Alphaville Herald

A FIC and Facile Guide to Second Life

By Prokofy Neva, Dept. of Community Affairs

Available at amazon.com

While we wearily wait for Uri's and Walker's book to come out (when, Uri, oh, when?!), and while we save up $22.04 US for the expenso Hamlet's et. al Official Guide to Second Life, we now have the Unofficial Tourists' Guide to Second Life by the unknown Paul Carr & Graham Pond for only $9.95 US -- so you could buy that instead of that first-land account where oops, there's no more subsidized first land anymore and the stipend in it is only L$300 now!

But is it a good buy? No. I'm amazed that Boing Boing's Mark Frauenfelder could write such a preposterous blurb like this: "This book is the only guide you'll need to get past the Second Life hype and find out what all the buzz is about" -- when the book makes no effort whatsoever to dig through any hype, especially the subscription numbers controversy, as you can see from the "millions" reference on the jacket. Instead, it's FIC and facile and corporate and filled with gaffes and errors of the sort that happen when publishers make that unseemly rush to get a paperback like this out to capitalize on the apparently never-ending wave of media hype and corporate greed to be "first" and "best" in Second Life.

No, you'd be better off sitting with your Google reader and following links on planet.worldofsl.com and reading some of the basic Business Week, Information Week, Wired, Time, New York Times, etc. articles on SL -- for free of the Internet -- to get a basic guide to SL. Unless, of course, you're one of those people that can never handle a new gadget unless you have a book in your left hand as you mouse-click your way through the menus -- in that case, spend more to get the Official Guide.

Updated: Is Business Week Stealing Herald Intellectual Property?

Update: April 18, 10:30PM Linden Time

As of 10:30 this morning the SL Herald attribution has been added to the BallerMoMo pic. Thanks to author Douglas Macmilllan for getting Business Week to fix this in a timely manner.

As Prokofy Neva noted on April 16, Business Week is running an online article in which they lead with a Herald Screenshot of ubergriefer BallerMoMo King. Business Week has been contacted by at least three Herald representatives regarding this matter, and one was told that the matter would be rectified. I personally have emailed the author of the article three times, and he has not responded to any of my inquiries.

Business Week was originally given permission to use Herald screenshots provided that they included attribution to the Second Life Herald. After initial complaints they have included attributions to three of the screenshots, but have not provided an attribution to my screenshot of BallerMoMo King. Accordingly I am revoking their permission to use any Herald screenshots in their article, and I am asking them to immediately remove all such screenshots from their website.

From Business Week, April 16.

From the Herald, December 28, 2004.

SL Herald Sold to Aimee Weber Studios

by new Herald Reporter, Tateru Ninu

Ms. Weber establishes new Herald Editorial Policy.

Urizenus Sklar and Walker Spaight today announced the sale of the Second Life Herald, its intellectual property and in game assets to Aimee Weber Studios in exchange for $50,000 US. The deal, apparently struck at the Virtual Worlds 2007 conference, will certainly raise questions about media consolidation in the Second Life blogosphere, but will also be wildly applauded in some circles. In an official announcement, Aimee said that she looked forward to making the Herald a "funner, more positive" news source. Reached for comment by this reporter, Urizenus Sklar said "it's her headache now." Walker Spaight said that he had second thoughts about the deal but that it was time to move on to new projects. Managing Editor Pixeleen Mistral took the occasion to announce her retirement. Prokofy Neva could not be reached for comment.

Virtual Worlds 2007, Report #5: Venture Capital and The New School of Athens

by Urizenus Sklar

As I reported Wednesday, much of the Virtual Worlds 2007 conference reeked of the anxiety of marketing guys and gals trying to catch up with the next wave. The fear was palpable. Why else would those people be sitting in that auditorium taking notes like they were Gorean slaves pressed into service as scribes? And all they seem to want to know – at least all they wanted to ask - is this: What is the return on investment? How many eyeballs do we get? How long do we keep them? Are they the kind of eyeballs that spend money?

