-
Website
http://www.metaversejournal.com/ -
Original page
http://www.metaversejournal.com/2008/05/07/the-abc-in-second-life-are-the-monkeys-running-the-zoo/ -
Subscribe
All Comments -
Community
-
-
Top Commenters
-
Popular Threads
Wolfie!
When I was Admin, I heard comments from a lot of people who loved the idea of ABC in Secondlife, as I do... but felt that it lacked any real ABC Flavour.
The banners with the logo weren't even scratching the surface, and many visitors didn't know what the ABC even was, We had a lot of Japanese visitors who thought our ABC was their ABC, which also has a space in Secondlife.
I'm hoping that the Island can recover, I think it can, But it needs to happen with speed and must include as many ABC icons as possible.
Having ABC icons on the island is utterly crucial.
Basically the Island should be saying to the world "Hi there, We're the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and we do this!"
I'd like to see this happen [in a matter of weeks]
1. Close the Island.
2. Return everything so that the Island is totally bare.
3. Choose a new Admin group and have that group rebuild the Island.
4. Re-open.
Get over the streaming thing... there is no legal reason why ABC can't stream it's own content, arguing that listening in on Secondlife is somehow different to listening via Winamp or Media player is stupid, it's like telling people they can listen to content on a Sony radio but not a Panasonic.
It boils down to a misunderstanding of how the software works.
At no point does music "Stream into SL" anymore than there are pink unicorns prancing down the street, Music is *never* fed into the grid, ever.
Music goes directly between provider {ABC has it's own server) and Listener at all times.
Come on Aunty, Put your gloves on, get in the ring and start ripping some bloody arms orf, Those of us who left will return and we'll back you to the hilt as we always did.
Wolfie! [ABC Island Fan]
It just seems that ANY suggestion is met with "ohh no, we can't do / allow that" blah, blah.... legal reasons.
Perhaps we can overcome this by closing the island and just imagining "Our ABC Island".
I am not sure why the place is not full of options for people to try some ABC content streamed onto the island.
Take a risk Auntie, and use all of my 8 cents a day.
I remember when it was possible to get an icy-pole for that much.
Yeah I know, old wolf.
*creaks away holding his back and using his cane... muttering about not being able to chase and eat people like he did in his youth*
Wolfie!
I'd just like to note that my 13c/day adds up to $45 a year. That adds up to about 12,000 Linden tokens - please put my next year's tax contribution towards getting some in-world street cred. I'm sure you could find someone in world who could give you some tips on the nuts and bolts, then all you'll need to decide is what you want to make with those fasteners...
Although I don't mind the current ABC layout *that* much... I think parts of it are pretty cool, I haven't seen what's happened to laneways but from what I last saw it's pretty neat...
I do think that they could put more into it it really seems like interest has died off, what happened to those discussions they had last year, that was pretty interesting...
If they had kept that going, perhaps less frequently and with more advertising, like a general noticenboard at the tp home location with general events happening in SL.
I find the biggest problem for me is not knowing when events are happening. Sure they announce them on the groups, but I'm often not around when these announcements take place, nor are many others.
It would be fantastic if they can get things into gear there, and I'd like to hear from some ABC admin on this topic if somebody can point them to it..
JJJ club not even having permission to play it's own stream ? That is ridiculous. I can't see any legal issue with this, I thought the whole purpose was to reach as many ears as possible with advertising, news, etc. etc. , isn't that where our taxes go??
With some effort and a bit of luck, it could mean that those green dots start filling up the mini-map at ABC, which is what we want.
People love interactivity, whether it's concerts, entertainment, building or something else.
A non-interactive display is ok... and it may bring in the numbers, the island gets visitors but people feel alone and begin to wonder if anyone else shows up.
I'm much more impressed with a group activity which is set for a certain time each week, people will set aside time for these regular events like they do for their favourite TV shows.
But finding hosts is difficult.
I realise a lot of people don't feel cut out for that sort of thing, but it's your knowledge which is valuable here. it's no worse than doing a weekly community radio program, a bit of work but a lot of fun.
One idea I thought about is the idea where people gather around a campfire and tell stories, with or without voice. I've seen a friend host these and they work well. people turn up to tell stories and to just listen (read)... and if it goes haywire, maybe that'll just add to the fun.
