20/20 Second life love (3:33)

Second life

PLUS Second Life Love - We've heard a lot about the perils of Second Life - the computer generated world which has raised eyebrows by becoming a haven for simulated sex and crime. But 20/20 brings you the story of two people who managed to find true love thanks to Second Life - which helped them change the way they looked at themselves, and others. link>>>

Net Working

example flow of how a indiviual contects with others within a net work or group.

My starting point - Reference 2

Social simulation

"Social simulation is the modeling or simulation, normally performed using a computer, of social phenomena (e.g., cooperation, competition, markets, social networks dynamics, etc.). A subset within social simulations are Agent Based Social Simulations (ABSS) which are an amalgam of computer simulations, agent based modeling, and the social sciences." >>>>link

 --------------------------------

Criticisms of Social Simulation

"Since its creation, computerized social simulation has been the target of some criticism in regard to its practicality and accuracy. Social simulation's simplification of the complex to form models from which we can better understand the latter is sometimes seen as a draw back, as using fairly simple models to simulate real life with computers is not always the best way to predict behavior.

Most of the criticism seems to be aimed at agent-based models and simulation and how they work:

1. Simulations, being man-made from mathematical interfaces, predict human behavior in a far too simple manner in regard to the complexities of humanity and our actions.
   
   
2. Simulations cannot enlighten researchers as to how people interact or behave in ways not programmed into their models. For this reason, the scope of simulations are limited in that the researchers must already know what they are going to find (to a degree, for they cannot find anything they themselves did not place in the model) at least vaguely, possibly skewing the results.
   
   
3. Due to the complexities of what is being measured, simulations must be analyzed in unbiased ways; however, with the model running on a pre-made set of instructions coded into it by a modeler, biases exist almost universally.
   
4. It is highly difficult and often impractical to attempt to link the findings from the abstract world the simulation creates and our complex society and all of its variation.

Researchers working in social simulation might respond that the competing theories from the social sciences are far simpler than those achieved through simulation and therefore suffer the aforementioned drawbacks much more strongly. Theories in social science tend to be linear models that are not dynamic and which are inferred from small laboratory experiments. The behavior of populations of agents under these models is rarely tested or verified against empirical observation." >>>link

--------------------------------------------

Artificial society
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Artificial Society is the specific agent based computational model for computer simulation in social analysis. It is mostly connected to the theme in complex system, emergence, Monte Carlo Method, computational sociology, multi agent system, and evolutionary programming. The concept itself is simple enough. Actually reaching this conceptual point took a while. Complex mathematical models have been, and are, common; deceivingly simple models only have their roots in the late forties, and took the advent of the microcomputer to really get up to speed."

--------------------------------------------

"Simulated reality is the proposition that reality could be simulated—perhaps by computer simulation—to a degree indistinguishable from "true" reality. It could contain conscious minds which may or may not know that they are living inside a simulation. In its strongest form, the "simulation hypothesis" claims it is probable that we are actually living in such a simulation.

This is different from the current, technologically achievable concept of virtual reality. Virtual reality is easily distinguished from the experience of "true" reality; participants are never in doubt about the nature of what they experience. Simulated reality, by contrast, would be hard or impossible to distinguish from "true" reality." >>>link

--------------------------------------------
 

My starting point - Reference

"Second Life (abbreviated as SL) is an Internet-based 3D virtual world launched June 23, 2003 and developed by Linden Research, Inc, which came to international attention via mainstream news media in late 2006 and early 2007. It provides a platform for human interaction with a high degree of naturalness. A free downloadable client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called "Residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars, providing an advanced level of a social network service combined with general aspects of a metaverse. Residents can explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade items (virtual property) and services with one another.

In 2008, Second Life was honored at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards for advancing the development of online sites with user-generated content. Philip Rosedale, President of Linden Lab, accepted the award." >>>>link

--------------------------------------------

Content within the world

"User-generated content comprises a large portion of the activity within Second Life. Second Life may be considered part of the web 2.0 phenomenon in that the Residents, not Linden Lab, create most of the content of the world. Built into the client is a 3D modeling tool that allows any Resident to build virtual objects. Residents can also create gestures and animations using software such as Blender, Poser. Second Life also includes a scripting language called Linden Scripting Language, or LSL, which can be used to add autonomous behavior to objects and create dynamic systems. User generated content can run the gamut from simple furniture and apparel to complex systems such as the artificial life experiment of Svarga, where a complete ecology runs autonomously.

