The Posthuman: terror, pleasure & hope

It is easy to understand the terror of proposing a posthuman life, Hayles affirms. Post, with the connotation of both superseding and coming after the human condition, she continues, easily creates doubts about the future of humans as we know them. "Humans can either go gently into that good night, joining the dinosaurs as a species that once ruled the earth but it is now obsolete, or hang on for a while longer by becoming machines themselves." But not only the thought of humans becoming a different species is terrifying, it's also frightening to think about living in an environment where everything as we know it will be different. Although some propositions seem to benefit how we interact with the world -I am thinking about uses of technology for useful purposes such as the red carpet at the airport that will guide you to your gate - others seem to destroy, or rather deconstruct the basic idea of our interaction with our current physical reality. Do we need to walk around sentient objects surrounding us? Do I need to be beamed with more information as I walk down the street to get a cup of coffee? Do I need my trees to talk back to me? Proposals for the uses of a world controlled by technology are vast. In architecture, for example, the reconfigurable house , proposes a house made of low tech electronic devises that can be configured according and for the owner's needs.

My immediate reaction to these new propositions was indeed one of terror, of seeing the world dissapearing as it is replaced by technology. It is then of relevance that Hayles focus her conclusion on What Does it Mean to be Posthuman in the other aspect of this posthuman future: the pleasure that can come with it. This pleasure can be attained by not the replacement of the humane factor but rather by a re-definition of it. In this scenario, the humans will not be destroyed, but rather will evolve. In this way of thinking of the posthuman, the terror is replaced by the certainty that humans will be using a different platform to inhabit the world. Perhaps the best way to think about it is with the framework of McLuhan’s when he proposed that media was an extension of the senses. Film was in that case extension of the eyes, as radio of hearing, etc. In this sense, the posthuman will be not a destruction of the human, but an extension of it, or a redefining of the human condition as we know it.

Considering Moravec statement that “…computers will eventually be capable of the same kind of perception, cognition and thought as humans” we can probably understand the terror provoked by this. We –the intelligent beings in this planet –being replaced by machines that we ourselves invented, presents a bleak future for our race. But perhaps that's not a bad idea after all. When I see how people treat each other -interpersonally, not to mention at a great scale, among nations - this experiment of the human race as is just went wrong and it needs to be reconfigured.

Group trip in SL

I really enjoyed the group meeting in SL. Yes, there was some waiting, and sometimes, when we were using the mics, the feedback was bad, and very loud at times. Then we had to wait for people to get there. But once we were all there, it was lots of fun. I liked the fact that there were places to visit, people to know. It felt good to be there not trying to meet people or find my way around but rather being there as part of a group. I even had someone showing me around, taking me to places, introducing me to people. It is like when you go to say Barcelona as a tourist, and when you go to visit people that live there. I say Barcelona because it is the city I've experienced in those two different ways. As a tourist, you are on your own, you make your own itinerary, you walk, you happen upon things. If you are with someone who lives there, the experience is different. You go to places you wouldn't go otherwise. The neighborhood hang out. You are more of an insider.
This has already been discussed by Kozinets as categorizations of posters of information. He classify them in
tourists, minglers, devotees and insiders. Describing insiders as those with strong social ties to the online group and the consumption activity.

Does this mean that I am creating stronger social ties in SL? Perhaps. I know that I am more dedicated and more interested in being part of the SL community than I was before.

Back to my first group meeting. The fact that we were communicating by voice also made a difference. I lost my anonimity, people could recognize me. They could connect my wings - more about my wings later -to myself, and I am not sure if I liked that. There was some aspect of what made it exciting that was lost, or made it a very different experience. Others didn't have the mics, so I didn't know their RL identities. But it didn't matter that much. I really liked going to the beach, the sexy dancer that approached our group, the gallery owner, the gallery. I even got present, a necklace and panties that I am wearing now. They make me look different. I didn't care about my appearance before but after getting those presents, I changed my look.

The highlight was going to the gallery and meeting the owner, having a tour, hearing about his group, getting connected to his sim. Here is picture of us at the gallery:



And of course, there was the tatoo ceremony:



And here is the conversation that took place:

Initial Greeting

[10:15] Kamran Talaj is Online
[10:15] Gesture is missing from database.
[10:15] Gesture is missing from database.
[10:15] Kamran Talaj is Online
[10:17] Kamran Talaj: hey waxakla, welcome
[10:17] You: thanks...it's just the 2 of us
[10:17] Kamran Talaj: turn around and meet the others
[10:17] You: oh hi everyone
[10:17] Kamran Talaj: we're still gathering

