Posts with tag second life

Second Life Clamps Down on Porn

by Evan Shamoon — Mar 13th 2009 at 5:32PM

In a move we can only assume is being made somewhat begrudgingly, Linden Lab, the company that makes the persistent online universe 'Second Life ,' has announced that it's going to start cracking down on the game's seedy underbelly.

Various measures are being implemented to take the edge off: All "adult" services and sales will take place inside a predetermined section of the 'Second Life' universe and the in-game search engine will apparently filter out "adult" advertisements (wonder if this will work as well as our e-mail filters?). Finally, all users will have to pass through an age verification process in order to access the adult content.

The company has tried similar measures in the past with little success, so only time will tell how well these new rules can be enforced. Either way, don't expect 'Second Life' to stop being what it always has been: the place to let your freak-flag fly. [From: Business Insider]

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Tags: adult, bans, linden lab, LindenLab, porn, pornography, second life, SecondLife, top, virtual worlds, VirtualWorlds

Computers, Video Games

Woman Divorces Husband Over 'Second Life' Tryst

by Terrence O'Brien — Feb 9th 2009 at 6:21PM

Another day, another marriage ruined by the Internet. Not surprisingly, the online virtual world 'Second Life,' in particula,r seems to be destroying the holy bond of matrimony every chance it gets.

We can add the tale of UK couple John and Lisa Best to the list of reports of 'Second Life' infidelity leading to divorce. The mindbogglingly-careless John was laying in bed with his wife when he was caught having an online dalliance as his avatar, Troy Hammerthal. In case the name weren't enough of an obvious clue, then this next bit should do the trick: Turns out his virtual tryst was with another man.

Lisa awoke and quietly observed John on his laptop for a few moments before confronting him about the "gay dungeon romps." John, of course, immediately slammed his laptop shut and later defended himself saying that he was doing it, "for a laugh," and denied being gay.

Tags: affair, divorce, funny, love, marriage, relationships, second life, SecondLife, virtual worlds, VirtualWorlds, weird

Computers

Woman Finds 'Second Life' as Avatar Prostitute

by Terrence O'Brien — Jan 16th 2009 at 9:24AM

One day, someone will teach a college class on the sociological implications of 'Second Life.' In a place that so perfectly, yet whimsically, mirrors the real world, there are bound to be things that peak the interest of anyone with even a passing curiosity in human nature.

One tale that has caught the attention of many is that of Palela Alderson, a 26 year-old Italian woman, who has taken to the virtual world in order to live out her fantasy of being a prostitute. Alderson told Green Pixels in an interview that she has had a life long fascination with prostitution, and even attempted to become one in the real world. After buying a cell phone specifically for clients to reach her on and putting up advertisements, Alderson discovered should couldn't carry through with it, because she was afraid of what her family would think.

Tags: prostitute, prostitution, second life, SecondLife, sex, virtual world, virtual worlds, VirtualWorld, VirtualWorlds, web

Video Games

UK Woman Divorces Husband Over Behavior on 'Second Life'

by Lee Bains — Nov 17th 2008 at 11:24AM

Real-life married couple Amy and David Pollard have filed for divorce in England due to a dispute over Mr. Pollard's 'Second Life' character (called an "avatar") having virtual sex with the avatar of another woman, the Telegraph tell us.

Mr. and Ms. Pollard -- who, themselves, first "met" on 'Second Life' -- had been married (in geek bliss we'd imagine) for three years until Ms. Pollard discovered her husband's avatar in an intimate position with that of another woman. Inconsolably upset, Ms. Pollard accused Mr. Pollard of infidelity, as she considered this kind of online behavior tantamount to cheating. Finally, Mr. Pollard admitted that he no longer cared to be married to Ms. Pollard, their discussions culminating in divorce proceedings.

Now separated from his wife, Mr. Pollard has become engaged to the same American woman with whom he cyber-cheated. They have never met in person. For her part, Ms. Pollard has also found a new love, in the form of a gentleman she encountered online while playing 'World Of Warcraft.'

On our side of things, we're at a loss for witticisms, here; this story is just too depressing (and hilarious) on far too many levels. [From: Telegraph]

Tags: divorce, infidelity, second life, SecondLife, world of warcraft, WorldOfWarcraft

Computers

Woman Divorces Husband After Catching Him Cheating in 'Second Life'

by Dan Reilly — Nov 14th 2008 at 1:04PM

It's safe to say most wives would be mad if they caught their husband having virtual sex in Second Life. When Amy Taylor caught her husband with another woman's avatar, the infidelity might as well have been real.

