Task 6

This plan is being developed for the Milwaukee-based design firm Thiel Design. The current internet presence amounts to the official webpage: www.thiel.com. Thiel Design is a design firm that specializes in commercial art, identity logos and print design. The goal of Thiel is to provide modern and unique visual solutions for companies that want to stand apart.

Since the business revolves around visual production, Second Life is an extremely appropriate environment for promoting and displaying the work and services of Thiel. As an almost completely visual experience, Second Life could serve as a more intimate and unique setting for viewing and displaying a company portfolio in the design industry. The Thiel Second Life Island could be a great opportunity to showcase the company’s creative skills.

The first implementation would be a large portfolio/gallery. It would have to be an extremely well-designed and artistic-minded building to match the aesthetics of the current company portfolio. This building would be open to the public, and would have an exciting interior setup similar to an art gallery where people could view the company’s portfolio in a virtual environment. Different rooms would be built for different kinds of work, and small plaques explaining each image would be available.

Interactive features the gallery segment would include the option for people to take any art or design seen on the wall and have the option to save them for display in their own second life home. Many people enjoy decorating their homes in Second Life with artwork, and this would be a great way to connect with the rest of the second life community. Other options could include free virtual t-shirts and other clothing with custom designs, which would be available to everyone, as a way to promote the company in other parts of second life.

Another important part of this implementation would be a visitor center where a receptionist would be staffed during business hours for the purpose of answering questions, offering people more information on the company, and giving virtual tours of the company to get them more interested in what they do. There could be information available inside the visitor center (most likely on the walls or standup signs) on how to get quotes for design work, if the company is hiring, and things such as the philosophy and history of Thiel for those who were interested in learning more.

A conference room would also be important. If Second Life continues its increase in growth and popularity, virtual conferences with current and prospective clients alike could be an important part of the Second Life Island. It could make for a more personalized and interesting environment for a long distance meeting to take place. The room could even be used by employees to give presentations. Other ideas for the island could include interactive creative areas where visitors could paint or help design certain rooms of the island. There probably are not very many design companies that have a presence in Second Life thus far, so this could be a great opportunity to step into a new field of marketing and create a broader audience.

There are many considerations both structurally and individually organizations must think about because virtual worlds in corporations are growing every day. IBM, Apple, H&R Block, and the Geek Squad are only a fraction of the companies already in virtual worlds, more specifically, Second Life. However, many considerations must be made in order to implement a virtual world for a corporation. Particularly, structural and individual considerations. Structurally, virtual worlds can be an added benefit to a corporation in areas like reducing real estate costs, increasing global connections, improved customer service, and enhanced profits (Miller, 2006). However, virtual worlds are not just beneficial to a corporation at large. Individuals participating in virtual worlds will be influenced too. Individual considerations include more flexibility, greater individualism, greater control, and greater responsibility (Miller, 2006).

A major consideration organizations have to decide is whether to place their company in a virtual world, whether it is in Second Life or any other virtual world. The companies need to know if their company’s presence in a virtual world will be beneficial and how. For CEO’s and Board of Directors who have not heard anything about virtual worlds, it can be very hard to persuade to them the positives of creating their company/organization in a virtual world. It is hard to track economically if having their organization in a virtual world is worth it, because a lot of people go to the already created virtual worlds locations mainly for information about a product or service. As you can see some organizations are the trendsetters while others will sit back and wait for clear evidence the positives of creating their organization in a virtual world.

Task 7

Believe it or not, there are third-world countries that do not have running water, yet have Internet access! Society is changing in many aspects; however, the use of technology and Web 2.0 is clearly one of the fastest changing areas of change. Particularly, Second Life is a world that will greatly impact society if its use continues. Second Life does not physically exist as a world, however; it does offer features that make it feel actual and real. The moving, talking, and expression capabilities make this Utopian world come close to reality. The ability it has to allow one to create an idealized perfection contributes to the Utopian aspect of Second Life. If the use of this virtual world continues, society will be influenced greatly in the way they communicate and interact with each other. Face-to-face communication will be less common in everyday interaction.

According to Jackson, younger people between age 12 and 50 are more likely to use the Internet than those 55 and older (2003). This group, being innovators and future leaders, will greatly influence others when choosing a form of communication technology. An example of this influence could be in the form of increased online shopping and ways of doing business in virtual worlds.