Second Life allows users to give, or sell, objects that have been created to other residents. The Second Life Terms of Service ensure that users retain copyright to any content they create. Within the server and client is a permissions and digital rights management system which prevents Residents from casually disregarding a creator's copyright. The creator of an in-world object decide whether or not any recipient of them can modify, copy, or transfer the creation. These limits are respected both by the client and server; however, as the visual data of an object must be sent to the client in order for it to be drawn, unofficial third-party clients such as CopyBot can bypass them - though such use is prohibited,[16] and may be prosecuted under the DMCA."  >>>>link

----------------------------------------------

Virtual reality

"Virtual reality (VR) is a technology which allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment, be it a real or imagined one. Most current virtual reality environments are primarily visual experiences, displayed either on a computer screen or through special or stereoscopic displays, but some simulations include additional sensory information, such as sound through speakers or headphones. Some advanced, haptic systems now include tactile information, generally known as force feedback, in medical and gaming applications. Users can interact with a virtual environment or a virtual artifact (VA) either through the use of standard input devices such as a keyboard and mouse, or through multimodal devices such as a wired glove, the Polhemus boom arm, and omnidirectional treadmill. The simulated environment can be similar to the real world, for example, simulations for pilot or combat training, or it can differ significantly from reality, as in VR games. In practice, it is currently very difficult to create a high-fidelity virtual reality experience, due largely to technical limitations on processing power, image resolution and communication bandwidth. However, those limitations are expected to eventually be overcome as processor, imaging and data communication technologies become more powerful and cost-effective over time.">>>link

---------------------------------------------------

Future

It is unclear exactly where the future of virtual reality is heading. In the short run, the graphics displayed in the HMD will soon reach a point of near realism. The audio capabilities will move into a new realm of three dimensional sound. This refers to the addition of sound channels both above and below the individual or a Holophony approach.

Within existing technological limits, sight and sound are the two senses which best lend themselves to high quality simulation. There are however attempts being currently made to simulate smell. The purpose of current research is linked to a project aimed at treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in veterans by exposing them to combat simulations, complete with smells. Although it is often seen in the context of entertainment by popular culture, this illustrates the point that the future of VR is very much tied into therapeutic, training, and engineering demands. Given that fact, a full sensory immersion beyond basic tactile feedback, sight, sound, and smell is unlikely to be a goal in the industry. It is worth mentioning that simulating smells, while it can be done very realistically, requires costly research and development to make each odor, and the machine itself is expensive and specialized, using capsules tailor made for it. Thus far basic, and very strong smells such as burning rubber, cordite, gasoline fumes, and so-forth have been made. Not content to serve only its customers' eyes and ears, Japan's NTT Communications, of Tokyo, has just finished testing an Internet-connected odor-delivery system to be used by retailers and restaurants to attract customers. Whether NTT has sniffed out a new commercial opportunity or this attempt to engage our olfactory sense will fail the smell test is too early to judge. But as new trials and applications are tried out and more data gathered, Hamada says he is sure the technology “will take communications to a new level in content richness, compared to today’s communications, which only offers images and sounds”

---------------------------------------------------

My starting point

So I have been looking for some point that will be my starting point.

"Second Life is an internet-based simulation of reality -- a virtual world with trees, buildings, animals and people. The people are animated characters who participate in this digital world, each guided by a real-world person who can make his or her "avatar" look and act however they want. For someone with physical or emotional disabilities, this chance to dream by way of a computer and high-speed internet connection can be a healing and empowering experience. That's why many experts are working to make the simulation environment more accessible to them. From inside the virtual world of Second Life, Shelley Schlender reports." >>>>Link

My starting point could be that second life while be design for able body users, has giventhose who are not able body to chance to interact with others. In fact second life has been created to level the playing field of life so that we are all equal.

"Mark Dubin, the University of Colorado neuroscientist, says that people with disabilities often become isolated. He says Second Life can change that ... and be fun. "Depression lifts, people become more excited and interested. It's not that they learn to overcome [their disabilities]," he stresses. "To use the proper phrase, they are differently abled, and Second Life enables those differences to be functional."

Because Second Life can offer people so many friendships and teachable moments, Alice Krueger says that more than 70 English-speaking groups assist people with disabilities or health issues through Second Life, and there are many support groups in other languages, as well."  >>>>Link

Transformed intimacy

Subject Second Life 

Transformed intimacy

Question

(I am not sure about the question I should be asking, so I have included both.)

Is it possible to gain a similar intimate relationship experience when existing in a tacit environment? 

Can a user share their emotional state within an environment?

Modern human existent has leaded to the innovational development in which everyday people are able to interact with others. Creating varied methods of communicational techniques allow the user freedom to experience social intimacy not normally available in their current environment. 

The creations of a world were individuals are represented in the form of an avatar. This pixel representation of the human form and world is so immersive, because emulates the real world environment. These pixels forms give freedom of interaction with no visual limitations in which a user is able to create a connection with others. You will see varied social groups are represented as pixels forms; allowing them to interact at both a local and global level.

The need for social intimacy has transformed over time, but the need for contact has not.

Design form
The avatar emulates the human form.


Statement
Social intimacy is needed by the individual in order to function.

Mind Game