Thursday I lasted for about 30 seconds of that. I walked into the auditorium – steaming hot and stacked to the rafters with suits -- and the first thing I heard was the interesting factoid that when you create NPC salespeople you want them to mimic the animations of the customer. Psychological studies show that mimicking gestures is more likely to make the customer trust and like the salesperson whether an NPC or a human. And it only takes a simple script to do this! Joy. What a brave new virtual world we live in. Would someone please penis this event?

Herald Writers Pwn Nerd of the Week

The long awaited episode #2 of Nerd of the Week is out (or has been for weeks, does it matter?), and Herald staffers figure heavily in the cutting edge of nerddom. In particular, we get more than enough words or wisdom from Editorial Director Walker Spaight (aka Mark Wallace) and Prokofy Neva. And did Prok really say that she is only temporarily a female in real life? I stole some screenshots and posted them along with a synopsis of the corresponding discussion below the fold. --Uri

Shock! Video Celebrating Cyber-terrorism Wins Second Prize in Fox Sponsored Contest

Just a few weeks ago, Fox News was lamenting the virtual terrorism (and ageplay) in Second Life and calling upon Democratic Presidential candidate John Edward Edwards to condemn it. Today, Fox sub-sub-sub-sub- division Fox Atomic celebrates those exact very same cyber-terrorists by honoring a griefer-made machinima video celebrating Toronto-based griefer Plastic Duck. More shocking still: the credits thank Moo Money, which means that the Electric Sheep, Edelman PR, and the Herald Meth Lab are all implicated too! Oh and a Prokofy Neva Body Double (tm) makes an appearance too. As usual, Petey (Eddie Haskel) Peterson has been put forward as the human face of this diabolical organization.

Usefulness Is Dangerous

Blingsider, Tard*Star, New World Goats Notes are completely safe

by Bayesian TextBot

be very very afraid of games - and the Second Life Herald

Roderick Jones recently posted an article to Counterterrorism Blog entitled "MetaTerror: The Potential Use of MMORPGs by Terrorists". The article is primarily about Second Life, and on the whole compliments Linden Lab on creating a versatile and useful space. Of course, usefulness might not be a good thing:

"While the makers of Second Life (Linden Labs) pursue an admirable utopian ideal these metaverse systems can potentially also be used by those seeking to pursue a radical agenda."

Note: this presupposes that "radical" is a bad thing, but let's set that aside and really get to the heart of what Jones is trying to say:

"Streaming video can be uploaded into Second Life and a scenario can easily be constructed whereby an experienced terrorist bomb-maker could demonstrate how to assemble bombs using his avatar to answer questions as he plays the video. Using the decentralized organization effect, already successfully used by SL companies, the bomb-maker and his pupils can be spread around the globe and using instant language translation tools (available in the world) could be speaking a variety of languages. "

Anshe Chung Takes Flight

SL's business girl has a business life on British Air

by Onder Skall

Wonderland's world-travelling gaming guru Alice reports that "business life", an in-flight magazine for British Airways, carries a cover story featuring our own Anshe Chung. Unfortunately, as she puts it: "no mention of flying willies." I guess you can't have everything.

That cover art is really something, though. Anybody know how to get my avatar to look that smooth?

Speaking of Wonderland, Raph Koster (of Areae Inc.) ran an interesting comparison based off of Alice's ponderings of NCSoft's claims. A figure of 67 million was given as the number of NCSoft's customers, although later comments clarified that this was a figure for total registrations. Sound like a familiar story?

Meanwhile, Raph says, Habbo Hotel claims 70 million. That's a 7 with one-two-three-four-five-six-seven zeroes after it. After a wild claim like that, is it even humanly possible to feign shock at Linden Labs' population claims?

