Pooraka's Reality: Demo Of SL As Music and Civic Platform
I love this mixed reality video, because it very casually showcases the state of Second Life as a platform for culture and civic engagement, punching through several stereotypes in the process. It's by the UK's Kirsty Hawkshaw, a popular indy electronica singer with several hits to her name, such as this video that's been seen on YouTube over 1.5 million times. (Link to her official web site here.) In Second Life, she's KFH Pooraka, owner of Club Connected, a venue where she regularly performs live. (Direct SLURL teleport to her club at this link.) In the video, she rehearses in-world for an upcoming gig, then teleports over to an auditorium just in time to attend a conversation between the avatars of Philip Linden and Gavin Newsom. Consider the offhand, instantaneous shift of venue, context, and purpose. Consider how thoroughly it undermines negative stereotypes of who a Second Life user is, and what they're assumed to be doing in-world. For as you can see, they're sometimes gorgeous pop stars with ethereal voices who flit off to catch a public forum with the Mayor of San Francisco.
A broken link at "this mixed reality video".
Posted by: Ken March | Monday, February 25, 2008 at 03:19 AM
Negative stereotypes? In Second Life? I don't know with whom you are hanging, but I only meet the most amazing people online. I'm serious! Every once in a while, I meet some griefer in passing, or I'll see some real estate ruined by a spammer, but 99% of my experience is overwhelmingly positive.
Now I want to go visit Club Connected! Yay.
Posted by: Seraphine | Monday, February 25, 2008 at 06:03 AM
Thanks, Ken, fixed.
Seraphine, I mean outside perception of SL. In fact, on hearing someone say, "Isn't Second Life just for [negative caricature here] who [negative activity here]?", this would be the video to show them.
Posted by: Hamlet Au | Monday, February 25, 2008 at 10:10 AM