worlds allow. One of the most apparent experimentation that is being used is gender blending. In Michelle Jana Chan’s article ‘Identity in a virtual world’ Chan looks at a project photographer Robbie Cooper did. Cooper asked people in virtual world to take off their avatar and show him their real face. Cooper was quite surprised at the outcome. He had not expected that the people would want to divulge their real face, however, a lot of people e-mail him. A particularly interesting cast was ‘a professor, a man in the 50’s, who teaches public policy and law at Seoul University in South Korea. In the game world, he plays a little girl and he said he wanted to maintain the illusion, yet he’s sifting there posing for my book ‘(Cooper, 2007, p.1) It appears that many males enjoy changing their gender in virtual world.
Sherry Turk gives use a different angle in her ‘unisex and gender trouble’. She looks at why she has decided to be come a male on-line. Turkie states ‘From my earliest effort to construct an online persona, it occurred to me that being a virtual man might be more confusable than being a virtual woman.’ (Turk 1995) From her experiences on-line and off line she feels she has more choices from being a male. She feels she could choose ‘simply to “lurk,” to stand by and observe the action.’ (Turk 1995) In her opinion she feels males just get left alone more often than females. The article then moves on to look at males that have chooses to be females on-line. One case study Turkle undertook was a twenty-eight year old male computer programmer that choose to play a female character names Rabbit. When asked why he choose to play that character he responded with ‘I wanted to know more about women’s experiences, and not just from reading about them.... I wanted to see what the difference felt like. I wanted to experiment with the other side.’ (Turk 1995)
As Nick ‘fee article ‘Some numbers on gender-blending’ shows there are a large percentage of people who swap their gender on line. However the biggest percentage of gender swappers is males over the age of 24. ‘ states that the reason why male’s swap gender more often is they feel controlled in the real world. In EQ which is one of the many virtual games, 15% of male and 4.5% of women use different gender. In other world, 1 out of 2 or 3 female avatars is being used by a male while 1 out of 100 male avatar is being used by female.
As a virtual world specialty, we can create anything we want. In my opinion, gender-honesty in virtual world is a freedom of expression. It depends on what people think individually. If players care about how much they lie to each other, they
Issues of genda in media
would not choose this kind of game. According to Cindy, (2007, p.1) people have the feeling that they are not permissible in real life when they playing second life. Most of them want to portray themselves in the opposite way to how they are in real life. However, swapping gender in second life is more flexible than in real life, they have a choice to make either their avatar expresses their ap pearance or not. Some would argue that virtual identity is a truer reflection of ones self rather than someone else’s image of you in the real world. Male are much more likely to change avatar’s gender than females. One male commented that ‘if they are going to stare at a charac ter for twenty hours a week, they would rather look at a female 2007) Males also feel they can’t be them selves in the real world and so online they disguise this by being a female. I think that part of the fun of the virtual world is the ability to do what you want.
Virtual worlds like second life run on that fact that there are no rules. However currently Linden lab (The makers of Second life) is looking at including gender verification software of second life. The article ‘Second life, Second gender’ discusses why people choose to portray them selves with a different gender and how this impact on the virtual world and the other players of second life. The author of this article makes a valid comment ‘If mecha nisms were put in place to force gender honesty, would it destroy the fantasy element of SL?’(Second life, second gender 2007) The author has interviewed many people on why there change gender. Some of the different answers were ‘I know quite a few residents who have female ava tars but who openly admit they are male - some of them real—life transsexual or transgender individuals who find a wonderful method of release in SL. Others feel that they have feminine characteristics they want to explore. Still others just want to play games with no regard for other’s feelings.’ (Second life, second gender 2007)
The author then interviews a male who chose a female avatar for his online escort agency. The male’s attitude was that he enjoyed dressing his avatar to please males. He felt that his avatar was his real and genuine self and did not feel guilty as he thought he was not hurt anybody. The male in question admitted to having been a female on line for over three years. When questioned about weather or not he was deceiving people he answered ‘In the end I try to remember that this is just a fantasy. If someone falls in love with my cartoon pixels, that’s their problem. I’m not out to hurt any body. This avatar is my alter ego. She’s my inner woman. Sometimes I wish I could really be her but a sex change operation isn’t in the cards for me.’ (Second life, second gen der 2007) He was then asked how he suggests people deal with the fact that they could be being deceived online. He said ‘If the relationship is really getting serious I would just urge them to make real contact outside of SL. Phone calls, face-to-face, that sort of thing. Even if they turn out to be a real woman you don’t know what their physical reality is until you experience it.’ (Second life, second gender 2007)
Swapping gender in virtual world is the way that people seem to create something new for their life. Most people don’t feel like they are doing anything wrong. They are playing their real selves, however because of society they feel they can only do this as the opposite gen der. Should we be restricted by societies view of what is right? In a world were there are no rules isn’t it the mystery that interreges and interests people to play the game. So what happens when rules start to apply again? What will happen if they bring Verification software into virtual worlds like second life will this make people feel like they can’t be free to do what they like. Will it make people feel like they have to be the same as they are in the real world?
I feel that the real question is what will happen to our free and easy virtual worlds if someone starts creating ways of linking the avatars back to the real people. Will the virtual worlds continue to be exciting and different or just the same as real life. I feel people need to realize that it is a game and so what you see is maybe not real but that is a big part of the fun. Mall McKeon and Susan Wyche discusses Verification of Gender identity in Sec ond life, in their article ‘Scratching the surface’. There are many questions why second life residents blend and explore their avatar as the opposite gender. Swapping gender might influence surrounding offline life. In addition, there are several reasons why expressing gender atypical traits in second life are easier than in real life. According to some reasons from peopled interviewed that changed gender in second life. Some believe that, blending gen der in second life can give them opportunities to be able to be themselves and express the transgender feeling and emotion that might restrict in real life.(McKeon, M & Wyche ,S 2007) On the other hand, gender bending does not represent their real identity. According to the strange Case of the Electronic Lover’s interview of Lindsey Van Gelder “Changing appearance in second life is far easier and available more than it use to be, gender deception is an issue polarizing” (McKeon, M & Wyche, 5, 2005)