Fox News Discovers Second Life; Calls on Edwards to Denounce Virtual Underage Sex Brothels

Fox News political analyst and former AOL VP Kirsten Powers has posted a video blog calling for Democratic Presidential Candidate John Edwards to denounce some of his unseemly second life neighbors, including the "virtual rape fantasy clubs, virtual underage sex brothels and sadly unsurprising proliferation of porn." Behold the video:

An Excerpt from the blog itself is below the fold:

Hell is Other People: The LA Times Gets to the Bottom of SL's Growing Pains

If you are coming from the Feb. 22 LA Times article... I dunno...just know that we really really hate the Lakers. Or as we call them, the Hollywood Fakers. If you already read the article, then let me save you some trouble, and suggest that you use this link for sex, cybersex, and beyond.

If you haven't read the article by Alana Semuels, which has been long in the works, I guess the key thing to know is that it is a reasonable MSM attempt at covering the current growing pains in Second Life, as the meatspace corporations invade and the indigenous tribes protest. Cyberlebrities quoted include the ever sensible Second Life Liberation Army's Marshal Cahill, the meek and soft-spoken Prokofy Neva, the oh so modest Urizenus Sklar, and Electric Sheep's luddite ruler Sibley Verbeck and many others including Nimrod Yaffle. If you needed more reason to think that the LA Times was highbrow, there is also the infamous quote from John Paul Sartre -- "Hell is Other People" -- which, come to think of it, is a good one line explanation of why Second Life sucks, but then again it also explains why the whole world sucks unless you find a platform that no one else is using.

By the way, the online article (requires registration) features a picture of Prok's RL typist and it will probaby feature in a major way in future Something Awful productions, but I couldn't help but think that this is how 9 out of 10 women in Ann Arbor look. Which just goes to show...something or other.

Virtual Journalism is the Shiz!

Yes, it is true, the intrerpid cyber-journalists of the SL infosphere have been the toast of the metaverse. Editor and Publisher has an article featuring our buddies Hamlet Au (New World Notes) and Dan Terdiman (News.com) and Herald Editrix Pixeleen Mistral, who *refuses* to release her ubersecret real life identity even to the prestigimongous E&P! Meanwhile Ethan Zuckerman worries about exanding journalistic coverage in virtual spaces while it shrinks in RL places like Africa. Herald Editorial Director Walker Spaight responds on MMO Pub, and meanwhile is the featured honorary egghead on Terra Nova (not bad for a 5X college dropout!), and to top it all off will be the featured subject at one of Jerry Paffendorf's Williamsburg loft fisting parties soirees. Add to that the recent interview of Herald founder Urizenus by Henry Jenkins and well it is clear where the future of journalism is going. Yes I know. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Quote of the Day (from the E&P article):

For wholly virtual reporters like Pixeleen Mistral, the question of real-world identities isn't even addressed -- perhaps not surprising for a journalist who herself is only known by a handle. "My reporting is about the world inside Second Life, and I confirm with the sources in world," she explained in an e-mail. "It introduces more confusion to drag the real-life person into the scene. It might depend on the story, but if you want to cover transgendered furries [avatars that look like the plush animal costumes of theme parks], getting a real-life name and contact might be hard."

Bearded Eggheads Talk about Virtual Journalism and Stuff

Henry Jenkins just posted part one of a two-part interview with our own Nutty Professor -- Peter Ludlow. In it Ludlow has some not very nice things to say about the Avastar, and some marginally interesting things to say about civic responsibility and virtual journalism, and also where the Herald fits in the magic circle ("on the circumference" it turns out), but what might be discussion-worthy is this:

The more interesting question is why people keep repeating "“only a game"” so much. If you google "“only a game”" and “Second Life” together, you get nearly 12,000 hits. It is like a mantra that people keep repeating to keep some thought or idea at bay – and I think the dangerous idea that Second Life shoves in your face every day is this: our wealth is virtual, our property is transient, and our social lives are mediated by technology, nomadic, and often fleeting. I think that when people keep saying “it’'s only a game” they are really saying “the rest of my world isn’'t like this: my wealth is tangible and permanent, my friendships are unmediated and also permanent.” Saying “it’'s only a game” is like saying “this isn’'t how things really are, this is just a bad dream.” People need to pinch themselves, because this ain’'t no dream. This is reality; deal with it.

more quotes below the fold:

MTV Hosts Nutty Wacky Avi Contest. Joy.

