Second Life: a Case Study of Virtual Worlds
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Government in 3D: How Public Leaders Can Draw on Virtual Worlds IBM Center for The Business of Government The IBM Center for About the IBM Center for The Business of Government Through research stipends and events, the IBM Center for The Business of Government stimulates research and facilitates discussion of new approaches to improving the effectiveness of government at the federal, state, local, and international levels. The Center is one of the ways that IBM seeks to advance knowledge on how to improve public sector effectiveness. The IBM Center focuses on the future of the operation and management of the public sector. Government in 3D: Government About IBM Global Business Services With consultants and professional staff in more than 160 countries globally, IBM Global Business Services is the world’s largest consulting services organization. IBM Global Business Services provides clients with business process and industry expertise, a deep understanding of technology solutions that address Worlds Virtual on Public Leaders Can Draw How specific industry issues, and the ability to design, build and run those solutions in a way that delivers bottom-line business David C. Wyld value. For more information visit www.ibm.com. Robert Maurin Professor of Management and Director of the Strategic e-Commerce/ e-Government Initiative For additional information, contact: Southeastern Louisiana University Jonathan D. Breul Executive Director IBM Center for The Business of Government 1301 K Street, NW Fourth Floor, West Tower Washington, DC 20005 (202) 515-4504, fax: (202) 515-4375 e-mail: [email protected] Series E-Government/Technology website: www.businessofgovernment.org Wyld C. David 1792-1 Wyld 2008 Report Cover w/Spine-Outside; cover 8-1/2 x 11 in; 1/4 in spine – adjust width to accommodate 88 page report; 4/c Front: PMS 1245 Yellow, PMS 2718 Blue; PMS 877 Silver, Black; 1/C Back: Full coat PMS 1245; bleeds 4 sides 1792-1_Wyld_Cvr_wSpine.indd 1 9/26/08 9:06:47 AM 2008 E-GOVERNMENT/TECHNOLOGY SERIES Government in 3D: How Public Leaders Can Draw on Virtual Worlds David C. Wyld Robert Maurin Professor of Management and Director of the Strategic e-Commerce/ e-Government Initiative Southeastern Louisiana University TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword ..............................................................................................4 Executive Summary ..............................................................................6 Part I: The Use of Virtual Worlds of Government .......................9 Web 2.0 and Virtual Worlds ...........................................................10 Introduction .................................................................................10 The Metaverse and the ‘Economy of Presence’ ............................11 Virtual Worlds—The Next Big Thing? ...........................................11 How Virtual Worlds Can Be Used in Government ........................13 Introduction .................................................................................13 To Reach Citizens in New Ways ..................................................13 To Collaborate Internally .............................................................17 To Conduct Training and Simulations ..........................................19 To Recruit Employees ..................................................................23 To Promote Tourism and Economic Development .......................26 Issues Facing Government in Implementing Virtual Worlds ...........30 Overview ...................................................................................30 The Generation Gap ...................................................................30 Identity ........................................................................................31 Security ......................................................................................32 Interoperability ............................................................................32 Accessibility ...............................................................................33 Availability .................................................................................33 Staffing .......................................................................................34 Virtual-World Policies ..................................................................34 Return on Investment for Public Sector Involvement ....................35 Conclusion ..................................................................................35 Part II: Virtual Worlds as a Social Phenomenon .......................39 Understanding Virtual Worlds ......................................................40 Virtual Worlds 101 .....................................................................40 The Online Gaming Phenomenon ...............................................41 Massively Multiplayer Online Games ..........................................42 Online Games—The New National Pastime? ...............................42 The Virtual-World Marketplace ....................................................44 Conclusion ..................................................................................46 2 Second Life: A Case Study of Virtual Worlds ..................................47 Overview .....................................................................................47 A Brief History of Second Life ....................................................48 Participation in Second Life .........................................................49 The Virtual Economy of Second Life ............................................50 Law and Disorder in Second Life .................................................53 Problems with Second Life .........................................................57 How Virtual Worlds Are Being Used in Other Sectors ...................60 Libraries .......................................................................................60 Museums .....................................................................................60 Colleges and Universities ............................................................62 The Media ...................................................................................64 Appendix: Research on and in Virtual Worlds ....................................65 References .........................................................................................67 About the Author ...............................................................................83 Key Contact Information ....................................................................84 Cover image: Copyright © 2001–2008 Linden Research, Inc. All rights reserved. 3 GOVERNMENT IN 3D FOREWORD On behalf of the IBM Center for The Business of Government, we are pleased to present this report, “Government in 3D: How Public Leaders Can Draw on Virtual Worlds,” by Professor David C. Wyld of Southeastern Louisiana University. This report is another example of how Web 2.0’s “teen toys” are quickly becoming serious work tools. Virtual worlds on the Internet have been seen as large-scale fantasy games. But now “virtual worlds have been labeled as a transformative development that will perhaps change the way we use the Internet over the next decade,” according to Dr. Wyld’s report. Albert Morales Is this just hype? We don’t know yet, but with the recent move by some state governments and congressional pushes in the federal government to promote “green” and to reduce traffic congestion by reducing travel, encouraging tele- commuting, and moving to a four-day workweek, the trend toward a virtual workplace seems to be growing. Moreover, if a job requires collaboration among members of a team, e-mail and conference calls can only go so far. Wyld’s cutting-edge report helps bring some concreteness to the topic of virtual worlds. He highlights ways in which government agencies are piloting the use of avatars and 3D worlds. For example, NASA uses one virtual-world platform—Second Life—to reach citizens in new ways. He also identifies some of the potential stumbling blocks to the rapid growth of 3D worlds, such as identity and interoperability issues. More importantly, he provides a broader context for public executives about how virtual worlds are becoming Mark Cleverley a social phenomenon, especially with the younger generations. This is a new way for emerging leaders to come to the fore, as well as an innovative tool for collaboration in the workplace. 4 IBM Center for The Business of Government GOVERNMENT IN 3D All of this can seem unsettling to more traditional government executives. Nevertheless, Wyld suggests “we will see that tangible, real-world results will come from the collaboration, learning, and interactions that will come about in virtual-world environments.” To help prepare government leaders for this new world, he has developed an executive guide for keeping up with the virtual world. Read it, try it, and good luck! Albert Morales Mark Cleverley Managing Partner Director of Strategy IBM Center for The Business of Government IBM Public Sector Government Transformation [email protected] [email protected] www.businessofgovernment.org 5 GOVERNMENT IN 3D EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Virtual worlds, such as Second Life, are fast trans- between employees. By developing virtual water forming the very definition of “being together.” In coolers, conference rooms, and meeting halls, agen- these immersive environments of the “3D Internet,” cies enable real-time