Bibliographies

Alter, A 2007, Virtual world, real emotions, real problems, The Wall Street Journal, viewed 12 September 2007, http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nationworld/v-lite/story/132398.html

Biever, C 2006, ‘Modern romance’, New Scientist (Australia/New Zealand), Vol. 190 Issue 2549, p44-45, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, AN 20738942, viewed 15 August 2007.

Bruckman, A.S, n.d, Gender swapping on the internet, pp.1-6 [via Google scholar], viewed September 17 2007

Claveau, C 2007, Second life, second gender, Second Life Grid grind, viewed 1 September 2007, http://www.gridgrind.com/?p=173

Dell, K 2007, ‘Second life`s real-world problems’, Time, Vol. 170 Issue 8, p49-50, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost, AN 26198551, viewed 8 August 2007.

Duranske, Ben, 2007, Commentary: Details on Second Life Identity Verification Released - Now We’re Talking Business, Virtural Blind, viewed 16 August 2007, http://virtuallyblind.com/2007/08/29/identity-verification-business-second-life/

Gender portrayal in online worlds 2004, Tribblescape, 13 October, viewed 3 September 2007, http://tribblescape.com/archives/20041013_gender_portrayal_in_online_worlds.php

Geser, H 2007, Me, my self and my avatar-some microsociological reflections on “second life”, pp.6-10 [via Google scholar], viewed 5 September 2007

Hernandez, M 2006, Virtual Relationships in 'Second Life', Abclocal, 9 November 2006, viewed 08 September 2007, http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=seenon&id=4748360
Highfield, R 2007, Virtual worlds 'could replace real relationships’, Telegraph, viewed 10 September 2007, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/connected/2007/06/19/nvirtual119.xml
Honeywill, Q 2007, ‘Life now more private in very public world’, Age, The (Melbourne), 11 July 2007, ANZ Reference Centre, EBSCOhost, viewed 16 August 2007.

‘Living in a virtual reality’, Camberra Times’ 2007, The Camberra times August.

Infidelity 2.0: Virtual Reality, or Just Reality? 2007, regard’s notebook, viewed 11 September 2007, http://www.rogerd.net/articles/second-life-infidelity
Ixchel, A 2007, Avatars, Power and the Ethics of Freedom in Second Life, Slatenight, viewed 05 September 2007, http://www.slatenight.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=82&Itemid=40

Michelle, JC 2007, Identity in a virtual world, CNN Online, June 14, viewed 11 September 2007, http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/06/07/virtual_identity/index.html

McKeon, M & Wyche, S n.d, Life across boundaries: design, identity, and gender in SL, pp.1-35 [via Google scholar], viewed 3 September 2007

Nick Y, 2003, Some numbers in gender blending, Terranova, viewed 12 SEP 2007, http://terranova.blogs.com/terra_nova/2003/10/the_demographic.html

Oishi, L 2007, ‘Surfing second life: what does Second Life have to do with real-life learning? (virtual world)’, Technology & Learning, vol.27 no.11, p54-64, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 10 August 2007.

Rdoson-Scott, M 2003, ‘Are you fuilty of emotional infidelity?’, Good Medicine (Australian Consolidated Press), p54, Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre, EBSCOhost, AN 10468530, viewed 16 August 2007.

Second life relationship 2007, Peacebella, viewed 1 September 2007, http://www.peacebella.com/2007/08/18/second-life-relationship/

Turkle, S,1995, ‘Tinisex and Gender Trouble’, IEEE Technology and Society Magazine, no.1999l2000, Winter

A story of our direction

2007-11-11T14:58:00.000-08:00

Previously we were looking at gender swapping in virtual worlds, why they wanted to use other gender to play and how it connected to their personality or impacted on society. After the research and culture probe we found that there are many people who are addicted in second life. We also realised that they are many other serious problem that appear in virtual worlds like Second life. One of these issues is members trading pornographic photos of real children on their sites.

