[-empyre-] Re: // Second Life: Who's art is it anyway? //

[sdv at krokodile.co.uk]

Julian

could you expand on this notion of a "subscription-based model of 
citizenship" both in terms of corporations and perhaps the state...

I rather obviously live in a place where I am a "subject" and not a 
"citizen" and am particularly interested in the different models applied.

sdv
> it's endearing how quick people are to invest in the managerial and
> corporate interests of Linden Labs as a Government, a make believe in
> itself. 
>
> seen in another light however: that a corporate interest could be double
> as a government is somehow honest. it strikes me - and perhaps other
> visitors of SL - as 'natural' especially given the increasing trend of
> western governments to run countries as geo-strategic corporations,
> tax-payers as employees, revenue generators and market stimulators:
>
> we're already used to a subscription-based model of citizenship.
>
> cheers,
>
> julian
>
>   
>> h w schrieb:
>>     
>>> Could be that Second Life's public space isn't  "in" SL itself if (i
>>> agree with Julian) it's an administrative gamespace, so everything you
>>>
>>> 'make' in SL is SL bound.  But how about a public space of
>>> risk and ambiguity at its edge or threshold, as it were, its
>>> passage=moment.   I mean, at the laptops in real space / place where
>>> subjects are flicking in and out of it?  If you make a film from SL
>>> and put it on you-tube? (like 'China Tracey" did
>>>  http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=5vcR7OkzHkI&mode=related&search=&v3
>>>
>>> ================================================
>>>
>>> Julian covered that (emphasis mine):
>>>
>>>       
>>>> you're allowed to take photos of it,
>>>>         
>>>> ***even make derivative works***,
>>>>         
>>>> but the island itself will always be the fixed home of the original.
>>>>         
>>> Making a film of it be like "allowed to take photos" and "make
>>> derivative works".
>>>
>>> Frankly, I agree with Julian, and would take his point further: since
>>> this is posing as a "public" space, there is a great deal of data
>>> imbricated into its development and performance. Obviously, if
>>> Microsoft or Fox News or GE simply bought SL right up, residents would
>>> get upset... However, now that the SL protocol has been reverse
>>> engineered, it only makes sense that there would be incentive for
>>> corporate interests to set themselves as interstitial portals, or
>>> Windows, on SL that provide "enhanced abilities" but also track and
>>> catalogue behaviour to be used for data mining and other
>>> investigations.
>>>
>>> Myspace was bought outright by News Corp, and Facebook has its own set
>>> of issues. Given the complexity and immersive character, SL is a more
>>> challenging "space" to conquer, but given the profit motive and
>>> coroporate investment in Linden Labs, SL's creator, that are resulting
>>> in higher prices, and the level of investment can be quite high
>>> (example: from wikipedia: total first year cost for a "16 acre" piece
>>> of virtual ground is US$1,650 setup fee and US$295 a month server
>>> fees... a total first year cost of $4,895.) There is incentive for such
>>> questionable behaviour,as such people clearly have disposable income,
>>> and waving cash around attracts people who want it.
>>>
>>> SL *is* a private space, and it *is* run by a corporation, so it *is*
>>> responsible to exhibit profit oriented behaviour as a requirement of
>>> its existence. Given that it is not the only game in town, and the
>>> classic problems of capitalist economics (declining profit over time,
>>> etc.) One sould not expect SL to be "benign". In fact, I would expect
>>> it to become  more draconian and limited over time. To protect the
>>> children and all that, of course...
>>>
>>> HW
>>>
>>> [edit]
>>>
>>>
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>>>       
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