Talking Metanomics

My appearance on last week's Metanomics show about virtual world journalism and entrepreneurship is available in many variations (video, audio, blog summary) here on the Metaversed blog, also featuring GreeterDan Godel and Urizenus Sklar.  Introduced by Onder Skall and ably hosted by Cornell University's Beyers Sellers, it was a pretty lively event, goosed as it was by Uri's sass.  While the video was professionally shot and edited by SLCN.TV, I'm not sure how visually engaging it is, what with four avatars sitting near motionless while our disembodied voices emanate all around us via telephone conference call.  (Why not shoot these things on dance floor, say, or a sandbox where a talented builder creates 3D objects to illustrate whatever's being said?)

Comments

[Wiz Nordberg]

"I'm not sure how visually engaging it is, what with four avatars sitting near motionless..."

I tend to agree that these panel discussion videos leave a lot of room for improvement. That's not to say there is no value in the video. We have received comments that the visuals provide a "sense of place" that isn't present in a simple audio podcast.

I'm not sure that many real-life conferences I've been to are any more "entertaining" though. I can remember only rare occasions in real-life conferences where presenters engaged the audience with "show and tell" demonstrations and interactive exhibits, though clearly such things are possible in real-life as well. I think that podiums and Powerpoints have brainwashed us all into thinking of presentations in a particular way and Second Life presentations are often done just as they would be in real life.

Considering how difficult some of these events are to pull off, adding additional complexity can sometimes be a big ask. With some of the more frivolous shows like Tonight Live, we often have had crazy stage demonstrations and even pyrotechnics (the studio was set on fire by the Second Life fire brigade). But, taking the risk that a high-profile presenter whose time is short will have the additional time to pull these things off in serious presentations may be too much to ask right now.

However, for the record, I am all for light shows and fireworks. Bring 'em on!