Reactions to story from http://cnn.com

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  Are Second Life users on drugs? [Virtual Worlds]

  http://valleywag.com/373678/are-second-life-users-on-drugs
  249 days ago in Valleywag, Silicon Valley's Tech Gossip Rag · Authority: 6,495

  As a business, Second Life is a bust. As a technology, the virtual world is a joke. Using snake-oil metaphors to describe it would seem an injustice against toxic cure-alls were that not Second Life's new marketing peg. The autistic and near-autistic
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  Help! I’m an Introverted Writer in an Extraverts’ World!

  http://www.writersinthevirtualsky.com/shy-writers/
  58 days ago in WRITERS IN THE (virtual) SKY · Authority: 18

  Methinks it used to be far easier to be an introverted writer.  And since 95 percent of writers are introverted (according to Ursula LeGuin), me-double-thinks it used to be a whole lot easier to be a writer, period! Writers today have to be almost as expert at the extraverted skills of marketing and sales as they are at the craft of writing. So what’s an introverted writer to do (other than surrender to despair)? There’s advice all over the Internet, of course.  One of my favorites is a blog called Shrinking Violet Promotions, although just about every writing-related site (including this fascinating article from Atlantic.com) says something on the topic.  But I know from my work as an instructional designer that just reading about a skill does not produce mastery; you must also practice it in realistic situations. What does that have to do with Second Life?  Simple: Second Life lets us introverts practice being extraverted without making complete fools of ourselves! Seriously, Second Life is being used by all kinds of individuals and organizations to learn and practice life-skills. Here are just a few (really neat) examples: Avatars Help People with Disabilities Real-Life Fears Faced in Online World ‘Naughty Auties’ battle autism with virtual interaction Interview With the Agoraphobic: Fighting the Fear in Second Life CBS Second Life Show on how SL can help people with health challenges Likewise, Second Life can help us introverted writers practice the extravert skills required of 21st Century writers.  Especially those of us who live long distances from First Life opportunities for practice. “Hardly anybody ever writes anything nice about introverts. Extroverts rule. This is rather odd when you realise that about nineteen writers out of twenty are introverts. We are being taught to be ashamed of not being ‘outgoing’. But a writer’s job is ingoing.” ~ Ursula LeGuin “How in the world can that be?” I can hear some of you thinking.  Well, here are two areas where I’ve made major improvements — and all from the safety of my home office: 1. Reading/speaking to an audience One of the most common ways writers market themselves is by giving public readings.  Not a skill we are born with — especially introverts!  When I read my first story to an audience in SL, it was a disaster. (Part of the problem was that I didn’t know how to use a PC mic to speak in SL, so my delivery most closely resembled Roseanne Roseannadanna shouting a speech into the depths of Mammoth Cave.  Hence, I highly recommend first learning the basic techniques of SL voice chat; these videos by Torley Linden are fabulous for that!) But the beauty of it is that no one could see the abject fear and humiliation on my face or the fetal position I assumed when I realized the extent of the disaster!  Instead, I just apologized in text chat, said I was having microphone problems.  And the next time I was called up to read before this group, no one left, or even hissed or booed! Since then, each time I’ve read a story or poem in SL, I’ve worked to improve some aspect of public reading, one skill at a time — first the technical intricacies, then voice modulation, then performance reading, and so on — all from the safety of hiding behind an avatar who always looks composed! I’ve even managed to win a “Circle Slam” reading contest in SL (though I have to admit there was not a lot of competition). By the time I face my next First Life audience, both my confidence level and reading skill will be about a thousand percent higher than before SL. 2.  Networking with other writers This one relates to an astonishing discovery I made. First, understand that as an introvert, I prefer to listen than to talk — which means I have only the teensiest bit of experience carrying on a spontaneous, witty conversation with someone I just met.  Now, assume that person is an agent or an author I’m in awe of, well, needless to say the term “shrinking violet” becomes the understatement of the year! So when I meet writers or agents or publishers in First Life, my tongue usually ties up in knots, and I transform myself into as close an approximation as possible of the wallpaper. But, in Second Life, most communication is done via text chat, which is — well, writing, of course! My best skill!  Many writers talk about how they learn what they think by writing it down.  I’m the same way.  So in the virtual world, instead of responding to someone with bumbling “ah’s” and “ummm’s” and keeping my voice as low as possible so I can swallow a word if it sounds too stupid when it comes out, I can write my conversation!  Even review it and edit it before anyone sees it! In the world of text chat, no one hears my pauses, my stutters, my faux pas.  They only “hear” the actual words I want them to hear; my self-edited statements. As a result, I’ve developed more confidence in my ability to come up with relevant, even witty responses to others — even to authors way “up there.”  A skill that’s spread into First Life! Now when I meet someone, I have more trust that I’ll make the right response, which means I have less of the anxiety that prevents me from even thinking of something halfway intelligent to say and more belief in the worth of my contribution.  I no longer pray for the floor to swallow me; instead I open up to the other person, get to know him or her, share a little of myself — in essence forge another link in that network that’s so critical to a successful writing career. And best of all, I sometimes make a new friend! These are only two of the infinite ways to improve the skills needed to be a writer in the 21st Century, but you get the idea!  I’ll bet a lot of writers have discovered this awesome aspect of Second Life — if you’re one of them, how have you seen your skills grow?  We’d all love to hear about it, so please share in a comment!
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  OurFirstMarriage #72: Work Advice