Getting the Audio to Work

[10:18] geisha Mayako is Online
[10:18] geisha Mayako: kamran
[10:18] geisha Mayako: should i log off and come back in order to do the audio
[10:18] geisha Mayako: or will typing b ok
[10:19] Kamran Talaj: i ws reuired to update the software, which took time -- may be delaying others too
[10:19] Kamran Talaj: yes
[10:19] geisha Mayako: ok sou said i log off and come back on i should have the abilty to tlak
[10:19] You: i'll b 2 b
[10:20] Kamran Talaj is Offline
[10:20] Ignatius Baroque: uh oh
[10:21] Kamran Talaj is Online
[10:21] geisha Mayako: ok i didn't have to leave to get the voice to work
[10:21] geisha Mayako: its in the preferences
[10:21] Kamran Talaj: sorry - had an odd jam
[10:22] Kamran Talaj: yes -- i have excercises in mind that invoive voice -- so please try logging back in and activating it
[10:22] Ignatius Baroque: I don't have a microphone
[10:23] Ignatius Baroque is Online
[10:23] You: i am back
[10:23] geisha Mayako: ignatius if u go to the preferences menu
[10:23] geisha Mayako: and choose voice chat
[10:23] geisha Mayako: u can activate it from there
[10:24] Ignatius Baroque: even without a microphone attached to my computer?
[10:24] geisha Mayako: oh u don't have a mic attached
[10:24] Ignatius Baroque: no
[10:24] geisha Mayako: kamran said u can still listen
[10:24] Ignatius Baroque: yeah ok
[10:25] Kamran Talaj: let us know, ignatius and waxakla, when you can hear us speak
[10:26] Connecting to in-world Voice Chat...
[10:26] Connected
[10:26] You: ok i activated voice chat
[10:26] Kamran Talaj: can you hear us? new people?
[10:26] You: yes

One, Two, Three...Testing

[10:26] Ignatius Baroque: yeah just got that one
[10:27] Ignatius Baroque: It must be someone else
[10:27] Ignatius Baroque: no, only this one
[10:29] Ignatius Baroque: I think I have everybody here
[10:29] You: i thinkj we did that already
[10:30] You: i lost u there
[10:30] You: didnt hear clearly
[10:31] geisha Mayako: waxakla the audio is breaking up for u 2?
[10:31] You: yes
[10:31] Ignatius Baroque: me too
[10:31] Kamran Talaj: wondering if others in class are late bec ause are signing up for SL for first time
[10:31] Ignatius Baroque: yeah, and the updates add a bit of extra time
[10:32] You: yes
[10:32] Ignatius Baroque: I heard there were money trees somewhere
[10:32] Ignatius Baroque: no
[10:33] Ignatius Baroque: someone told me that they existed, maybe they were being ironic. Also you can get a job
[10:33] Ignatius Baroque: I saw some avatars sweeping the floor of a restaurant
[10:33] geisha Mayako: i saw mines at a clothing store
[10:33] geisha Mayako: irony was an outfit was like L$1,200
[10:33] You: i want to record video
[10:34] geisha Mayako: and some had only earned like L$10
[10:34] Ignatius Baroque: yeah i still haven't explored "machina"
[10:34] You: but my cmahine crashes....i dont have the power
[10:34] geisha Mayako: i took pictures earlier
[10:34] geisha Mayako: there was some sort of attack this morning
[10:34] geisha Mayako: where a dude
[10:34] geisha Mayako: kept spaming the place with pictures of a guy bent over and his anus wide open
[10:35] geisha Mayako: i'm gonna post on my blog

Sexy Dancer comes in

[10:35] Julie Nikolaidis: hi
[10:35] Kamran Talaj: hi julie
[10:35] geisha Mayako: hi julie
[10:35] You: hello julie
[10:35] Ignatius Baroque: I wonder if its that same picture of the guy that's been circulating on the internet for like a decade
[10:35] geisha Mayako: kamran u know u r not on voice anymore right?
[10:35] You have offered friendship to Julie Nikolaidis
[10:35] Ignatius Baroque: hey jlia
[10:35] Kamran Talaj: it just quit on me
[10:35] Ignatius Baroque: *julie
[10:35] Kamran Talaj: gotta figure that out
[10:36] Kamran Talaj: Julie, are you in the Ethnog and New Media class?
[10:36] geisha Mayako: LOL ignatius i'm not sure how one would tell. . .it was kinda gross
[10:36] Julie Nikolaidis: no i don t
[10:36] Kamran Talaj: well, welcome anyway -- we are part of a study
[10:37] Kamran Talaj: waiting for the rest of people
[10:37] Julie Nikolaidis: ah ok
[10:37] Ignatius Baroque: Why is my head all red?
[10:37] Kamran Talaj: i scared her off
[10:38] Kamran Talaj: some more students are arriving...
[10:38] Ignatius Baroque: well she wasn't really dancing
[10:38] geisha Mayako: ROFLOL
[10:38] geisha Mayako: (roll on floor laugh out loud)
[10:40] Kamran Talaj: ok -- more coming
[10:41] Kamran Talaj: trying to get my voice back

