Pace – DPS 2010 Team 3 Emerging IT - II January 24, 2008 – Slide 1 Emergence of Virtual Worlds A computer-based simulated environment intended for its.

Pace – DPS 2010Team 3Emerging IT - II

January 24, 2008 – Slide 1

Emergence of Virtual WorldsA computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars (Wikipedia, 2008)

Team 3 PresentationFrank Tseng, Kevin Lohrasbi, Marco Hernandez,

Nelson Kondulah, Jeff Hutchinson

Version: 090102a



Web Evolution• Web 1.0 – First Era

• Collection of static pages• Users are information consumers

• Web 2.0 – Second Era• Empowerment of end user• Collaboration enablement

• Social Networks, RSS, Blogs, content publishing• Web 3.0 – Third Era (coined by John Markoff, NY Times, 2006) [06]

• Semantic web – ability to make sophisticated and complex queries• Omnipresent, Ubiquitous communications & pervasive content and

services• Growth is also been driven by

• Higher bandwidth• Widely available• Diversity of device (especially mobile)



Web Evolution

References [01 & 07]

Mobility• Devices will bring the new web to your pocket• Pervasive widespread broadband wireless services• Location based news (The New York Times is already coding it)• Pin point locations (today 5 – 20 meters, future centimeters)



Web 3.0• Definition is currently ambiguous – experts have different views• Ease of usage (effective ad efficient human interaction)• Blurring of content contribution distinction of professionals, semi

professionals and consumers• Bandwidth enhancements (including full video)• Small, connected applications (cloud applications) on multi devices• Ambient Intelligence (AmI)

• The term Ambient Intelligence is defined by the Advisory Group to the European Community's Information Society Technology Program (ISTAG) as "the convergence of ubiquitous computing, ubiquitous communication, and interfaces adapting to the user". It deals with environments that are more immersive, more adaptive, more intelligent, and more interactive.[01]

• Concern of humans trusting machines more than we do ourselves



Web 3.0• Technologies and paradigms have been around for some time• Trends

• Semantic Web – information structured so that machines can read and understand it

• 3D Web or Web 3D – virtual worlds (e.g. Second Life, Active Worlds, Red Light Center)

• Media Centric Web – leveraging media objects (e.g. picture of a boat, to search for boats w/similar features) (www.like.com)

• Social Web – how people socialize via the web• Pervasive and Ubiquitous Web - Web virtually everywhere,

on every device, people are permanently connected (including home automation)



Virtual Worlds – To Join or Not to Join• Five Reasons to Join a Virtual World

• It is “cool”• Compelling approach to reach Generation V• New avenue for internal collaboration• Provides approach to simulate new offerings • Provides approach to simulate new policies and procedures

• Five Reasons Not to Join a Virtual World• Risk of image and reputation• Open world, difficult to know who is participating• Limited regulatory frameworks• Limited code of conduct• Difficult to establish a business case

Reference [10]



Virtual Worlds – Getting Started

• Tactical Guidelines• Set specific objectives for pilot study participation• Establish proper access• Set behavior guidelines for those representing your

enterprise• Ensure privacy (when needed)• Don’t build it yourself• Obtain training for those who need it

Reference [02]



Virtual Worlds – Communications Channel

Key Findings and Recommendations• Virtual events can demonstrate significant cost savings over the real-world

events• Events should have real meaning and not be publicity stunts.• Especially useful in geographically dispersed and 20- to 40-year-old

audiences.• Additional support will be needed to help attendees to participate (be

ready for issues and initial frustration)• IS/IT leaders should obtain support of PR, Events and Marketing• Potential risks should be identified and discussed • Don't expect high turnouts for first-time external events• Virtual World providers are interested in corporate usage and may be

willing to invest in the success

Reference [11]



Virtual Worlds – Obtaining Buy-in• Three Step Approach

• Virtual Worlds as Training Environments (CBT & simulation)• Project-based Avatar-Enhanced Collaboration – establish a set of

reusable basic skills and tools• Nonspecific Social Collaboration – virtual office or water cooler

• Top Five Mistakes to Avoid (typical PMO issues)• The “Games” Syndrome• Poor Project Planning• Deployment Creep• Providing Users With Too Many Choices• Taking it External

Reference [09]



Virtual Worlds - Economics• Karl Marx (1973) – evolution of capitalism into new forms of “productive

cooperation” leveraging social knowledge and challenges traditional dichotomies between supplier (production) and consumer (consumption)

• Web 2.0 usages has generated a large number of non-traditional social networks, mobilizing consumer productive resources

• Internet has emerged as “ideal-type commodity”• Marketing has evolved with the changing dynamics of capitalism and its

concomitant consumer cultural effects, leading toward;• Increasing willingness of marketers to cede some of their control over

production to consumer (value co-creation and service-dominant)• Emphasizes the centrality of firm-customer co-operation in innovative

productive efforts (value exceeds each party’s independent pursuit)• Empowering customers which allows for the creation of value that

would otherwise be absent.• The Internet has enable significant co-creation

Reference [03]



Virtual Worlds – Linden’s Second Life• Avatars

• Development from low-level character to fully functional takes significant investment, labor and time

• Behavior has at least six universal guidelines of community interaction, prohibitions against

• Intolerance, Harassment, Assault, Disclosure, Indecency and Disturbing the peace

• Everything else is up to the community’s internal dynamics• Avatars live on islands, islands have limited to number of participants

(typically less than 90, due to real live server limitations)• Other limitations

• Limited number of supported graphic cards, technical glitches causing performance issues, and unplanned downtime

References [03 & 08]



Virtual Worlds – Linden’s Second Life

• Is not goal-directed (gaming), instead users do as much or as little as they wish

• Mobilization of consumer play into cultural reproductions (collective intelligence)

• There are at least two ideological fundamentalist groups of Second Life Residents. • Creatives: comprises individuals and organizations who

consider Second Life as a platform for testing alternative forms of sociality.

