Avatars as media Stars: Second Life as a Global Media Event

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Sebastian KlementProf. Dr. Caja ThimmIfK/Medienwissenschaft

Avatars as media Stars: Second Life as a Global Media Event

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1. Second Life as a media event

2. Avatars as media stars

3. Media events in Second Life and Real Life

4. Future of Second Life

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Facts about Second Life

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Explore Create

Socialize Have fun

Second Life is not an online computer game

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Cybermoney in Second Life: Linden$• 1 US$ = 270 Linden$• Buy and sell Linden$ from Linden Lab• Spend the money for …• Earn money, get rich (?)

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Capitalbusiness magazine

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DER SPIEGELweekly journal

8FAZ, national newspaper

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Avatars as media stars

Getting started in Second Life:All you need is an avatar…

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Avatars are…

• Internet user´s representation of himself or herself,such representations can explore the virtual universe

• avatars can be in the form of a 3D model (computer games)or a two-dimensional icon (Internet forums, other communities) • origin derives from the Sanscript word Avatara, meaning “incarnation”

• Use of Avatar to mean online virtual body was popularisedby Neal Stephenson in his cyberpunk novel Snow Crash (1992)

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Who do you want to be? Editing the appearence…

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Founder of Second Life“: Philip Linden

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The Businesswoman: Anshe Chung

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Real Life meets Second Life: famous ex-general manager Calmund talks about his involvement in Second Life

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Rainer Calmund presents his Second Life project on TV (Stern TV)

19Calmund becomes an avatar

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22His new appearence

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Calmund as avatar in Second Life

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64.000 virtual m² „Calli´s Island“

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Real life meets Second Life

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Media events in Second Life and Real Life

Mass media in Second Life

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Newspaper: The Avastar

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Avastar headquarters

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• December 2006:German tabloid giant „Bild“ launched this in-world virtual newspaper

• provides news, entertainment, service and orientation for the residents

• issue costs 150 Linden$

• being sold through street vendors and self-service boxes

• 4 editors and many freelancers provide the news in Second Life

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Television: Life-4-U

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Headquarters Life-4-U

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Animated anchorman

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TV event: live broadcasting of Lang Lang´s concert

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Also available in Real Life. Lang Lang on YouTube

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Lang Lang in the press: coverage before and after the concert

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Spreading the news: free television to go

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News agency: Reuters

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REUTERS News Center: Second Life and Real Life News

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Headquarters: Reuters

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The link between Second Life and Real Life

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Reuters Auditorium

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Live interview with Desmond Tutu

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Mixed media event: Desmond Tutu and interviewer in Cape Town

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Live avatar audience listen to the interview

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The future of Second Life

• Second Life overhyped?

• Importance of Second Life as a space for social and technological experimentation

• eventisation, no future without media events in SL

• allowing its members freedom in how they create their world

place where we can try out the technologies, improve the interfaces and figure out what forms of social relationship work online

early stage in building usable and useful online environments

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Thank you for your attention.

Kontakt:Prof. Dr. Caja Thimm: thimm@uni-bonn.deSebastian Klement: sklement@uni-bonn.de