Grady Booch might not be a household name, but he's the Chief Scientist for IBM's Rational Software Corp. unit. In a recent interview with Computerworld, Booch has held forth on a number of topics, including his take on SL. His approach to explaining the value of SL to himself is practical:
"IBM has 50 or so islands that we own [in Second Life]. We've derived business value by using it internally. I can look at the lectures I have done and say, "I have saved IBM money." Certainly the company saves huge costs on employee travel and accomodations by holding meetings in SL. Why isn't this being trumpeted more often as worthwhile to the average user? He has a bit more to say, so go check out the rest of the interview.
IEEE Spectrum has a piece available decrying the need, and even the desire for the concept of avatar portability -- the idea that it's possible to take your favorite avatar from one virtual world to another, and have it keep its attributes. They've enlisted a four-point set of reasons why this can't and shouldn't work. Their ideas are cogent, but do make a few assumptions.
"A company wants people to stick with the game that funds the company, not play games by other companies." Well, if you port your avatar to someone else's game, you ARE playing that game, with its associated fees. I'd think this would be a good way to experiment with a different platform, leavening the risk for those typically fearful of change.
"Games have different purposes, and thus different requirements of the art." Part of the point of developing portable avatars means that by the mere ability to enter a different space, they will already be equipped to deal with the rigors and strictures imposed by the game's mechanics. I'd imagine that IBM and LL are aware enough of the need for this that they'll work it into the standards.
Christian Renaud is the Chief Architect of Networked Virtual Environments for the Cisco Technology Center. He also seems to be one of the few people writing in public to seem to understand (and express) that the recently announced collaboration between IBM, Linden Lab and others, and the meeting last week is not a fait accompli, but just the first stumbling baby step on the road.
With virtual worlds now firmly embedded in popular culture, the virtual landscape may seem like an archipelago with Second Life, There, Active Worlds, Doppelganger, Multiverse, Kaneva, and many more. Sailing between these isolated little islands is possible, but the voyage is daunting.
One of the earliest sailors willing to make the journey was Wells Fargo who, after creating their virtual presence in Second Life, decided to pack up and move to Active Worlds. While I'm not privy to the details of their migration, I can surmise that the textures were transported to Active Worlds by hand while the geometry data was either exported via scripts so that it could be generated from within Active Worlds, or simply re-built from scratch. Long story short, it wasn't an effortless transition.
Well all that may be changing with a recent announcement that Linden Lab and IBM will be working together on standards to bridge the gaps between virtual worlds. The announcement included several areas of focus with the overarching theme that users will one day be able to move freely between virtual worlds including "Universal" Avatars, Security-Rich Transactions, Platform Stability, Integration with existing Web and business processes, and Open standards for interoperability with the current web.
Italian IBM workers are planning a strike to be launched sometime soon over concerns of a recent proposed pay cut. What's different about this strike, however, is that it will take place in SL.
Interestingly, potential strikers are being counseled to participate in the strike only on their personal home computers, and on their own time. It's not made clear why this is necessary; isn't the whole point of a strike that your workers don't work during one? In a show of solidarity, the American organization AFL/CIO is calling on its members to download a strike kit and join SL to protest with the Italians.
This is fascinating on so many levels. The protesters call for a peaceful strike; what other kind could they organize? Could this attract the attention of griefer groups who just want any excuse to cause chaos? Will SL's numbers rise significantly by union members around the globe signing up to join the protest? Stay tuned!
It looks as though we're closer to developing the Metaverse than I thought, if this story is any indication. According to Lost in the Magic Forest, the Metaverse 1.0 project is being developed by a consortium of research institutes and universities to create a set of standards by which virtual worlds can interoperate. Among these entities are high-profile names like Alcatel-Lucent, Siemens IT, and IBM.
This is a huge undertaking, and the site lists some of the challenges already in sight, including:
No feedback-interfaces exist into / from real world
No security, trust and privacy management
Metaverse content cannot be ported between virtual worlds
Metaverses are limited to "chat / text" oriented interaction
Metaverses are imperfect and incomplete
More information to be disseminated at the Virtual Worlds Conference, coming up on October 9 - 10. I'll be there; will you?
The Life 2.0 Summit, produced by CMP Technology/Dr. Dobb's Journal, is a quarterly conference on metaverse technology and best-practice for software developers and business stakeholders seeking to understand and use Second Life and other metaverse environments for customer engagement, commerce, collaboration, education, simulation and research.
The summit is on now and running until Friday. Below the fold, you'll find a roundup of today's schedule.
As you may remember, I'm critical of the the changes voice is bringing to the grid, particularly its move to disenfranchise the deaf, just like IRL. But, there is a new system out there that might help eventually. It's not ready for SL yet - it will require quite a lot of work to be ready for SL, because the control over avatar's hands is not good enough at the moment and I don't think expressive puppeteering, when we finally get it, will add it either, not at first.
But according to the BBC, IBM and students from University of East Anglia have released a system called "Say it, Sign it" or SiSi that translates both written and spoken text to British Sign Language or Sign Supported English (which is closer to normal English, supported by signing as you see on the television signed programmes). The system is also set up to allow translation modules (e.g. for ASL) to be plugged in. The RNID are happy to see the prototype, although it will take some time before it is in wide distribution according to the director of new technologies.
Thanks to MB Chevalier for the initial lead and link.
Rappresentanza Sindacale Unitaria IBM Vimercate (RSU), the trade worker's union representing IBM's 9,000 staff in Italy are planning industrial action. It's not really clear if the the action planned is a virtual picketing or will be a virtual picketing accompanying a real strike.
