The popularity of Second Life has completely escalated with over 13 million worldwide registered accounts, not only this, the virtual residents of the digital continent trade, buy and sell in 'the marketplace' which currently supports millions of US dollars in monthly transaction with the in-world trade of the 'Linden Dollar' (SecondLife.com). The introduction of this virtual community has provided the basis of a 'significant paradigm shift' (Bruns, 2008), where the rise of social software stands to have a profound impact on social practices, the media, economic and legal frameworks (Bruns, 2008). The perfect example is in the produsage and produsers, as residents of Second Life retain intellectual rights they are surrounded by their own and fellow community members creations. As Bruns (2008) explains, "Second Life operator Linden Lab's decision to break with standard industry practice in allowing its community to retain copyright over its contributions is commercially exploiting produsers without remuneration or acknowledgement"(p. 4).
This context of user-led content creation needs to be challenged as real-life problems are beginning to plague the virtual world. Second Life enthusiasts are realising the world as having limits, with activity such as illegal gambling, tax-free commerce, child pornography and bestiality currently practiced in the virtual community. You only have to hear the words 'age-play' to be concerned with the open-mindedness of the virtual reality, the practice has recently come under serious scrutiny as it has been discovered that adults are engaging in sexual activities with avatars made to look like children and the lack of law and limits makes it unlikely to press charges (Terdiman, 2006). One of the major appeal of Second Life is the freedom and privacy of the online community making it harder for the website to restrict illicit activity without loosing registrations.
Even with its ignominies, I personally recognise the significant of Second Life as a useful online tool. The collaborative environment breaks down the boundaries between producers and consumers and allows participants to share information and knowledge, become filmmakers, musicians, university students, tycoons and housewives. As with any online community there are problems and scandals but you only have to see the formation of a complete online economy to really realise the value of this virtual phenomena that allows people to be creative, worldly and free. All in all, if this trend persists, the balance between mass and networked media will continue to further shift in favour of us 'citizens'.
References:
Bruns, A (2008). The Future Is User-Led: The Path Towards Widespread Produsage. (http://produsage.org/files/The%20Future%20Is%20User-Led%20(PerthDAC%202007).pdf
(accessed May 13, 2008).
Bruns, A (2008). Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond: From Production to Produsage. News Blogs and Citizen Journalism: Perpetual Collaboration in Evaluating the News (p.69-100). PeterLang: New York
Terdiman, D. (2006). Phony Kids, Virtual Sex. Cnetnews.com. http://www.news.com/Phony-kids,-virtual-sex/2100-1043_3-6060132.html
(accessed May 14, 2007).
1 comment:
I believe that the elements of Second Life that it owes it's success to, will be the same ones which will be the cause of its downfall. What makes second life extraordinary and so different from any virtual community ever created previously, is the fact that it so closely resembles reality. Except with the added bonus of providing the anonymity necessary to allow people to interact, free of inhibitions.
In order to provide users with the tools necessary to become wholly engaged in the virtual community, Second Life had to make possible applications such as business enterprises, sexual relations and information sharing. Second Life, by bringing into play these more “true-to-life” experiences, has made the online community more vulnerable to misuse. The real life problems discussed in your blog such as child pornography, illegal gambling and tax-free commerce are all negative repercussions of the community’s “open” nature. I agree with you that if Second Life tried to restrict users in order to rectify these problems, that it would lose a lot of its appeal to users.
Your blog is excellent in the way it discusses the way in which Second Life profits from the hard work of it’s users; much in the same way many other online communities such as World of Warcraft do. It is important to acknowledge that produsage is not always a positive phenomenon.
Post a Comment