Taylor and her husband, David Pollard, are divorcing after three years of geekily wedded bliss after Pollard, described as a "jobless 40-year-old," was caught doing the online nasty with other Second Life women. The couple originally met in a chat room and moved in together after exchanging photos, emails, and calls. The 28-year-old Taylor actually caught Pollard having virtual sex only a few months after they started dating but they reconciled and got married, both in reality and in Second Life.

Tags: divorce, infidelity, relationship, second life, SecondLife, virtual worlds, VirtualWorlds, web, weird

Computers

Virtual Worlds Drag Racism Into the 21st Century

by Terrence O'Brien — Sep 29th 2008 at 8:30AM

Can racism actually exist in a world inhabited by avatars, such as 'Second Life' and 'World of Warcraft?' Researchers at Northwestern University seem to think so after conducting a series of social manipulation studies.

The researchers used two different social manipulation techniques known to work well in the real world. The so-called foot in the door (FITD) approach asks a simple favor of someone that can be quickly and easily accomplished making the person more likely to agree to future requests, while the door in the face (DITF) approach makes a more complex and time consuming request at first, making the person more likely to agree to a simpler follow up request.

The really interesting (and disturbing) results came when researchers decided to add another variable to their experiment -- skin tone. They set the skin tone of their avatars to the extremest light and dark ends of the allowable spectrum then approached random users to make their requests. When using the FITD method, 75-percent of people agreed to the second request, and 80-percent agreed when the DITF method was employed. The catch was that these results were for white avatars only. When the researchers used darker-skinned avatars, only 60-percent agreed to the second request of either approach.

It's both disturbing and absurd that racism has been dragged into virtual worlds, places where people can be anyone they want. It's unclear whether black avatars are being discriminated against because the users are perceived as black, or because the users are choosing black avatars. We thought the Internet was supposed to break down barriers and bring people together -- guess we were being a little overly idealistic. [From: Ars Technica]

Tags: mmorpg, racism, research, second life, SecondLife, virtual worlds, VirtualWorlds, world of warcraft, WorldOfWarcraft, wow

Computers, Video Games

Failed 'Second Life' Romance Leads to Attempted Kidnapping

by Tim Stevens — Aug 25th 2008 at 5:01PM

In 'Second Life,' players create elaborate avatars and participate in fanciful deeds (and misdeeds), often engaging in virtual romances that rarely survive longer than one of the game's many failed virtual banks. One relationship, though, was apparently a bit more serious -- or so thought North Carolina player Kimberly Jernigan, who attempted multiple real-world kidnappings of her in-game beau after their relationship ended.

After the two met in the real world the relationship apparently ended. Jernigan first showed up at the employer of her 52-year-old former virtual lover and attempted to kidnap him there at gunpoint. Failing there, she went to his home in Delaware two weeks later, broke in, and waited. He walked in the door and saw her pointing a gun with a laser pointer at his chest (it would later be found filled with BBs, not bullets). He fled the premises, and she did too apparently, later being apprehended at a Maryland rest stop. She's being held on charges of attempted kidnapping, burglary, and aggravated menacing. It all sounds like a typical day in the world of 'Second Life,' but obviously real world authorities weren't too interested in playing along. [From: cbs3.com]

Tags: breaking news, BreakingNews, crime, kidnapping, second life, SecondLife

Computers, Google

Google's Lively Is 'Second Life' for the Web

by Tim Stevens — Jul 11th 2008 at 7:03AM

We've reported on many of the ups and downs of online virtual world 'Second Life' over the years, and while it continues to be a fascinating experiment in a number of ways, it hasn't exactly found much in the way of mainstream popularity. Undaunted, Google is trying its hand at the concept, launching 'Lively,' an online virtual world in which you can jump into 3-D rooms and chat with others visiting the same pages you are.

Like 'Second Life,' in 'Lively' you create an avatar to represent yourself in the 3-D world, then roam about the room and chat with others. It is, as of now, a rather more limited experience than its predecessor, as you can't customize items, clothing, or locations to the extent that you can in 'Second Life,' and the overall environments are much smaller. But thanks to those limitations it's also a lot simpler to get into than 'Second Life,' and presumably will be a little bit friendlier too -- at least for a little while. [Source: Google ]

Tags: google, lively, second life, SecondLife, social networking, SocialNetworking, virtual-worlds, Web, web apps, WebApps

Computers

Campuses Moving Online to 'Second Life?'

by Terrence O'Brien — May 30th 2008 at 3:01PM

It used to be that getting a degree online was a joke. Internet colleges were the new mail-order diploma -- saying you got your degree online was like saying your diploma was found at the bottom of a Cracker-Jack box.

Times have changed. Not only is it now acceptable for classes to be taught online, but schools are considered behind the times if they don't have some online element. Dozens of reputable colleges offer online courses, Ivy league institutions like MIT and Yale offer lectures and course materials for free online and as downloads via iTunes.

