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20/20 Second life love (3:33)

2008-10-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-23T01:17:00.000-07:00

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

My starting point - Reference 2

2008-09-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

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

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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:

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.
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.
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.
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

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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."

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"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

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My starting point - Reference

2008-09-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

"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

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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

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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

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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”

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My starting point

2008-09-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-04T02:44:00.000-07:00

This is the Product created to play on your mindset, creating a situation or being place in a situation were you have to choice to risk or no to risk it all to gain the reward.

By allowing yourself to be vulnerable in new situations youy are able to gain skills or knowledge for future situations.

Product created

2008-09-03T23:44:00.000-07:00

Paragraph for group work -300 words

2008-09-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

Meeting up today seem to get us to split the work and we will all be meeting up later in the afternoon(4pm)

Each person is to write up a paragraph or two no less then 200 max 300 words for the afternoon meeting.

This is my 300 words

Human development is such that the individual is unaware at the beginning of what can make us later fear the unknown environment that surrounds us. As the individual expand its knowledge of their surrounding world, that they become aware of situations or objects that teach them how to react the next time they are placed in a similar situation. The fight-or-flight response, also called the fright, fight or flight response, hyper arousal or the acute stress response, was first described by Walter Cannon in 1915. Walter Cannon theory was that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system, priming the animal for fighting or fleeing from the situation that was in front of them.

How much they expose themselves, depends on their age, sex, culture and environment conditions. Other factors such as the amount of time or if they have prior knowledge of similar situations would affect the level of involvement that they are willing to expose themselves to.

We now live in a society where we are exposed to virtue fear situations through game play and simulation learning that allows the individual safe exposure to dangerous situations. From this they are able to gain knowledge of situations that would not normally be accessible to them. An example of this is flight simulator; allows the user the chance of having an experience of flying an aircraft. While it may be a totally immersive experience, it has taken away the real fear of crashing the plane. There are many similar projects that have been created to imitate real situations, so that an individual is able to experience a situation without placing themselves or others in real danger. By reproducing dangerous and non dangerous situations, the individual is able to learn skills that are not commonly available.

Group Meeting - third time the charm

2008-09-01T18:05:00.000-07:00

We had another meeting today, were we discuss each person going out and seeking more infor etc for the written part. The plan is to meet up tomorow at 10 am and get it sorted.

The plan is for each person to look at the words and look for reference that will help create our theory.

Vulnerability
The state of being vulnerable or exposed to your surroundings.
To exposure yourself to danger, the act that will open oneself to having an experience that could harm or injury oneself. The lack of complete certainty, that is, the existence of more than one possibility. The "true" outcome/state/result/value is not known.

Risk
We think that there is a risk involved when coming into contact with a new object, we have to open ourself and this could be very risky. A state of uncertainty where some possible outcomes have an undesired effect or significant loss. A state of uncertainty where some of the possibilities involve a loss, catastrophe, or other undesirable outcome. >>>

Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, often thought to have symbolic value, the performance of which is usually prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community by religious or political laws because of the perceived efficacy of those actions. A ritual may be performed at regular intervals, or on specific occasions, or at the discretion of individuals or communities. It may be performed by a single individual, by a group, or by the entire community; in arbitrary places, or in places especially reserved for it; either in public, in private, or before specific people. A ritual may be restricted to a certain subset of the community, and may enable or underscore the passage between religious or social states. >>>>

Time
Time is a component of a measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify the motions of objects. Time has been a major subject of religion, philosophy, and science, but defining time in a non-controversial manner applicable to all fields of study has consistently eluded the greatest scholars. >>>

Intimacy
Intimacy is both the ability and the choice to be close, loving, and vulnerable. Intimacy requires identity development. You have to know yourself and your inner self in order to share your self with another. Knowing yourself makes it possible to stand for yourself in an intimate relationship without taking over the other or losing yourself to the other. This ability to be separate and together in an intimate relationship and being okay with that is called self-differentiation. Lacking the ability to differentiate one self from the other is a form of symbiosis. This too is different from intimacy though to some that kind of dependent closeness may feel the same. >>>

Knowledge
Knowledge acquisition involves complex cognitive processes: perception, learning, communication, association and reasoning. The term knowledge is also used to mean the confident understanding of a subject with the ability to use it for a specific purpose if appropriate. >>>

>>> Trying to clear my mind for tomorrow, I am posting this bit here.

The response of the individual to a situation would be base on several factors. What the length of time is an available for the situation. Be exposed to similar situations, which would allow you more knowledge of the situation. What level is the individual open to that would exposure them to being vulnerable to the risk of the unknown situation. The lack of complete certainty, that could existence with more than one possibility outcome for the individual. The risk is on the individual to make the choice to either to risk or not to risk. These are the factors that would set the path taken.

At first when the experience is all new to the individual, but if repeated again and again over time it would become a learning ritual experience would not make them vulnerable if they happen to be placed in the situation. Over time if the person is exposed again and again to similar situations, the individual would be able to deal with situation because they have prior knowledge.