From the research done we realized that gender swapping is just one of the addictive traits that is seen on-line. We wanted to address the issue of Second life by exposing the public to a media display that relates real life and virtual life. Showing the audience that real life can be much more exciting and interactive.

3 IDEAS OF OUTCOME

2007-09-29T23:57:00.000-07:00

Research images

2007-09-29T23:13:00.000-07:00

Mood Board of Outcome 3
(Virtual World)
We wanted to show the different between people's image's in real and virtual world.

Best image is:
The picture which shown a guy and his young avatar. The story of this image is that the guy is from South Korea and has created a much younger female avatar in his virtual world.

Mood Board of outcome 2

(Gender Blurring)

Usually people don't expect to do unrealistic things in their real life. We can however, simulate actions such as flying, gender swapping or choosing different appearance. However, all there actions are easier to achieve in virtual worlds and this is why these worlds are becoming so popular.

Mood Board of outcome 1
(outside of square)

Best image is:
The last image which presented media addictede young child infront of the T.V.

analyse culture probe and Cultural Probe task 3

2007-09-29T04:58:00.000-07:00

Cultural probe task 3

Create an interesting story link 5 images together.

This probe gives people 5 separate images which we pick up carefully from second life, ask people to choose the order and make a story. (We requite people who do this probe must have some experiences from online chatting, gaming or have their own space/blog.)
In this task, we want to found out do people think unrealistic when the making a story with digital character, is that the same way they create story in an ordinary way?

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Everyone has two sides, just as a coin does. So as my friend, Anne. Sometimes she is an obedient and refined girl, but other time, in which she won’t be seen by acquaintance, she perks herself up like a hippie. She told me the reason why she became so.
She was born in an honorable clan, lives in a large castle. The education she has accepted made her behave as a refined girl. But she felt alone in a classmate’s party. Cause in such a hot party, no one wanted to be with a restrained girl. That night she tastes losing.
After she went back home, she had a freakish dream. She dreamed that her parents fly up high to meet God, then the castle disappeared and she had to live in a humble transparent cottage with two penguins. Though she was in an extreme hardships and difficulties, but there were no constraints. She lived a very happy life there. When she woke the next morning, she firmly believed that’s what she wanted at heart. So from then on, she has become a two-side girl.
Every reasons has a wherefore. That Anne’s story and what’s yours?

*******************************************************
Story: Betty is an orphan. She grew up in orphanage. She doesn’t have any good friend. No one want make a friendship with her. So she used to live with herself.
When she was 18 years old, she left the orphanage. She decided to find out and live in a place which is out of the city and no one there!
Betty lives in the place which is found by herself and enjoy her life. But one day, Betty’s parents find out Betty. Betty’s parents is very rich. So Betty becomes princess.
Betty is really happy that she has parents. But she does not used to live with her parents (rich way of life style). She is confronting that she whether lives with her parents being a princess or live by herself.

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In the morning of the spring season, I still alive as usual. Everything is almost the same as other days but I feel like something around me different. When I woke up I feel more comfortable with surroundings such as my family room. It is very huge and well organised. I am so surprised what is going on in my house but I just keep silence for a moment. After that, I go out side my house. I found it seems the glass pyramid. It’s extremely beautiful; on the other hand, there are some disadvantages which are it’s made by glass, the big penguins screen is organised on the wall. I loved this house. I knew that because it is surrounded by the ocean; what is more, this house can be sink to the ocean to view underwater life, that’s such a best thing for me. Actually, I’m so happy with everything except why no one besides me. While I’m closing my eyes to remind the memory, I founded I am in some pub & restaurant in somewhere. It’s overcrowded there but no one interested me. So I decided to be the new person to attract someone loves me. Not only I will change the appearance but also I will change my lifestyles. I don’t really know why I want someone besides me. I had a dream that when I got someone, I can go anywhere together and we will give the freedom to each other that is the main thing that I really want to.

*******************************************************
Sky can be the best of my introduction because I like to have an freedom. Not only the thought expands but also the body is so meaningful. Sky is unlimited comparing with me. I love to do different things in studying, working, travelling and lifestyles. For example, I am studying in the totally different fields from my previous background but I think it is challenging for me, that’s why I came here. Apart from my lovely family, I have a lot of friends that I really love them. Friends are a significant part of my life because they always besides me in all situations. Moreover, the service jobs is the career that I am still working in this fields and I will also working in advance because I get used to it and I also really love it. Meeting people from different background is the advantage because it will let me know varieties of culture and places. It is persuaded me to travel around the world if I have an opportunity especially going to the sea. It brings me to relax and far away from the real life that is terrible sometimes. Finally, it is obvious that money is very important for human so it is so meant when you need to have it.