Second Life is considered to be a rich form of media. Factors such as audio capabilities, character interaction, and instant response contribute to this richness. We think that while Second Life team will be able to complete tasks more efficiently, the users outside of teams may present themselves differently than they are which creates a dishonest society. The dishonesty in Second Life could potentially lead to dishonesty in our public society. For example, people on MySpace have the opportunity to present themselves in a false light. Second Life has comparable features. The slogan for this communication technology is "Your World. Your Imagination." This is promoting users to identify themselves differently through different characteristics and attributes. Users have the power to create the Utopian world they want.

Virtual Lab Tasks 6 & 7

Hello Group!

Here is everyones portion of task 6 & 7, which we signed up for in class. 

Task 6 (1-2 pages)

1. Why would an org. and its members select virtual worlds based on social information and objective media characteristics to meet its communication needs?

-Peter (When completed, send to Jake)

2. What are the structural and individual considerations in implementing virtual worlds into organizations?

-Erin (When completed, send to Jake)

Jake - Question 1 & 2 on task 6 need to flow together and meet the 1-2 page guidelines. Then please send task 6 to Brittany so she can edit the paper and make sure it is in APA format. 

Task 7: (1-2 pages)

Discuss societal implications of virtual worlds?

-Carla and Danielle 

Brittany - In class today, we divided the tasks as we did before. Both papers are going to be sent to you, which need to be reviewed and edited. Could you also check for proper APA formatting please?

Any questions, let me know!

 

Virtual Lab 2: Task 5

Virtual Lab 2: Task 5

Numerous communication technology channels have been implemented into organizations to maintain and improve communication. These communication technology channels include email, phone, Internet, and even Second Life. Various organizations have incorporated Second Life into their communication style.

First, IBM. IBM owns numerous Second Life properties. Peter Westermann did some exploring and found that the IBM site he visited is co-sponsored by a company called Eagle. He found information kiosks offering information to developers. He found the architecture and design of this Island to be fantastic. There are giant glass buildings, ecodomes, and a huge auditorium. There are even futuristic-looking vehicles around the island that you can try out. Oddities include abstract, animated sculptures and even a Time Machine. Everything was very professional, yet relaxed and inviting. It seemed as though there usually is staff at the Island to answer questions and help out.



Secondly, Westermann was transported to H&R Block’s Second Life Island. Just like the IBM Island, it is very stylish and futuristic. The green color used in the logo is featured all over the place. There was a map in the welcome room with orange circles to click, each one teleported you to main sections of the Island. Strangely enough, a prominent feature of this corporate Island was a Ballroom. There is huge dance hall with a disco floor and fountains. H&R Block employees are available to ask about tax or any other questions. H&R Block went even a step further by giving you Second Life inventory items to download which gives you H&R Block branded clothing and such.

Lastly, Westermann visited Geek Squad Island. This is the Island representing the computer repair and support section of Best Buy. Westermann was greeted by two Geek Squad representatives. Upon arriving there was a tall black man using some extremely inappropriate language. The geek squad employees immediately threw him off the island, which was a bit entertaining to watch. It was interesting to see that even in the cyber business world people acting inappropriately are asked to leave. The Miller article we read in this unit talked about how many communication media filters out cues that would be available in face-to-face interactions. In this situation, this can be seen as benefit rather than a downside. The employees were able to easily remove a problem created by a customer’s poor behavior without any face-to-face interaction, which can be very stressful or possibly damaging to an employee.

The Geek Squad Island was very fun and inventive. There were many bright colors and different elements to play with. There are scavenger hunts and prizes the Island gives out for participating in quizzes and surveys. There are even tests to take to see if you are “Geek Squad Material”, presumably for hiring purposes. Westermann sat down and talked to some of the employees because they looked rather bored, and found them to be very friendly.

One of the reading summaries for this unit nicely explains, in a broad sense, the power Second Life is giving corporations: “In summary, new communication technologies offer organizational participants a wide array of interaction and decision-making options that can differ substantially from traditional ways of working. “

Virtual Lab 2: Task 4

Virtual Lab 2: Task 4

Second Life. What once seemed impossible is very usable today. Usable for entertainment, networking, and education. Second life is a virtual world used over the Internet that anyone can use because it's free. You can create a person, change their appearance, buy land and clothes and other items using the Second Life Linden Dollar. Second Life went online publicly in 2003 and has been increasing in popularity since then. Last month, accounts registered totalled over 13 million. Some participants view it as a game, though it's without point totals, levels or losers. In Second Life, and its many capabilities, all participants are winners.

