Virtual life 1

World Policy Institute Life: Coming to a Screen near You Author(s): Jamie F. Metzl Source: World Policy Journal, Vol. 25, No. 3 (Fall, 2008), pp. 247-251 Published by: The MIT Press and the World Policy Institute Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40210169 Accessed: 19-04-2015 21:02 UTC

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship.

For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Sage Publications, Inc., The MIT Press and World Policy Institute are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to World Policy Journal.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 216.220.176.6 on Sun, 19 Apr 2015 21:02:31 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

White Houseofficial, andtheexecutive vicepresident former JamieE Metzlisa novelist, oftheAsiaSociety.

^k ^V

Life:Comingto a ScreenNearYou

JamieF. Metzl

controlstheavatarjust as theywould a In JorgeLuis Borges'famousstory"Tlon, in a videogame,onlywithfar character Uqbar,OrbisTertius,"a groupofscholars and exofcommunication means cometogetherin secretmeetingsovera greater avatar enter The can an invent to of number years buildings, pression. imaginary interactwithotheravatarsby text,speech, world.Over time,however,recordsofthis in or gesture,visitrestaurants, worldbeginto showup increasingly bars,schools, booksuntiltheworldeventually churches,and nightclubs,strollthrough reference attendballs,and go to press artexhibitions, becomesreal. and All ofthesestructures conferences. of Today,hundredsofthousands people in acrosstheglobe are regularparticipants spacesare createdby otherparticipants in thevirtualworld. onlinevirtualworldssuchas SecondLife, There. and Today'svirtualworldsremainprimarily TwentyGoogle Lively,Twinity, offantasy. domains milof hundreds fiveyearsfromnow,the Many,ifnotmost,peoin in suchvirtualworlds lionsofparticipants ple engaged onlineworldsdo so under theguise ofan alter-ego.It maybe truethat suchas thesewill cometo regardthemas a northeir which medium virtuallyall usersofSecondLifeare tall, through primary out. are carried mal dailytransactions gorgeousand fitin reallife,but it is probavirtual At thatpoint,thesefantasy-filled blymorelikelythatthesebeautifulavatars an alternative worldof worldswill,like theimaginary fantasylifeprojected represent creators. their and intents all for by Borges'scholars,become, But whentechnologicaldevelopments purposes,real. thevirtual Fortoday'scasualparticipant, entering alreadyin theworkstransform and worldsoftodayintomoresophisticated one ofthesevirtualworldsfeelsverymuch videogame. like joininga multi-player invitingspacesfarmorecapableofcapturand expression a three-dimensional The participant ing therangeofcomplexity designs worlds virtual in human an communication, cartoonish character, commonlycalled the twoavatar,froma set ofpossiblecharacteristics. will, by 2033, haveovertaken dimensionalInternetas thepredominant The avatarcan be tall or short,withany humaninteracfeaother of number and hair of color systemofnon face-to-face any that now takesplace Communication tion. a from turesand qualitiesselected range will e-mail or ofavailableoptions.The participantthen by thenbe carried by phone Š 2008 WorldPolicyInstitute

This content downloaded from 216.220.176.6 on Sun, 19 Apr 2015 21:02:31 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

247

whythisis happening,in placeslike Korea andJapan,whichare yearsaheadofthe UnitedStatesin termsofbroadbandpenetrationand applications.