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1) One lonely night in a lonely place. Everything is just like the same. I’m standing here in the party. Brilliant lights from everywhere touch my skin. There are so many people but I feel so much lonely. I don’t know why. I just tired for this
2) Standing alone, that’s my expectation. Sometime being alone is better than gathering around with somebody else. I have more time to think, to revise, and to follow my heart whatever it wants. Just let it flows with my brain runs free.
3) Talking about running free, have you ever thought about releasing yourself along your heart or do something awkward in order to relaxing yourself? I have. I want to jump into the air, dreams like I was a bird. I can fly to wherever I want. I’m going to fly away and leave everything behind.
4) As for something happened repeatedly in the real world. Perhaps, it’s what that I want. Boring, confusing, worrying or else circle around and pushing me to walk on my toes without no way back. These things force me to be somebody else. That’s not my desire.
5) Again, that’s just a human-being. Everyone has to fight for getting something they want. Even if you have to mask to alive, you also do it on purpose. Finally, whatever you are and what’s thing you do. You’ll back again in your room and find that you are fooling yourself, pretending to be cool. Nevertheless, you are having a desolate life.

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pic1
One fine afternoon, I woke up after a wide party at club somewhere that I don’t remember just yet and realized that I’m a blond and no longer Asian. Apparently, I’m tall, skinny with a C Cup. I wonder why I was in these outfit and wearing eye glasses so I decided to walk around, explore what kind of place I happen to be in and to find myself a pair of contact lenses, these eye glasses make me look like a geek.
Pic2
After wandering around for a while I have arrived at a pyramid glasshouse where I was greeted and company by two humongous penguins. They are warm and friendly, after a while they invited me inside, we talk about the design of this glasshouse pyramid, they told me that I M Pei and Partner was the architect the same people who design “Pyramide de Louvre” that was controversial in Paris. We talk more about politics and drink wine but we had to stop when I realized that there is an underage penguin in the house which drinking alcohol and talking about sick world of grown up really isn’t a good example for him to follow also I felt the need of going to the lady’s room but since the house is made of glass, I rather find it somewhere else. I left politely and thank them for welcome me, we exchange phone number.
Pic3
On the hunt for lady’s room, I met these two people jumping on a trampoline like a kid, they told me they’re playing kids so to get some inspiration for there job as they’re designing a new ice cream shop ( later became the famous Trampoline, which changed the world of ice cream and inspired other to have well branded ice cream shop)
They asked me to go work with them, which I didn’t hesitate to say YES, I would never let this opportunity pass me by.
Pic4
I thought that now I’ve got a job, I might as well find a place to live near the office since the price of petrol is so high. I found this mansion and I have 3 housemates. This Saturday we all are going to IKEA to get some new furniture as neither of us can stand living in such dull environment. Not very inspiring either.
Pic5
Then I was lucky, a TV show offer to get me free plastic surgery, later I knew that the TV show is called “Extreme makeover” how lucky. After all, plastic surgery was more addictive than a smoking cigarettes and I couldn’t decide which look I should go for so I end up looking like this, half face look like a blond Victoria Secret model and another half is a hardcore vocal rock band look.

Cultural Probe task 2

2007-09-29T04:43:00.000-07:00

In a world unlike anything you know, what would be the 5 most important things you would take to create your identity.

This probe asks people who have current experiences online such as chatting online, shopping online or gaming online to find 5 images from Internet or magazine.

What we want to found here is without any restrictions, will people think outside the square, will they like to create their new identity or looking for the aspect of themselves? At the same time, we also want to know that do people think is it easier to use images which from other way such as Internet to expression themselves than they found it by themselves?

Cultural Probe task 1

2007-09-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

Take 10 photographic of things that important to you.

This probe asks people to take 10 photos in his/her room. (They do not need to have any experiences online)
The reasons why we want people to do this is we want to find out people’s personality and ideas thought this pictures they found, try to find out: are there any connection with gender identity?

Research methods

2007-09-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

Description of the Research Methods

Lit review
We were trying to read more previous articles which are connected to our topic, we collected the information and opinions from experts, then summarized them, compared and contrasted one author or group of authors with another, criticized studies(gap, mistakes), identified main issues of questions in a particular field, finally gave our opinions.

Cultural Probe
We were trying to do some research from other people, gave them 3 unambiguous questions, and asked them to finish it without telling them our purpose. Then we received their answers and picked up valuable information, Summarized and analyzed returns which can be used in our research.

survey
We are going to do a survey from students in swinburne university, we will prepare some specific questions, such as, have you played second life before and what do you think about gender swapping in second life?

Significance of this research
We got some valuable opinions from experts, and their idea also can be use to support our idea. At the same time, the responses from people embodied an approach to our research, make it more specific. In addition, the survey we are going to do will demonstrate our point of view is reasonable.
All of these make our research more convictive in this area.

our timetable

2007-09-25T23:11:00.000-07:00

that's our time table.

