Friday, July 17, 2009











chris4csi Darkfold visits International Spaceflight Museum space: Check out the Hubble Space Telescope, International Space Station, Space Shuttle Endeavour, or teleport to Mercury. Here you can try out a ISM flight assist that enhances your avatars flying performance. You can purchase one at the gift shop and it helps support International Spaceflight.






chris4csi darkfold visits Van Gogh's Arles: This is a recretion of the town that inspired some of Van Gogh's paintings. There is an ocean view complete with audio that is very serene.you can look at some of his paintings and the view from which he painted.






Chris4Csi Darkfold visits Renaisance island. "Renaissance island was created in Feb 2007 by a grop of dedicated historians taht envisioned what life during tudor times would be. They collaborated to forma group that would take on roles of parish members that in this era would have lived such as what you will see. They created objects to allow visitors to interact and feel how life would bave been in tudor times.(info welcome card)" During you visit, you can watch a tailor create Sloppes--baggy, overstuffed knee length pants originally worn by comics to look silly but later they were worn by courtiers as normal garments. You can get the whole outfit and any other accurate period clothing at Arundel Designs. You can also find informatin on King Henry viii and listen to audio tapes of Shakespeare.

There is also a castle to explore with artwork, books and a tower you can climb.



Chris4csi Darkfold visits Vasaar Island: Vasaar Island is a place to visit the campus of Vasaar College.In the real world it's located in the scenic Hudson Valley New York, which coincidentaly happens to be down the street where I grew up. I just happen to find it while looking for the Sistine Chapel. As beautiful as the campus looks in Second Life it is very misleading. The actual campus is not located anywhere close to water as seen in second life, it is actually surrounded by old style city shops, art and culture. Actually in real life it has an amazing art museum with some work from famous artist such as Jackson Pollock. The buildings are actually historical and they remind me of gothic architecture nothing like the campus in Second Life. It does have quite a bit of information about the college and even offers a tour. The best thing the college has to offer in Second Life is the Sistine Chapel simulation.






Chris4Csi Darkfold investigates Sistine Chapel:Located on Vasaar Island and hosted by Vasaar College.I have seen these images of the Sistine Chapel dozens of times but never quite like this. While I did not enjoy this artwork as a digital image, I did enjoy having a complete picture of how the art is constructed within the chapel. I think it would add to the educational experience for people to see how difficult it must have been to create this enormous work of art on the ceiling of a chapel. Michealangelo was a master painter and to see the adverse conditions he overcame to create such a work is inspiring.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Images from the group meeting



The screenshots seen above were taken during our group meeting in second life. Our meeting traveled to club experience where we learned how to participate in a dance club.

In World vs. Real World:

There are a great deal of differences between real world society and virtual society. One of the major differences is the rules that people are required to follow. In real world there are rules that need to be followed that have a social and legal impact. The rules are more uniform in the real world. With the exception of red tape and differences from one country to another the rules are generally the same everywhere. In the virtual world, the rules are vastly different from one place to another. The social norms are different, but in some areas the rules are strict enough that disobeying will cause you to be booted from the area. One of the strikingly large differences is role-play. In the real world role-play is something that isn’t really encouraged. In the virtual world role-play is encouraged and the players are expected to play by a very strict set of rules usually well explained as you enter the area. Another social norm that seems to be either a little less strict is concerning the friend request. Some people only speak for a second, and some ask before they send a friend request. When one is sent without speaking people tend to get angry as if an obvious social rule was ignored. It can be something new to get used to if you do not play a lot of online games and it’s completely foreign to the real world. Friendship is something that in the real world that happens naturally or not at all. Something about a formal version is awkward. Consequences are another thing that is absolutely confused in a virtual world. There’s a clash between the thought that behind those avatars is real people and the thought that it’s just a game.

It was more personal because we were able to get voice chat working. There’s something about actually being able to hear someone’s voice that makes meetings between people more personal. The ability to experience things together also helped us feel like we were really doing something as a group. In the chat groups work gets done, but there’s not the same sense of accomplishment that comes with seeing things done. It’s not the same as a real world meeting, but it’s a lot more interactive than a simple text based meeting in a chat room. There’s a lot more to do, a lot more to express, and more ways to do it. The avatars are nothing at all like a group experience with real people, but there’s a lot more to it than the standard text based chat.

Virtual worlds like second life enhance learning by giving a platform for people to learn, and collaborate. In Second Life, the ability to meet, talk, and do together causes a different learning experience than just talking about a subject. It lends a great deal to Internet classrooms. Instead of talking about doing something you can really do something. Second Life is not just useful for learning it also is a creative outlet. The difference between this creative outlet and most is that it has a strong push to collaborate. Work done together with others is easier when you are all together in a world where collaboration is an easy thing. When something is simple, and easy to do people tend to do it more often. It encourages not just artistic collaboration, but for everyone to attempt to create. If more people try even just a little to create than more people will be inspired to create more. It helps encourage people to try artistic things, and that causes more people to respect artistic work. The virtual art unlike real art is harder to move, but easily duplicated for sale if that’s the artist’s agenda. Second Life although it has its own economic system can also impact our real income. It’s a game with real consequences.

