Maybe Looks Do Matter
I apologize to those faithful readers of my blog who have been without a new entry for almost two weeks.
In my real life, I've been busy, and I'm not sorry to say that my real life takes priority over my second one.
For those readers wanting the update on the presentations, and more specifically, how my avatar performed in them, here's the scoop. The "in world" part of the presentations was postponed. My avatar has the benefit of a few more weeks of practice. How lucky was that?
Meanwhile, back in real life, I have several activities that are related to virtual worlds about which I can report.
To kick off last week, one of my co-workers purchased the latest issue of Bitch Magazine for me. She knew that I'd been dying to get hold of Issue 39, the Spring Wired Issue, and had been having trouble securing it. Getting my hands on the magazine made my last Monday work day.
For those readers who are unfamiliar with Bitch Magazine, it's a non-profit, independent magazine that bills itself as the "feminist response to pop culture." Yes, I know it's a great name for a magazine, and I did enjoy the shock value of having my personal copy to trot around the office.
However, the real reason that I was so anxious to get hold of that magazine was because I knew there was an article in it about Second Life. The article, "Same Shit, Different World," by Lauren Bans, a freelance writer in Brooklyn, New York, is a total winner. Unfortunately, the article is not yet online, but when it does appear on the Bitch website, I promise a pointer to it in my blog. Aside from the wonderful title, Ms. Bans' article is well researched, beautifully written and engaging. Among other things it discusses the social politics of Second Life. I'm following up on the research that she cites, and will report on it in another blog entry. For those of you who can't wait, you can try to secure a copy of Bitch and this article at your local bookstore.
Later in the week, I attended a part of the "Gendered Innovations in Science and Engineering" conference, sponsored by the Clayton Institute for Gender Research at Stanford. I attended a panel discussion on "Women in Gaming and Virtual Worlds," where I became better acquainted with the research on gender issues in virtual worlds. I was particularly taken with the research of Shari Graner Ray, the Executive Chair of Women in Games International. She got me thinking more critically about women in the gaming world ... everything from how women play and are perceived in computer games to what their avatars look like.
The more that I learn about avatars, the more I think that my avatar might need an upgrade. So far, I've only afforded her the modifications of breast reduction and weight gain. All this with the unskilled movement of a slider in the Second Life appearance editor. I'm conflicted and confused with the fact that I even care enough about my avatar to entertain thoughts of additional changes to her personal appearance.
One of my real life brothers mentioned that this conflict, could, in fact, be a consequence of having an open mind. He might have a point. I shake my head, and note that I still haven't modified any more of her features. How long this will last, I just don't know.