Group summary

2007-09-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

Summary
This article is about the second life that people can create their world in the website. This specified about gender blending. It is a personal choice that women can become men in Second life. They can choose avatars to be male and can pursue their desires, inspire of the fact that their real life might be restricted. They concern the most important things are that the feminism and the ethics of freedom for women. (lxchel, A, 2007) These believe have affected to avatars which are the representatives and which may be reflected in their choice. Avatars are controlled and are commanded to perform a role.For example, they act as women who work as different professionals, which depend on each context. We can put avatars on everything such as gender, pleasure, anxiety or linguistic. In my opinion although we will represent avatars in male gender, it doesn't mean that avatars will act as men. On the other hand, avatars can also characterize themselves in femininity.reference:http://www.slatenight.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=82&Itemid=40Avatars, Power and the Ethics of Freedom in Second LifeThe Ethics of “Freedom”Posted by Thitawat at 3:08 PM

Summary
This article is about the second life that people can create their world in the website. This specified about gender blending. It is a personal choice that women can become men in Second life. They can choose avatars to be male and can pursue their desires, inspire of the fact that their real life might be restricted. They concern the most important things are that the feminism and the ethics of freedom for women. (lxchel, A, 2007) These believe have affected to avatars which are the representatives and which may be reflected in their choice. Avatars are controlled and are commanded to perform a role.For example, they act as women who work as different professionals, which depend on each context. We can put avatars on everything such as gender, pleasure, anxiety or linguistic. In my opinion although we will represent avatars in male gender, it doesn't mean that avatars will act as men. On the other hand, avatars can also characterize themselves in femininity.reference:http://www.slatenight.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=82&Itemid=40Avatars, Power and the Ethics of Freedom in Second LifeThe Ethics of “Freedom”
Posted by Thitawat at 3:08 PM

Summary
Verification of Gender identity in Second life, there are many questions why second life residents blend and explore their avatar as the opposite gender. Swapping gender might influence surrounding offline life. In addition, there are several reasons why expressing gender atypical traits in second life are easier than in real life. According to some reasons from interviewees why they are interested to change their gender in second life. Some believe that, blending gender in second life can give them the opportunity to be able to be themselves and express the transgender feeling and emotion that might restrict in real life. On the other hand, gender bending does not represent their real identity and probably disgusted other members. According to the strange Case of the Electronic Lover’s interview of Lindsey Van Gelder “Changing appearance in second life is far easier and available more than it use to be, gender deception is an issue polarizing” (McKeon, M & Wyche, S, 2005)Swapping gender in virtual world is the way that people seem to create something new for their life, feeling and emotion rather than showing true identity to others, it is about a responsibility to tell the truth. Reference:http://www.mattmckeon.com/portfolio/second-life.pdfLife Across Boundaries: Design, Identity, and Gender in SL
Posted by Thitawat at 3:06 PM

Modern romanceSummary:
Dating online and virtual games are new areas for people to get romance. A couple got married inside and outside the game. There is a large number of user find partner online and dating. Some people think it is easy to find someone who have same interest and can supplely communicate by heart need not focus on other things.In virtual world, people first know person’s character and values then judge their physical appearance. However, many people who have failed to continue their online relationships in real life.Comment:Of course people have more opportunity to make friends in comment and have better conversation, but some people might good at talking and have more than one internet partner, that’s was not so called “romance”, it just tricking.
Posted by judy at 5:45 AM

Second life`s real-world problemsSummary:
Second life is an online game affords people to do whatever they want to do in the virtual world, they can use money to create everything, have conversation with people and even have sex.However, it cost a lot of problems in real life, many people registered members but do not know how to play, governments began to trouble with their tax-free commerce, child-porn distribution and other unsavory activity, there is a group called second life liberation army unsatisfied complexion made some destroy and also receive lawsuit.Comment:Many people play second life is having fun for sex and sexual conversation. If casinos shut down, it might be boring for some people.
Posted by judy at 5:43 AM

Can intimacy be found online?Summary:
This article is talking about why people go online to find intimacy. Some people get intimacy online is because their interactive online areas in a way they never could do in “real life”. Faceless communication on the internet does allow individuals to get rid of shyness and awkwardness. They feel close with someone who always show their best, but when they meet in real life they feel disappoint.Men and women have difference reasons to have intimacy online. True intimacy can not be found online. Virtual interaction can damage the skill of our communication and honestly connection.Comment:Everyone wants themselves perfect in other people’s mind; they cover up bad things to built favor, so they have a lot of comment with each other. After that, they direct to sex part. Well intimacy can be found online, but mostly of them just want sex, it is very hard to have deeply relationship because all of the things might not be true.
Posted by judy at 5:41 AM