• Corporates: took residence in second life with the intent of converting available resources into financial gain.

Reference [03]



Virtual Worlds – Linden’s Second Life• The firm-consumer relationship in Second Life has morphed into a

symbiotic confederation of mutual dependence between Residents (users/consumer) and Linden. • Linden granted IP rights to Residents over their virtual creations• Linden/Resident joint value creation has exceeded single contribution

• Co-creation on Second Life – Double edge sword• Empowerment of users (consumers) to cooperate with Linden in

production process (meet unique sophisticated tastes)• Creations of organized communities and social life patterns for

community ties and communal spirit• Enabling Linden to obtain “free” creative input (labor)

• Class struggles exist between markets and production units• Colonization and communities form to overcome issues where individual

would have minimum impact

Reference [03]



Virtual Worlds – Linden’s Second Life• Economic imperative rarely fuels users desires to remain active residents.

• Users desire for self-fulfillment – willing subscriber to Lindens goals• Linden has channeled Resident development into unpaid labor, $410

Million worth of free labor over a year (2006)• Contemporary economy, value based less on ownership & control over

productive processes, versus ability to facilitate communication flows and mobilize consumer creative resources

• Virtual currency – Linden Dollar – exchange rate, but few have made real dollars from it

• Remains privately owned by Linden, and Linden could shut it down when ever they wish

Reference [03]



Virtual Worlds – List by Category

• Active Worlds• Red Light Center• There.com• Kaneva• Laguna Beach



Virtual World Examples (Second Life)

• Automobile Heads Up Display (A-HUD)• Second Life: less development time and cost when

considering a low cost, rapid development platform for early testing of A-HUD’s then developing or purchasing traditional simulators [04].



Virtual World Examples (Second Life)University of Delaware Second Life experiences, recommendations:• Plan on 40 hours for the average user to learn to navigate and communicate in the

3-D space• Establish realistic expectations for those blazing the trail• Establish a user support group and share experiences• When moving a whole class, it is a good idea to move small portions at a time• Offer tools to help users transition from the real to virtual world

Additional comments• Understanding that unlike

on-line / interactive games, virtual worlds do not have a distinct, goal-oriented intent

• Educational / institutional content placed on third party private site



Virtual World Examples (Second Life)

• Michelin’s Enterprise Architecture• Linked virtual world to an appropriate purpose with real resources• 98% success rate• Total cost of program, 60K euro (similar to inhouse training)

Additional comments• Don’t use virtual worlds

simply to reduce training costs.

• Tailor the virtual world to the roles of the learners and the material thye need to learn

• Blend virtual with real world



Potential Dissertation Topics

• Impact of Internal Corporate Communications with respect to Virtual Worlds

• A Privacy Attitude comparison of Baby-boomers versus Generation Millennials with respect to Virtual Worlds

• Impact of Intellectual Property content hosted on third party Virtual Worlds

• Approaches to enhancing employee productivity through bridging of Virtual and Real Worlds

• The long term longevity of co-creation in Virtual Worlds• Alternative approaches to enhance the adoption rate of

Virtual World usage in the 40+ generations



Primary References

• Web 3.0: A Vision for Bridging the Gap between Real and Virtual, ACM, by Silva, Rahman and Daddik [01]

• Tactical Guideline: Six Essential Tips for Getting Started with Virtual Environments, Gartner, by Rozwell, Lundy and Harris [02]

• Co-creating Second Life: Market Consumer Cooperation in Contemporary Economy, SAGE, by Bonsu and Darmody [03]

• Using Second Life to Demonstrate a Concept Automobile Heads up Display (A-HUD), ACM, by Chu and Joseph [04]

• Is There a Second Life in Your Future?, ACM, by Jeffers [05]



Secondary References

• Web 3.0, Wikipedia [06]• In Search of Web 3.0, ACM, by Rowell [07]• Three Challenges That Enterprises Face in Using Second Life,

Gartner, by Lundy, Rozwell, Prentice and Harris [08]• How to Justify Enterprise Investment in Virtual Worlds,

Gartner, by Prentice [09]• Five Reasons for Governments to Have a ‘Second Life’ and

Five Reasons Not to, Gartner, by DiMaio [10]• Using Virtual Worlds as a Communications Channel, Gartner,

by Prentice [11]• Case Study: Michelin Uses Virtual Environment to Teach

Complex Material, Gartner, by Rozwell [12]

Pace – DPS 2010 Team 3 Emerging IT - II January 24, 2008 – Slide 1 Emergence of Virtual Worlds A computer-based simulated environment intended for its.

Documents

ubiquitous web web

web evolution web

new web

web pervasive

social web

information consumers

content publishing web

semantic web ability