Reporting on Virtual Worlds
Dear all,
considerable changes and evolutions are occurring in the domain of virtual worlds relating to identity and the handling of it. Furthermore, important implications can be examined for socio-economic concerns within those worlds as they mingle with current socio-economic structures. A classic example by now would be the Entropia Universe and Second Life. Both of these worlds feature an online economy with virtual exchange rates that convert to real $.
A series of important as I said implications are already taking place. People can trade online in virtual stoke markets, there is an online college within the Entropia Universe (the New Oxford University), virtual art galleries with real-life object relations, etc. Security breaches of identities have already been appearing where in Second Life all 650,000 registrants were asked to change their passwords. Digital exploitation has been extended to the real world where people from developing countries (i.e. India) are paid a small amount of money in order to build up the skills of avatars and then pass them on to other people in Western countries so that they can start playing 'the real virtual experience'.
Virtual Investments, sublettings, online entertainment and advertising are part of the picture. Reuters recently appointed a permanent journalist to report news from business, society and economics that take place in the Virtual world of second life.
Within such a complex realm of people that participate, it has become clear that the relationship between virtual and 'real' identity and the set of attributes that are co-aligned in between, deserve further consideration and research.
One of the many academic papers on this that have come up can be found here.
Looking forward to your comments,
regards,