The plan: shopping, QA, travel

[10:42] Kamran Talaj: hey centurion
[10:42] Kamran Talaj: meet the others
[10:42] Centurion Bikcin: hi
[10:42] You: hello
[10:42] geisha Mayako: hi centurion
[10:42] Centurion Bikcin: Hello
[10:42] Centurion Bikcin: Sorry I'm late
[10:42] You have offered friendship to Centurion Bikcin
[10:43] Kamran Talaj: welcome loran -- meet the others
[10:43] geisha Mayako: oi!
[10:43] You: hello loran
[10:43] Centurion Bikcin: Hi Loran!
[10:44] Kamran Talaj: we'll arriving at different times because of new updates to software, others who are too new to SL, etc
[10:44] Kamran Talaj: we'll loiter here a little while longer
[10:44] Kamran Talaj: then i have some excersizes
[10:44] You: ok. b r b then
[10:45] Kamran Talaj: well - we can still have our tech discussion in the meantime
[10:45] Kamran Talaj: we were talking about money
[10:45] Kamran Talaj: anyone know how to get money?
[10:45] Kamran Talaj: -- I'm loaded by the way
[10:45] Centurion Bikcin: lol
[10:46] geisha Mayako: share the wealth?
[10:46] Ignatius Baroque: you're an "owner"
[10:46] Loran Sirbu: hi
[10:46] Kamran Talaj: i intend to take each of you shopping today, like daddy
[10:46] Ignatius Baroque: ha
[10:46] Loran Sirbu: second life just crashed but i am back in business
[10:47] Kamran Talaj: i intend to take everyone shopping today
[10:47] Kamran Talaj is Offline
[10:47] Kamran Talaj is Online
[10:48] Kamran Talaj: wow -- lost a lot of peop.e
[10:48] Loran Sirbu: kamran0 is this your property?
[10:48] Kamran Talaj: no -- just like it
[10:48] Kamran Talaj: ok -- everyone
[10:48] Kamran Talaj: two or three things we'll do today
[10:49] Kamran Talaj: 1. exchange tech knowledge -- Q and A
[10:49] Kamran Talaj: 2. We will travel to 3 places (at least)
[10:49] Kamran Talaj: 3. i will take each of you shopping
[10:49] Kamran Talaj: like daddy
[10:49] Ignatius Baroque: i want a pony
[10:50] geisha Mayako: r we gonna do the voice chat again?
[10:50] Loran Sirbu: haha
[10:50] Kamran Talaj: yes -- that will be part of number 1
[10:50] geisha Mayako: my lil pony
[10:50] geisha Mayako: cute
[10:50] Kamran Talaj: who does not have a mic?
[10:50] Kamran Talaj: on their computer?
[10:50] Ignatius Baroque: me
[10:50] Kamran Talaj: k
[10:51] Kamran Talaj: loran?
[10:51] Centurion Bikcin: I went to the apple store but they didn't have a big selection. I'm getting one online this weekkend
[10:51] Loran Sirbu: yeah i have one on my computer
[10:51] Kamran Talaj: k
[10:51] geisha Mayako: love the apple store
[10:51] Kamran Talaj: ok -- well everyone first turn up your volume
[10:51] You: i am back
[10:51] Kamran Talaj: k
[10:51] Loran Sirbu: if you have a mac laptop, there is a mic built into the computers...at least the newer ones
[10:52] Kamran Talaj: htat's right
[10:52] Centurion Bikcin: I'm on a power mac
[10:52] Kamran Talaj: waxakla: read the chat history to catch up with us, k?
[10:52] Loran Sirbu: oh
[10:52] geisha Mayako: yeah for years. . .but u may want to use a pair of headphoens
[10:52] Centurion Bikcin: ok
[10:52] geisha Mayako: to save urself from the echo
[10:52] You: i see. shopping, qa, travel
[10:52] Kamran Talaj: good



