Five and twenty ponies trotting through the dark,
Brandy for the parson and bacchy for the clerk,
Laces for the ladies and letters for the spie,
Now watch the wall my darling while the gentlemen go by.
(Rudyard Kipling. The Smugglers Song.)
The virtual world can be used to train people in customer service, managing conflict resolution, science, architecture, medicine and much more.
Probably the most well publicized simulation was created by Ken Hudson of the Loyalist College’s Virtual World Design Centre for the Canadian Border Services Agency. Post 9-11, the agency could no longer send student border guards to the actual border crossing to gain first hand interviewing experience. Due to heightened security concerns students had to role-play interviews within the college environment. The students were struggling with this aspect and the pass rate for students dropped. Instructor Ken Hudson decided to recreate the border crossing in Second Life. The students then ran interview simulations in the virtual world. The result of this role-play interviewing caused a dramatic improvement that could be measured. In 2007 student’s interview skills (without the Second Life simulation) had the average grade of 58%. In 2008, after the use of the simulation, student’s interview skills averaged 86%, showing an improvement of 28%. (See New World Notes for the original story). Check out the following YouTube video (also shown on Wagner James Au’s blog) this provides a sense of the simulation conditions for the students:
Two thoughts intrigue me about this simulation. One is the thought about smugglers attempting to carry illegal goods across so-called ‘real world’ borders. Smuggling has changed from the days featured in the romanticized Rudyard Kipling poem above. An example of this is the ‘Cocaine cast’ story’ where a man tried to smuggle cocaine compressed into a plaster cast for a broken leg.
The second thought revolves around using Second Life to create a virtual border post, intriguing when one of the wonders of Second Life is that it is multi-national and has no border controls… But then, perhaps the new ‘mature’ sims will have controlled border crossings? And then, that begs the question what would a virtual world smuggler smuggle?
Honored guests gathering for Bryn Oh's '4Jetpacks4' immersive adventure. We all checked each other out as we waited for Bryn to transport us off to the performance area. It was like an opening scene to an Agatha Christie novel... who was going to be murdered? Who was the assassin? Or as Dirk Talamasca said 'We are just having smokes and boozing it up in the lobby.'
We finally arrive at the Research Centre for the Study of Interplanetary Organisms. Glyph Graves, one of the mad scientists, presented findings following his intensive 'exploration into the forefront of Organic Transmutation'.
Glyph explains that he has melded a Paramecium and a common, everyday coelenterate respectively (otherwise known as a single cell organism and a jellyfish). The result is what he describes as a friendly, placid and strangely attractive specimen that 'may even provide a suitable replacement for the household pet'...
The gelatinous 'pet' suddenly sucked Dusty Linden into its squidgy self via aggressive osmosis. Glyph shouted 'ummm don't be alarmed... its just mistaken you for its offspring... they seem to carry them around much like a kangaroo... it should realize its mistake shortly....' Sure enough, Dusty was squirted back out, yet she managed to retain her poise admirably (despite being covered in pastel colored, salt flavored goop).
Nonnatus Korhonnen (seen here as none other than Gattina Dumpling) then presented creatures that existed eons ago in 'pre-nonnatus history'. Somehow, Nonnatus had managed to retrieve two small seed fragments from 'the oceans of infinite combinatorial possibilities'. With the help of an 'entirely artificial pulsating red mass' Nonnatus was able to coax fresh new organisms to be brought to life!
Nonnatus' creatures rising from the artificial ocean of endless possibilities. 'This mass sustains the whole system, yet I had to create it from scratch. It is a vital part of the whole, it was not until after I had completed it that the system became completely self sustaining. I can only wonder what held its place before my time.' (Nonnatus Kerhonen March 13. 2009)
Bryn Oh then began summoning a Rain Pixie which she described as ' The cutest little thing you have ever seen!' Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to reveal the cute little rain pixie, or the grand finale with the species that stands 8 stories high and can read minds! I am bound by complex laws of Organic Transmutation and Immersive Secrecy, plus I fear reprisals from Glyph Grave's pet... (I don't have the family connections of Dusty Linden after all).
Only 10 avatars can take the Bryn Oh’s tour of the Research Centre for the Study of Interplanetary Organisms at one time (more avatars generate too much lag). However, there is a chance to win a visit, and see the cute Rain Pixie, and the 8 stories high mind reader for yourself! Visit Bryn Oh’s blog post ‘4Jetpacks4′ for more information on how finding a Wonka Bar wrapper on Immersiva will entitle you to this magical immersive tour.
Dragon Cult Investigation Update! Inside the spectacular cathedral on the Isle of Wyrms in Second Life™ you will find an array of finely decorated dragon eggs created by Daryth Kennedy. When you touch an egg a list of options appears on your screen, and the chosen dragon materializes for just a few minutes. Each dragon egg provides three stages of dragon evolution, you can select hatchling, wyrmling or dragon.