The dispute is apparently over failed negotiations for better pay and conditions. The RSU feels that both of these are substandard. We contacted an IBM staffer in Second Life from IBM (USA) to see if they'd heard any more details. They hadn't, but offered, "Well, we are big on innovation (although this probably isn't the kind of innovation that the Board of Directors is looking for). I personally doubt that picketing in SL will do much more than generate a few more press releases than normal picketing would, but I'll be very interested in seeing how it goes."
The reaction from Second Life users seems to be one of tolerant amusement as well as interest, mingled with hopes of a good and entertaining show.
According to some research from the University of Utrecht (Netherlands), and reported on Lost in the Magic Forest, companies in SL see strategic advantages to being here.
They surveyed all the Dutch companies in SL, and found that the companies experienced "first mover advantage" and an increase in innovation. After this, improved contact and communication is the main advantage - with the companies seeing avatars as the new market to reach.
More interestingly, many of the companies had jumped in with both feet, and were exploring SL eagerly, rather than the toe dipping we've seen from many others - IBM being another notable "jump right in" group who are still here and thriving. Perhaps that's something we should consider adding to Mitch Wagner's 5 things to make your business succeed list?
Apparently, IBM has some rules that its employees must follow when conducting business in-world, and they're rules that, frankly, I wish everyone would obey. From the article:
Don't discuss intellectual property with unauthorized people.
Don't discriminate or harass.
Be a good 3D Netizen.
(Be) especially sensitive to the appropriateness of your avatar or persona's appearance when you are meeting with IBM clients or conducting IBM business.
There are probably others, but those will do nicely for now. IBM: Making us behave, 'cause we can't regulate ourselves.
This Thursday, the 12th of July, will see the launch of Manpower, Inc.'s new island in SL. To celebrate this new virtual office, Manpower will host a moderated panel discussion on the topic "The World of Virtual Work". From the press release:
"The world of work is changing - it seems as though each new day brings a new and innovative tool for businesses and employees to communicate and interact in the virtual workplace – from telecommuting to outsourcing and, more recently, virtual worlds such as Second Life. But as the novelty of the virtualized workforce wears off and real business starts to get done, big questions call for a response: What does success look like in this emerging "World of Virtual Work?" What are the opportunities, what are the risks? And what are the rules of engagement for employers, employees, entrepreneurs, customers and job seekers?"
Featured on the panel, and moderated by CNet's Daniel Terdiman, will be Manpower's Tammy Johns, IBM's Colin Parris, Quest G's Algis Leveckis, The Magicians' Kimberly Rufer-Bach, and Shiny Things' Fallingwater Cellardoor. This is sure to be a hot event, so arrive early; the actual island won't open until an hour before the event.
Whilst scouring around the map chasing corporate sites and sims, it seems there's some expansion in the works for Circuit City. Apparently they are no longer to be confined to the pokey little site on the expanding IBM continent, there are four shiny new sims tucked away with Circuit City's name on them.
Circuit City's brand presence in SL has been low-traffic and fairly tenuous to-date with little sign of additions or updates. In the absence of a contact for Circuit City's inworld presence, we're attempting to contact IBM for additional information. Perhaps Circuit City has decided to take the plunge and go it on their own. At present, from the map view, the islands are new and bare. Access control is locked down, so no-admittance for a sneak-peek.
This will be of interest to Wimbledon fans of SL: IBM will be bringing realtime Wimbledon action to SL by way of its data trackers in RL. Presumably this means you'll get to watch the game simulated right before your eyes, similar to what went on with the Australian Open earlier this year.
The article also mentions simulating the realtime weather, which I suppose will have the effect of feeling smug while you watch the RL audience squirm in their seats during a downpour. And really, if you can't use technology to make your life better, then what's the point?
On Tuesday, the 15th, IBM opened its virtual business center, where IBM employees will be able to interface with customers regarding business solutions, the purchasing of hardware or software, or perhaps to talk about the latest in business practices.
This center supports clients around the world, with languages available such as English, Portuguese, German, Spanish, Dutch, Italian and French, with Asian languages to be supported later this year. The sim also includes tech support libraries and a conference center for business meetings.
Grady Booch might not be a household name, but he's the Chief Scientist for IBM's Rational Software Corp. unit. In a recent interview with Computerworld, Booch has held forth on a number of topics, including his take on SL. His approach to explaining the value of SL to himself is practical:
IEEE Spectrum
Christian Renaud is the Chief Architect of Networked Virtual Environments for the Cisco Technology Center. He also seems to be one of the few people writing in public to seem to understand (and express) that the 
As you may remember, 
Rappresentanza Sindacale Unitaria IBM Vimercate (RSU), the trade worker's union representing IBM's 9,000 staff in Italy are planning industrial action. It's not really clear if the the action planned is a virtual picketing or will be a virtual picketing accompanying a real strike.
According to some research from the University of Utrecht (Netherlands), and reported on 
This Thursday, the 12th of July, will see the launch of Manpower, Inc.'s new island in SL. To celebrate this new virtual office, Manpower will host a moderated panel discussion on the topic "The World of Virtual Work". From the press release:
Whilst scouring around the map chasing corporate sites and sims, it seems there's some expansion in the works for Circuit City. Apparently they are no longer to be confined to the pokey little site on the expanding IBM continent, there are four shiny new sims tucked away with Circuit City's name on them.
