We discussed the recent data collection for (as planned at the meeting on the 16th of July) our inquiry into the SL ‘learning curve’ and ‘pain-barrier’. The method was user-narrative/letter. It did not go as planned, but it was educational. In the course of this exercise, the question of ‘defining Second Life’ and the methodological/ethical ramifications of such definitions has been raised. DC is writing about this at the moment.

We are continuing to think about conventions/rhetorics of expertise and associated ideas, including issues of communities of practice, power, reputation and hostility. Both DC and MO are interested and continue to discuss questions of hostility but MO relishes the idea of investigating it, whereas DC wants to hide behind the sofa (aside: I play PvP in World of Warcraft, and the squabbles in wow about loot, tanking, healing and twinking, etc, don’t bother me…the ganking does not bother me, but hostility in SL…brrrr) so we might divide the labour on this.

AB has been experimenting with building, and playing music in SL, and he’s also pressing ahead sorting out the logistics of access (firewalls, servers…) for our teaching sessions in Autumn.

We scheduled the next ‘couples’ interview for World of Warcraft.

DC

In the garden