Is Facebook a virtual world?
I remember being absolutely gobsmacked when I first read about Edward Castronova and his economic analysis of the online game Everquest. And it
all spiraled from there … do you remember? We all got caught up in the rights of the avatar. I remember being enthralled in discussions about what is real and what is not real and what rights avatars have in games such as Everquest. Because we saw avatars as extensions of ourselves, therefore we should have the same human rights as we have in our own ‘real life’. Ownership issues and freedom of expression where things that I thoroughly enjoyed exploring and debating.
Plans for the fall
Let me first start off by saying that I love my job and I think I’ll be able to share my experiences there in the upcoming
This is me cupping at my job at a coffee roaster here in Bergen.
year. I haven’t decided if I’ll start a new blog or continue writing here, though. I like this space for all my “other” activities. But there are few of them and I suspect there’ll be fewer still. One of my main goals for the rest of the year is to do a little analysis of how I see my education being put to good use. I keep noticing skills I learned from Media Studies and I’m thankful for having them. I really do feel like I have the right skills to do this job well – and that’s reassuring. I want to spread the confidence to other media students, you know? Because there is little understanding of what Media Studies skills can be used in jobs and the corporate world – but I see myself using these skills all the time.
Do you or have you played MUDs?
Maren and I are giving a presentation on computer games for librarians next week “Bibliotekdagene i Bergen”.
We’re both super honored to be asked – as we both consider librarians to be the coolest professionals around. We worked on our outline last weekend and I’m very excited. I think we’ve come up with a presentation recipe that’s going to be a big success. I’m worried that we’re cramming too much in, but I have faith that our structure will allow for it. So we’ll be talking a little about the history of computer games from hacker culture to consumer culture. We both felt it was important for us to focus a bit on computer game genre and all that it entails. And the icing will be a bit of fan culture. I’ll translate and share here later.
But for now I’m in need of some help. I want to at least briefly touch on the subject of MUDs to MMORPGs – text based worlds to graphical worlds. And I want some good text avatars. I thought I had several but after tearing my bookshelf apart (yes – I have no order) I can only find one, which is that of Mr. Bungle in LambdaMOO: ” a fat, oleaginous, Bisquick-faced clown dressed in cum – stained harlequin garb and girdled with a mistletoe-and-hemlock belt whose buckle bore the quaint inscription “KISS ME UNDER THIS, BITCH”. And I’m thinking …. nawww … there must be something a little nicer. I want colorful definitely, but not this grim and dirty. So I’m asking – do you know of any text avatars I can use? Do you have a favorite? I would also love some good room descriptions and any fond memories you have!
And while we’re on the subject. Do you know of any MUDs/MOOs still alive? I ask because I have a sneaky feeling that text based games are on their way back. Just looking at Causal Gameplay Design Competition.
Platform Narrative
To rescue the princess or not to rescue the princess.
Putting my hurt female “What a stereotype!” feelings aside and thinking this is actually pretty cute.
Having fun with words
So … I’ve been writing a lot lately. I’ve started this thing where I’m writing a sentence a day and I’m having a great time with it. Somedays are torture, however, so it’s good to just limit myself to a sentence – other days it just flows out of me. I’ve chosen a topic that I know and is too personal for me to share on da tubes, right now (which means eventually I probably will). But I’ve been thinking back on the time that I most enjoyed myself playing with words – for a lot of reasons really – and thought about a poem (or I don’t know what to call it) I wrote for my youngest nephew and thought I’d share it here. 
Zakabing-ting king
“Da da doo da da bing” so went the Kazing
“Gezundheit” said the Kabing when the Kazing started to sing.
“Da da doo da da bing” repeated the Kazing
“Why must you always sing with a ring?”
“Zapa do dee the ring can sing
When I become Zakabing-ting’s king
King I must be before I can sing
Magical words that will give me a wing”
Kabing puzzled over Kazing’s thing
That ruled the kingdom of Zakabing-ting
He wondered why there must be such ringa-ting-ding
over such a ring zing that made a king sing“Ping!” said the Kazing “And now I am Zakbing-ting’s king.
Zapa do dee, da da doo, da da bing” sang the king with the ring
“Bring the thing zing that will cling with the wing!”
