In the Metaverse Manifesto
It reads:
“The abolition of the past-dominated state will be decried … as anarchy.”
And so here we have a reductionists screaming:Â “An abolition of culture!”
Just as we knew they would.
So keep me posted for the upcoming statements from reductionists:
An abolition of history!
An abolition of reason!
If you see any posts or articles stating that we are ruining history and reason please notify me immediately.
Best,
-MRO
TechCrunch.com has posted a roundup of Virtual Worlds they visited.
The post is here: virtual world hangouts-so many to choose from
They also include a matrix summarizing some qualities of the worlds, which is similar to the chart by Virtual Worlds News located here.
So now with so many worlds getting online, the question will be shifting to: Which worlds for which users? Which functions work for which users? And on to the next generation of all of these worlds. That’s the purpose of the Virtual World SIG to sort these things out for investors, companies and users.
It’s good to see virtual worlds getting attention, as of course MRO thinks that they are a model for many elements that will form the future of the metaverse.
Aug. 27 join us for a discussion of the latest virtual currency to hit your inbox.
-MRO
I’m enjoying the emergence of the opposition voices, as I described the Metaverse Manifesto
But really, “Web 2.0†has transformed our culture into a crowd of mediocrity without a voice.”
Mediocre? – All the experts and old media elites are blogging away like mad not to get left behind.
Crowd? – yes indeed and that’s what makes it interesting
Without a voice? – how about “with a voice”, and that’s why the author is concerned about our well being.
The debate is going on at alwayson.com … Where they say…Run – hide! Shut down them blasphemous blogs and unauthorized printin’ presses!
Needless to say, MRO is in favor of free markets for realities.
Debate here:
http://alwayson.goingon.com/permalink/post/16662
My response:
No need too worry
Hi,
Couple of things:
You will not have to choose between corporate-controlled media and new media. No person is stopping you from watching TV or reading newspapers.
I simply think that free, accessible markets are better. You say that “Web 2.0 start-ups are now radically undermining the closed system”, where you could just simply state “Web 2.0 start-ups are now offering new products that were not available in the closed system”. There must be some economic stake here, otherwise how could one defend “the closed system”?
You may want to rethink the difference between “culture” and “entertainment products” Your examples (“a Hitchcock movie, a U2 song) are not culture – they are films and songs. If corporate entertainment products are your “culture” there will be no shortage of those. Again, no worries.
There is a distinctive feature in this revolution – those who do not wish to participate can have their closed worlds intact. It’s simply not for you, and as I state in the Metaverse Manifesto, the corporate media “simply have no relevant product for this new marketplace” despite many attempts.
If the closed system is just right for you, why post these dismissive articles on the internet? Shouldn’t you write in mainstream newspapers and warn those readers to stay away from blogs and YouTube least it undermine their culture?
I understand the concern you have amidst what is sometimes a chaotic, confusing, and noisy new era. Remember that most found the industrial revolution chaotic, confusing, and noisy too. In the end, we were better off with more choices.
Thanks for the opportunity to comment on the article.
- MRO
I’m really happy to announce that MRO will be hosting the much talked about firm Seriosity at the next Virtual World SIG. I’m really looking forward to this advancing the discussion on bringing virtual world ideas into the workplace. I mean, how can you not realize that work is an MMOG. Soon we have to ask, will Gamerz really make better Managerz? Explore these questions and what they mean for virtual worlds at this unique meeting.
Check out the new SIG event page here.
Title:
Synthetic Currency – Real Work: Using a Virtual Economy to Solve the Problem of Information Overload
Abstract
Complex multiplayer games foreshadow new possibilities for the future of work. An increasingly large portion of game play is collaborative and strategic, and it requires sustained interactions with several players. The engagement of games and the lessons they foster may influence a new gamer generation to expect real work that better resembles the structure of complex play.
This talk will review the recipe for successful games, the convergence of games and the future of work, and describe a new software application that tackles the problem of information overload in corporate email using psychological and economic principles from successful virtual worlds. The application (produced by Seriosity, Inc. and called Attent) creates a synthetic economy with a currency that enables users to attach value to outgoing email to signal importance. It gives recipients the ability to prioritize messages and a reserve of currency that they can use to signal importance of their messages to others. The software also provides a variety of tools and rewards that enable everyone to track and analyze communication patterns and information exchanges in the enterprise.
The lively marketplace that emerges from the attention economy offers new insights into collaboration, productivity and leadership.
Bios
Byron Reeves, Ph.D. is a Professor at Stanford University and Faculty Director of the Stanford Media X Partners Program. He is a leading expert on the psychology of interactive media, including complex multi-player games, and is co-author of The Media Equation. Dr. Reeves has worked at Microsoft Research on consumer and enterprise software, and has helped design software products for several large companies including IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Philips, and Schwab. He is a Co- Founder and board member at Seriosity.