en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/1715887 Comments by NMcMican http://wu.granneman.com/2007/01/18/creators-vs-consumers-in-second-life/#IDComment116797794 I watched them all on YouTube as my new laptop won't play the class videos. I just searched for the name of the video. Sun, 19 Dec 2010 14:51:00 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2007/01/18/creators-vs-consumers-in-second-life/#IDComment116797794 http://wu.granneman.com/2010/10/22/fall-2010-student-wikipedia-edits/#IDComment112292707 Despite my earlier idea about creating a page for a local (Virginia Beach) band that I know is doing well and recently signed with a record label, I decided to go the easier route and edit a few pages on matters I know well. I updated a few Harry Potter pages and a page on my employer, Norfolk Southern. These were minor edits but they have stood the test of time and still remain. My user name is "notneenah". Help:User contributions 18:32, 29 October 2010 (diff | hist) m Norfolk Southern Railway ‎ (→Conrail: adjusted phrasing to make sentence more clear.) 14:45, 26 October 2010 (diff | hist) Magical creatures in Harry Potter ‎ (→House-elves: updated purpose of S.P.E.W. with citation, changed wording to make the sentence more clear) 14:31, 26 October 2010 (diff | hist) m Magical creatures in Harry Potter ‎ (→House-elves: changed "race" to ") 14:23, 25 October 2010 (diff | hist) m List of Harry Potter related topics ‎ (Italicized last item to make list more uniform) 00:49, 25 October 2010 (diff | hist) Wikipedia:Tutorial/Editing/sandbox ‎ (major deletion.) Sat, 27 Nov 2010 19:03:15 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2010/10/22/fall-2010-student-wikipedia-edits/#IDComment112292707 http://wu.granneman.com/2010/11/15/assignments-for-week-10-fall-2010/#IDComment112285284 I’ve played about three hours of Second Life (not continuously) and I’ve decided it’s not the game for me. I learned how to walk around, find places, teleport, and converse… but I didn’t find much pleasure in the experience, nor did I find interesting people to talk with. The next game, There, doesn’t exist anymore. The website states that it suffered due to the recession. I’ve decided to purchase Left 4 Dead once I finish my midterm paper… it looks like fun! Sat, 27 Nov 2010 18:05:40 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2010/11/15/assignments-for-week-10-fall-2010/#IDComment112285284 http://wu.granneman.com/2005/01/01/second-life-object-creation-demo/#IDComment112282956 Sometimes the best way to learn how to do things is just to play with the program. It’s good to know that you can create and manipulate objects, but I have to agree with Alison’s comment – this video moved a bit slow. Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:51:02 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2005/01/01/second-life-object-creation-demo/#IDComment112282956 http://wu.granneman.com/2007/01/18/creators-vs-consumers-in-second-life/#IDComment112281858 I wonder what the percentage of time spent creating is now in Second Life. Perhaps I’m joining too late, but Second Life seems like a money sink hole. Every object is for sale, every room has advertisements, and every social area has a tip jar… Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:42:44 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2007/01/18/creators-vs-consumers-in-second-life/#IDComment112281858 http://wu.granneman.com/2006/02/24/what-are-the-lessons-of-mmorpgs-today/#IDComment112280380 I’m guessing that Mr. Koster is mixing his MMORPGS here. Although I realize this he is trying to be humorous more than factual, I’m still going to disagree with some of his points. He states “There are no children,” and while the characters might all be grownups, a large portion of the people controlling them fall under 18. Also, he says that charity isn’t possible, but one of the first places I found in Second Life was a Toys for Tots drive. Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:31:40 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2006/02/24/what-are-the-lessons-of-mmorpgs-today/#IDComment112280380 http://wu.granneman.com/2006/09/10/why-more-men-in-tights-won-the-whole-donut/#IDComment112279540 I think it’s important to provide structure to the game. I’ve been experimenting with Second Life this week and it’s been almost impossible to “find my own fun.” I’ve entered a few chat areas where people were talking, but the conversation was juvenile. I found a few cool areas to explore, but I don’t personally get much pleasure from walking a virtual doll around. Although I’m not much for fighting/action games, I might like WoW better than Second Life because there are actual quests to accomplish. Back to the success factors, it probably did help that they kept the system requirements basic in order to reach a broader market. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to play a game (or do work, for that matter) and finding your system bogged down and uncooperative. Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:25:14 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2006/09/10/why-more-men-in-tights-won-the-whole-donut/#IDComment112279540 http://wu.granneman.com/2006/04/06/the-gamers-rough-guide-to-pwning-second-life/#IDComment112099335 I just exited Second Life to return to class reading, and I was definitely lost in the WTF before this article. I managed to visit the newbie area, a sandbox, a strip club, and Santa’s workshop but I didn’t find any of the areas to be engaging. I spoke to a few newbies but I was freaked out by my actual voice being out there… maybe I’ll stick to communicating via the keyboard. Fri, 26 Nov 2010 17:40:07 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2006/04/06/the-gamers-rough-guide-to-pwning-second-life/#IDComment112099335 http://wu.granneman.com/2006/11/26/second-life-tips/#IDComment112094934 Not basic enough! I'm still trying to figure out how to change outfits or walk around, I'm not ready for camera angles yet! Fri, 26 Nov 2010 17:02:56 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2006/11/26/second-life-tips/#IDComment112094934 http://wu.granneman.com/2006/04/11/sounds-of-silence-sanitizing-expression-in-brave-new-worlds/#IDComment112089779 I so desperately wish to live in a world where people aren’t discriminated against based on their sexual preferences. The complaint that sparked the entire controversy was unfounded. If you don’t want to be part of a GLBT friendly guild, then don’t join one! What’s so offensive about stating that one exists? Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:19:14 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2006/04/11/sounds-of-silence-sanitizing-expression-in-brave-new-worlds/#IDComment112089779 http://wu.granneman.com/2008/01/01/the-fleecing-of-the-avatars/#IDComment112087516 Wow, 37 cents per hour working as a virtual waitress? This makes the sweat shops in China sound like steady employment. Remember the game Life? You bet your money on the “stock market” which was really just a spin of the wheel. It sounds like these people were playing the game and lost. Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:00:24 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2008/01/01/the-fleecing-of-the-avatars/#IDComment112087516 http://wu.granneman.com/2004/06/28/pursuing-the-libidos-dark-side/#IDComment112085188 I don’t get the logistics of virtual rape and I don’t want to. I wonder how actual rape victims feel about this. Creating a world where you may get raped and then saying that you shouldn’t play if you can’t handle that fact seems insensitive and ridiculous. I may get raped in the real world but I don’t accept that as an inescapable possibility of living my life. Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:41:56 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2004/06/28/pursuing-the-libidos-dark-side/#IDComment112085188 http://wu.granneman.com/2002/04/12/when-games-stop-being-fun/#IDComment111912227 I’ve experienced increased symptoms of depression when I play hours of video games at a time (Damn, you LEGOs STAR WARS!). It can be addictive and isolating, however the social aspect of the MMORPGs probably helps alleviate the loneliness that can result from other games. My only experience with the blending of real life and fantasy was when I was reading the first Harry Potter books. I started when book 4 came out, and I read all of them in a week… I was dreaming Harry Potter, and I caught myself thinking in terms of the fantasy world rather than the real world. I can understand how people get sucked into these addictions and why they don’t want to let go of their virtual realities as that would mean they'd have to face the real world. Thu, 25 Nov 2010 16:24:27 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2002/04/12/when-games-stop-being-fun/#IDComment111912227 http://wu.granneman.com/2003/06/12/voyager-to-a-strange-planet/#IDComment111909512 We like stories like this one because this is exactly what we expect, an uneducated, frustrated “genius” who can only relate to others in the virtual world. This is an extreme example. I'm sure there are several casual, and even hardcore players who have real, fulfilling lives and play for entertainment. I personally prefer to play in this world, but on rainy, cold days like this one I get the appeal. Thu, 25 Nov 2010 16:02:48 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2003/06/12/voyager-to-a-strange-planet/#IDComment111909512 http://wu.granneman.com/2003/06/12/voyager-to-a-strange-planet/#IDComment111908241 Not compared to $750 for a virtual tower! Thu, 25 Nov 2010 15:53:51 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2003/06/12/voyager-to-a-strange-planet/#IDComment111908241 http://wu.granneman.com/2006/10/04/south-park-make-love-not-warcraft/#IDComment111904591 I just watched South Park as a class assignment. BEST. CLASS. EVER. That being said, I think I'd rather play Hello Kitty's Island Adventure than WoW. :) Thu, 25 Nov 2010 15:27:19 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2006/10/04/south-park-make-love-not-warcraft/#IDComment111904591 http://wu.granneman.com/2007/07/06/unpacking-the-zeitgeist/#IDComment111900834 I personally can't tell what the splattered gnome guts spell, can you? I'm not sure this article would actually help someone from 1977 understand MMORPGs, but it did make me chuckle. Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:56:27 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2007/07/06/unpacking-the-zeitgeist/#IDComment111900834 http://wu.granneman.com/2005/07/05/wage-slaves/#IDComment111899640 To fund these sweat shops, people must be spending a whole lot of real money on virtual gold. In a way, gaming and gambling overplap. Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:46:37 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2005/07/05/wage-slaves/#IDComment111899640 http://wu.granneman.com/2003/01/01/the-unreal-estate-boom/#IDComment111898339 This article made me sad; real life relationships have suffered and even ended, replaced with deeds and armor. The gaming companies move to sell the items directly is inevitable, and like many collector’s items, the value of these virtual items is very unstable. Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:36:09 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2003/01/01/the-unreal-estate-boom/#IDComment111898339 http://wu.granneman.com/2005/01/01/a-world-of-warcraft-world-10-ways-mmorpgs-will-change-the-future/#IDComment111894141 As for number 4, playing for a living – sure, some people are able to do this, as long as players have the entertainment budget to buy gold and weapons in the virtual world. However, these items aren’t essential, like the mortgage payment and food, so I’m guessing this profession suffered with the down turn in the economy. Let’s not forget, not too long ago people traded beanie babies for a living as well. Side note: the author seems a bit obsessed with virtual sex, perhaps he is the three eyebrowed man living in the trailer with his 14 cats? Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:00:10 +0000 http://wu.granneman.com/2005/01/01/a-world-of-warcraft-world-10-ways-mmorpgs-will-change-the-future/#IDComment111894141