Kabing brought the thing zing
And let it cling with the living wing fling
“Zapa do dee, da da doo, da da bing sing
Let the wing cling to the thing zing and the king sing with the ring ping!”
And so it was that Zakabing-ting’s king flew with the wing.
Goarr – writing’s fun!! Specially just playing around and making very little sense!
The Story
I can’t believe it! Tomorrow night I’m off to London to attend The Story on Friday! I am soooo looking forward to it – and I’m just soooo hungry for some
inspiration. And just the name “The Story” inspires me to start writing and creating!
The Story will be a celebration of everything that is wonderful, inspiring and awesome about stories, in whatever medium possible. We’re hoping to have stories that are written, spoken, described, enacted, whispered, projected, orchestrated, performed, printed – whatever form stories come in, we hope to have them here.
I hope so too!
Girl Geek Dinner
I’m organising a Girl Geek Dinner this year. Last year I organised an Ada Lovelace Day Dinner – although – saying that I “organised” it implies that I actually did any work. I really didn’t – I just told all the women I admire “hey – wouldn’t it be cool for all of us to meet up for dinner one day?” and just picked a date. Ada Lovelace Day seemed like a great opportunity. This year – I’ll be on the plane to Chicago on the 24th – so I thought it a good a day as any – to organise an event on the International Women’s Day.
This year – we’ve got something resembling a theme. I felt that finding a common theme was challenging – and suddenly I thought about the Interesting conference which I learned about after reading the fabulous Roo Reynold’s blogpost. I was so smitten by the context, and thought that was rather geeky of me. So of course? How do you define a girl geek? You really don’t – except I find that girl geeks always get enthusiastic about something interesting. Something you’d like to learn more about. And it’s always such a joy to listen to someone who is passionately interested in something. And I think girl geeks, are always passionately interested in something that is interesting. So the theme is “An interesting Girl Geeks Dinner on International Women’s Day”. We’ll be picking out 3 girl geeks to give a 10 minute talk each on something they find interesting before dinner – and then 3 after dinner. I’ve booked a room at the back of a restaurant – Wesselstuen, to be exact – and you’re more than welcome to come!
There’s a Facebook group here. If you’re in Bergen on the 8th of March, please do join us!
Spillpikene and I are collecting used games for youths with cancer
A while back I read about this gorgeous room that was built at my local hospital. It’s a room for youths fighting cancer (plea
se note that they categorise youths as those aged between 15 and 35 – this pleased me so) to hang out and escape their everyday ordeals.
So for those who don’t know, I’m also blogging at another site in Norwegian called Spillpikene. I’ve blogged about them here before – but we didn’t start blogging together until spring 2009. Well – I say blogging – but I have to admit that I’ve been a slowpokey there as well, the girls have been good at keeping it alive.
Anyhow – I decided that it would be cool if Spillpikene and I started a drive to collect used games that have meant a lot to people in times of turmoil. Let’s face it – games help us escape – and by golly life needs escaping at times! And some games have helped us through hard ordeals and I wanted people to donate a game that helped them through a hard time. Of course loads of people thought this was a brilliant idea – but I have yet to receive a single one.
Why yes – I’m extremely disappointed. Spillpikene and I have, however, donated Playstation 2, Buzz handsets, 2 Buzz games and some more. Electronic Arts has also given a generous donation and Nintendo has donated a Wii. So it’s not all bad – I’m just wanting more!
So please – if you have a used game to help someone going through a hellish fight – send it to:
Linn Søvig
Aad Gjellesgate 12
5036 Bergen
Norway
Board games are definitely welcome as well! And please do remember that we’re in Europe and under the zone 2 restrictions!
“The news has been gamed”
I love that sentence! It’s from MEDIAite’s article about a piece of Machinima that’s been making rounds about the Tiger Woods incident.
So apparently – a Chinese or Taiwanese news agency has made this machinima film re-enacting the “said” incident by using The Sims! I’m not really clued into what the news has been saying about the accident or whatever. It doesn’t interest me – but it does interest me that someone – or not just anybody – a news channel! – has reenacted the events through the Sims.
Very intrigued! And the skills! Dude! They’ve really got their The Sims skills down to make this!
Thanks to Snorre Bryne – superstar game journalist – for letting me know.
Remember What The Dormouse Said 