Recent dispatches from the outside world...
The day i saw Gazira - we make money not art
The Audrey Hepburn of the blogosphere, Régine DeBatty of We Make Money Not Art is indisputably among the most influential writers covering the intersection of high technology and the arts. And while she's always been a generous supporter of my SL writing (for which I'm vastly grateful) she hasn't quite bought the notion of Second Life itself as a new medium. "There's something about Second Life," as she puts it, "that totally repels me: its aesthetics." Until, that is, she traveled to Brescia, Italy to see the work of Gazira Babeli-- whose name is actually that of the Italian artist's SL avatar. ("i can't believe i took the train to see the work of an artist who was born only two years ago.") Rég has a marvelous, epiphany-spiked write-up of Ms. Babeli's work, including "Gaz of the Desert" (above), the haunting machinima I wrote about last October. (And note the tips from metaverse aesthetes from Bettina Tizzy and Christopher Dodds in Rég's Comments.)
Dear Gazira Babeli,
Linden Lab individually investigates the circumstances of every Abuse
Report we receive. Following a careful review of our server records and
logs, we have determined that your recent actions violated the Second Life
Community Standards or Terms of Service. The violation in question occurred
on March 20, 2008 in the region of Locusolus.
Violation: Community Standards: Disturbing the Peace, Scripted Objects
Every Resident has a right to live their Second Life. The
use of repetitive sounds, following or self-spawning items,
or other scripted objects that intentionally slow server
performance or inhibit other Resident's ability to enjoy
Second Life are examples of Disturbing the Peace.
The rules of conduct are interpreted with the broadest meaning possible.
Discipline:
No additional action is being taken at this time.
Appeal Process: The decision to issue a warning or suspension for your
Second Life account was reached after investigation of your use of the
Second Life software and service. If you would like to appeal your warning
or suspension, you may contact Second Life Support, in writing, at the
address below:
Second Life Support
Linden Lab
945 Battery Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
You may also appeal electronically by filing a support ticket via the
support portal at http://www.secondlife.com/support/
Sincerely,
Linden Lab
Posted by: Gazira Babeli | Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 03:19 PM
Thats what you get for disturbing the peace of your own sim...
Posted by: Un Republic | Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 04:04 PM
I would like to entreat representatives from Linden Lab to visit Gazira Babeli's Locusolus sim and experience her art there.
I realize that these warnings are issued automatically, but if LL realized the magnitude of her work, they would splash her on their home page. Gazira is to virtual worlds what Dali and Bunuel and Bertolucci are to Real Life.
I would especially like to invite Andrew Linden and all those involved with physics in Second Life to drop in and play. Yes... play. And anyone at Linden Lab who enjoys cinema. Or plastic or performance art. Or anyone there with a sense of humor. And the people responsible for the software that issues these warnings.
Fact is, if Gazira could do in Real Life, what she is able to do in Second Life, she'd be on the cover of Vanity Fair, and Vogue.
Nuff said.
Posted by: Bettina Tizzy | Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 10:30 PM