Welcome to a blog on Virtual Worlds and social media

This blog is about organisations and business and how they can benefit from virtual worlds and Debs' favourite project, Virtual London inside the Second Life platform as a case study.
These people are creators of London in Second Life and media streaming / 3d content and event organisers.
In Second Life, Debs' well known Avatar is called 'Debs Regent'.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Why did they do that?

Response to “Why did they do that?”

Debs Butler (Debs Regent inSL) says:

Thank you for this article Tateru, this is a nice article.

It is true that everyone has their own set of utility values, which differ from person to person (as well as information, experience and circumstance).

All choices are therefore subjective and according to each individual’s collective understanding, embedded into the experience and circumstance of that person who is making the decision.

Therefore, I agree Tateru, with the underlying principle of Information Theory, we all make the best decision we can at the time based on the information we have at that time.

I also agree that different people do not make decisions for the same reasons, because all our ‘reasons’ differ because all our aims also differ.

Before you criticise another person (corporation or organization), it is wise to appreciate that they are doing the best they can with the information they have at the time, given their own particular goals and identifications.

If you want to encourage an alternative decision, I suggest that the best way you do this would be to add to the decision makers information pool with accurate, detailed and quantifiable information.

… criticism welcomed … add to my information pool please

*smiles*

Continues......

Debs Butler (Debs Regent inSL) says:

As I stated earlier, there is a body of evidence in Information Theory that supports Tateru’s arguments here, for corporations as well as individuals.

Many large corporations follow well established and proven economic principles to increase profits - their ‘utility value’ is in maximising profits for the benefit of the shareholders whether it be legislated or not, massaging their individual bonuses in the process.

With the recent increase in information (and collapse of share prices and occasionally bonuses), errors in the ‘thinking’ processes of the corporations are being made increasingly apparent making change happen with new choices being the outcome.

Once again we go on the merry-go-round of information available + utility value leads to choice made (leaving out the added complexity of probabilities).

Again, back to Tateru’s original posting, “they’re making that choice with good reasons”. - reasons to ‘them’ that is.

*thanks you for feedback*

Friday, May 15, 2009

Honesty, Trust and Privacy

Follow on from ..... http://zhaewry.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/honesty-trust-and-privacy/#comment-96

Dear Zha and daleinnis,

Truth and honesty as well as trust and privacy as well as clarity - and can I add, integrity to this list are all of the same quality - Sincerity!

As you say, a totally pseudonymous person can be deeply honest, or totally deceitful, however this is also true of a non- pseudonymous person, I think of the snake oil salesman, who is undoubtably a con-artist, but little old ladies believe in him, his stories, and his wares. The same goes for pseudo-identities.

What really matters is what goes on in a heart, how much sincerity is in our interaction with others. Too often a person will promise and cajole for their own aims, without considering the pain and hurt it can afford others.

As a child I was taught a trick, which I call ‘switch’, where you imagine yourself in the position of the other person with whom you are having the interaction. This way, you may understand more clearly the effect of what you have said and done, on them.

Ultimately, that is all that matters, the effect you have had on someone else, so consider carefully before you lie or conceal a truth, because eventually the real truth will out. Better always to tell the truth initially, rather than to cause pain and evade the issue, which will increase and escalate until it becomes unbearable or unconcealable.

........................ Follow on >>>

Yes, Valliant.

Many of us agree and have been writing on this subject for a while now. If you notice, I do not hide behind my virtual identity of Debs Regent at all, my real name is at the top of my posting, rather than my pseudonym.

To demonstrate greater integrity, it is vital that we who do business through Second Life do not hide behind an 'avatar' or an avatar name. Because, just as actors are known for who they are in their real lives, we are also actors, albeit on a virtual stage.

This alternate stage is one of greater reach and interactivity than those in film and theatre. Therefore it is more imperative that we operate with integrity and sincerity. Actors walk away from their characters, which in some cases their real lives emulate, we cannot.

It is important to note here that there is an epidemic of apparent Second Life deaths and 'outs' (including some very deep-voiced ladies). It seems that virtual worlds are having their own variant of 'swine flu', one where our 'inconvenient' avatar character is either killed off or the actor behind it exposes their true identity, which often transforms the appearance of the associated avatar too.

As we are all pointing out here, to be seen to have credibility in the real world is to give the belief to the other person that we are behaving in all honesty, this is still not the case in many business scenarios anyway.

I envisage a seesaw effect in virtual worlds where - from the lack of trust due to hidden identity - we will swing to over-confidence about an individuals' integrity, simply due to the fact that they come out and 'unmask' themselves.

Remember, virtual worlds have had many tales of robbery and overstatement, some by so-called 'credible businesses'. There are crooks everywhere and if you have something of value, whether it be your heart or your wallet - be sure to know that they will be out to take it from you, especially if you are unwary.