San Jose State University has decided to take things even further, moving the entire campus online in the increasingly popular online world of 'Second Life.' Students interact, complete assignments, and give presentations all in a virtual class in a virtual world. San Jose State isn't the only university to buy up land in 'Second Life,' but it is one of the few that has developed it and put it to use.

Is 'Second Life' the future of the online classroom? Maybe, but probably not. Interacting with avatars is likely just a stepping stone to high quality streamed audio and video that makes taking a class online exactly like being there, though it will make it harder to discreetly make eye contact with the cute girl across the room. [Source: Yahoo! News]

Tags: college, education, school, second life, SecondLife

Computers, Video Games

U.S. Intelligence Looking For Terrorists In "Virtual Worlds"

by Evan Shamoon — Mar 5th 2008 at 10:01AM

In an effort to cover all its bases, the U.S .government has begun a project to help spot terrorists who are using "virtual worlds" as their forum – World of Warcraft, Second Life, et al.

The program is essentially trained to set its baseline for what is to be considered "normal" behavior in online worlds, and zero in on strange or suspicious activity. Of course, when the de-factor activity is, say, killing a night elf with a level 73 Wand of Unscrupluousness, it's kinda tough to say what's cool and what's not.

"It's a positive step," said Andrew Cochran, founder and co-chairman of the Counterterrorism Foundation. "For a number of years we were behind in chasing jihadists' presence on the net and detecting it."

And now, finally, they can interrupt WoW raids without a warrant. Hmm.

From BBC

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Tags: second life, SecondLife, security, virtual worlds, VirtualWorlds, world of warcraft, WorldOfWarcraft

Computers, Video Games

Hello Kitty's New Online Virtual World

by Terrence O'Brien — Feb 14th 2008 at 5:25PM

Are you a fan of 'World of Warcraft' but wish it was a little bit cuter? Then check out 'Hello Kitty Online.' That's right, the ambassador of all things cute and Japanese is getting her own Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game or MMORPG.

Currently the online world is in a "closed beta testing phase", meaning it's not yet open to the public, but it should be officially opened very shortly. Like every other MMORPG, in 'Hello Kitty Online' you create a character or avatar to represent you in the virtual world and interact with other players. You'll be able to wander around the Flower Kingdom, London, Paris, Moscow and other places playing mini-games, talking to players, and building the virtual world as you go along.

"...there are many activities for players to choose from. Aside from the monster-filled adventure areas, players can dig for ore in a mine, or range the forests to pick fruit from trees. Farming allows you to plant, grow and harvest your own crops..." say the people from Kelly Kitty Online.

And that's just a small taste. The game promises countless activities and boundless cuteness. We can only say one thing about this game -- Awwww.

From Shiny Shiny

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Tags: hello kitty, HelloKitty, mmorpg, second life, SecondLife, social, video game, VideoGame, world of warcraft, WorldOfWarcraft, wow

Computers, Video Games, Virtual Worlds

Virtual Banks Crumbling in 'Second Life'

by Tim Stevens — Jan 16th 2008 at 6:57PM

Whether or not you've ever explored the typically flamboyant vistas of the virtual world 'Second Life' or have any desire to do so, the virtual community with few rules and fewer rule enforcers is still a fascinating social experiment to study from the outside. So, it's with morbid curiosity that we sit back and watch as many major financial institutions in the virtual world begin to fall to pieces.

In August of last year a very popular in-game bank went bust. Those who invested in the establishment lost a combined $750,000 in real money. This has resulted in new regulations going into effect. As of next week, unofficial virtual banks in the online destination will be banned -- any that promise interest on money received, anyhow. That's not to say all banking will be forbidden, but the fly-by-night operations that were promising double-digit returns on investments are a thing of the past. This has predictably resulted in a huge run as players are desperate to get their cash out and, like real banks, virtual ones just don't have all the cash available at any one time.

If you're wondering what the fuss is about gamers losing virtual Linden dollars in the game, it's because players can cash out their virtual currency for real dollars whenever they like, making those unrealistic interest rates look very, very appealing. Linden Lab, the company behind the virtual world, maintains detailed statistics and graphs tracking the in-game economy, and we're inclined to think that it's in for a bit of a recession in the coming weeks and months ... just like a certain other economy we can think of.

From Tom's Hardware

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Tags: Banks, Second Life, SecondLife, Virtual Economy, VirtualEconomy

Computers, Video Games

CNN Creates Second Life News Bureau

by Joshua Fruhlinger — Nov 13th 2007 at 4:35PM

Because there's so much going on in Second Life on a regular basis (we're only being partially sarcastic here), CNN opened up a news bureau dedicated to the virtual world that has millions addicted. With the news blog, which CNN dubs "SL I-Reports: Your news of a virtual world", CNN is inviting SL members to file their own reports at a news desk located in the polygonal alternative universe.