  http://www.ourfirstmarriage.com/index.php/2008/04/23/ourfirs...
  223 days ago in OurFirstMarriage · Authority: 1

  We officially welcome Theresa to OFM. Some people are good at some things and others are good at others. Either suck it up and get good at both or marry someone else who is. Tanel went to a Toastmasters meeting and suggested that a co-worker attend as well. Tanel’s co-worker needs advice and Tanel is happy to help. She gives some great advice. A few autism topics. There is a room in Second Life that allows autistic people to practice social skills. Have scientists found a possible cause of a subset of autistic people? Maybe. Tom and Tanel discuss. We didn’t have enough time to discuss it but if you have an autistic family member that wants to surf the internet try out the Zac Browser. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to vote for us on Podcast Alley.
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  ‘Naughty Auties’ battle autism with virtual interaction

  http://www.stormlight.org/gray/matter/2008/04/09/naughty-aut...
  237 days ago in gray/matter · Authority: 1

  Among the flood of recent stories via CNN on autism and related spectrum disorders like Asperger’s syndrome (the debate over vaccines, links to a common sperm donor, the effectiveness of dietary treatment, and various anecdotal stories) was a report on therapeutic efforts within Second Life. ‘Naughty Auties’ battle autism with virtual interaction When virtual reality (VR) was first demonstrated in the early 90s by early proponents like Jaron Lanier, one of the proposed benefits was for psychological treatment of nervous disorders such as phobias. One of the behavioral treatments for phobias is systemic desensitization, with gradual exposure to the triggering stimulus in a safe environment to re-condition the response. A VR environment can duplicate the phobic stimulus in varying degrees to acclimatize the patient to remaining calm.  A recent study covered in the British Journal of Psychiatry also used VR to observe paranoid spectrum behavior. The use of a VR environment for autism spectrum disorders is a parallel example of systemic sensitization, allowing individuals to practice social interactions and gain confidence in communicating in a protective simulacrum of real life. Second Life also perhaps represents Lanier’s hope for the future of VR beyond its early roots in static gaming (e.g. BattleTech Centers) and corporate simulations for CAD and oil/gas modeling: “The main element lacking in video games (compared to what I hope we’ll see in virtual reality) is an expressive power. And so, what I envision is not so much a pre-programmed virtual world that you might play as a game, but rather a virtual world that you can change from the inside; a world that people use as a form of expression, in which they’re creating things together. Just as people make up their own Web pages, they would make up little realities and visit each other’s realities, or co-create them. And I think that level of activity would give rise to really, really wonderful new sorts of human relationships and experiences.” (Sun interview, The Future of Virtual Reality)
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  CNN.com: iReport: 'Naughty Auties' battle autism with virtual interaction

  http://pluk.mt.typepad.com/pluk_news_feed/2008/03/cnncom-ire...
  239 days ago in PLUK News feed · Authority: 10