Summary-second life relationship
http://www.peacebella.com/2007/08/18/second-life-relationship/Many people goes virtual world to escape from real world or kill the time or to find some thrill. Actually, people need to work as real life in virtual world, but people can control their life. In second life, relationship divided from business and love relationship and friendship or rivals and enemies. Just like real relationship, everything starts from friendship. Also this friendship will be developing by your purpose. Beside, people can sell sex in second life to use their avatar. Moreover, people can meet other people in real world if they want to develop their relationship. People can marriage in second life and give some present and go to the party as well. That’s exactly same as real life. And some people just looking for person who has a lot of money in virtual world. In other world, people joined second life to escape their real life or enjoy with other people. However, life in second is not so different from real life. Second Life problems will prevail in your first life problems. Second Life is nowhere and no place for you to escape. By creating more problems, you have more problems to solve. I absolutely agree with this sentence “second life is no place for you to escape.” Most people expect to make different life in virtual world and they want to escape from real one. That’s possible to get the new life in virtual world, but I think life in virtual will be not different. First, people can control their life, so they were quite satisfied with their new life. However, it’s not going to take a long time to make a problem as real world. Although, virtual world relationship is easy and simple, they still need to conversation with other people.
Posted by alam yang at 4:09 AM

ARE YOU GUILTY OF emotional infidelity?Summary:
As the author said “Affairs of the non-sexual kind can be just as damaging to a marriage as the passionate physical thing”, this article is talking about the relationship between “just friends” and partner in marriage. First he provided information on emotional affairs and gave definition of emotional affair, then he explain how intimacy important in marriage, finally he analyzed online people’s psychology and tried to help them out of their damaging marriage.Comment:New electric technology help people to connect each other easier then before, but sometimes it destroys their relationship in real life. Some people like to use electric technology to develop their relationship, such as friendship. At the same time, they like to compare the “perfect” person they meet online with their partner in their real life because in the virtual life, people always built up in a perfect personality. In this situation, people might lose their mind to distinguish from true and false. So internet intimacy is not only people doing sexual thing online, but also have non-sexual thing which is called emotion affairs. Both of them might damage their relational in real life.
Posted by judy at 5:40 AM

Summary-gender swapping on the internet
Reference:Bruckman, A.S, n.d, Gender swapping on the internet, pp.1-6 [via Google scholar], viewed September 17 2007A MUD is a text based multi user virtual reality environment. First time, people created user name and gender when they logged in. They can choose any gender which is male or female. In most MUD, characters are anonymous. People who become friends can exchange their e-mail or real name. However, many choose not to. In most Muds, people talk about real life, but some other talk about real life is taboo. And many people enjoy using female avatars in MUD. Male player will often log on as female avatars and behave suggestively. Moreover, these people encouraging sexual advances. Pavel Curtis presented that most sexual aggressive women are usually control by male. These male’s problem is that they think it’s just a game. On the other hand, other think swapping gender is an important part of their identity. For example, Peter who created female avatar in virtual world, he can explore the impact of gender on their lives and their construction of themselves. This article talks about MUD which is one of virtual world program. Some of males who using female’s avatar in virtual world, their behave gives effect to people who have real gender avatars. That’s exactly true and huge issue right now. I strongly agree with this opinion. Because, I met one of guys who used female avatar in virtual world. He always asked to people to have a cyber sex. Moreover, he lied to other about his gender and ages as well. That’s why female who have female avatar get the effect from these people. In my case, one male avatar closed to me and said let’s have a sex. He said “don’t be shy, I know you are not” when I refused. Even though, author said swapping gender is quite important part of identity to some of people who made different gender avatar. But I still can not understand about that how different gender avatars help people’s identity
Posted by alam yang at 4:13 AM

Summary-some Numbers on Gender-Bending
http://terranova.blogs.com/terra_nova/2003/10/the_demographic.html http://www.nickyee.com/eqt/genderbend.html#6Over 24 ages male like to change their gender in virtual world. The reason why male’s situation is more stringent than women in real world, so they want to be changes their gender. In EQ which is one of virtual game, 15% of male and 4.5% of women use different gender. In other world, 1 out of 2 or 3 female avatars is being used by a male while 1 out of 100male avatar is being used by female.In this article, I could find really interesting result about gender swapping in virtual world. Author said that young generation male usually do not change their gender while over 25 ages male much more likely to change it. I could understand male’s reason why they want to change their gender in virtual world.
Posted by alam yang at 4:12 AM