According to a post by Glitchy Gumshoe on the SL Future Salon site, MTV will be "filming' an in game fashion shoot, and they are soliciting pics of interesting -- nay "craziest looking" avatars. Well now. Zero Grace is decidedly unimpressed by this turn of events, but he is a crotchety old man. We, on the other hand, consider the exercise to be merely born of confusion. If we are to belive the call, this has nothing at all to do with the typical SL fashion shows, which are serious enterprises, and it sounds much more like the wacky avi contests that we see in game from time to time. Still, I guess this is positive. It is, right? A little?

Are You Ready for the Avi of the Year Awards?

Herald Staffer with One of the Avatar of the Year Trophies!

Once again, boys and girls, it's time for the most eagerly awaited event of the virtual journalistic year: the Second Life Herald's Second Annual Avatar of the Year Awards. Each year, the Herald brings you the three avatars who have had the most impact on the news over the course of the preceding 12 months. The winners are picked by an anonymous research team at the Herald Brain Trust, and their decisions delivered to the Herald yacht in plain brown sealed envelopes. Winners receive a free subscription to the Herald's online edition and all the virtual-world notoriety they can stomach. Faithful readers will call that last years winner was One Song, with Ian/Father Callahan coming in second, and Mr-President and Ashley Richardson coming in a very respectable third.

The decision this year was not easy, and deliberations saw the Herald Brain Trust working overtime (much to the chagrin of our accountants). They've been chewing over the many fascinating stories that were produced in 2005, but have finally made their decisions, which have been placed in a vault, and guarded by former employees of Arthur Anderson and Co.. We will be announcing the winners over the next two weeks.

Slustler in the Newz

Wired News is running a story on SL virtual nudie magazine/book Slustler. The article makes it out to be something new, but of course it comes in a long SL tradition that includes Players and Erogenous Zone, but this one is certainly the biggest -- coming in at 100 pages. It is also in the form of a turn the pages virtual book, which is of course cool if cumbersome. What else, maybe I'll have Chipsen Queso review it on its artistic merits.

Incriminating Photos Leaked from Herald Birthday Party

"Banned" Gang Leader One Song Schmoozes with Pathfinder Linden at Herald Debauche.

The Herald Staff did their best to keep it all under wraps, but pictures of the virtual debauche that was the 2nd Birthday Party of the Herald have been leaked into the blogosphere by New Games Journalism legend Always_Black. Shit. Well, there is nothing for it now but to come clean with the rest of the incriminating evidence. Under the fold are some candid shots that Pat the Rat snapped off at the affair.

Guests get sloppy drunk at the open bar.

The general feelings of good will that the Herald radiate like sunshine upon the metaverse can make even sworn enemies love each other. Here Prokofy Neva and Pathfinder Linden barely resist the temptation to hug one another. Really. I'm serious.

Not sure, but isn't that Always_Black himself, in the foreground?

Is that a spider on the cake?

Be sure to check out the picks on the Always_Black site!

Sex and Games. Why Didn't We Think of That? Oh Wait...

The International Game Developers Association finally has a Special Interest Group dedicted to Sex in/and/of Games, and a 1337 new blog called Sex and Games to cover it (and what we want to know is, what took them so long). There is also a discussion forum here. Great stuff, but honestly, they would be *lost* -- *lost* I tell you without the Herald for guidance. I should add that the leadership council includes none other than frequent Herald visitor, and the guy who brought teledildonics to Second Life, Kyle Machulis. Yes, the Slashdong guy. Woot!