  Link: CNN (CNN) -- Walk into Naughty Auties, a virtual resource center for those with autism, and you'll find palm trees swaying against a striking ocean sunset. Were it not for the pixelated graphics on the computer screen in front of you, you would swear you were looking at a tropical hideaway. David Savill, 22, lives in Gloucester, England, in real life and created this spot within the virtual world of Second Life. Residents of this digital realm can represent themselves with 3-D images called avatars and connect with each other over the Internet. Savill has Asperger's syndrome and said he wanted Naughty Auties to serve those with autism spectrum disorders and their friends and family.
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  CNN.com: iReport: 'Naughty Auties' battle autism with virtual interaction

  http://pluk.mt.typepad.com/pluk_news_feed/2008/04/cnncom-ire...
  239 days ago in PLUK News feed · Authority: 10

  Link: CNN (CNN) -- Walk into Naughty Auties, a virtual resource center for those with autism, and you'll find palm trees swaying against a striking ocean sunset. Were it not for the pixelated graphics on the computer screen in front of you, you would swear you were looking at a tropical hideaway. David Savill, 22, lives in Gloucester, England, in real life and created this spot within the virtual world of Second Life. Residents of this digital realm can represent themselves with 3-D images called avatars and connect with each other over the Internet. Savill has Asperger's syndrome and said he wanted Naughty Auties to serve those with autism spectrum disorders and their friends and family.
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  Weekly Business Review - 6 April 08

  http://sl-newspaper-bnc.blogspot.com/2008/04/weekly-business...
  240 days ago in The Secondlife Newspaper FINANCE · Authority: 8