Anyway, send thoughts to me in a notecard, let me know if you're interested in hosting a program or have an idea for one.
I also have a forum which you can use for this:
http://posse.bigforumpro.com/index.htm
Go to "the meaty bits" section then to ABC and type away.
BTW: Marsoups, I am in contact with Lise and Abi via e-mail, and they are keen to hold events. Lise has spoken about marketing events, so there will likely be more promotion... but hopefully not to the point that it becomes spam, we're treading that fine line. ;)
I don't mind the layout of the island either, but many have told me that they have problems in the Triple-J area and the Laneways [lagging, freezing or crashing]
probably because their computers aren't exactly state of the art, and this needs to be fixed as we want happy viewers. :)
The islands prim limit is also a concern, it's getting pretty close to full.
ABC *probably* need another Island, but we need to get this one into gear first
Wolfie!
One day when the aussie population in SL is comparable to perhaps a local radio station reach..perhaps its worth marketing to them...right now with only 14,000 aussies many of whom are alts, and not regular users...its not going to work all that well.
I was told by Lise in my interview with her, it was toe in the water, test it out, and yes they wanted to extend their reach internationally, problem is, due to their restrictions and legal boundaries, they can't use any of the things allready set up in SL to bring the population to the island, ie allready established acts ect..or bring their content to the international population through streaming...
I saw the footage of the talks that were held on the island with CSIRO ect..., and the presentation was woeful....for a National Broadcaster to present a show like like that, either use professional presenters who are in SL allready who know how to present in SL, or use your professional ABC presenters to do it, and get them trained up in how to present in SL, don't to it half arsed...it really was very amateur.. I love the ABC, Im an ABC fan but I nearly curled up under my chair watching those presentations, so embarrassing....the guests were fine, but SL residents, at least long term ones, have certain standards they expect from people who put themselves up in the public eye, on SL, they can spot a newbie part time SL avi a mile away, who doesn't know the lingo, doesn't know how SL culture works. It seems to me that ABC arn't really immersing themselves enough, I know they have a great resource in Wolfie and some others that are fully immersed, are they actually listening? Its a waste of our Tax dollars not to do it properly and do your homework. You cannot come into a small town and plonk yourself down put up a shingle and say we are here for you, we don't speak your language and we don't care, now why arn't you flocking to our business we know what you want!
Seems like someone threw some money at the Dept that Lise is running and its all a bit of a lark...ABC do your homework know the Law, and do some training, SL is not RL!
Paisley
www.slcn.tv/tonight-live-paisley-beebe
Early on, most graphics were grey and never rezzed up at all, they've improved that no end, we have windlight... which is still "iffy" on some computers... and voice came along later.
Secondlife will improve.
Perhaps there will come a day soon when an in world program could be watched by many, without the tragic audio dropouts we experienced with the CSIRO Seminars.
I suppose watching a screen is ok for some, but I see these events as live, where people can come and interact. otherwise you may as well just watch telly.
Intimate audiences aren't a bad thing.
It's important to note that ABC didn't create the footage for the CSIRO Seminars,
that was done by an in-world company, who I can't really say a bad word against simply because it's just not that easy to do, secondlife is a clumsy sort of medium, and SLCN did a great job despite Secondlifes problems.
One of the presenters, Dr James Bradfield Moody, is from The New Inventors, so is a professional, but I assume that he felt a bit awkward in-world.
It's a bit hard to take someone, shove them into this environment and get them to do a show... first time is always going to be the worst, if he'd come on and done a few more shows, he would have been fine.
The first Rockit really sucked.
And I had months of in-world experience already.
I would think that most first time shows were probably a bit crappy, but we got over it, and we keep doing it because there are people who despite all Secondlifes glitches, still like what we provide and ask for more.
Don't forget that all media was utterly awful when it first began, we forget that because we live in the digital age where pictures and sounds are perfect [sorta].
Radios needed huge antennas, and used little headphones... only one person at a time could listen to it, while they hunched over this huge ugly thing.
The pictures on early black and white TVs were fuzzy, ghosty and would roll like mad... people would twiddle nobs, play with the rabbit ears antennas and generally swear and curse as they whacked or kicked the box.
