I had never been to Center on Public Diplomacy and arrived there plenty early to look the sim over. (there is a post coming on that island’s orientation area in the very near future) I wanted to arrive in time to get a seat in the main conference hall so I could see the speakers avatars, thus feeling more connected. That turned out to be a mistake due to my computers limited video card. Over 200 people showed up to hear this discussion, including many bloggers, and although split up over multiple sims… lag of course raised its ugly head.

Let me set the stage with information about the MacArthur Foundation. The MacArthur Foundation is a private, independent institution who would like to help improve human conditions around the world. (I know I simplify, but remember I am a country boy) MacArthur supports organizations working on human rights and international justice, conservation and sustainable development, housing, juvenile justice, and independent media.

MacArthur had basically decided to build a replica of their Chicago Building on an island in Second Life and say here we are. Fortunately who ever they asked for advice on this explained to them that would not be the thing to do. Now they are holding discussion groups over the next year to determine their best course of action.

I will not try to cover everything that was covered at this discussion, only a couple thing that caught my attention. The entire discussion will be archived on Spotlight, the MacArthur supported blog for digital media and learning, and Beth Kanter live blogged it over on Beth’s Blog. I can barely think fast enough to hear much less actually type it all up.

The first thing said that really perked my ears was “the hope of the MacArthur Foundation, upon entering Second Life, is to be of service in helping people come together and empowering them to do the things they want to do.” (to improve human conditions) Surely a worthy goal, and I look forward to seeing (if not participating) the different areas which should arise from this.

Jonathan Fanton then made a statement/question (I can’t quote him but) something along the line of: I have been reading articles, blogs, etc… most positive, some not so positive and dealing with security breaches, companies pulling out of Second Life, issues with pornography… Philip can you talk a bit on that for us?

Philip’s response nailed my attention. (I can’t quote him but I will try to stay with his intent) It went something like: On the topic of companies pulling out, or being successful or unsuccessful let me say; if you are looking at Second Life as little more than as a redeployment of brand or conventional media… it is not going to work. Remember when the internet and how it was adopted over time. At first businesses threw up some webpage and gradually they figured out what worked and what didn’t. Then you mentioned pornography and content… I think that “open spaces”, “free and open places” like Second Life… like the internet… are always going to have to empower people and there is always going to be, along with that empowerment, a tolerance one has to have for the many different things people are going to want to do in the space.

I don’t see a way of fixing that and I don’t want to fix it. (emphasis mine) I think that people need to be able to choose what they want to do in a new medium and we as the stewards of that medium should, and can be only minimally, ahh, controlling of those choices, and so I think that, uh yeah. Just like the people looked at the internet and said, oh goodness there is adult content here; I’m not going to come. I think those were thoughts that went away as everyone came to understand that the internet was a space that contained many things and was in the aggurate of public good.

We will do everything we can to give the people the tools to control, you know, what they want to see and not see, but we’re not going to try and control, at the highest level, what people do and wouldn’t want to.

They then went to questions from the audience, but my mind was still processing just exactly what Philip had said. Personally, I though Philip’s response was very good– although maybe in contradiction to some others statements.

Because I am a bit lazy, and Beth had already typed it up; I will quote from her blog Fanton’s closing statement.

As MacArthur begins is journey into Second Life, we begin with some assumptions. We assume that people in Second Life are people who care about others and who are open to most communicating across boundaries – both cultural and geographic. People in Second Life have optimism about what can happen and feel a strong desire to come together and work. We hope that together to make the virtual and physical worlds better. MacArthur believes that people who care and have the right information will do the right thing. We have a role to play to work with those of you in Second Life to figure appropriate policy and approaches. How can MacArthur harness the idealism that exists in Second Life?

Over all I think the MacArthur Foundation should be a welcome and successful addition to Second Life. Maybe helping to fund areas where individuals from different cultures can come together and get to know one another. Learn about each others problems and concerns, and help make the Real World a smaller, friendlier place.

That Honeywell Aerospace will be taking a closer look at Second Life to evaluate the possibilities for opportunities to help grow Honeywell’s business virtually.

