Blinks
Monday, 10 September, 2007
- The Australian has a short article on Jorge Cham. (Bec and I hope there's enough room in the lecture theatre for us to see him tonight!)
- ‘Even in the Virtual World, “Stuff” Matters’: Fascinating New York Times article about Second Life's conventionality:
When people are given the opportunity to create a fantasy world, they can and do defy the laws of gravity (you can fly in Second Life), but not of economics or human nature. Players in this digital, global game don't have to work, but many do. They don't need to change clothes, fix their hair, or buy and furnish a home, but many do. They don't need to have drinks in their hands at the virtual bar, but they buy cocktails anyway, just to look right, to feel comfortable.
Second Life residents find ways to make money so they can spend it to do things, look impressive, and get more stuff, even if it's made only of pixels. In a place where people should never have to clean out their closets, some end up devoting hours to organizing their things, purging, even holding yard sales.
- But this one—‘Boys Cast Out by Polygamists Find Help’—exposes the sadder side of polygamy. (God knew what he was doing making marriage one man for one woman for life ...).
- ‘Lather, Rinse, Donate’: What happens to hair donated to charity. (I hope this isn't what happened when I sent my hair to Locks of Love!)
- A rather cold Salon article—‘I'm a new university student. How do I make friends?’—but it's not about making friends, it's about making allies and protecting yourself from getting hurt—as if one should suppress one's relational needs and regard others as consumer items or utilities. So so sad ...
Blinks:
A way of funding writing in the future: pitch and idea and get people to support it.
Place where you can hire play equipment for parties, etc.
How to recalibrate the home button on your iPhone.
Unsolicited manuscripts accepted by Pan Macmillan with certain conditions.
Thought Balloon is a group blog in which the writers tackle a new theme every week? month? with one-page scripts. This URL is for their Phonogram ones.
How to sew a zipper on a knitted garment.
Issues organised by tale.
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hey, have you created a Second Life identity yet/previously?
Would it be fair to speculate your interest in Second Life stems from a combination of a) Second Life as a peculiarly pure reflection of human social interactions and desires, and b) research into the future?
You know me too well, Fish; that’s exactly it!
I’ve never dabbled in Second Life and I don’t really have a desire to do so. It might be different if people I knew were playing too ...