My Mother told me stories that TV repair vans were always going up and down the streets, something not seen these days, valves are no longer used.
We'll tell our grandkids about our computers when we're old, as they toy with their fully interactive holographic displays which they can hold in one hand, and they'll think we were mad... but we are the pioneers, all of us, including ABC.
Isn't that something?
Paisley, I've had many people think that I was already employed by Aunty, quite a few were shocked when I said that wasn't so, and it's true, I'm not.
Whether I could do any better than I do now if employed, I'm not sure.
Wolfie!
And yes - there have been forgettable events but also memorable ones, in ABC's in world history. Right now, the people who are learning to deal with this new medium are equipping themselves for the kinds of media that are coming in future. On that basis, the ABC is - albeit slowly and shakily - equipping itself to deal. But they need to take a LOT more of their cues from in-world rather than the rarified (means thin, sparse) intelligentsia of management.
Actually - they would do well to read articles like this one and the comments streams... %)
(just getting my 13c worth in for the day...)
The record industry hasn't coped well with the sudden change in direction, people who formerly bought CDs, suddenly downloading mp3s.
People are downloading movies and TV programs right now.
and perhaps the thing stopping more people doing so comes down to speed limits and costs, particularly in Australia where we are struggling in that department.
It's going to cause a problem for the television industry soon.
People won't wait for their favourite show, they'll download it and watch it when they have time.
Just like people don't care that MP3s don't sound nearly as good as CDs do, they also won't care if the show is in High Definition or not, many will be satisfied to watch the program on a low definition portable device.
TV Networks are going to be quite worried, as expected, so they will try Secondlife and other internet ventures.
A few weeks ago on Media Watch, there was a story about how newspapers are starting to feel the pinch, because younger readers are happier reading their news online rather than buying a newspaper.
And people would rather buy and sell via pages such as e-bay, than get an expensive classified in the papers.
It will be interesting to see how the music, movie and media [Triple M?] industries cope with the new age.
Wolfie!
Paisley
I did offer to Lise that if she was stuck, to give me a call and I'd do my best as long as I had something to help me, a question sheet or a guide of some type... especially if I didn't know the subject very well.
What I'd like to see is ABC with a stable of in-world presenters who know Art, Music, Politics, Sports, Gardening, Wildlife etc.
Perhaps that's an idea, maybe they need to scout for in-world talent, but they would be best to pay these people for their trouble, and Lindens would be acceptable I think.
One program each night would be wonderful, if they could pull that off, and I believe they could, then there'd be a major turnaround for the Island.
Voice is indeed a problem, I'd love to use it with Rockit, but it wouldn't work.
I'm dealing with people who I may not have met before, and so it would be extremely difficult to place a name to a voice and credit the right person with an answer... and I'd lose chat history, which has saved me many times.
I believe I know the presenter you mean.
Eva and I have offered to give new ABC folk a little training and to help them with their looks before they do what they do, but unfortunately not everybody has the time to sit and play, and that is some of the problem.
True, there's a lot of advice out there, but filtering out the "noise" is very difficult, especially when you're still fairly new... ok sure, they've been here a year, but you know how it's been as well as I do.
I think we're all frustrated with the island in some way, but I still have a feeling that things will turn out ok.
One of our frustrations is that although we don't mind being volunteers, and here's me as an ex-volunteer at the moment, there was nobody taking charge as a leader, Sure Abi and Lise were available by e-mail, but we really need someone in-world who we respect and trust, and there's nobody who fits the bill.
Wolfie!
My words, they seem to have been confused with the traditional Australian view of the ABC; the punching bag. According to the representative, what I said looks like I am anti-art and against the ABC. Also, I was told that I am being too serious.
I was also told that ABC is an experimental place. Of course, I find this odd, because I didn't see or experience that kind of atmosphere. The biggest problem facing the ABC Island is apparently, a lack of communication. Additionally, I was told that the art galleries were given permission by said representative, though I can't help but wonder, if the galleries had full clearance on the corporate side, would the issue of closing them down due to copyright have ended up being what killed it?
I think I should most definitely make it clear that I am no against the ABC, I am not for it's permanent closure. I am for putting ego aside. I am for teamwork. And I am for a serious evaluation of the situations.
Sometimes someone has to be serious for others to have fun.
Wolfie!