The evidence of this is measure by the user personal experience of the object or situation.

There is also the fact that there are those who are driven to use the object because it supports their outlook.

6 popular fears, 6 technological fixes

2008-09-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

"Our culture is driven by fear. Besides our own shadows, we’re afraid of flying, sharks, car accidents, dentists, terrorists, and lots of other stuff. But real-world stats show that most of these fears are completely unfounded; the objects of most of our fears are not nearly as dangerous as they seem.">>>>

Meeting - Project 2

2008-08-26T01:13:00.000-07:00

I missed the first meeting as the group were unable to contact me as they had an old email address. So the plan was for a meeting today at 1pm.

Due to the group comments and other deadlines the meetting has been moved till next Tuesday. I am not sure what direction the project is going right now other then what has been said in the first hand in. The groups plan is to get it done and dusted on Tuesday.

Theories and practice in interaction design

2008-08-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

“The decades a head will be a period of comprehending biotech, mastering nature, and realizing extraterrestrial travel, with DNA computers, micorobots, and nano technologies the main characters on the technological stage. Computers as we know them today will be A) be boring, and B) disappear into things that are first and foremost something else: smart nails, self-cleaning shirts, driverless cars, therapeutic Barbie dolls, intelligent doorknobs that let the Federal express man in and Fido out, but not 10 other dogs back in: Computers will be a sweeping yet invisible part of our everyday lives: We’ll live in them, wear them, even eat them…Yes, we are now in a digital age, to whatever degree out culture, infrastructure, and economy(in that order) allow us.”
This quote comes from- Nicholas Negroponte – “Beyond Digital,” 1998 book and was found in Theories and practice in interaction design, chapter 19

Random Thinking

2008-08-01T00:58:00.000-07:00

Poor design is seeking to solve a problem without understanding who, what and how the item created would be used. Designing without knowledge of the needs of a target user, the designer creates for no one by them selves in mind. By following this path the creator limits the possible use by others.

Branchout from intimacy

2008-07-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

Taking the word first given last week(Intimacy or intimate) With the help of thesaurus I have moved away from intimacy and have found this words.

Familiarity /knowledge / information / in order
Closeness /proximity / closeness / distance
Understanding /indulgent / generous
Relationship / rapport / empathy / compassion
Confidence/poise / deportment / posture

The Covenant of Intimacy

2008-07-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

Intimacy

2008-07-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

So to day studio we covered a bit of the second phase.

intimate:

transitive verb
1 : to make known especially publicly or formally : announce
2 : to communicate delicately and indirectly : hint

adjective
1 : a: intrinsic, essential b: belonging to or characterizing one's deepest nature
2 : marked by very close association, contact, or familiarity
3 : a: marked by a warm friendship developing through long association
b: suggesting informal warmth or privacy
4 : of a very personal or private nature

noun
an intimate friend or confidant

Link->>>>

"What does it take to experience real intimacy with someone?
What is love? What is intimacy?"

The word “Intimacy" is use in many areas of everyday life. To experience intimacy would require that you the user (human or object) make contact by touching one surface to another or experience a moment that effects you in a way that can be emotionally or mentally disturbing.
How this effect further experiences to be is a very personal experience because each person way of being, depends on their social, cultural environment.

Link->>>>

What creates Intimacy

2008-07-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

I wanted to start by Looking at what can show the following question "What creates Intimacy?"

Doing a search online using this phase "What creates Intimacy" and the word "intimacy" this is a sample of the type of images that have been tagged as being related to the word.

It seems that online that the most used form of the word sexual or it could be that there is more of this type of images being up loaded. As I was looking at them one thing became apparent to me. No matter what is said about the word as I was looking I had pages of images before me and I made the choice of what I see as "Intimate" It really depends on you feelings and what you have been environmentally exposed to throughout your life as to how you see, experience and responsed to the word Intimacy.

I like the next image as it shows a process that is almost like the flow used when designing.
This example flows, just like the wallace example.

Personal Reflection

2008-07-16T23:36:00.000-07:00

I have spent some time looking at past designs and projects and can say that I create my first ideas for a new creation on the memory of past experiences. I am always on the lookout for unusual items for future projects. While I keep some of the items, most are just kept as an image or a mental note for future use. So when I first get a project my mind kicks in and I start by hunting through past filed experiences. There are times that I take inspiration from my collection of odd found items like an old case to a shaped box, I am able to take the original item and modify it to fit the requirements of my current project. This doesn’t limit me most of the time but gives me a point from where to start from. The fundamental way that I work is to take inspiration from old designs in the hope to create something that will create an experience that will affect another individual.

Designing an object requires many steps before you get to the end. Unlike most I find it hard to follow the rules and move from one step to another. While I would like to learn to work on a project like it is set in books. I find that it is hard for me to flow in one direction like a circle. I would have to say that I hop all over the place and at times. I prefer to work in a non linear flow a lot of the time going over and over things. Sometimes it is me seeing that I have missed the boat in the design or because others around me and after getting their feed back see things that need to be changed.

