Group items tagged

this is a virtual world that we can talk about.

Sure, there are lots of virtual worlds like EverQuest out there competing to get members to sign up. There Inc.'s approach is to entice members and keep them busy with one of the most fundamental human activities: commerce. By Daniel Terdiman.

Watch the interview with students below in Real Life and Avatar form and then the next one with Vicki see how eloquently she comments on these new learning landscapes. I would hold that interview up as a seminal exemplar of someone who knows exactly what they are doing in this field and if I had my way it would be required viewing for anyone who has doubts about the efficacy of using Web 2.0 tools in education and the systems and infrastructure that can be built around them. I would also point people to the award winning wiki on the global Flat Classroom Project for further reference - the Digiteen project is just one small subset of that whole activity.

Excellent blog post about the pioneers in virtual world education. Excerpt here is from teh section about Vicki Davis and her class who built Digiteen Island in Reaction Grid Open Sim. Watch the interview with students below in Real Life and Avatar form and then the next one with Vicki see how eloquently she comments on these new learning landscapes. I would hold that interview up as a seminal exemplar of someone who knows exactly what they are doing in this field and if I had my way it would be required viewing for anyone who has doubts about the efficacy of using Web 2.0 tools in education and the systems and infrastructure that can be built around them. I would also point people to the award winning wiki on the global Flat Classroom Project for further reference - the Digiteen project is just one small subset of that whole activity.

Cyberbullying is unacceptable. This tells when you start to receive nasty emails and text messages and phone calls is when it gets really bad. Virtual Worlds are the most places where you can get cyberbullied and where it mostly starts.

Video on cyber bullying virtually.

This shows laws about cyber stalking and cyber harassment (and what states they apply in) which are huge problems in virtual worlds.

Stalkers are a real danger in virtual worlds. This shows the results of a survey taken about being stalked in Second Life.

Addiction to virtual worlds has symptoms and cures that are very helpful to people that suffer from it.

shows the size of some of the game worlds. "If you're a true gamer, you know that size does matter - in the virtual world, that is. Here's a look at the largest land-based video games out there. "

Knowing how to use the internet will help us be a little more private and keep our identity a little more safety.  "The Internet enables us to improve communication, erase physical barriers, and expand our education. Its absorption into our society has been extraordinary.  It touches nearly every part of our lives from how we apply for jobs and where we get our news, to how we find friends.  A few Web sites have virtually replaced some things, like the encyclopedia and the phone book.  But with acceptance comes a decrease in skepticism.  You may assume that the same laws or societal rules that protect your privacy in the physical world apply to the digital world as well.  But the Internet remains largely unregulated and the policies governing it underdeveloped.  Laws concerning online privacy are still being developed. To date, the U.S. Supreme Court largely has taken a hands-off approach to regulating the Internet and online privacy in favor of free speech.  However, the federal government is increasingly interested in regulating the Internet, for example through child pornography and gambling laws.  One important thing to keep in mind when relying on the law to protect you is that if U.S. law is broken in another country, prosecuting the criminal may prove difficult or impossible. "

Whatever you look up or plan on the internet people can see it. If the government pays for it they can see what you are looking at. People can stalk you on the internet. "Are you planning a trip? A wedding? Have you been searching your medical symptoms on WebMD, or Google stalking your high school crush? Did all of your friends wish you a Happy Birthday on your Facebook page? If so, your financial status, religious beliefs, medical history, birth date and hometown have all been exposed, recorded and compiled into a virtual database that functions as your digital alter ego, a sort of online avatar. That critical mass of information may be accessible to the government or to anyone else who asks (or pays) for it."

Interesting topic about sexuality on Xbox Live. ""I was harassed by several players, 'chased' to different maps/games to get away from their harassment. They followed me into the games and told all the other players to turn me in because they didn't want to see that crap or their kids to see that crap… as if Xbox live is really appropriate for kids anyways!" "

people use it to fill a since of compliment that they don't have in the real world allows for people to have a relationship with complete strangers on the other side of the world may lead to a need of therapy

There are problems with hacking in many virtual worlds. This tells you what to do if it happens to you in World of Warcraft.