Sunday, November 2, 2008

Across The Metaverse

I took a ride across the Metaverse last week and many thoughts, issues and joys occurred. This trip was only to OpenLifeGrid. Upon arriving in this tiny new space I stood RUTHED. I was a noobie again and a smile of memory and reality combined. Of course my name is still Lauren Weyland there (I began humming the tune with the lyrics 'another you' in them. Can't remember the name but I can hum for you).

And although I didn't have any of my inventory although I found in less than 10 minutes in this brave new world, I had the compulsion and therefore recreated my shape. Many feelings washed through my avatar brain. A remembrance of my first days in SecondLife when the overwhelming joy I felt upon entering the SL metaverse (even thought I walked funny, had trashy clothes and no voice). That moment when my multi-persona first life found a life for one of those persona. There was freedom again. I was an avatar virgin. Hymen intact. This metaverse is very small with much land either barely built on or some unattractive. But despite this I still felt like this metaverse was my home.

And, what do I mean by "felt like my home?" I mean I live in the metaverse. I realized I did not only belong to SecondLife but I, Lauren, would belong to the entire Metaverse forever and this raised an interesting dilemma.

All the clothes, animations, objects, gestures etc that I had bought (paid for with the hard earned money of a working girl) could not follow me through to this metaverse. I could never travel with my luggage from one metaland to another. And, I do mean MY LUGGAGE. I don't know the difficulties of allowing one to copy inventory to hard drives and/or if possible to do such with items that were bought with without 'full permissions'. I don't even know the legal implications nor do I care.

Laws can be changed. Technology changes too. What I do know is this. (And the concept of licensing my clothes to be worn a certain way only, as one blog stated, doesn't sit right in my blond brain.) stealing is wrong (I never do) but I feel when I buy a dress I should be able to wear it on any avatar of mine in any metaverse. (I only have one avatar btw).

I do comedy which means I tell things that make people laugh. I am sure many laugh at things I've said later, after a show, maybe even weeks later. I don't expect to be paid for that. I think creators should be able to sell an item I can wear in any metaverse (of course I know it prob can't be done without creating a rip off by some. I am just saying what I feel i should be able to do.)

Many creators are friends of mine. I understand their point of view. But, I would simply like to know my point of view is right too. Because, if so, we will have the technology to do such, someday.

Back to this Open Space. (And would someone explain to me the legality of using a SL viewer to enter such a non-SL metavers?) I so recommend everyone take an excursion. Not to leave SecondLife but instead to understand the Metaverse will be forever whereas some of the specific metalands will one day close due to either economic failure or lack of desire. If you are a true Metaversian then you will need to know you will exist despite changes and you will laugh at being a noobie again or if my dream of inventory does occur you'll find that even if you are a 'Stranger in a Strange Land' you will not submit to the fear of that unknown but instead bring all the joy of who you've become since you entered the Metaverse.

BTW, it was nice to travel in that Metaverse without a single IM. I wouldn't want that to be always the case but I did enjoy it. I now understand why some create another avatar to 'get away.' But I won't because I can't leave myself, "Lauren" buried in a digital Mausoleum as I manipulated some other avatar.

Question, "Do you think of yourself, as your avatar, when you are in the Primeverse?" (that is the Metaverse your corporeal self resides.)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I believe the issue with moving content from one world to another stems from the point of view of content ownership and regulation per the creators initial object permission settings.

Currently with multiple worlds built on top of SL technology available as OpenSim derivatives. It's important to be aware these worlds will have no true one owner, meaning that policies may differ from one to the other. It is thus hard to say which world or grid for that matter will uphold permissions of the original creators intent.

I don't have any experience with many of the OpenSim grids available, however. I've been to OpenLife Grid a few times to see how things are progressing, it being one of the most populated and referenced examples of a possible SL alternative. From what I've learnt it's possible today to move objects from SL to OpenSim using the software package 'Second Inventory'. However, there are a few stipulations. Firstly, the object must be flagged as Copy/Mod/Transfer. -or- Secondly, you must be the original content creator of said object slated for transfer. More info can be gathered from http://www.secondinventory.com

As a personal aside, I too believe that at some point content creators will get more comfortable to the idea of content moving in between worlds. At the moment though I don't believe the tools, oversight, or policies are in place to ease concerns of Copyright/IP theft.