As we consider our theoretical justification for using Second Life to facilitate civic engagement, we’ve come up with the notion of placeworlds. Below is a sketch of the concept:
Place is experienced space. It is what happens when geographic space takes on meaning of any sort – as an object of memory, or desire, […]

Categories: placeofmedia · boston · SecondLife · city · hub2 · civic_engagement

As city governments explore their role in burgeoning virtual environments, they should see the creation of engaged and active civic groups as primary to their mission. We recently spoke to a reporter from the Boston Globe, who, after getting wind of the proposed project, was hoping to report that the city was moving into […]

Categories: placeofmedia · boston · citygovernment · SecondLife · city · hub2

Despite the fact that the Boston Globe has declared that the city has plans for a full virtual conversion in Second Life, the truth of the matter is its goals are much more modest. Together with my colleage Gene Koo, we are offering two courses at Emerson College with the goal of guiding students […]

Categories: placeofmedia · boston · citygovernment · SecondLife · city · play · hub2 · gene_koo

I recently posted this series of prompts to the iDC discussion list.
Following Google’s acquisition of Feedburner, I want to consider how the threats to privacy that became apparent in that context extend to physical communities (neighborhood, organization, city) that are enabled/bolstered/fortified by social web media.  Many community groups and neighborhood organizations are using digital networking […]

Categories: placeofmedia · citygovernment · city · privcy · populism · iDC

OurVirtualHolland (OVH) is one model of civic presence in SL. Sponsored by the financial firm ING, the space is designed to bring together entrepreneurs under the guise of business created community. The question is: what kind of community is actually created in this space? How does national identity play into virtual presence? […]

Categories: placeofmedia · SecondLife · city

Just a quick note about capital cities. According to Friedrich Kittler, from his article “The City is a Medium”: “Under highly technologized conditions, capitals scarcely need to be built; they only need to be assigned addresses.”
There is so much to be said about this statement. If the meaning of a capital city is […]

Categories: placeofmedia · city