Don't expect a bevy of serious journalism here, however, as virtually anyone can submit stories to the service. One story shows a picture of people standing around the CNN I-Report center, which, apparently, is breaking news. Another includes a brief story about a Second Life character known as Loch Lommond attempting to break a bull riding record. Another, perhaps more interesting one, covers the construction of a virtual Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

Cool stuff? Perhaps. This could get interesting around election time, as several candidates have already created presences in Second Life.

From CNN

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Tags: cnn, news, second life, SecondLife

Audio/Video, Computers, Video Games, TV

'CSI' and 'The Office' Coming to 'Second Life'

by Terrence O'Brien — Oct 17th 2007 at 4:45PM

Online virtual worlds are taking over. It would seem as though World of Warcraft and Second Life are cultish phenomena inhabited primarily by the uber-dorky, but if mainstream television is an indicator, things are changing.

Recently, 'South Park' aired an episode in which much of the animation was modified in-game footage from World of Warcraft, while 'The Simpsons' parodied the virtual world in an episode in which Bart and Marge become engrossed in an online role playing world called Earthland Realms.

Second Life isn't left out of the party either: 'Law and Order:SVU' chased a rapist through a fictional virtual world called AY, and, in the October 25th episode of 'The Office,' Dwight Schrute explores Second Life proclaiming his desire to calculate an exchange rate for Linden Dollars (the currency in Second Life) for Schrute Bucks.

The most inventive tie in is coming soon from an upcoming episode of 'CSI: NY,' in which a killer escapes into the world of Second Life. The episode will end with a cliffhanger and pick up in the the virtual world of Second Life, where viewers will be able to help solve the case in a virtual crime lab. In the Spring, the show will pick up where the virtual story line leaves off.

Already, 'The Office' has created its own social networking site / virtual world called Dunder Mifflin Infinity, where branches of the fictional paper company hire employees and compete for Schrute bucks. Sadly, at the moment, the site is barely functional and some have speculated that it's one big ironic joke.

From Virtual Worlds News and Information Week

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Tags: csi, dunder mifflin, DunderMifflin, law and order, LawAndOrder, office, second life, SecondLife, simpsons, south park, SouthPark, virtual, world of warcraft, WorldOfWarcraft, wow

Computers, Video Games

Second Life Virtual Bank Collapses, Losses at $750K

by Tim Stevens — Aug 16th 2007 at 1:12PM

A virtual bank in the virtual world of 'Second Life' has collapsed, taking with it 200,000,000 Linden dollars, the in-game currency currency used for exchange within the game world. If you're shrugging your shoulders thinking this is the digital equivalent of running off with a whole pile of Monopoly money, you should know that Linden dollars can be exchanged for real dollars, and 200,000,000 Lindens has a value of roughly $750,000.

That's a lot of green, pixelated or otherwise.

The bank, called Ginko, became very popular over its three-plus year existence thanks to incredibly high returns on investment, as high as 60% in some cases. But, like many other investments offering that degree of gain, this one proved too good to be true. Turns out the bank founder won't reveal what he did with the money, and in-game laws don't dictate that he even has to. Meanwhile, others have compared the Ginko "bank" to a pyramid scheme in which a few on top have run away with some serious cash. Given the lack of in-game regulations for banks it remains to be seen just what, if anything, 'Second Life' citizens will get of their lost funds.

From 'Wired'

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Tags: ginko, Second Life, SecondLife

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Celebrities on Twitter

Recently, media personalities have taken to celebrity Twitterers like fat kids to the neighborhood ice cream truck. But don't be fooled, dear readers. We here at Switched are the fattest on the block. So, without further ado, we present to you the most ridiculous, significant, misspelled and/or out-of-context tweets by the most recognizable folks we could find. Enjoy.

Shaquille O'Neal
"I'm goin to the alamo tomorro to get one of those daniel boone squirrel tail hats, I'm n san antonio, in case u didn't kno were the alamo is"

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Tina Fey
"I don't know why I even bother chewing corn anymore."

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Ashton Kutcher
"There's nothing cool about being a pimp. Pimp = Slave Owner"

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Britney Spears
"Britney went to Jerry's Deli last night for after shopping at Target. She had a black and white milkshake with dinner. Lauren"

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John Tesh
"JT is shopping with women. I need a guy film."

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Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz
"When I'm asleep on the inside only you get my acid washed mind."

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President Barack Obama
"We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks"

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Senator John McCain
"YEs!! I am twittering on my blackberry but not without a little help!"

Getty

John Cleese
"Thinking about tooth decay..."

Getty

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