80′s Dad

Wii Me: Eighties Dad

Santa, that jolly old elf from the North Pole, brought my eight year old son a Nintendo Wii  this Christmas. He was overjoyed with the gift and immediately set about creating a series of Mii people which are the Wii version of avatars.  Mii people look a bit like weebles.

This wasn’t exactly new territory for him as he had been stocking up a friend’s Wii with Mii people since the preceding Christmas and had developed an uncanny ability to use the software to produce an accurate likeness of a chosen  individual.

These Mii avatars are then used by players to represent themselves when playing  games like  Wii Sports or Wii Fit (This is particularly uncomfortable when you are  playing  Boxing with your little boy or spouse). The Wii Fit game with Balance Board attachment charts your weight and body fat gains and losses and adjusts the shape of your Mii avatar accordingly.

The first version of a Wii Mii me my son produced looked so much like the real me that I refused to play unless they revised the Mii (me). Later they produced a second version of me (Mii) using an old photo ID Card for reference and produced a new (old) me (Mii) which they named 80′s Dad. I use this second version for Wii Sports and Wii Fit on a fairly regular basis.

Now all of this is quite interesting when compared to the Second Life environment because on a certain level the Wii system offers superior character creation tools, albeit of a different aesthetic and a different type of interaction, which in someways is more intuitive and connected to the represented self.

The Whole Wide World

This blog started life as the reflective mechanism for chronicling my explorations in SL for the DIT module One Life. When the module moved its focus from the SL environment to other aspects of Social Networking (SN) I feared the planned module content was perhaps somewhat thin and needed padding out.

I had experienced similar reservations when reading the book I Avatar by Mark Stephen Meadows. The content covering SL was new (to me) and exciting,  but when the focus of the book changed to other SN systems I felt the author was trying to beef up  the book length by broadening its perspective; somewhat artificially.

The big change happened for me when we were asked to join a SN platform like Facebook, Myspace or in my case LinkedIn (LI). I chose the latter having been invited to join some months back by a former student.

linked in home page

I have to say now upon reflection, that LI has provided me with an alternative perspective on SN which I hadn’t realized was even related to that which is provide by SL. It really is for me the flip-side of SL. More on this later.

The problem that arose was that I lacked a forum for expressing my germinating thoughts on SN due to the fact that the scope of my blog and my own prejudice concerning the module content.  The blog was to become  incompatible for reflecting on SN in the wider perspective.

As a result I realized that I needed to either rename the blog or amend it’s sub heading to ensure its fit for purpose in reflecting this  widening perspective on Social Networking. I chose the latter option by changing the sub heading to Social Networking and Second Life.

Epiphany Island

Altar poseballs at Epiphany Island's Anglican Cathedral

Epiphany Island hosts an Anglican Cathedral in SL, with Text-based Services and Bible-study Groups. Worshipers are provided with Notecard Responses and  a folder of Cathedral  Gestures, which allow them to Cross, Genuflect and Prepare for the Gospel. The Minister welcomes inter-faith participation which can at times include non-human AVs…progressive to say the least.

5ive Places

Number 1: The Refuge and Expansion

The Refuge and Expansion by AM Radio is the Ed Hopper inspired realist alternative to Number 2 on this list. The models are incredibly detailed from a dragonfly in a jar to a derelict locomotive engine. The visitor may walk through fields of straw a waist level, interactively change the colour of a classic automobile or fly above the LM on a gigantic Toy Airplane.

Again, here’s a machima produced on the SIM may be viewed on YouTube: Hide

For information on machinima on the web see the machinima fac at machinima.org; for information on machinima in print see  Machinima by Kelland, Lloyd and Morris published by Ilex or for information on creating machinima in SL see Chapter 13: Action! Creating Machinima from Creating Your World by Platel, Rufer-Bach and Weber published by Wiley.

5ive Places

Number 2: Immersiva

Immersiva by Bryn Oh  is a machinima SIM very much influenced by surrealist Salvadore Dali. What seems to be rock emerging from the sea on closer inspection is revealed to be huge riveted iron plates.  Copper spheres on posts provide links to video postings produced on the site.

Here’s a link to a machinima mash-up produced on the SIM: Bryn Oh and Mr Lightbulb

5ive Places

Number 3: The Nameless Isle

The Nameless Isle by Baron Grayson features beautiful seascapes with animated tides and Aurora Borealis type sky lighting effects. On a volcanic outcropping,  there is a campfire  with poseballs where a couple may canoodle if they so wish.

5ive Places

Number 4: The Black Swan

The Black Swan is a shop and if you want to have a good look around you’ll need to purchase a Black Swan Swatch for L 199. But really its the model of the dead (black) swan at the entrance which attracts me; really a piece of virtual installation art!

5ive Places

These are my five favorite places in SL right now.In ascending order starting with:

Number 5: The Land of the Fae

A Fairytale type of SIM well modeled…the tree welcomes you…but I wouldn’t accept his invitation if I were you…you have been warned!

New Image

This is me as I appeared at the first class; new pants, new shirt, new shoes (thanks DIT!) and most importantly, hair! Incidentally, in this PIC I can be seen at my favorite SIM in SL,  but more about that later.

Also from New Riders is I, Avatar: The Cultures and Consequences of a Second Life by Mark Stephen Meadows. I have to give this book my highest recommendation, a veritable John Peel 26 Stars although it really should be read alongside the also excellent but chronologically pre-second life era, The Social Life of Avatars edited by Ralph Schroeder and published by Springer, to put everything in the correct historical context.

Stu Swansong: Another Life?

Stu Swansong: Another Life?

Above you can see the image of my AV soon after creation and in pre-hair days.  Good virtual hair, shoes, skin, and shape are all difficult to find and expensive to buy (especially for males).  These,  along with AOs seem to be the  hallmark of a personal aesthetic peculiar to this virtual environment.

I found the New Riders publication, Designing Your Second Life by Rebecca Tapley a really useful reference for getting started with SL.

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