CBC Confirms Linden Attempts to Discredit Plastic Duck in RL

Wow, kudos to Tony Walsh (aka Rat Boy aka Zero Grace) for contacting the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and confirming that the document we republished in the Herald was in fact an excerpt from an actual letter send by Linden Lab to the CBC. According to Tony's contacts at the CBC, the letter was sent by Catherine Linden, who is SL's Director of Marketing. Tony takes a dim view of the latest customer relations disaster from Kremlinden Lab. And we quote:

Linden Lab's move to discredit one of its customers is an interesting approach to public relations. The company can hardly be blamed for attempting to control its portrayal in the media, but such efforts are best left to the arena of press-releases, advertisements, and other public messaging. Contacting a reporter with a series of lurid and cryptic charges against a former customer is only likely to result in confusion or worse. From my perspective as a virtual-world reporter, Linden Lab's move is somewhat insulting to the craft: every experienced journalist already knows that relying on a single interview subject only provides a single viewpoint--it's neither necessary nor appropriate for Linden Lab to reiterate this. Furthermore, the company assumes Michael isn't looking for a notorious, controversial, and/or colourful interview subject--a potentially-incorrect assumption (and one the company shouldn't even be making). Lastly, as a customer of Linden Lab, I wouldn't stand for the company meddling in any of my affairs that take place outside its virtual-world gates. In Plastic Duck's case, Linden Lab's efforts are all the more awkward--Duck isn't even a customer of the company any more, therefore Linden Lab literally has no business interfering in his personal life.

Did Lindens Attempt to Prevent Plastic Duck from Talking to the CBC?

Several days ago we posted an announcement that a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio station in Toronto was looking for SL residents to interview about the game. They were looking to find residents without going through the Linden Lab filter. In the comment thread to that announcement, infamous SL griefer and Toronto area resident, Plastic Duck announced that he was going to contact the reporter. Now Plastic Duck is reporting on the Something Awful Forums that Linden Lab contacted the CBC and asked to speak about Mr. Duck – either to give their spin on Duck, or perhaps to persuade the CBC not to interview him. Apparently the plan has backfired badly. The Lindens merely drew attention to Duck, made him seem more interesting than he actually is, and of course did not anticipate that their communications with the CBC might leak into the blogosphere. And in Mr Duck’s post on the Something Awful forums he releases is what he claims is a copy of the Linden letter to the CBC. A copy is reprinted under the fold…

I noticed your call for interviews in the Second Life Herald and wanted to speak with you directly about Plastic Duck. You may or may not know that Plastic Duck has been banned from Second LIfe for griefing and generally anti-social behavior. Among his offenses, he has:

- Stolen scripts and republished them on the web
- Hired residents to negative rate other residents
- Dropped the infamous Goatse image all over Second Life
- Harassed the furry community
- Sexually harassed female residents
- Spammed other with Penis images
- Was part of the group that recreated a flaming World Trade Center in Second Life with a smashed plane smashed and falling bodies.

You probably won't get a very balanced interview from him. And he is certainly not representative of our community.

Plastic Duck is furious, charging the Lindens sending "libelous lies" to the media:

"Is that cool or what?! I have a fucking GAME DEVELOPER e-mailing news reporters libelous lies about me! Not only are some of those accusations completely false, but they also decided that being in w-hat is an offense because some people made a flaming WTC.

No wonder Linden Labs is running their business at a loss. They need to really pull their shit together. Stop hiring abuse team idiots to read forums and herald articles and start hiring coders who know how to make a proper online game and not those monkeys you have implementing pointless pixel shaders."

Blogosphere Debates Philip’s Turn to the FBI

As first reported by Dow Jonas in this newspaper, a few days ago Philip Linden announced that he was turning to the FBI for help with griefers that were involved in global attacks on the grid – effectively taking Second Life offline. Since then the blogosphere has been all a gaggle over this move (assuming Philip actually did what he said he did). Some argue that the problem is with the scripting tools that allow self-replicating objects. Others argue that it is wrong to expect a game company to engineer away every possible attempt at griefing – that just creates a meta-game for the griefers. Instead it is argued that people must behave responsibly – just because you *can* do it does not mean you *should* do it. Following are some sites where the discussion percolates:

C|Net
metafilter
Freedom to Tinker"
digg
Techdirt
Unintended Consequences
Clickable Culture