[10:52] Loran Sirbu: is it safe to assume that internet connection speed affects the way SL operates
[10:52] Kamran Talaj: everyone at least have their voume turned up?
[10:53] Loran Sirbu: yup
[10:53] Ignatius Baroque: yeah
[10:53] You: i hear water
[10:53] Kamran Talaj: good
[10:53] Centurion Bikcin: yes
[10:53] geisha Mayako: i'm drowing the water sound out with cinematic orchestra
[10:53] Kamran Talaj: now, bottom right of screen has "talk" button
[10:53] Kamran Talaj: click it
[10:53] Loran Sirbu: i dont see it
[10:54] Kamran Talaj: you should see audio waves above your head
[10:54] geisha Mayako: hey loran
[10:54] Loran Sirbu: where is the talk button exactly
[10:54] Ignatius Baroque is Offline
[10:54] geisha Mayako: go to the preferences in the file menu
[10:54] Loran Sirbu: hey geisha
[10:54] You: i can hear u
[10:54] geisha Mayako: and then choose the talk tab
[10:54] geisha Mayako: in there it will tell u to activate the talk function
[10:54] Ignatius Baroque is Online
[10:54] geisha Mayako: once u save that
[10:54] geisha Mayako: u will be good to go
[10:55] Centurion Bikcin: yes
[10:55] You: no, i am at the lab at school
[10:55] Ignatius Baroque: yeah
[10:55] Loran Sirbu: ok trying that now
[10:55] Loran Sirbu: one sec
[10:55] Loran Sirbu: thanks
[10:55] You: should i try to get a mic
[10:56] Loran Sirbu: something weird is happening
[10:56] You: k hold on
[10:56] Loran Sirbu: when i go to the file menu nothing comes down
[10:56] Ignatius Baroque: how does it run on the lab at school?
[10:56] Loran Sirbu: ???
[10:56] Ignatius Baroque: i might do that instead next time
[10:56] Kamran Talaj: explain more, loran
[10:56] Ignatius Baroque: i see
[10:57] Loran Sirbu: well, when i move my mouse over EDIT and WINDOW, everthing works normally
[10:57] Loran Sirbu: but when i move the mouse over FILE no menu is shown
[10:57] Kamran Talaj: geisha is helping you, loran
[10:57] Loran Sirbu: hi
[10:58] geisha Mayako: loran choose the file option that is in the window with edit, view, world, tools, help
[10:58] Loran Sirbu: ok thanks
[10:58] Loran Sirbu: ok, so the file menu that is actually in the program....
[10:59] Ignatius Baroque: I don't know
[10:59] Ignatius Baroque: I don't know how to get rid of it or what it means
[10:59] Ignatius Baroque: it's from the last place I was
[10:59] Loran Sirbu: ok well i found preferences under the edit menu
[10:59] Ignatius Baroque: yes
[10:59] Loran Sirbu: and enabled voice chat
[11:00] Centurion Bikcin: are you smelling me?
[11:00] Loran Sirbu: ok i am clicking on talk but no audio waves popping up
[11:01] Loran Sirbu: yup
[11:01] Loran Sirbu: i can't///
[11:01] Loran Sirbu: lol
[11:01] Loran Sirbu: yup
[11:01] geisha Mayako: /wave
[11:02] Loran Sirbu: ahhh
[11:02] Loran Sirbu: i know who geisha is now
[11:02] Loran Sirbu: hahaa
[11:02] Loran Sirbu: you are echoing
[11:02] Ignatius Baroque: /wave
[11:02] Kamran Talaj: waxakla -- you hear me?
[11:02] Loran Sirbu: i am going to my system preferences
[11:03] Loran Sirbu: might be a mac problem
[11:03] Sodovan Torok is Online
[11:03] Loran Sirbu: i have the one on my macbook
[11:03] Loran Sirbu: can you hear me?
[11:04] Loran Sirbu: i can hear you...
[11:04] Loran Sirbu: ok
[11:04] Loran Sirbu: i enabled the talk mode
[11:04] Loran Sirbu: awesome
[11:04] Loran Sirbu: okkkk
[11:05] Loran Sirbu: yay
[11:05] Ignatius Baroque: whoa
[11:05] Kamran Talaj: turn your speakers off
[11:05] Kamran Talaj: loran
[11:05] Kamran Talaj: turn speakers off
[11:05] Kamran Talaj: feedback for us
[11:05] Ignatius Baroque: whew
[11:05] Loran Sirbu: is that better
[11:06] Loran Sirbu: sorry about this
[11:06] Kamran Talaj: use headphones, loran
[11:06] Ignatius Baroque: much better
[11:06] Ignatius Baroque: good
[11:06] Ignatius Baroque: I kinda like it
[11:07] Centurion Bikcin: I don't have a mic
[11:08] Ignatius Baroque: I think I've got everybody
[11:08] Centurion Bikcin: what is this place?
[11:09] Ignatius Baroque: Pamela Oh's Club
[11:09] Loran Sirbu is Online
[11:10] Ignatius Baroque: ha
[11:13] Kamran Talaj is Offline
[11:13] Ignatius Baroque: are there offices in SL?
[11:13] Kamran Talaj is Online
[11:13] Ignatius Baroque: county commissioner?
[11:14] Kamran Talaj: sorry bout that
[11:15] Ignatius Baroque: yeah!
[11:16] Centurion Bikcin: I think im only hearing part of the conversation. It's mostly silence and once in a while I hear Loran say something
[11:17] Kamran Talaj: centurion
[11:17] Kamran Talaj: hold a sec
[11:18] geisha Mayako: centurion who can u hear
[11:18] Kamran Talaj: centurion --- have you got good quality mic and speakers?
[11:18] Loran Sirbu is Offline
[11:18] Ignatius Baroque: and mine
[11:18] Centurion Bikcin: I have quality speakers but no mic
[11:18] Ignatius Baroque: but I can still hear you
[11:18] Ignatius Baroque: erie
[11:20] Centurion Bikcin: I can only hear geisha and loran