YourAvatarand You Over 90 percentofKoreansin their When avatarsin virtualworldsbecome 20s are regularoccupantsofa virtualworld able to communicatewitheach otherby voice insteadofor in additionto text(which called Cyworld,forexample,whichis somehas alreadybegunin crudeformin Second thingofa mixofFacebook,SecondLife,and UserscreateavatarsforthemYouTube. and facial Life),to projectreal expressions, homerooms havemovementand handgesturesconselves,build three-dimensional and fillthoserooms called minihompies, trolledby each participantthroughtheir and with wireless electronic and videos, songs,decorations, photos, gloves thoughts be can which all of in nascent latter is form), texts, (the updateddirectly possibletoday fromcell phones.Unlikethevirtualworld in virtualworldswill humaninteractions and familiar. ofSecondLife,whereavatarsprowlanonybecomeevermoremeaningful Book clubs,forexample,will formallowing mouslyand oftenexistas fantasy figures the "characlike purple-headed readersfromacrosstheworldto meetand monsters, ters"ofCyworldoftenlook like thepeople discusseventhemostobscurebooksas a retaintheirrealnames,and theyrepresent, groupin frontofa virtualfireplace.Busiare seenas extensionsofthem.Friendsmaknessmeetingswill seatpeople acrossthe worldaroundthree-dimensional (3-D) ing a plan to meetforrealworlddinneror tablesin a mannerthatwill veryclosely tryingto figureout whichrealworldconcertto attendby listeningto themusicof replicatesthelook,feel,and experienceof artistsare just as likelyto do this realworldmeetings.These simplescenarios different on Cyworld,represented do notevenbeginto explorethe implicaby theircharacters, as theyare to do thisbyphone.The line tionsofcurrentresearchon transmitting betweentherealand virtualworlds,and digitallysimulatingsexualexperiencebetweentwo realpeople in different physical whatdoes and does nothappenin each,is the locationsthroughan onlineinterface, beginningto blur. as digital Over the nextquartercentury, much-toographicallynamedfieldof beworlds virtual in these avatars teledildonics. evolving ofthepeocome moreconsistentextensions As the intimacylevelsofthesetypesof than whimsical rather them will interactions the Internet ple controlling grow, merge will of withwhatwe now call themulti-player requireand they expressions fantasy, in worlds the new will demand world and we come to interact theyinrights gaming seamlesslybothwithinspecificthree-dimen-habit.An avatarenteringa virtualclothing sionalvirtualworldsand betweenthevirtu- store,forexample,will haveembeddedin it al and realworlds.As thishappens,virtual detailssuchas theusers creditcardinforworldswill becomeless a playgroundoffan- mationand theexactphysicalmeasurements in oftherealworlduserit represents.

Style tasyand moretheprimaryenvironment will be deducedby the and tastepreferences whichhumansinteractundertheirown identitieswhennotdoingso in person.We user'sbuyinghistory, (an extensionofthe that are are alreadyseeingglimpsesofhow theoncurrently generated preferences line experienceis notonlycloselymodeling whena userreturnsto amazon.com),and as realworldhumaninteractions, but evenbe- theavatarwalksthroughthevirtualstore, will constantly extensions of thestoremerchandise them,and comingsignificant

out largelyin thesethree-dimensional interactive spaces.

248

• FALL2008 WORLDPOLICYJOURNAL

This content downloaded from 216.220.176.6 on Sun, 19 Apr 2015 21:02:31 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

changeto matchtheuser'ssensibilitiesand desires,offering everyindividualusera customizedexperience.Virtualmuseumswill similarlyrecalibrateto align witheach indiand will build comvidualuser'sinterests, munitiesofpeople withsimilarartisticintereststo jointlyenter3-D discussionforumsaboutpotential projectsor collaborations.These museums will notbe reflectionsofreal worldinstitutions, in but institutions and ofthemselves thatpresentdigital artdesignedforthis and create platform newtypesofcommunitiesaroundit.

tiated,and unverified generalmassofInternetusers.Instead,theywill do virtually whattheyhavebeendoing in therealworld sincetheearlyMiddle Ages,whena small group'sperceivedneedforsecuritybecomes greaterthanwhatthesocietyaroundthem

PersonalProtection

With avatarsever morecloselyconSecond Life:as boringas the first? nectedto thepeople - theywill build walls is willingto provide and containingfarmoreintheyrepresent aroundtheircommunities. about them,userswill fearthat formation Withinthesevirtualwalls will be found containedin their thepersonalinformation of if all theadvantagesthata community of be abused could potentially digitalprofile will flow loss trustaffords goods notsufficiently freely, people protected.The necessary thataccompaniestheupgrade will interactin meaningful ofanonymity ways,and relato complex tionshipswill flourish.Outside,barriers ofavatarsfromfantasycharacters will multiply,navigationwill be difficult, withinthemthedigital entitiescarrying and will be momentary atand relationships oftheirusers'preferences, representation will inevitablylead fleeting.To get in, userswill need to sacrititudes,and experiences to ensuremeaningficeenoughanonymity to demandsforgreaterlevelsofsecurity. and submitto a set of fulaccountability, As thesevirtualcommunitiesbecome rulesthatwill governinteraction for moreintimate,the trustrequirements among thoseinsidethewalls.Theywill haveto in themwill in timebecome participating everhigher.Justas fewpeople would hosta agreeabout how rulesare to be set,who decidesiftheyshouldbe changed,how book club in theirhomesto whichanyone could come,or open theirdoorto grisly disputesare resolved,and how common than Halloween, goods shouldbe distributed.In short,they ghoulson anyday other will need to eitherdevelopand perform intermostpeoplewill feeluncomfortable or submitto ofgovernment, thefunctions undifferenwith an unfiltered, actingfreely Life:Comingto a ScreenNear You

This content downloaded from 216.220.176.6 on Sun, 19 Apr 2015 21:02:31 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

249

or other therulescreatedby corporations entitiesthatcan addresstheseneeds. to create The initialcontoursofefforts in virthesetypesofdemocraticstructures in tual worldscan be seen communities thatalreadyexistonlinetoday.A colony housedin theSecond calledNeufreistadt, Lifevirtualworld,is one excellentexample ofthis.To becomea citizenofNeufreistadt, SecondLifeusersmustpurchasevirtualland (withrealmoney)in thecolonyfromLinden Labs,theparentcompanyofSecondLife.