While exploring this virtual world, you can walk, run, fly, and, basically, teleport anywhere in Second Life. It's also easy to communicate using the many options available to the user. You can text based chat with your keyboard or you can voice chat using a headset and microphone. Email is also available within Second Life. You can even eavesdrop on others’ conversations by simply walking up next to users who are talking. Finally, you can invite others to be friends and keep in close contact with them.

Educational institutions have taken steps to use Second Life. Montana State, Harvard, Ball State, Bradley University, Cal State and UCLA, just to name a few, have either talked about or have used Second Life in their classes or have immediate plans to use it for educational purposes. Some campuses already have full virtual replicas of their current campuses on Second Life for their students. This is very informational for students or student prospects to find their way on larger campuses.

From a technical standpoint, Second Life is used over the Internet. While running the program, most users need to limit the amount of applications they have open at the same time. By doing this, Second Life runs more smoothly. The program itself takes up over ten times as much memory as Microsoft Word. The best part about Second Life is the ability to explore. While tutorials are very helpful, the best way to figure out this is to simply browse.

When comparing the characteristics of Second Life to an alternate Web 2.0 Technology like Facebook, it is obvious how much richer a medium Second Life is. As was previously stated, Second Life gives individuals the opportunity to communicate. Through Facebook, people communicate on a leaner level due to the delay time between messages sent. On Second Life a user is given the opportunity to communicate instantly via voice or text chat. That being said, Second Life has more capabilities than Facebook to handle emotional messages. Facebook has given many people the chance to display themselves in the way they choose to be represented. For example, people may exemplify themselves to be conservative, driven, and sharp when in reality they may be far from it. Second Life is somewhat similar to Facebook in this characteristic because it allows users to not only portray themselves as they choose, but allow them to create an entirely new identity!

Second Life allows individuals to communicate virtually, almost physically. As previously stated, one has the ability to fly, walk, run and interact with others in Second Life. Facebook has limited interaction ability in this aspect as it does not allow immediate response.

When comparing these two mediums, both Second Life and Facebook are computer-based. Facebook has few glitches and is able to be downloaded onto any computer. Second Life states it is not compatible with computers unless minimum system requirements are met.

Although Facebook is a small part of the Internet, it has its advantages and disadvantages which are both similar to and different from those in virtual worlds. Both virtual worlds and Facebook are attractive because they are interactive, free, fun, and easy to use and navigate. Virtual world applications like Second Life can attract businesses by portraying the way your business is viewed by the public and can be used as an educational tool. Both Facebook and virtual worlds allow users to interact with other through sharing pictures, posting notes (IM, wall posts or videos, etc), or using the technology as a networking device.

Disadvantages of virtual worlds and Facebook are that they can be time consuming and distracting. You also have to be careful of Internet privacy issue. Although Second Life does a better job of keeping your identity hidden through the use of a fake name, you still have to be careful not to give away too much personal information about yourself. Posting a Facebook picture, writing a note on someones public wall, or making a comment on someone else’s wall could hurt you. Even if the information or picture is later deleted, it still exists in a backlog file. Many employers are now conducting background checks that include Facebook before deciding to hire or even interview a job candidate.


http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~mpepper/slbib
http://terrya.edublogs.org/2006/07/17/an-educator-discovers-his-secondlife/

TITO SPIRT

Hello All!!! My name is Tito Spirt, I’ve done the causal appearance, blue jeans and white shirt, mostly because I want to get used to 2nd life before I spend money to look a little different. I would like to get a better feel for it. So far the challenges and first impression have been the same, a struggle. I’ve tried on multiple computers in different settings, work, school and home and have had struggles logging on consistently. Both at school and work I’ve been blocked while at home it has made my computer crash. No excuses I will find a computer that works. Hope all is well and the little I’ve done, It’s been fun. I mean who doesn’t like to FLY!

Another look around second life

Well guys, I got my computer back, and was able to walk around a bit more. I also learned how to: change the length of my hair, body type, eyes, etc... 

I visited the apple store, but, no one was there, and there didn't seem to be too much going on. I also visited the statue of liberty, however, no one was there either.

I could not figure out how to take a snap shot with me in it? Help?