Dell Island

Another thing that second life has is influences from real companies. Companies like Dell are able to purchase land and use it both for advertisement space and educational space. On Dell Island there is even a museum dedicated to their product. They have multiple screening rooms for many things and a stage for their release parties. Dell Island is an area that's both informative and entertaining. The Dell designers did a good job building an environment that catches people's attention. The entire island is both excellent marketing, and an interesting way to learn a few things. Not just about Dell, but about computers in general. Dell Island also has a nice little souvenir shop and a cafe. It's an interesting take on advertisement that feels more original than the average commercial, sign, or sales pitch.

Our Group Meets In Dance Club

Our Group met in the Dance Club. It was interesting to see how people reacted and enjoyed the atmosphere. Everyone was dancing and having a good time. It's a lot like the real world in the sense of the music, vibe, and outfits. A lot of people were wearing outfits that people would wear in normal life if they were to go to a club. The interaction between people was also similar. Males and females were dancing, everyone was screaming, singing, and laughing. Our group took the time to meet here and experience it together.

KJcsi Greybeards journey through Second Life

After a few weeks of playing around on Second Life, I have found that emotions are the same in “real” life verses Second Life. I experience the stress of navigating through the worlds; I also experienced emotions of others in this world. I could not believe how many avatars were hitting on me. People actually have relationships in this world! The difference is evitable, you are able to fly, change appearances as often as you would like. Exploring the world by a hit of a button is cool! The Virtual society is not as different as I thought it would be as in the real world. One of the biggest differences I experienced in Second Life is the social contact. There are not many places we go in the real world where there is guaranteed social contact. It is less likely that a stranger will start up a conversation with us, but in Second Life, it did not matter where I went, someone was talking to me!

If used properly, Second Life can be a tool for education, such as it was for me. The creativity of Second Life provides almost unlimited freedom to its members. The increased social interaction is education alone. Even though visiting a certain place is not the same effect as in the real world, some places offer much information explaining the facts of what you are seeing. As a student teaching myself the ropes of how to navigate through the world, I learned a little more about certain technology. Second Life offers such rich media that allows for the illusion of ‘real world”. These capabilities bring into play the artistic implications that Second Life brings.

Some of the most interesting art is the avatars themselves. It is amazing how the user is able to create such fascinating images to resemble themselves. I was able to have a head full of hair to being bald, I was able to change my body type, I was able to transform into a complete different person if I chose to. Second Life defiantly supports creativity and imagination. Second Life is filled with “real world” artist and their works. Artist truly have an advantage in having a great way for getting their art out there and seen by so many people. Many artists are photographing their art and importing it to Second Life in the hopes of either attracting interest in the global market. Second Life is a great tool for the education of arts, and social learning. It is defiantly time consuming to get the most out of Second Life, not sure how much time I will spend on it after this class, but I am sure I will do more exploring throughout it! I hope you enjoy my journey that was caught through pictures of certain places that I found interesting in Second Life.

Prim Hearts Amusement Park






















Second Life offers many “Hotspots” in the world, so I browsed them and came across a place that looked like a lot of fun. Prim Hearts Amusement Park. Here I found many rides that I just love in the “real world” too! Unfortunately, I did not have enough money to ride the rides, but it was fun walking around seeing the different things there was to do. There were rollercoaster’s, log flume, bumper cars, swinging ships, and water slides, go-karts, and ferris wheels. I was so excited that I could not just take one picture, so I took a few to show you. It was also cool looking over the rides and seeing water. I am sure in “real life” there is amusements parks on the coasts that are surrounding bodies of water too. The people who were riding the rides and walking around made you feel as if your were really at an amusement park with the laughter and screaming that was going on. The only difference is that personally you do not get to feel the thrill!

Layachi Gallery



















As I teleported in to Paris, I came across an art gallery that caught my eye. The Layachi Gallery in the Bay City. It is filled with “real life” artwork, paintings and digital works. Second Life artist, Layachi IHNEN, known in “real life” as Layachi Hamidouche is a painter, digital artist and a retired Professor of Mathematics. His artwork is so surreal because the color contrasts just grab the viewer, but also many of his works are of women. The interesting fact is that the faces of the women seem lively and vivid, but are surrounded with digital graphics that draws the viewer to her face and magically takes you to her eyes. I was instantly stunned after waiting for all the art to focus in, by the details of his works. There were no other visitors in the gallery, not even the artist, but I did see a sign that he was there July 5. This just shows what a wonderful way to advertise your works to viewers on Second Life. If I have never have gone into this gallery, I would have never of known who Layachi Hamidouche was!