At Honeywell Aerospace, we are actively researching how we can leverage Second Life to better reach and serve our customers. We have launched a prototype project to test concepts and more-easily envision possible value-add business applications in the 3-D virtual world of Second Life. We believe the metaverse will be an important business tool of the future. Our initial focus will explore Second Life in the customer training experience.

With major corporation after major corporation entering Second Life, will we soon be seeing the demise of Second Life as we know it today? Has Linden Lab already shifted its focus from the marginally profit possibilities of the individuals to the big money of major corporates?

I like many others feel the virtual world is the near future of the web. I see browsing the web of the future as a interactive 3-D experience rather than a reading media, but until the entire server code is open sourced where people and companies can bring their own servers online; lets not forget the backbone of community which has borne Second Life to this point.

Only two days ago I wrote about Pathfinder Linden’s comment, when the question of identity and authenticity was mentioned by Fidelity Investments, (an Investment Firm with a presence in Second Life) left me wondering if Linden Lab was continuing to be concerned about the individual’s right to privacy or if Linden Lab is willing to forgo said interest in lieu of business enterprise.

I understand for “web 3-D” to come into existence, the push by people like Honeywell Aerospace, IBM, Coca-cola, and other major money maker/spenders will have to find a benefit (read profit) from it. I am not against benefit. Rather, I am wishing to point out there are opportunities for a lot more then the dollars of profit to consider, and am happy Honeywell Aerospace’s initial focus will be a training experience.

I believe the major point Honeywell, or any other business wishing to test the “waters” of Second Life should remember is the need to bring something of value to the community of individuals who inhabit Second Life.

Don’t build and forget, be active in the project, encourage your employees to not only use your area, but interact with anyone who visits. IBM does such a wonderful job of this, and it show in their traffic and use. Make it a fun experience, for both your visitors and employees; not everyone is looking for a ride, or a dance, but everyone is looking for an experience.

The more one can interact with your people, the more intimate the experience becomes. The more intimate the experience, the more value the individual receives, the more the value… the stronger the bond and sense of loyalty to the “brand.”

How many times have I shown up on a sim and heard someone ask a question similar to “What is done here?” With no one there to field the question and benefit from the direction which would naturally happen with intelligent informed interaction. A bonding of the “Brand” opportunity missed.

I think if I was Honeywell Aerospace I would start rather small and educational to what services I provide. Hold an event to draw people, (such as live music performances) have people available it interact heavily with those that show up, and let those users point the directions of interest, and build in that direction.

Today the Washington Post’s Staff Writer Michael Abramowitz ran an article about the Iraq Study Group a group funded by the U.S. Institute of Peace, who in December of 2006 presented a “forward-looking, independent assessment of the current and prospective situation on the ground in Iraq and how it affects the surrounding region as well as U.S. interests.”

According to Abramowitz the report ( download 519 KB pdf formant of report) received a less than warm reception from policymakers, but is about to get a second look from the White House and Congress because bubba and his good ole boys are in great need of solutions to salvage the American engagement in Iraq.

With negotiations continuing this week on a new war funding bill, the administration is strongly signaling that it would accept the idea of requiring the Iraqi government to meet political benchmarks or else risk losing some assistance from the United States. That was one of the key proposals from the (Iraq Study) group headed by former secretary of state James A. Baker III and former Indiana congressman Lee H. Hamilton, but it was initially dismissed by the White House when first proposed last December.

The administration is also preparing for its first substantive discussions with Iran, to begin on Memorial Day, not long after its first high-level talks with Syria in more than two years. The Iraq Study Group had strongly urged such regional diplomacy aimed at fostering a political settlement and bringing down the sectarian violence in Baghdad.

Why am I telling you all of this in a blog that is about gaming and Second Life? Well where would you think such a meeting between members of the Iraq Study Group and administration officials will be taking place? That is right! Due to scheduling issues, as these fine folk are scattered around the globe, this meeting is supposed to take place in a virtual boardroom in Second Life, where participants can interact. You think they would hold such a meeting in a game?