[11:20] Kamran Talaj: welcome mirra
[11:20] geisha Mayako: welcome mirra
[11:21] Mirra Fredriksson: so whats going on?
[11:21] Kamran Talaj: mirra
[11:21] Mirra Fredriksson: what is this place?
[11:21] Kamran Talaj: don't know yet...
[11:22] Kamran Talaj: mirra -- do you have a mic and speakers on your computer?
[11:22] Kamran Talaj: turn your computer volume up -- but use headphone
[11:22] Mirra Fredriksson: are you using voice?
[11:22] Kamran Talaj: yes
[11:22] Mirra Fredriksson: ok
[11:23] Kamran Talaj: mirra, do you see a voice command at the bottom right?
[11:23] Ignatius Baroque: Yeah I noticed that too
[11:23] Loran Sirbu is Online
[11:23] geisha Mayako: so centurion u still can't hear anything from anyone?
[11:23] Kamran Talaj: mirra -- you see it?
[11:23] Mirra Fredriksson: no
[11:23] Kamran Talaj: ok, go to Edit, up above
[11:23] Kamran Talaj: and then to Preferences
[11:23] geisha Mayako: ctrl+p or in the edit mentu
[11:23] Kamran Talaj: and select Audio tab
[11:24] Mirra Fredriksson: ok
[11:24] Centurion Bikcin: I hear you and loran
[11:24] You have offered friendship to Mirra Fredriksson
[11:24] Centurion Bikcin: no
[11:25] Mirra Fredriksson: what do i select in the audio tab?
[11:25] Centurion Bikcin: I see the rays emanating from all of you but I dont hear the voices
[11:26] Kamran Talaj: mirra - are you still in audio tab?
[11:26] Kamran Talaj: make sure mute button is deselected
[11:26] Kamran Talaj: mirra -- not the audio and video tab
[11:26] Kamran Talaj: sorry
[11:27] Kamran Talaj: go to the voice chat tab
[11:27] Mirra Fredriksson: im in
[11:27] Mirra Fredriksson: thanks
[11:27] Kamran Talaj: and click first check box -- enable voice chat
[11:28] Centurion Bikcin: yes
[11:28] Kamran Talaj: mirra -- did it work?
[11:28] Loran Sirbu: hi mirra
[11:28] Loran Sirbu: !
[11:28] Kamran Talaj: no -- can't hear you
[11:28] Centurion Bikcin: yes
[11:28] Loran Sirbu: Looking good!
[11:28] Loran Sirbu: oops
[11:29] Loran Sirbu: can you hear us mira?
[11:29] Centurion Bikcin: i still can't hear anyone except geisha and loran sometimes
[11:30] geisha Mayako: well no one else is really speaking besides us and kamran


[11:30] Ignatius Baroque: /bored
[11:30] You: not me
[11:30] Centurion Bikcin: i hear waxakla
[11:31] Kamran Talaj: we should all type now -- because we don't all hear
[11:31] Kamran Talaj: we have an egalitarian society here -- first rule
[11:31] Loran Sirbu: great
[11:31] Loran Sirbu: nice dress mira
[11:31] Kamran Talaj: ok
[11:31] Loran Sirbu: do you like my haircut?
[11:31] Mirra Fredriksson: thanks
[11:31] Mirra Fredriksson: yea its weird
[11:31] Mirra Fredriksson: haha
[11:31] Kamran Talaj: so first -- make sure you are a friend of mirra and mirra vice versa with everyone
[11:31] Loran Sirbu: it's very mullet-y
[11:32] You: mirra has to accept my invite
[11:32] Mirra Fredriksson: i did
[11:32] You: so it's just waiting
[11:33] Kamran Talaj: mirra -- are you paying attention to the little pop-ups on your screen
[11:33] Kamran Talaj: ok
[11:33] Mirra Fredriksson: haha yes
[11:33] Mirra Fredriksson: i have all of you
[11:33] geisha Mayako: where r we exactly
[11:33] Loran Sirbu: technical question:
[11:33] Kamran Talaj: new person coming, i think...
[11:33] Kamran Talaj: yes, loran?
[11:34] Loran Sirbu: does internet connection speed have a big impact on the way SL operates?
[11:34] Kamran Talaj: yes, pretty sure it does
[11:34] Loran Sirbu: because i feel like mine lags quite a bit and i'm wondering if that it because my connection isnt great right now
[11:34] Loran Sirbu: ok- i'll have to deal with that
[11:34] Loran Sirbu: thanks
[11:35] geisha Mayako: argh i entered some new way of viewing by accidnet
[11:35] geisha Mayako: make it stop
[11:35] Loran Sirbu: press ESC
[11:35] Ignatius Baroque: I'm on stolen wireless, but I'm doing OK, so my guess wold be that it's more about your processor speed
[11:35] Loran Sirbu: geisha.
[11:35] Loran Sirbu: hmm
[11:35] geisha Mayako: ok i thinkt hat did it
[11:35] Loran Sirbu: thats weird because i have a macbook pro
[11:35] Kamran Talaj: ok -- thario -- meet the rest -- and everyone please exchange friendship cards with him/her
[11:35] Loran Sirbu: hi tharip!
[11:35] Ignatius Baroque: oh well then I'm stumped
[11:36] Loran Sirbu: i mean thario, sorry
[11:36] Loran Sirbu: thanks ignatius