Each citizenmustthenagreeto submitto a and electedgovernment democratically mustvotein legislativeelectionsheld every six months. outlinesthe The colony'sconstitution ofcitizens,as well as the responsibilities rolesofthequasi-judicialScientificCouncil thatcan vetobills passedin theassembly and ofthe but deemedunconstitutional, who headstheexecutivebranch.

Chancellor, real Underthisconstitutional structure, commercetakesplace. CitizensofNeufreistadthaveset up businessessellinggoods thatotheruserspay forwithrealmoney.A numberofpeoplehavealreadymade over $1 million(in realmoney)throughvirtual commercein SecondLife,and bankshave beencreatedto sustainthisvirtualeconomy.

Giventhesestakes,it is notsurprising thatvirtualfightshavebrokenout among Neufreistadt citizens,strikeshavebeen called,and citizenshaveleftto formnew colonies.What has perhapsbeenmoresurprisingis thatall oftheseconflictshave beendealtwithsuccessfully throughthe the scholarsin the Like democraticprocess. are Borgesstory,thecitizensofNeufreistadt thevanguardofa newmodeofsocietalcrethatwill eventually ationand interaction in and changethe us of more drawmany waywe thinkaboutwhatit meansto be and subjectto its rules. partofa community A secondand less democraticformof virtualworldcreationwill also be carried 250

out by companiesthatwill build securevirtual worldswhichpeople,represented by theiravatars,will opt into.Like developers ofgatedcommunities who use walls and to establish safe havensin a world guards fraughtwithrisk,companiesthatcreatevirwill establishstantual walledcommunities dardsfordisclosure,transparency, dispute ethicalbehavior,and commerce resolution, thatthosewho chooseto join thecommunitywill be requiredto accept.

Community Engagement

But no matterwho setsthe rules- demoanticicraticgroupsofusersor corporations new and the such users needs of pating discretevirtualworldswill emergewhere of commonstandardsformthefoundation community engagement.These newvirtual worldswill evolveas separate,or at least overlapping,islands.As increasingnumbers ofnewsocialcontractsare formedonline who come together amongparticipants thereguofinterests, basedon commonality of national framework legislationmay latory less relevantin ofwell becomeincreasingly feringprotectionforindividualsactivelyengaged in thesevirtualworlds.

With an increasingamountat stakein thevirtualworlds,and as different groupsof virtual their own to build usersset out the worldsbased on theircommoninterests, in community desireformoreinvolvement governancewill inevitablybecomestronger.

Userswill demandevermoresayin determiningtherulesofthevirtualworldsin as well as whichtheychooseto participate, to ensurethe someformofrepresentation and viabilityofgoverstability, legitimacy, nancein thesespaces.People will become citizensnotofa globalizedworldor ofthe but ofspecificdovirtualworldgenerally, whoserulestheyaccept mainsin cyberspace and help shape. ofcourse,will notgo Nation-states, will notindividuallybe able but they away, • FALL2008 WORLDPOLICYJOURNAL

This content downloaded from 216.220.176.6 on Sun, 19 Apr 2015 21:02:31 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

standardsin thesetruly to enforceprotective inwhere themeaningful transitional spaces will takeplace. Althoughit is teractions possiblethatstatescould developan internationallaw ofvirtualworlds,it is farmore will primastructures likelythatgovernance in rilydevelopfromthegroundup response to therealand growingneedsofparticipantsin a wide arrayofvirtualworlds,espeand securiciallyifthisdesireforprotection than a different community tyis greateror ofdiscordantrealworldstatesis able to provide.

Geographyand governancehavebeen Yet as our partnersforall ofhumanhistory. nonface-to-face livesbecomeincreasingly virtualoverthenextquartercentury, the newsocietallandscapeofvirtualspacewill be shapedand definedless by physical and moreby spontaneous, comgeography, rulesand institutions, realmunity-driven ized in virtualworlds.Borges'scholars would be proud.•

Life: Coming to a Screen Near You

This content downloaded from 216.220.176.6 on Sun, 19 Apr 2015 21:02:31 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

251