Second Life Mine Simulation Receives an Emmy Nomination 65
An anonymous reader writes "The Virtual Mine, an interactive simulation set in the virtual world of Second Life designed to examine the effects of mountaintop coal mining, has been nominated for an Emmy Award for new approaches to news and documentary programming. From the article: 'The Virtual Mine allows visitors to take a closer look at the challenges of balancing the environment, power demands, and economic interests by inviting them to take part in a story as it unfolds through a series of three games. While it was created with educators and students in mind, the games can be played in groups or by individuals alike.'"
I would have been more impressed... (Score:4, Funny)
Coal Minecraft (Score:1)
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Finally... (Score:3)
...someone did something remotely interesting/useful with Second Life. Congrats to them.
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Actually the correct usage is 'Unleash the flying penii' although some Latin purists would insist it's penes. And before you saying, I know, and I get the joke. I was there when it happened and she deserved it too.
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Everybody claims to have been there and seen it. :-) I was there, but arrived late, during the middle of the penises. I still don't know how the heck it happened, stupid venue owners must have not been careful enough with permissions or group membership. Setting the region/estate no build and no script would have prevented the attack.
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Why does that need SL? (Score:2)
I know IBM got all excited about Second Life for the same reason, but really, what is the benefit of this over, say, Skype?
Granted, I'm happy you've gone with something which is nominally open source, but I use Skype only as an example. Why do you need an entire 3D world to share your 2D slides and chat?
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It... adds a more interesting element to very, very, very dry content...
Maybe the problem is the content? If your presentation is boring, seeing it on a little virtual projection screen in a 3D virtual world which is then projected to my monitor is not going to make it interesting. The only way I can possibly see that being more interesting is if I ignore the presentation to look at peoples' avatars, or walk out of the room and explore, both of which I could do just as easily by opening another tab in the browser.
On the other hand, if your presentation is interesting, I will en
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You can't have pixel sex on Skype. And while 'Why do you need an entire 3D world to share your 2D slides and chat?' is a valid question; ask yourself this. What world are you standing in now? A 3d one. So why would you need to share your slides and chat here? That answer is just as valid there with out getting your genitals felt by a random TSA agent.
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What world are you standing in now? A 3d one. So why would you need to share your slides and chat here?
In other words, why would I use anything other than the Internet?
When I was working, I found that there was a much broader range of interaction, something I doubt SL can match. If we're all in the office, and we have an idea, we can go draw on a whiteboard, use pencil and paper, talk about it, or take a break and play Halo. Or I have a question about the code, I can ask a coworker, peek over their shoulder at what they're doing. Or "hallway usability tests" -- grab someone walking past, say "Hey, does this
slashdotted already? (Score:2)
They should have simulated their server load on Second Life, as well...
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There were four options.
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For some reason I heard that in Patrick Stewart's voice. "There were FOUR options!"
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Form an away team! Number one, you have the bridge.
What About Destroying Townships? (Score:5, Interesting)
You know like send out two different letters to townspeople [post-gazette.com] in order to play them against the local township that's seeking to put regulations on your drilling? Maybe imply that if the people who hold mineral rights don't get a huge chunk of cash from your business they can sue the township board?
Maybe refuse to meet with the township [patch.com] and just turn their own people against each other just so you can drill without local permission?
Because after reading about Mount Pleasant in Pennsylvania, I really have to wonder where someone gets that particular skill to be such a ruthless asshole.
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Because after reading about Mount Pleasant in Pennsylvania, I really have to wonder where someone gets that particular skill to be such a ruthless asshole.
Business school.
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or Law school.
Once Again I've Been Foiled (Score:4, Funny)
I live solely for the moment that something barely intersects with mining on Slashdot. Mining forums? That's for chumps. I spread Rock's word on the very website that is rife with unbelievers.