[11:36] You: thario can u step out so we can see u
[11:36] geisha Mayako: loran i think the program is quirky
[11:36] geisha Mayako: i have problems ta times too
[11:36] geisha Mayako: it froze a lot this morning
[11:36] You have offered friendship to Thario Botha
[11:36] geisha Mayako: i was well wnnoyede
[11:36] geisha Mayako: annoyed even
[11:36] Kamran Talaj: thario -- you feeling acclamated?
[11:36] Ignatius Baroque: ha
[11:37] Loran Sirbu: it annoys me greatly
[11:37] Kamran Talaj: loran -- try logging off and on again
[11:37] Loran Sirbu: its ok for now...
[11:38] Thario Botha: ok
[11:38] Thario Botha: so, what is going on?
[11:38] Mirra Fredriksson: did you take a pic?
[11:38] You: someone is taking pics
[11:38] Kamran Talaj: yes
[11:38] Mirra Fredriksson: ok
[11:38] Mirra Fredriksson: i heard it...


[11:39] Loran Sirbu: i guess its nightime on SL now
[11:39] Mirra Fredriksson: its morning
[11:39] Kamran Talaj: documenting
[11:39] Loran Sirbu: ignatius- you changed
[11:39] Kamran Talaj: OK -- CAN WE GET ORGANIZED NOW?
[11:39] Loran Sirbu: yup
[11:39] Mirra Fredriksson: yes
[11:39] Loran Sirbu: morning eh?
[11:39] Ignatius Baroque: yeah i was trying to get rid of that floating text
[11:39] geisha Mayako: yes please
[11:39] Kamran Talaj is Offline
[11:39] Mirra Fredriksson: oh he left
[11:39] geisha Mayako: lol there he go
[11:39] Ignatius Baroque: and the jedi outfit
[11:39] Loran Sirbu: yes lets organize
[11:39] Loran Sirbu: he
[11:39] Ignatius Baroque: He'll be back
[11:39] Loran Sirbu: he'll be back
[11:39] geisha Mayako: i know i know
[11:40] Mirra Fredriksson: who is ignatius?
[11:40] geisha Mayako: LOL


