Second Life- Game? Lifestyle? or Reality?

In his November 15, 2009 post, Silicon Valley’s Sleeper Sensation: Linden Lab Takes a Rocket Launcher to Social Media, Doug Thompson, who blogs under the avatar, Dusan Writer, suggested that Second Life is developing into "a rich tool set of communication, social media and immersion applications that allow[s] you to seamlessly shift from 2D to 3D experiences and back again." Having recently entered the world of Second life myself, however, I am skeptical of Thompson's claim.

Under the avatar "iIcia Delicioso," I have spent the past few days navigating the site, and by navigating, I mean flying around "Help Island." Although it holds that it is a "user-generated 3D environment that comes with relatively easy-to-use building and scripting tools that anyone can learn," Second Life definitely involves a large amount of technical finesse, which I as a stuffy English major appear to lack. Tasks such changing my hairstyle or outfit that come so naturally to me in the First Life, present unparalleled challenges in the Second Life. My poor avatar is currently sporting a lopsided ponytail and purple poka-dotted dress that not even the less fashionable person would wear.

Despite my novice issues with operating Second Life, I can appreciate the truly intelligence and innovation that this project represents. As the youtube clips about the University of Ohio and Fashion schools illustrate, the virtual world of Second Life allows its users to create and facilitate situations or events that would normally be too costly or time-consuming in the First Life. Through its 3-D interface, Second Life creates a world where learning can be done without the limits physical space.

An Experiment with Many Eyes

Bubble Wrap :)

Following Sam as he photographed portions of the world to bring images to his blind mother, Wim Wender's Until the End of the World celebrates the ordinary world through the interface of technology. As a viewer, I was admittedly very confused, both by the plot and by cinematography of the film. It would be senseless, and almost embarrassing, for me to even attempt to critique the film from a cinematic standpoint, so I am going to try to do it from my comfort zone, as a visual rhetoric critique.

When analyzing the how the film presents sight, I was immediately struck how Wenders employs the use of Polaroids. His characters seem obsessed with using them, both as hand-held devices and fixed booths. I believe that these Polaroids offered a tangible proof of their existence amongst the chaos of their every changing and transitive world. As the plot and film progress at an alarming, and arguably confusing pace, the Polaroids serve as the physical reminder of what had already happened. For the characters, I think they were meant to capture and remember their identity. For the viewers, I believe they were meant to illustrate Wenders contention that amongst the infinitely undefined universe, individuals are constantly struggling to find their vision of themselves.