Bible Land















My curiosity landed me in Israel to the Bible Land. This place was simply gorgeous filled with waterfalls, crosses, beautiful greeneries, the stones with the Ten Commandments, and a river where baptisms are preformed. It is a family area, where many times children watch their parents as they come here to study the Bible. Strict rules especially for women. We need to cover ourselves up so no cleavage or stomach is shown. Our dresses need to be long enough so that when we sit down it laps over the knees. I was all alone in this place at that time, but there are schedules meeting times with the Pastor since he is a “real life” Minister. In real life, I have never been to the Holy Lands, but I am sure there is a place that would resemble this location there.

Lady Liberty















I took a journey through NYC and came across many interesting sites. I came across NYC public library, which is under construction for the enhancement of the world. It was even huge in this world. I was able to find the Statue of Liberty sitting alone in the water. It was hard to get the camera in front of her so I was only able to get the picture from the side. Surrounding the Statue of Liberty is many sandy beaches, which resembles resorts. In the “real world”, you will not find resorts in NYC! Visiting Lady Liberty was very educational, many signs and write-ups with information about her, which is great for students who are using the “world” for educational purposes.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Mount Rushmore
















Here I visited Mount Rushmore National Memorial. It consists of four presidents of the US. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The art work is very similar to the "real" memorial of the presidents.

Renaissance Island

The second role-play area I visited was Renaissance Island. It was a recreation of Victorian England. The people there seemed to be more history oriented than in Roma. There was a lot of educational information on the Victorian times and King Henry. It was an interesting world. There was a nice mix of role-play interest and educational information. Second Life causes a unique immersive experience that short of acting in a ren fair you’ll never get to experience. A renaissance fair is an interesting way to learn about the time period, but mostly the only people who role-play at the events are the actors. In Second Life, everyone who comes has agreed to role-play, and the fact they are there is proof that they have agreed to it. Even going to a fair isn’t the same kind of role-play experience that you’ll get from Second Life. If you truly immerse in it you can become part of it and enjoy a completely different world.

Roma

In Roma, there was one of the two role-play areas visited. In this area there was both a market and a more classical Roman area. The digital Rome came complete with causeways, gladiatorial combat, and chariot races. It was a very immersive area where people are friendly and enjoy getting into the spirit of a world set in ancient Rome. It was a place of commerce, community, and togas. It was a fun world made to simulate Rome, but there will never be a way to capture the real massive feeling of a city like Rome. Digital people are not the same as a crowded city street. There was a strict set of role-play rules, but the rules helped to keep the entire community in the spirit of an ancient Roman experience. The rules even extended to appropriate dress that could be provided free when you agree to their rules.

Sistine Chapel


In this recreation of the Sistine Chapel, we can stand in awe of the great paintings that we most likely would never be able to see in real life and without the incredible crowds that would normally be there. This chapel was on Vassar Island and is an excellent recreation. When there, the scale is incredibly off. It doesn’t nearly convey the awe that comes with being in such a massive work of art. The amount of people visiting the real Sistine Chapel is beginning to wear down the artwork because of the humidity and carbon dioxide given off by people. This digital version is a good way to view the art that’s safe for the art for years to come. It’s not as grand as the real thing but it is safe. It’s safe for the art and for the student.

Visual Hallucination Area

In this area, there are both auditory and visual effects to give players in SL a sense of what it means to experience schizophrenia. All throughout the tour, you’re constantly bombarded with voices telling you that you are wrong, you are not real, you are worthless, and that you should kill yourself. When you looked at books all the text faded away with the exception of the word “Death,” the floor disappeared and visions became distorted. One of the stories in the area was of a person who saw himself die in the mirror every morning, and it had a picture that would distort when looked at. The area does give an eerie feeling, but it’s not the same as experiencing a mental illness in real life. It shows a short example of the symptoms, but does not convey the true feelings of that kind of torment.

The Car Dealer


Yes, there are even car dealers in Second life. This dealer is selling what appear to primarily be real cars. Although some appear to be cars you wouldn't find at your local dealer.

The Great Mall


This screenshot is of a mall called "The Great Mall". As you can see there are many stores inside, just like a mall in real life. It appears the global economy also affects the economy inside second life, many of the store spaces in this mall have for rent signs on them.

IEEE Island


This is a screenshot of IEEE island. The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is one of the leading international standards institutes and develops and maintains standards for many consumer electronics. The island they have created in Second Life is to support awareness for the institute unfortunately it is still under construction.

Kiku Gallery at Amatsu Shima



This screen shot is of the Kiku gallery. This gallery features different artists from time to time. When this screenshot was taken the gallery was featuring STUMPTOWN: Real life photography of Melissa Toledo & Earth Oliver.