Either that's the case OR -- and stay with me here -- I heard the very recent This American Life on NPR, got online to read up on it myself and somehow recalled that brief investigation when I read this in the article:
It was created to to educate, explore, and examine our nation’s struggle with mountain top removal coal mines, coal fired power production, and alternative energies ...
And I thought I might relay this very recent dispute to the readers.
That last possibility is just far too absurd though.
I apologize for trying to remind everyone about the present and ongoing human factor in mining -- even non-mountain top destroying mining.
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It is, when someone digs up some pretty specific links within 12 mins of a story being posted. Perhaps you're a much faster and efficient being than most of us.
Good for you.
Three links in 12 minutes? That's not exactly setting a world record....
For all you know this might be a topic of interest so he didn't have to look hard to find them.
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epic. lol. must. stop. laughing. am. choking on. lunch................ .
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I thought I knew sarcasm, I really did, but wow... do you give classes?
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That's not all. People in the valleys that get filled in have to move. People in West Virginia tend not to have a lot of money for relocating. Sometimes they move in with relatives.
The Clean Water Act has some things to say about poisoning the streams at the bottom of the valleys, but it happens anyway.
Legal recourse is theoretically possible, but Massey Coal's CEO spent $3 million on one judicial race.
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That's not all. People in the valleys that get filled in have to move.
Sorry, just got a cross-flash of Arthur Dent laying down in front of a bulldozer coupled with Ford Prefect's rant about British constantly droning on about the obvious...
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virtual mine home including video (Score:5, Informative)
In the video (spoiler alert!), after players accomplish the three stages of the challenge (extracting coal, 'conserving energy' by turning off electric devices in town (including stoplights??), and constructing alternative energy devices, they go to the town square for a celebratory country ho-down. No joke.
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There's one thing Minecraft could really use - country ho-downs.
Take that, Ebert (Score:2)
A video game got nominated for an Emmy. Say it isn't an art form now.
Er, vocode it....
Crap.
Mines? (Score:1)
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Second life? (Score:2)
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Having just hit my 5th year in SL yesterday, what we call a "Rezday" I really ought to respond.
It's not 50+ year old women....it's 25-35 year old women. :-) They're probably the biggest subgroup of users now, and drive the SL economy, and everyone knows it.
The report you saw probably dealt with the amount of time a new user stays after first logging in, the retention rate is low, in part because SL is very complex and there's not really any handholding quest givers like WoW has, so newbies are overwhelmed.
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It might also have something to do with having crap for gfx that would have been subpar even 10 years ago. If they want to be even remotely serious about gaining new audience they should invest in a graphics engine upgrade. I can forgive sloppy graphics if it has great gameplay, and even sloppy gameplay if it has great graphics, but having the worst of both and it will go no where.
New Features (Score:2)
Actually they are about to release 3d model import as a new feature, along with improved lighting and shadows, so yes, they are upgrading the graphics.
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Lighting and shadows are already in the client, have been for a while. Mesh is coming "soon", and you can test it out with a Mesh enabled viewer with the Aditi test grid.
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It might also have something to do with having crap for gfx that would have been subpar even 10 years ago.
That's hyperbole, since one of the biggest selling games of 2001 was Diablo II, #1 was the original version of the Sims, neither of which match SL graphically. When was the last time you used SL anyway? You do know it looks the way it does because EVERYTHING is dynamic and can change at a moments notice, there's no "fixed assets" like in a traditinal game. It isn't like Tribes or something where shotgun wielding Power Armor clad grunt #1 looks exactly like shotgun wielding power armor wearing grunt #221
I can forgive sloppy graphics if it has great gameplay, and even sloppy gameplay if it has great graphics, but having the worst of both and it will go no where.
S
My suggestions for two alternate exhibits (Score:2)
How about "The Incredibly Dangerous Process of Drift-Mining: Strip-Mining's More Eco-Friendly Cousin" and "Daily Life Without The Electricity that Coal Fire Plants Produce"?
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It was just nominated. That doesn't mean it's going to get one.
yeah... that's me... (Score:1)
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