05 March 2006
Amazon.com: Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems and the Economic World: Books: Kevin Kelly
by bcpbcpIn many ways, the 20th century has been the Age of Physics. Out of Control is an accessible and entertaining explanation of why the coming years will probably be the Age of Biology -- particularly evolution and ethology -- and what this will mean to most every aspect of our society. Kelly is an enthusiastic and well-informed guide who explains the promises and implications of this rapidly evolving revolution very well.
MySpace and gaming: the power of social networks - Joystiq
by bcpbcp (via)A lot of the emerging social technologies on the Web--from social bookmarking to photo sharing--could easily translate into a game world, and as a commenter on Alice's post points out, Second Life already achieves some of the same goals as the MySpace network.
26 February 2006
Folksonomies: Tidying up Tags?
by bcpbcp & 9 others (via)1. Introduction
A folksonomy is a type of distributed classification system. It is usually created by a group of individuals, typically the resource users. Users add tags to online items, such as images, videos, bookmarks and text. These tags are then shared and sometimes refined. A general review of social bookmarking tools, one popular use area of folksonomies, was given in the April edition of D-Lib [1]. In the article the authors elaborate on the approach taken by social classification systems and the motivators behind tagging. They write, "...tags are just one kind of metadata and are not a replacement for formal classification systems such as Dublin Core, MODS, etc.... Rather, they are a supplemental means to organise information and order search results."
25 February 2006
GLS Conference Overview
by bcpbcp (via)Recent research has begun to elucidate the key principles of learning that well-designed games can and do embody. At the same time, the broader social significance of gaming culture has become a topic for scholarship across a diversity of fields. Games and simulations do not only reveal new worlds in the virtual realm, they also inspire new world views in the physical one. A vast range of videogames and game-related literature has found its way into curriculum, business, entertainment, and government across the country. Millions of people play, both for work and for recreation – and they participate in ongoing economic and social change as a result. As interest in videogames intensifies and the number of events dedicated to their discussion increases, it is crucial that issues of learning and the social role of games do not get lost in the equally worthy cause of industry-building.
29 January 2006
Ajax Blog - LinkFeed - Another AJAXed HomePage !
by bcpbcpLinkedFeed is an automated and customizable information social network. The more you use it, the most accurate news it brings to you and people sharing your interests.
25 January 2006
16 January 2006
Play Between Worlds - The MIT Press
by bcpbcp (via)In Play Between Worlds, T. L. Taylor examines multiplayer gaming life as it is lived on the borders, in the gaps--as players slip in and out of complex social networks that cross online and offline space. Taylor questions the common assumption that playing computer games is an isolating and alienating activity indulged in by solitary teenage boys. Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), in which thousands of players participate in a virtual game world in real time, are in fact actively designed for sociability. Games like the popular Everquest, she argues, are fundamentally social spaces.
Discrimination emerges in WoW? from Guardian Unlimited: Gamesblog
by bcpbcp"Academics and other students of the Internet have known for decades that even typed communication can reveal such non-verbal aspects of an online user, but it still comes as a surprise when discrimination emerges in an online game."
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