Hello. I’m brand new here. Just met Alok in Second Life, and we got to discussing the different ways people and businesses can interact there.
Second Life, for the uninitiated, is a three-dimensional virtual world where users can fly, shop with virtual money, set up offices and educational institutions, and a whole lot more. It has faced incredible growth since the last quarter of 2006, something like 30% a month. Why is this so?
Basically, millions of people are finding out that a 2-D interface is just clunky. Especially when it comes to many people interacting simultaneously. The potential for E-learning alone is almost infinite.
My question here is…are there any people interested in exploring the potential for virtual worlds like Second Life in real-world business and education? Would anyone be open to a seminar which discusses all these issues?
An interesting tidbit…if you look at the Internet itself in the 90’s, the parallels are exciting. 30% growth per month, couple million USD being spent every day in transactions, the potential to meet and make friends from anywhere in the world, the business opportunities available to anyone with a little bit of foresight…now, how many of you saw the Internet grow from a tiny obscure little entity to the way of life it is today? And if someone told you that this is the future of interaction, of business, of education, would you believe them?
Let’s talk about it 🙂 Cheers.
- Virtual exhibition time! - July 21, 2007
- Next Second Life Tour 5 PM May 11 - May 8, 2007
- Second Life tour - April 25, 2007
I think the concept of Second Life can be used in Online Retail business, auctions, Remote Conferences and presentations. In particular, the online retail business, wherein using 3D , u can show product features with more impact.
i was intrigued enough by this post to go and sign up on second life. i’m a journalist and people are my business so for me it is a good tool to get to know people. that apart, it gives me an insight into what else people you would slot in a frame can be or become in another frame. i’m just intrigued about one thing. what’s second life’s business model? how does it make money?
Rohit:
I’d agree with you, but only partly. I’m using the word ‘interaction’ very deliberately here. Perhaps a more apt term would be ‘simultaneous interaction’, where many users are interacting cooperatively in a shared environment.
Education and business, yes. Also social interaction. For instance, say a heated discussion on a topic by twenty people simultaneously, from all over the world, the only comparable platform currently would be IRC or videoconferencing. Both of which leave a lot to be desired in terms of actual usability, yes? This is what 3D spaces like Second Life offer on a level which in itself is a paradigm shift. The possibility of interacting with people in a completely customized virtual environment, with all possible multi-user communication tools (chat, IM, voice, audio and video streaming) at your disposal.
The biggest area, though, in my mind when it comes to virtual spaces like Second Life making a difference, is education. I’m an educator and guest lecturer on industrial and graphic design for various institutes here, and THIS is where I believe simultaneous 3D environments do make the difference. I have been experimenting with forms of e-learning and digital learning with a number of my students, and am very aware of the limitations posed by most technologies. And of the immense potential these worlds (there are many!) have, to allow groups of people all over the world communicate effectively.
Did you know there are over 300 educational institutions in SL? Please check out the New Media Consortium website (www.nmc.org) which has over two hundred virtual colleges in it’s list alone and has a major presence in SL.
I’ll be part of a series of educator’s workshops starting tomorrow, for another group called ‘DIversity 2007’. I’ll basically be teaching educators about the various educational tools, objects and institutions available in this huge world. We will be communicating maily via voice and avatar, and I’ll be showing them a slide presentation. It could just as easily be a video clip, animation or 3D object, please note. I’ll be handing out education tools, things like marker boards and pointers, scripts that give out items at the click of a switch, movie clip projectors, that kind of stuff. And am available to answer any doubts or questions they may have, just as in a real workshop.
Here’s the interesting part…I will be paid in USD (which I’m keeping in the virtual world for now, thanks) per hour, and I can choose to encash it if I wish. This world has virtual money freely exchangeable with real, and that’s a pretty good thing given the conversion rate which is about 6.28 L$ (Linden Dollars, this world’s currency) to the Rupee at the moment. This world has it’s stock exchange(s), a virtual embassy where you can get information and assistance, a virtual spaceflight museum with scale models of every form of ship known to man…it’s a beautiful sight…and guess which country’s closest to the teleport point…it was an emotional moment. Ahh anyway
I’m on SL sometimes 8-12 hours a day, do a huge amount of my preofessional real-world project 3D modelling in it.. Imagine a bus design where you can make the client take a virtual walkthrough of the bus, controlled by him. He can alter anything in real-time, and I can sit with him wherever in the world he is, inside and around the product itself. Paradigm shift.
Ok, I’m going to get off the soap box, now. I’d invite you to try the place out. It costs nothing and if you’re there, please look me up. My avatar’s name is Rowl Electricteeth.
I have few question that I ld like to a you poeple out here:
a)Does creating copy success an idea from one part of the world (USA)into another part of the world (India) is innovation?
b)Why I find few example in where an entrepreneur is addressing a basic problem local to Indian market.
Indian consumer internet market is filed with USA look-alike product or services.Everyday I read some new services compnay starting a Indina copy/version/solution of a successful american compnay.
Following artical on startdunia may be a little too blunt (http://www.startupdunia.com/page/2/ Herd mentality and Indian startups ) but it point to a serious potential problem with indian entrepreneurs.
We daily face so many problem that need a unexpensive , efficient comsumer centic solution.
example
a)A decent broadband service.
b)A reliable webdevelopment and web hosting service provider for smes, govt. institudes, colleges,schools.
c)Cheap PCs providers for schools
d)web services company providing services in indina langauges.
I understand Indian market is shallow and Indian consumer is not rich-enough. But I guess real challenge of enterprenuership lies in find solution of this very poor consumer.
I do not think this is the future of interaction. But virtual worlds are going to be great tools for certain applications in the fields of Education and Business – for example: lab experiments, history tours, product demos, etc.