Summary-identity in a virtual world
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/06/07/virtual_identity/index.html
Photographer Robbie Cooper asked people in virtual world to take off their avatar and show him their real face. Actually, he did not expect people sent their avatar and real images to him. However, a lot of people e-mail him. Particularly, one of guys who is from South Korea, he has been used a female avatar which is looks younger than his real ages in virtual world. (Chan, M.J, 2007, p.1) Some of male enjoy changing their gender in virtual world. The reason is that people might create a character and enjoy the anonymity of it at first, but that character then becomes a bigger part of people’s life. Moreover, swapping gender in second life is more flexible than in real life, they have a choice to make their avatar which is express their appearance. So, people usually choose the avatars which are more powerful or better looks. Also, in games, male are much more likely to change avatar’s gender than females, because female avatar have a lot of benefits rather than male’s. Moreover, people usually showed different personality from real world.First time, I did not agree with others when my group member said about blending gender in virtual world. I though just few of people want to change their gender. However, this article exactly shows to me that my idea was wrong. In this article, they explain about one Korean guy who is over 50 and teacher in University. He is male, but his avatar is young female in virtual world. And the most interesting thing is that usually male enjoy swapping their gender rather than female.
Posted by alam yang at 4:11 AM

Summary -virtual reality or just reality
http://www.rogerd.net/articles/second-life-infidelity
Internet has been developing and people can join communities of chat room easily to make new friends. That’s why online relationship was developed as simply friendship. Beside, serious online romantic relationship also developed in virtual world. Before, man used telephone to make secret woman, but nowadays they using internet to do. In Is This Man Cheating on His Wife?, Alter chronicles a fascinating example of an online relationship that seems at least as real as the physical-world relationships of the participants. One married guy made a new life in virtual world with virtual wife. Even he never met this virtual wife in real life, but this man spends more time with virtual wife than real wife. Also this guy created different avatar in virtual world. In virtual world, he is young, good looking and successful as well. And these kinds of people spend real money to get new item or own their area. The bigger question is whether many normal and successful people will be seduced into a sort of online addiction. As popular as Second Life is, it’s far from true virtual reality. It’s slow, avatars are cartoonish, and still requires considerable suspension of disbelief on the part of the user. However, if this virtual world will be developing, people probably want to live virtual world rather than real world.I think this article is quite related with first article which is real emotion, real problem. Particularly, people in virtual world think that they just enjoy the game. However, I don’t think virtual world is normal game. The reason is that people spend more time in virtual world than real world. That’s exactly part of their life. Beside, virtual world is more flexible than real world, so people prefer to live there. I’m quite agreeing with this people’s idea, but how can people believe others in virtual world. Because there are still behind their avatars and they can say everything.
Posted by alam yang at 4:07 AM

Summary-virtual relationship in second life
In virtual world, people can do everything and nothing has dangerous effect to people exactly. People usually use different name in virtual world and different personality as well. However, some people think that virtual world give a good experience to them in love and work. One of girl who joined in virtual world said virtual world gives different love experience. And she also said everything in real life happened in virtual world such as love, marriage and divorce. She thinks that she is not alone through the virtual world. Other guy also said people more honest in virtual world, because nobody knows about them. However, Dr. Julie Albright at USC has researched online relationships for 12 years. "The bad new is that in Second Life is built on fantasy." Although, still girl who is Rossi said virtual world is good for some couple who have lone distance between each other.In this article, I could know about both opinions about virtual world. I think that virtual world also have advantage which Rossi told it. On the other hand, disadvantage gives huge effect to people. Because people do not know each other, so people can do whatever they want. Moreover, people easily think about people relationship. The reason is that in virtual world, if you don’t want to get the relationship anymore, people delete other people easily which is different from real world. That’s why people need to think about virtual life seriously not as a game.http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=seenon&id=4748360
Posted by alam yang at 3:59 AM

Summary - virtual World could replace real relationship
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/connected/2007/06/19/nvirtual119.xml
The virtual life as second life may have a serious problem on people’s real life which warned by one of Britain’s best-known scientist. Second life was started in San Francisco in 1999 and then over seven million people use virtual world in recent years. Baroness Susan Greenfield, director of the Royal Institution, said virtual world will have massive impact to people’s social life. Also she said people think they have a relationship as real, but they still behind in avatar and cover their real personality. Moreover, virtual worlds would come to regard real-life sexual relationships with some queasiness. Then, people could be avoided their real relationship and choose virtual life rater than real life. Although, people in virtual world hardly know that there are in outside world. That’s why professors who were talk about virtual life before worried virtual effect to people’s life.
Virtual world give effect to people’s social life. I absolutely agree with them who worried real life. Because, people usually covered by avatar and they can create whatever they want. Besides, people are more freedom in virtual world, because no body knows about people’s real life. So, people do not need to care about their personality in virtual world. That’s exactly computer world, but some of people can not know which their real life is. Also, making new friends are really easier in virtual life than real. Thus, virtual world could be breaking down people social relationship.
Posted by alam yang at 9:08 PM