As a designer we are on the lookout for a problem, we research the item from start to present state. Then we image how it can be improved, the designer in their mind will image by seeing how they will be able to solve the old out of style design. It is hoped that the re-design object looks and works better.

Take the clothes peg. At first it was known as a clothes pin, it function is to keep an item attached to a line, so that it dries and does not fall to the ground. From the creation of a simple one piece push peg the design has had many changes over the years. While the peg is a seen as an ancient object there are many designers and inventors who are still to this day working on improving the simple peg design. There are now so many designs based on the peg designs on the market today that it is no longer a matter of keeping things pinned up on a line. Clothes pegs are now being used in other places; an example of this is BDSM. The clothes peg is redesign to be used as nipple clamps. These designs are different from the standard clothes peg, because they have been design to fit the use. Two types of nipple clamp are the clover clamp and the tweezer clamp which are in simple terms, two clothes pegs which are attached by a length of chain.
Another idea came to me that the text is process in the same method when you want to create an experience for others. If it is a story or a poem, you need to first draw on what you know and if you do not know the subject that well, then your primary objective will mean that you will create a theory of the plot or theme, research it, get feed back from your target users and then rework it more, till you get the completed creation.

If we design objects without exploring how it is constructed, who it is constructed for. Without the use of design research when designing. I do not think that it would be an affective creation. Because what you have created is not created for you. Your goal is to design for the masses of today; you are not designing for yourself. The goal as I see it is to create a either a non-object or object that will be used by your target group.

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Clothes Peg

2008-07-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

Links
Peg makers, Avebury, Wiltshire, c.1958
Clothes-pin
The Better Clothespin
BDSM
Nipple clamp

Research

2008-07-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

Research

"Research is defined as human activity based on intellectual application in the investigation of matter. The primary aim for applied research is discovering, interpreting, and the development of methods and systems for the advancement of human knowledge on a wide variety of scientific matters of our world and the universe. Research can use the scientific method, but need not do so."

Research main objective is to collect information that will advance indiviauls knowledge of a subject.

"Basic research (also called fundamental or pure research) has as its primary objective the advancement of knowledge and the theoretical understanding of the relations among variables (see statistics). It is exploratory and often driven by the researcher’s curiosity, interest, and intuition. It is conducted without any practical end in mind, although it may have unexpected results pointing to practical applications. The terms “basic” or “fundamental” indicate that, through theory generation, basic research provides the foundation for further, sometimes applied research. As there is no guarantee of short-term practical gain, researchers may find it difficult to obtain funding for basic research. Research is a subset of invention."

Theory

2008-07-14T01:37:00.000-07:00

Theory

"In science a theory is a testable model of the manner of interaction of a set of natural phenomena, capable of predicting future occurrences or observations of the same kind, and capable of being tested through experiment or otherwise verified through empirical observation. For the scientist, "theory" is not in any way an antonym of "fact". For example, it is a fact that an apple dropped on earth has been observed to fall towards the center of the planet, and the theories commonly used to describe and explain this behavior are Newton's theory of universal gravitation (see also gravitation), and the general theory of relativity."

Theory is not always fractal evidence. It is used to alter the readers or users, mind in support of the creators point of view. In can be roughly explained,but if the creator is unable to show evidence that is able to back up the statement then it is false.

Theory is Dead long live theory.

2008-07-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

Leature notes:

Theory changes all the time. While taking in the theory's of others, we should be open to creating new theory. Theory is the framework that will allow you to understand a point of view.
Knowing or understanding why or who will use my creation.

>>>>>>>

Design supporting theories

Why
Past - was craft base
Predict the furture by using design.

Chindogu design - Theory is a model that describe a relation.

Epistem - In philosophy, epistemic theories of truth are attempts to analyze the notion of truth in terms of epistemic notions such as knowledge, belief, acceptance, verification, justification, and perspective.

Episten haplos -
hos epi to polu -
Praxis - practice, Praxis is the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted or practiced.
po iesis -
phronesis - the virtue of moral thought, usually translated "practical wisdom"
techne - It is the rational method involved in producing an object or accomplishing a goal or objective.
theoria - Thinking, looking for the higest truth

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What is it talking about?, How does this explain? How are theses related to each other?

Objects - descriptive research
People - Normative general

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Flow

Initial decision
Planning the scope
evalvation descripting the present state
defining the target state
Planning the procedure of development
testing(design process)
decision making (note: Really understanding when you have come to the end)

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1 Norms
2 Advice
3 Models

In written, visual, auditive, interactive form.

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Complexities

- anluis the eniroment
-detach the problem
-solve the problem
-leadership by understanding how to sovle the problem
-research (create awareness)

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Design Research is

Research is for
Research into
Research through (theory thru design)

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Asking question of oneself and others, in the hope of gaining or explaining knowledge.