As someone who is studying Second Life in two other classes as well as having been a participant at one time, I do not see very much potential in the software and in the virtual world in problem solving applications. I believe that one of the benefits of computers is the creation of an arbitrary interface that does not resemble the real world at all. What, for example, would be more efficient, creating a house in CAD software designed to maximize productivity, or building a house in Second Life and experiencing it via the game? Sure, the product suite in Second Life could be augmented, but regardless, designing a building using “the right tool for the job” will always beat a system that attempts to simulate the real world like Second Life.
I do, however, believe that Second Life does hold significant promise as a simulation environment. Second Life does have a real economy, and as demonstrated by the Zazzy’s affair, property does have real value to its residents. By adjusting economic factors such as amount of available land, available money, the maximum number of prims one user can have, and the exchange rate of a US dollar to a Linden dollar, one can conduct economic experiments and research how certain economic policies may affect the well-being of the populace.
I had discussed this in a paper for another class regarding how a customized Second Life locale could be set up to simulate conditions in emerging economies and developing countries. By adjusting the economy and the world accordingly, one’s “second life” could take on characteristics of “real life” in other parts of the non-western world, and sociologists and economists could examine the decisions that people make and use this information to inform politicians of the best policy decisions to make.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
I like your perspective on looking at Second Life as an attempt to make a virtual meeting place that mimics real life. I never looked at the benefit of computers as being the ability to create a meeting place that isn't like the real world before and I like that way of looking at it. But, I definitely would stress that the way it mimics the real world is helpful for some collaboration, like you mention simulation, as well as some individual tasks, like personality building perhaps. And, let's be real it doesn't exactly mimic the real world but more of a fantasy world.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to think about the idea of Second Life being used to explore things like economic cycles and fluctuations. I have always considered it as more of a CMC or game type environment, but I suppose it could have a lot of real world simulation applications. It would be interesting to see if government policies and their effects could be tested through a fictional Second Life type world.
ReplyDelete