[11:40] Ignatius Baroque: I thought we weren't supposed to reveal our identities
[11:40] Mirra Fredriksson: i like his outfit
[11:40] Mirra Fredriksson: lol
[11:40] Ignatius Baroque: aw thanks
[11:40] geisha Mayako: yeah i do too
[11:40] Kamran Talaj is Online
[11:40] Loran Sirbu: well i already now a bunch of people
[11:40] geisha Mayako: i choose that as my frist avatar
[11:40] Mirra Fredriksson: are you not wearing a shirt?
[11:40] Loran Sirbu: because of the whole voice chat thing
[11:40] geisha Mayako: but then i jacked up his hair
[11:40] geisha Mayako: and was over it
[11:40] Loran Sirbu: kamran is back!
[11:40] Ignatius Baroque: it's just what came
[11:41] Ignatius Baroque: Kamran?
[11:41] You: /bored
[11:41] Thario Botha: are those your pubs?
[11:41] geisha Mayako: ROFLOL
[11:41] Kamran Talaj: CANNOT TALK
[11:41] Kamran Talaj: YES, BUT MALFUNCTIONING
[11:41] Kamran Talaj: OK WORKS
[11:41] geisha Mayako: i'm not sure i can't see down ther e
[11:41] geisha Mayako: what u think thario?
[11:42] Thario Botha: lol
[11:42] Thario Botha: i think they are
[11:42] Thario Botha: nice
[11:42] Kamran Talaj: OK -- EVERYONE -- CAN WE START NOW??
[11:42] Ignatius Baroque: sorry
[11:42] geisha Mayako: no prob
[11:42] Centurion Bikcin: ready
[11:42] geisha Mayako: ready 2
[11:42] Loran Sirbu is Offline
[11:42] Ignatius Baroque: 2
[11:42] Kamran Talaj: EVERYONE SITUATED
[11:42] Kamran Talaj: ?
[11:42] You: yes
[11:42] Thario Botha: yup
[11:42] Ignatius Baroque: ya
[11:43] Kamran Talaj: WE LOST LORAN
[11:43] Mirra Fredriksson: she will come back
[11:43] Kamran Talaj: BUT IN THE MEANTIME
[11:43] Kamran Talaj: RECAP
[11:43] Kamran Talaj: WE'RE GOING TO ANSWER ONE TECH QUESTION ABOUT VIDEO
[11:43] Kamran Talaj: THEN TRAVEL TOGETHER
[11:43] Kamran Talaj: THEN GO SHOPPING
[11:43] Kamran Talaj: SO VIDEO -- WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION, WAXAKLA?
[11:44] You: i want to see if we can record our shopping trip
[11:44] You: onto video
[11:44] Ignatius Baroque: good call
[11:44] Kamran Talaj: OK -- TO DO THAT
[11:45] Loran Sirbu is Online
[11:45] Kamran Talaj: GO TO FILE -- THEN START/STOP VIDEO
[11:45] Kamran Talaj: START WHEN YOU WANT TO START RECORDING
[11:45] Kamran Talaj: BEWARE: IT USES LOTS OF MEMORY AND CONSUMES LOTS OF HARD DRIVE SPACE, SO
[11:45] You: ok...the thing is I cant do it. b/c my processor is not able
[11:45] Loran Sirbu: THAT WAS SOOO ANNOYING
[11:46] Kamran Talaj: YOU MAY NEED TO CHANGE VIDEO (MACHINIMA) PREFERENCES
[11:46] Loran Sirbu: SL just crashed...again
[11:46] Kamran Talaj: SO THAT IT RECORDS LOW QUALITY VID
[11:46] Kamran Talaj: I HAVE BEEN HAVING LOTS OF VID CRAHES TOO
[11:46] Kamran Talaj: COULD BE A BUG
[11:46] Loran Sirbu: what are we doing now?
[11:46] You: ok...well i'll keep playing with it...i tired that already
[11:46] You: tried
[11:46] Kamran Talaj: CAN CHECK THAT LATER IN THE BLOG/UPDATES PAGES ETC
[11:46] You: ok
[11:47] Mirra Fredriksson is Offline
[11:47] Kamran Talaj: WE CAN TAKE PHOTOS FOR NOW
[11:47] Mirra Fredriksson is Online
[11:47] You: how do u do that
[11:47] Kamran Talaj: EVERYONE NOT KNOW HOW TO DO THAT
[11:47] Kamran Talaj: OK
[11:47] Loran Sirbu: snapshot?
[11:47] Kamran Talaj: PLEASE, SOMEONE ELSE EXPLAIN
[11:47] Loran Sirbu: is that what you are referring to?
[11:48] Kamran Talaj: YES, LORAN
[11:48] Kamran Talaj: OPTION IS CALLED TAKE A SNAPSHOT
[11:48] Loran Sirbu: ok- to take a picture you just click on snapshot at the bottom of the screen (beside search)
[11:48] Loran Sirbu: and then you choose where you want to save it to
[11:48] Kamran Talaj: YOU CAN SLECT OPTION TO NOT INCUDE INTERFACE IN THE PHOTO
[11:48] Kamran Talaj: SO THAT IT DEVELOPS CLEAN
[11:48] Loran Sirbu: ohh
[11:49] Loran Sirbu: i didnt know that
[11:49] geisha Mayako: how do u position the camera
[11:49] Kamran Talaj: OK -- NOW EVERYONE KNOWS THAT YOU NEED TO SAVE THESE CHATS BEFORE SHUTTING DOWN
[11:49] Kamran Talaj: CAMERA IS YOUR EYE
[11:49] Kamran Talaj: SO WHAT YOU LOOK AT IS WHAT YOU SHOOT
[11:50] Kamran Talaj: YOU FIRST POSITION, THEN YOU SELECT TAKE A SNAPSHOPT OPTION
[11:50] Kamran Talaj: EVERYONE GOT THAT?

Video Vision Conference - Ethical Considerations

I want to share the notes on ethical learning from CUNY Video Vision conference. Although these principles were presented as they relate to videotaping subjects for reasearch, they can be applied to net research as well.

I want to video tape some of my research subjects:

Is this a concern?
I am not going to hurt anyone.

Research Ethics: a qucik history.

Nurember Code, 1947
"The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential"

Declaration of Helsinki, 1964
"Each potential subject must be adequately informed of the aims, methods, anticipated benefits and the potential hazards and the discomfort it may entail. He must be informed that he is at liberty to abstain from participation in the study and that he is free to withdraw his consent to participation at any time.

The Belmont Report, 1979
National commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research.

The Belmont principles:

Respect for persons:
Informed consent

Vulnerable populations with diminished authority: - not recruting subjects when consent is impossible i.e. child overrules parent (subject consent is what matters)

Privacy - having control over the extent, timing, and circumstances of sharing oneself (physically, behaviorally or intellectually). Privacy relates directly to the person.

Private information: information which has been provided for specific purposes by an individual and will not be made public (for example, a medical record).

