Second Life: Brave New Frontier or Fleeting Gimmick?

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Second Life Brave New Frontier or Fleeting
Gimmick?

• Cathal McCauley, University Librarian
• NUI Maynooth
• Peter Clarke, Library IT Services
• UCD

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When I was a child, I spake as a child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child but
when I became a man, I put away childish things.
(1 Corinthians 1311)
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What is Second Life?

• A 3-D virtual world established by Linden Labs in
  2003. Currently c15.5 million residents.
  Download the Second Life (SL) installer from
  www.secondlife.com
• Key concepts Avatars, Objects, Linden Dollars
• Communication by IM and Voice
• More than a game

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Second Life and the early WWW

• Content similar sex, rock-n-roll and free stuff
  very popular (gambling was)
• Issues similar US-dominated, uncertainty, rapid
  change, moral issues, security issues etc.
• Some new issues too virtual world protest
  groups and riots but how new?
• Key characteristic is the similarity

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Second Life True or False?

• You can visit the Sistine Chapel in SL and fly up
  to review the ceiling.
• The SLLA (Second Life Liberation Army) is waging
  a campaign against big brands in SL.
• Anshe Chung was the first real world
  millionaire who made her fortune in SL.
• Coca-Cola sponsors a blues venue in SL.
• You can visit a bar in Dublin in SL for pints
  and craic
• ALL TRUE!

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Video - Sistine Chapel
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Video - The Blarney Stone
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Education in Second Life

• Many US universities (including Berkley, Harvard
  and Stanford)
• More than 70 of UK universities
• Universities from Australia and Japan in world
  too
• Small, but growing Irish interest e.g. UCD, DIT
• Delivering classes, skills session, seminars and
  conferences
• Key drivers distance learning, media,
  technology, design and Libraries

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UCD Library in Second Life

• Why? Many reasons including Institutional
  Library strategy, reader preferences, resources
  and PR.
• Entered SL on 7th March 07. Part of US-based
  ALSs award winning cybrary city.
• Library-wide working group established in April
  07.

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UCD Library in Second Life Key Achievements to
date

• March 07 First Irish academic library in SL
• Sept. Nov. 07 hosted area aimed at new and
  potential students (repeated Autumn 08)
• 07/08 hosted lectures, tutorials and contact
  time for Prof. Mary Burke (UCD SILS)
• Feb. 08 hosted talk by movie director Anne Seidl
  attended by 30 avatars
• March 08 hosted virtual venues strand of Library
  Ireland Week 3 successful events
• Oct. 08 short listed for UCD Images of Research
  Competition

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UCD Library in Second Life The PR dividend
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Second Life and Web 2.0 Technical Challenges

• Problems encountered
• Hardware Specifications
• Network issues
• Updates
• User Education

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Second Life and Web 2.0 Technical Challenges

• Minimum Hardware Specifications
• Broadband Internet connection
• PC or Mac
• 1.5 GHz CPU
• 1 gb memory
• Video card issues
• Student PC specs vs Staff PC specs

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Second Life and Web 2.0 Technical Challenges

• Network Issues.
• Worked with UCD IT Services to implement this.
• Uses ports 443/TCP, 12035/UDP, 12036/UDP, and
  13000-13050/UDP.
• Bandwidth requirements
• Average of 80 kbps downstream, spiking at about
  400 kbps on initial connect / teleports.
• Upstream requires 30 kbps on average.

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Second Life and Web 2.0 Technical Challenges

• Second Life updates
• Some essential, some not.
• Use Active Directory to roll out updates.
• User Education
• Students already familiar with SL / games.

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How Second Life Works - Physics

• Havok physics engine
• Something / someone is pushed
• Something collides with something else
• Something is moving or has motion
• Friction / dampening slows something down
• Used in games such as Halo 4 and Medal of Honor.
• One-way street )

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How Second Life Works Scripting

• Linden Scripting Language (LSL).
• Similar to the C programming language.
• Many scripts are free
• e.g stat-counter, presentations, trampoline
• Prices can be assigned to any item.
• Tutorials available throughout SL forums.

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How Second Life Works Objects

• EVERY object, building and spaceship you see in
  Second Life was created by a resident.
• The Sandbox - A public space where residents
  can practice building objects.
• Cubes, cones and tubes etc. can be manipulated.
• Objects come alive through scripting.

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How Second Life Works - Textures

• Textures applied to the surface of objects.
• Just an image file designed to give a surface a
  particular look.
• Examples of textures include wood grain, brick
  and metallic finishes.
• Textures created in graphics programs like
  Photoshop or Paint Pro and then imported into
  Second Life.

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How Second Life Works - Media

• Can view streaming audio and video inside Second
  Life.
• Audio in MPEG and Ogg Vorbis formats.
• Streaming video requires Quicktime.
• Designate the surface's texture as a media
  surface.

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Future SL Projects at UCD

• Continue to publicise and provide access to
  Library resources.
• Continue with presentations and seminars in SL.
• Examples of possible future development
• Access control for admission by valid students.
• Link with Talis Keystone for access to library
  account.

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Fleeting Gimmick?

• Second life facing many obstacles
• Technology issues (access, reliability,
  interoperability)
• Ownership concerns
• Figuring out what users want
• Business community uncommitted
• Ambiguous economic and membership metrics
• Digital nomads and growing competition

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Our evidence so far suggests that virtual worlds
have great potentialit is not clear that Second
Life is the optimal environmentDr Peter
Twining, Head of Dept of Education, Open
University (Source A Spring 2008 snaphot of UK
Higher and Further Education Developments in
Second Life)
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Virtual Worlds A Frontier(s) worth exploring

• Growing market
• Access to the new economy
• Service delivery opportunity
• Opportunity for international co-operation
• Another route to hard to reach students
• Particularly suited to some disciplines
• Already estimated 100 million active users of
  virtual worlds.
• Gartner predict that by 2011 80 of active
  internet users will have a Second Life

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Go raibh maith agaibhCathal McCauleycathal.mcca
uley_at_nuim.iePeter Clarkep.clarke_at_ucd.ie