Disruptive Powers of Second Life

The disruptive powers of Second Life, a 3-dimensional virtual world reality where through the use of free client programs or viewers, second life users (residents) create avatars to interact with each other, have impacted the lives of people worldwide.  Dr. Thornburg (2009) posited that new technologies are always susceptible to unanticipated ‘wild card’ disruptive technologies.  Dr. Thornburg further opined that Second Life is disruptive technology to real life.   However, keep in mind that it is not the technology that makes it disruptive but the impact that the technology makes.   Businesses and universities are using Second Life to attract younger students and younger clientele.   The reason why people are claiming that Second Life has such potential at being a disruptive technology is that it radically shifts how and where people can interact socially.

Second Life replaced traditional environment such as Game Cube, Sega Genesis, and Atari that people interacted in. Through Second Life world people attend classes, meetings, visit stores, colleges, universities, and parties.    To answer the question, how many years before Second Life will be replaced by another disruptive technology or emerging technology, look at its track record.   Linden Lab released Second Life in 2003, “while other worlds, including open source environments have launched since then, Second Life remains the largest general-purpose virtual world--with its own currency, Linden dollars, which can be used to buy, rent, or trade land and goods” (Campus Technology, 2011).  Over 1 million people log into Second Life, generating nearly $75 million annually.   As long as Second Life provides its residents with endless imagination and unexpected surprises, it most likely will continue to be enhanced and improved with newer features instead of being replaced.  

 The social benefits of Second Life are visible in higher learning institutes use of virtual worlds to provide signage and marketing material that showcase their campuses and disseminate recruiting information to students and parents.    University of Delaware, Montclair State University (NJ),  and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, are just a few examples of schools that use Second Life for automated/virtual tours and faculty projects that teaches concepts and engages students in the process.  As a social 3D media, Second Life also enhances the social skills among its participants.

 tags: disruptive technology, virtual worlds, Linden Labs, second life, virtual reality,

 

Sarah D.

Reference:

 Campus Technology  (2009).  Second Life: Engaging Virtual Campuses.  Retrieved from http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2009/03/04/Second-Life-Engaging-Virtual-Campuses.aspx?sc_lang=en&Page=3#

 Rosedale, P. (2008).  Philip Rosedale on Second Life [Video].  Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html   

 

 Thornburg, D. (2009).  Disruptive Technologies,  Laureate Education Inc.  

Rhymes of History

Thornburg (2008) opined that the rhymes of history are the affect or impact of new development rekindling something from the past.  While it is true that history does not repeat itself, but as Mark Twain posited it does rhyme.   In the 20^th century, we have witnessed the emergence of technology that replaces or obsoletes another technology.  McLuhan tetrad implies that technology by virtue of being introduced sets the stage for its’ own demise or replacement.  

 Digital communications and widespread access to telecommunications and cable networks is a great example of technology that represents the force of a rhyme of history. The embedded technology retrieved from past channels of communication connects to recurring themes of history, via the internet.  The internet extended our communication connections globally, to people and places, via a variety of communication and internet options: social networks, instant message applications, scream casting and interactive learning resources, collaboration resources, wiki sites, video and podcasting resources, music and smartphones. All of these new technologies retrieve from preexisting technologies that were enjoyed in the past.  Interestingly, the internet is the most common mode of communication that connects us globally to the most frequently used channels of communication.     

 In many ways our lives have become codependent on the internet as suggested by Kevin Kelly.

Merchants have experienced new ways to attract customers to their merchandise via the use of e-commerce.  Emergent technology that has rekindled what was once diminishing catalog businesses for some, and new opportunities for others, into profitable online shopping mall experiences for consumers that range from appliances ordered and delivered to groceries from the supermarkets, without even leaving the comforts of home.

Religious groups are also taking advantage of the affects of the technology by replacing what was once tape only ministry with stream casting and televised messages to help spread the Gospel.

Sarah D.

 

Keyword:  David Thornburg, Rhymes of History, emergent technology, internet

References

DailyBibleGuide.  http://download.dailybibleguide.com/index.jhtml?theme=hands&spu=true&partner=XMxdm002&gclid=CLCA-uCG8rICFROe4AodGxcAwg

Kelly, K. (2007). Kevin Kelly on the next 5,000 days of the Web [Speech]. Speech delivered at the EG 2007 Conference, Los Angeles.  Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_kelly_on_the_next_5_000_days_of_the_web.html

Laureate Education, Inc. (2009).  Emerging and future technology. Baltimore, MD: Author

Thornburg, D. (2008a). An amazingly incomplete emerging technologies bibliography. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.