Confidentiality: methods used to ensure that information obtained by researchers about their subjects is not improperly divulged. Confidentiality relates directly to data

Beneficence: to do good, and to avoid harm
Risk/Benefit analysis
Data Safety
Experimental design

Justice: for distribution of benefits and burdens from research

Not just study the population but give benefits back

machinima crash

I've been trying to record myself as I move around SL, but my SL crashes every time I try. So I moved and started talking to more people. It is strange. When I didn't have anyone to talk with, I wanted to. Now that I have more friends sometimes I just want to sit down and not talk. I started talking to someone and he told me about INKsters, the writing group that puts literary competitions every week. He gave a few landmarks and I went to check it out. The place was nice, with plush couches, and a Shakespeare poster. It looked like an old club, like the room of Yale Club or something like that. I didn't want to participate in the competition. I liked the fact that there are so many things to do in SL. I equate it to NY, where you can do whatever you want. I was talking to someone and he told me that SL is equivalent to the size of continental US, and that sometimes there are only 20 to 40 people online. That's a lot of land per capita. I wish I could use it for storage. Well, I have to give up on machinima for now, and move on to explore more. I learned how to create gesture (easy), and how to go to landmarks. Someone told me that IBM, MIT and Princeton had sims in SL. I should check that out too. I also went to a party the other day but felt weird because I did not know how to dance and everybody else was showing their best moves. There is a lot of showing off in SL. I also think that most of the time, users have something to sell you, or they want you to try this or that. I am a little skeptical of any friendship.

this thing called reality

Lately, I have been having a very strange feeling: I want to rewind things just as I rewind them every time I want with my DVR. I was a the theater the other night, and I was really concentrating and paying attention to everything that was going on, but suddenly I tuned out and went somewhere else. I don't know. It is good, that's what art is supposed to do, take you places, unexpected places, but then I had this impulse to want to rewind. It was weird, and because it was a live performance I couldn't do it. I am conditioned to do that. Then I was in SL, and I missed something, and again I wanted to recreate the moment, the feeling, but I couldn't. I guess in that sense SL resembles RL more than I thought. Yes, I could click on the history button and see the chat, but not go back, trace my steps, unless I was recording, but I wasn't, so there...

and back...

I am learniing more and more about how to move, what the map means. I see that the little dots on the map mean other avatars and look for locations where there are a lot of people, that's how I arrive at this spot where I get to talk for the first time to a really friendly person. Locke. She tells (I think is a she) me how to set my home there. How to display property lines and how to become member of a group. We talk for a long time. I tell her that I didn't have much success with talking to people before and she tells "you get the bad with the good." We keep talking. I ask her what she does, and she tells me that it is a unsopken rule in SL not to ask questions about RL. I tell her I wasn't asking about RL. She tells me she wants to be sure and then tells me that she is a builder. I tell her about the research I want to do, and she becomes interested and doesn't mind at all. She adds me as her friend. I really like Locke. She takes me to a wall where there's a lot of free stuff. I try to put it on, but it looks really weird so I take it off. It is time to get on with my RL. This was a much better experience in SL than the previous ones.

I go back

After my first experience, I go back and decide to have a different approach. I'm just going to stand and listen to people talk. Someone approaches me and tries to sell me something. I said I don't have any money. I start thinking that most people here are trying to get something out of this, but of course, meeting some needs, feel good, make friends, make money, whatever it is? What am I trying to get out of it? I don't think I know yet. With that in mind, I keep walking around. I like the sounds I hear and some of the trees, and streams are really cool. I kept walking, teleporting to different locations until I land on a dance bar. It looks like fun but people are wearing really funky outfits. I am listening to the music and feeling good when someone shows up with a big gun. I get scared. I type: "I don't want to die." and teleport back home but home was right there or didn't work. I just stayed there and started hearing gunshots. I immediately log out. I really don't want to get killed.

First time in Second Life

The first time I was in SL, I felt a little disoriented and lost. I could not move well. I felt like a klutz, socially inadequate. It was a feeling I hadn't had in quite some time, and I wasn't aware of it unitl I remembered that I had to write down my first impresions about SL for the ethnography class. Then I started to chat with somebody. I typed "hello Lindi" and I didn't get an answer. It was also akward, like approaching a stranger at a bar who turns away from you and doesn't want to talk.

I then began exploring a little more. I started to move with more ease. I went to the men's clothing store in Mahulu, just to check things out. I tried to approach someone again (without talking) but she ran away. What's wrong with me? I feel really weird. Maybe I should just walk around but I don't want to give up and try to talk to someone else but he also runs away. There's definetely something wrong with me. Maybe it's my look. Is there an etiquette I'm not aware of? Am I breaking some unspoken rule?

I go to another location (teleport I learn easily) looking for more people but I have no luck. I feel frustrated. My computer crashes and I get disconnected. I don't file a report. Who cares? I feel guilty about the crash, as I was trying to enter a restricted area and I was punished. I think I might have. Still, I fell so weird.