Now, if you decide you want to own a full scale Isle of Wyrms dragon you are in for a surprise (wyrmlings and hatchlings are available). Just because you have enough Lindens to buy an adult dragon does not automatically mean you have the right to possess one of these magnificent avatars! As far as I can understand you must attend an Isle of Wyrms Hatching Event but these are only held four times a year! You register to purchase the dragon of choice, and this will then enter you in a dragon lottery (no guarantees just keep your claws crossed). The registration process is somewhat complex to learn but you will soon discover that Isle of Wyrms dragons, wyrmlings and hatchlings are all very charming and helpful, so just ask for assistance.
The good news for anyone interested in entering the lottery, a Hatchling Event is coming right up! On March 19th (the Vernal Equinox) to be precise.
Close-up look at 3 Dragon eggs on display in the Isle of Wyrms cathedral
Bast Dragon on display
Bast Dragon Egg
Shadow Dragon Hatchling
Cathedral, dragons, wyrmlings, hatchlings and dragon eggs all created by Daryth Kennedy.
I thought that the Isle of Wight in the UK had set up its own virtual replica when I saw avatars in Second Life™ wearing ‘IOW’ tags. However, it turns out this is actually a reference to the Isle of Wyrms. I then heard that there was a cathedral there, and assumed the Isle of Wyrms to be one of the many religious locations found in Second Life. (Anyone interested in learning more about religious sites in Second Life will find Danni Ohara provides an excellent introduction as guest blogger on Gany’s take on any life.) Last week I finally teleported over to take a look for myself and discovered that the Isle of Wyrms is an entire island devoted to dragons! The cathedral itself houses a range of splendid dragon eggs, and this begs the question… is this the site of a dragon cult? Nothing for it but to go undercover as a dragon investigator!
I attended this week’s Gronstedt Group meeting in Second Life to hear David Castera of Crédit Agricole describe the French bank’s activities in the virtual world. He told us that 30% of their educational meetings are slated to take place on their virtual campus. The bank’s CEO, Jean Philippe, was reported as saying he wants 100% of his employees to have an avatar by the end of 2009! Anders Wildcat, of the the Gronstedt Group, observed that strong CEO support makes all the difference when it comes to businesses exploring the potential of virtual worlds. Anders cited IBM, Cisco and Sun Microsystems as examples of companies working in Second Life with strong CEO backing.
A movie showing the avatar of Jean-Philippe, CEO of Crédit Agricole
Crédit Agricole runs computer servers dedicated to e-learning outside their firewall, this means Second Life can be safely accessed by staff as it well beyond the reach of the secure banking systems. At this stage Castera estimated just 5% of their staff (of around 1800) have a Second Life account thus far; as he said, they are just beginning the drive to equip all staff with avatars. Castera saw Crédit Agricole conducting an experiment to create ‘digital territory’. He added that the bank also runs a blog La Seconde Vie du Crédit Agricole and a facebook account, and they are considering the creation of an island to help more French people discover Second Life.
Crédit Agricole
It is intriguing to see a bank experimenting with virtual worlds (Crédit Agricole are also delving into OpenSim). Banking types have tended to project themselves as ultra conservative and cautious; I wonder if the recent examples of banking scandals, with their episodes of feckless, reckless, and greedy mismanagement here in the US, might cause banks to project themselves differently? There has certainly been some hypocritical bahavior on the part of US banks (as well as UK banks, I don’t know about the track record of French banking). I see Crédit Agricole starting a new trend. One where banks behave in a more approachable (and accountable) fashion whilst also cutting down on travel and thereby helping the environment.
One of the most positive aspects of virtual words is the break down of national boundaries. Imagine if this could mean the ability to walk into a virtual bank on the synthetic high street and open an account there. It might be the case that I physically live in one country, and the bank is located in another, but accounts would link into something like the LindeX Exchange. As those long in the tooth of Second Life years will recall there was a banking scandal in the virtual world itself, and people lost considerable amounts of ‘first world’ money. Read Technology Review’s Second Life Closes Banks for an uncanny foreshadowing of the recent ‘real world’ financial collapse. In both the real world and virtual world the problem boiled down to lack of regulation, and a laissez-faire attitude on the part of governments (I include Linden Labs as a government in this context). As Technology Review writes, Linden Labs eventually ‘banned virtual banks that can’t furnish “proof of an applicable government registration statement or financial institution charter’. Now, could a bank like Crédit Agricole open up virtual world banking because it can comply to these strict regulations? I wonder if they will give incentive gifts for registering with them? What would a virtual incentive look like?
