[iDC] RE: An Inconvenient Youth and Second Life

Tue Feb 27 19:59:24 EST 2007

I met them (the students) the other day in Stockholm and Tor
Lindstrand, the architect who is interviewed, is an old friend (Brian
should remember him from Fadaiat meeting in Tarifa, two years ago). I
was invited as "critical guest" to listen to their presentations,
which are going to be online in three weeks. I was impressed by their
technical skills but I didn't find a deep critical approach there. I
think that's the problem, we fascinates of the flying, the forms, the
scripts, the parlor, but forget the ability of these games to provide
ideological messages and transport memes and myths to each other.
Again, the reproduction of an architecture based in the individual
ownership and usufruct of land, water, beaches and objects, is
reproducing the model of private property I and many others dream to
abolish.
I wrote a piece about my visit to the students in my Stumbleupon blog,
http://caravia.stumbleupon.com

Ana

On 2/28/07, Matthew Waxman <waxman.matt at gmail.com> wrote:
> Archinect recently featured an article and interview on this subject, titled
> "Architecture's Second Life":
> http://archinect.com/features/article.php?id=47037_0_23_0_M
>
> The article notes the replication of real-world architectural forms, the
> irony of walking, opportunities for community design and a SL urbanism, the
> real-virtual relationship, and interviews LOL Architects the world "largest
> virtual architecture office." (LOL:
> http://www.unrealstockholm.org/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
> )
>
> best,
>   Matt
>
> --
> Matthew Waxman
> Editor, San Francisco edition, WorldChanging
> http://www.worldchanging.com/local/sanfrancisco
>
>
> On 2/27/07, dave at edtechtalk.com < dave at edtechtalk.com> wrote:
> > Agreed. It does have that simulacra feeling about it. Sort of a disney
> > land 'mainstreet USA' of old digital buildings about it.
> >
> > The interesting thing about it is that people (like the folks on info
> > island) are starting to realize this and are trying to adapt their
> > architectural designs to make the best of the advantages and disadvantages
> > of the space.
> >
> > It is this development and the inevitable reaction to the realization that
> > not only the detractors but the advocates that will bring on the next
> > generation of immersive space.
> >
> > > That's exact my point when I refered to my short experience in SL. I
> > > think the US (where almost 100 procent of computer games and online
> > > worlds are created) has a problem with the reproduction of the nuclear
> > > family and the wishing of a kind of Barbie/Ken archetype where the
> > > same house, the same furniture and the same tables and chairs are
> > > copied or cloned.
> > > In SL you can find hundreds of reproductions of Le Corbusier or of
> > > Frank Lloyd Right, it's as the Sims (the popular computer game who is
> > > the most clear "parent" of Second Life, has discovered architecture
> > > and city planning.
> > > When you have characters who fly what's the point making stairs or
> > > walls? Or to design roads or motorways?
> > > For me SL is a kind of perverse reproduction of life but without
> > > death, sweat, smells or poverty.
> > > In Everquest, the online game I usually played for several years, I
> > > was playing a female avatar and  another player, a man playing another
> > > female avatar, asked me to marry "him".
> > > The marriage thing was a cool thing in EQ, where the weddings in the
> > > game were attended by guests from the whole virtual world. I have
> > > attended marriages between vampyres and elfs, centaurs and frogs.
> > > We asked the "game masters" to come and marry us, it was Sony's
> > > employees who acted as priests or civil servants and who performed the
> > > ceremonies.
> > > We got a letter, very polite, but they refused us the right to be
> > > married, "two women avatars can't be married. It could upset a lot of
> > > other players who could experience that as offensive".
> > > We, Charles, my friend, and me, could not believe what we read. We
> > > played as wizards and shamans, we fought demons and zombies, we lived
> > > in a fantasy world where magic and phantasy played an enormous roll.
> > > Did they mean that two female avatars were "not natural", but all the
> > > other stuff was it???
> > > We argued with them for months and we dropped the idea, but it
> > > strenghtened my these about online worlds as very conservative and
> > > oldfashioned.
> > > Ana
> > >
> > > ps. the description of the marriage it's a bit of my research about
> > > Gender in the Online Games, I am writing a book which it's going to be
> > > released in this Spring, sadly, only in Swedish and Spanish for the
> > > moment.
> > >
> > > On 2/27/07, Brooke Knight <brooke_knight at emerson.edu> wrote:
> > >> Hi all:
> > >>
> > >> I'm an inveterate lurker on the list, but I have to pick up on Steven's
> > >> comment a few days ago about how he gave a lecture about SL, both in
> the
> > >> "real" world and the "virtual" world of Second Life.  We here at
> Emerson
> > >> College are currently engaged in the same thing -- as it is opening up
> > >> as an
> > >> educational space.  We have students cranking away at building what are
> > >> essentially avatars of our buildings.  In fact, we have an event
> > >> tomorrow,
> > >> where both Trebor and Ulises will be speaking at Emerson and on Second
> > >> Life,
> > >> on the Emerson College Island, Emerson Island (145, 109, 23).  Come by
> > >> at 7
> > >> eastern and see if it works.
> > >>
> > >> In this case, it will be inside the Bordy Theater on the island.  In
> the
> > >> "real" world (I've never been comfortable with the distinction), the
> > >> Bordy
> > >> Theater is inside of a building alongside other buildings of the same
> > >> height
> > >> and size.  On Emerson Island, It stands out as one of the only objects
> > >> there.
> > >>
> > >> So, I ask -- why is it that there seems to be a need to reproduce items
> > >> that
> > >> already exist? Is a replica of a real-world place the best way to
> convey
> > >> a
> > >> message, even if it doesn't work in SL?  How is that message different
> > >> in
> > >> SL?
> > >>
> > >> I'm just worried that we continue to experience the tyranny of the
> > >> metaphor,
> > >> as we have so many times in digital media.
> > >>
> > >> Best,
> > >>
> > >> Brooke
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Brooke A. Knight
> > >>
> > >> Assistant Professor of New Media
> > >>
> > >> Department of Visual and Media Arts
> > >>
> > >> Emerson College
> > >>
> > >> 617-824-8760
> > >>
> > >> brooke_knight at emerson.edu
> > >>
> > >> www.brookeknight.com
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________
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> > >
> > >
> > > --
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> > > 12833 Skarpnäck
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> > >
> > >
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> > > — Leonardo da Vinci
> > >
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-- 
Skarpnäcks Allé 45 ll tr
12833 Skarpnäck
Sweden
tel +468-943288
mobil 4670-3213370

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you
will always long to return.
— Leonardo da Vinci