  6 April 2008 Despite Linden Labs’ predictably mishandled trademark policy change announcement the markets and SL businesses in general enjoyed a relatively quiet week. The required viewer update caused the usual number of frustrating problems over the weekend, which LL quickly blamed on their ISP (nothing is ever their fault), but there were no more stock exchange closures, no spectacular new scams and no major bankruptcies to report. The price of mainland real estate did hit a new low for the year though, so we will all want to keep one eye on that.NEWS BRIEFS Branding Confusion Unabated In typical Linden Lab fashion, no significant clarification was forthcoming regarding the details of their recently announced reversal of their trademark and copywrite protection policy. Numerous bloggers, web sites and SL businesses (including this newspaper) have been requesting specific guidance as to exactly what would and would not be permitted under the vague new policy. Instead of an actual answer, LL replied with such helpful advice as “check the blog”, “submit a ticket, but we can’t promise we will answer them” and “consult your own” patent and trademark attorney (or solicitor, if you prefer). Surely this represents a new level of disdainful arrogance even for a company so unconcerned with its “customers’” opinions as Linden Lab. Now we are to go and hire an attorney to figure out what they mean? The general reaction seems to be to just wait, do nothing and see if a cease and desist letter is received. SL Chamber Moves The SL Chamber of Commerce announced that it had completed its move to its new location at Designing Digitally (130, 123, 59). One of SL’s stealthier business organizations, the Chamber was formed “to develop, expand and support business operations within Second Life.” The Group is open at no cost to anyone sharing that goal. ISE Releases March Results, Pays Dividend The ISE released its operating results for March, citing a near doubling of traffic to the exchange site and a strong performance by ISE shares. Advertising revenue was off, crimping income, but a dividend of L$0.03 per share was paid on April 2nd. In the announcement, the ISE said it was working on “many enhancements” that would be deployed as quickly as practical. UNDER THE RADAR I am always intrigued by innovative applications of virtual realities, and Second Life™ in particular, to helping to ameliorate RL problems. So when a friend passed me the this story from CNN.com, I wanted to share it with the SL community. It’s nice once in a while to find some genuinely good news. Autism is a devastating brain disorder that can manifest as behavioral difficulties, problems in communicating and maintaining the sort of social interactions that we all take for granted. Second Life™ resident Dave Sparrow (aka, David Savill of Glocester, UK) has created what he calls a “comfort zone” for fellow autism sufferers inside SL. “It's not just to help people with autism, it's to help people whose lives have been affected by autism, be they family or friends or employees of people who have autism," Savill said. Check out the entire story for yourself. OPINION I recently passed my first SL Rez Day, and it was a good opportunity to look back over the many things that had happened in that year, the people I have met here and some of the stupid things I have done. I guess I come off as pretty negative sometimes, but I think I am really not. With all of the problems we see here in SL…. LL banning anything that moves, dishonest scammers ripping people off, griefing by the multitude of 14 year olds that LL pretends are not here, people suing one another in RL courtrooms over real or imagined slights…. its easy to overlook all the genuinely fun things that go on. And all the wonderful people you meet. And all the truly amazing creative energy that produces the real SL. So this week, I am going to spare you all my opinions and just thank all of the creative, generous, honest, hardworking and helpful people behind the avatars that have made this, despite all the negatives, a great first year. You know who you are. MARKET WEEK Stocks Close Mixed as WSE and ACE Remain Offline The WSE once again failed to meet its own deadline for re-opening, to nobody’s great surprise. The whole WIC scam is going to cause a massive run as people dump their non-Linden denominated shares and cash out as quickly as they can figure out how to do it. And one can imagine that HCL management is not overeager to face the consequences of its own disingenuousness. Meanwhile the ACE announced it was making substantial progress in recovering from the massive data loss and backup procedural failure that has sidelined it for more than two weeks. Performance on the three open markets was mixed with the VSTEX falling 22% to 39.38 while the ISE rose nearly 20% to 128.45, a level it has not seen since Jasper Tizzy withdrew AVC from the exchange in a tiff over being denied its purchase in August of last year. The ISE is probably the least controversial, most stable and best managed exchange in SL so it is gratifying to see it doing well. The CAPEX finished the week at 90.75, off less than 1% and the SLMI closed up nearly 2% at 99.98, reflecting the mixed results. Linden Closes at……Oh Never Mind The economic Einsteins at Linden Labs quickly corrected the Linden’s unauthorized excursion of last week and brought it back to the 265 level where they apparently believe it belongs, protecting SL residents from…. well whatever it is they imagine a floating currency would destroy. Volume was up a strong 12% from the prior week. Meanwhile the money supply grew at 1.84% on the week, an annualized rate of nearly 75%. Of course no one really knows what that means because without any measure of real SL “GNP” it is impossible to say if such a seemingly high rate of growth is inflationary or deflationary. And with the Linden pegged at 265 to the US$, there is no market judgment to turn to. Mainland Prices Extend Mini-crash Square meter mainland prices fell 11% last week to close at L$5.57, the lowest level since this column has been tracking prices (except for a brief, data anomaly driven flirtation to L$4.07 last November) and off more than 1/3 since August of last year. Unlike the November 2007 drop, this weakening comes on the heels of 9% drop over the prior three week period. This is now a disturbing weakening trend in land prices. Since land underpins so much of the SL economy, this is a trend we will want to keep our eyes on. Square meters offered for sale were up slightly from the week before to 21,431 thousand square meters.
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  Autism Goes Virtual

  http://www.natureofnurture.com/2008/04/autism-goes-virtual.h...
  243 days ago in The Nature of Nurture · No authority yet

  Autism Goes Virtual Falling asleep in front of my computer tonight so here's a quickie: Yesterday was World Autism Awareness Day and in honor of that CNN has been running an online series of articles about the disease. Lots of interesting gems. One I want to highlight focuses on the virtual world Second Life, which has the potential to become an online haven for autistic people. A psychologist in the UK is conducting research on this. "For people who have social, emotional, communicational problems," he said, "we can get them familiar with an environment before they actually try it out in real life." Posted by EJ

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