Summary - virtual world, real emotion and real problem
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/nationworld/story/132398.html
Ric Hoogestraat who is user in computer world join the second life while his wife watching TV. He’s never met the woman outside of the computer world of Second Life, but he met a woman in second life who is his virtual wife in computer world. He spent $480 real money to buy island. He made his new life in computer world with his virtual wife. Hoogestraat plays down his online relationship, assuring his wife that it’s only a game. Nearly 40 percent of men and 53 percent of women who joined this computer world said virtual friends were same as or better than their real friends. Edward Castronova who associate professor in the Department of Telecommunications at Indiana University worried that people in virtual world can not distinguish between real and virtual life. Besides, People also use different appearance character in virtual world and it’s hard to recognize. Actually, Ric Hoogestraat who is computer graphic teacher never spends time for gaming before, but he has been spending six hours a night when he found second life. In his virtual life, he’s quite successful and owner in pub, mall and club. People can control their life in virtual world, so people attractive by second world. However, virtual life as second life has limited relationships in real and online. Moreover, in this world, cyber sex, marriage and divorce are common way.
I think that virtual world is really attractive to make new friends, but its harm to people. The reason is that virtual world make people addicted in computer world, even some of them can not distinguish their real and virtual life. Also, relationship has broken in virtual world, because people make a new friend easily and brake up also easily. This article is really essential in our group work and I strongly agree with Edward Castronova who is professor in the Department of Telecommunications at Indiana University.
Posted by alam yang at 9:02 PM

summary
I’m on a homepage” or “I’m on a chat room” such sentence is developed, subject to the world of online. A person is literally divided into two unequal persons, a core personality sits physically in a place with his computer, projecting a virtual version of himself attended in the virtual environment in a role of an artificial identity and community, distance by the biological body to a psychological one empower by that very person behind.
Avatar, which, in a way a presentative of what, according to the article, a new incarnation of the individual that presents in a new world of online. Avatar is freely adjustable, player is able to decide how he prefers to be, wish to be appealed and express himself in such way and freer to carry out their personal preference, without being constrained by establish roles and behavioural expectations which reflect to the making ideal self in avatar.From a sociological perspective, it is fascinating to notice that virtual gatherings have the capacity to combine functionalities of informal primary groups and highly formalized forms of communication.Virtual gathering is more consistence in terms of personal feelings in example of a person going to a meeting and having to bring his entire personality in a place where he is might not be comfortable due to place, time etc. and personal needs such as the need of having to go to the bathroom or the need of water and cannot help to fall into private small talk and develop an uncontrollable reactions cause by things such visual appearance, body language or other form of non-verbal gesture behaviour.
Second Life, which offer observer mode where the player can see their own avatar acting, object to be decentred. By observing themselves, they can be self-reflective and critical toward their non-verbal performances and the effects they made on others but still, limited to the sphere of the software, which the capacity of self observing is extend to the visible range so that all the emitted cues are subject to self-perception, self-evaluation and self-control and is able view their surrounded environment with almost from the same perspective as all the others when observing from a distance and also to see one self as a group member rather than individual. Despite the ability of self-observe to reality to this decentred approach is limited. Although some people create avatars that look and act like their real selves, many people use the chance to be what they always wanted to be or at least want to try for a while. The average height of avatars in second life is 7 feet tall. Everyone seems thinner, and usually more attractiveWhen completely anonymous is rather harmless as the individual behind it cannot be hold responsible for his action, while risk occurred when avatars that use their own full name will result in responsible and be legally accountable for his action wether for immoral or delinquent behaviour. In which will carry out in their own name even though some might not be knowledge over this event.Reference:Me, my Self and my Avatar Some microsociological reflections on "Second Life"http://socio.ch/intcom/t_hgeser17.pdf

second life vs real life

2007-09-09T07:19:00.000-07:00

this image is quite funny, second life vs real life.

hahahahhaa

2007-09-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

the real experience of second life

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2007
I take back everything bad I ever said about Second Life.

I've heard tales of the huge throbbing sex trade in Second Life, but I've never looked for it. Being a librarian, I just stick with the spanking parties we have after our selection meetings where we roll up our copies of Booklist, tuhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifrn off the lights and smack each other's bottoms till they're rosy red like the cheeks of English schoolgirls. Every other Thursday from 3:15 to 3:45.  But today I was watching the scrolling list of freshly updated Blogger pages and I saw this: The Secret Bitches of Second Life , and naturally I had to click.  I'm not really sure what's going on, but it seems to be transcripts of sexy times. Check out at your own risk.  So Second Life, I forgive you for your vast empty fields and desolate streets because now I know the truth. And as soon as I've waxed my virtual form to Olympic swimmer smoothness, I will be back.
http://thesecretbitchesofsecondlife.blogspot.com/

What is Second Life?

2007-09-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

1. Second Life is an internet-based virtual world. Its users, known as residents, create an “avatar”, a customised online character who represents their ‘in-world’ self.
2. Avatars are able to fly, teleport to new locations and ride in vehicles.
3. There are nearly five million registered residents and up to 30,000 are logged on at any time. 4. Residents communicate in real time by typing to one another.
Second Life has its own currency known as linden dollars (L$). L$1,000 cost about £2.
5. Residents can use the linden dollars to buy land and build objects; they can also buy and sell items. To find out more about getting a second life, log on to secondlife.com