22
Sun, Dec
3 New Articles
  1. You are here:  
  2. Home
  3. IT Infrastructure
  4. IT Infrastructure - Other
  5. General
  6. Exploring Second Life Presents Tantalizing Opportunities

Exploring Second Life Presents Tantalizing Opportunities

Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

As in real life, you may not find what you seek in this virtual world, but you probably will emerge with a smile and desire to return.

 

The big news this week is that there's hope--hope that I may soon have a social life.

 

You see, I joined Second Life this week. The virtual world is one that I had read about in news magazines but had never considered actually spending any time exploring because, well, it sounded too kinky and weird--avatars forming attractions to each other and then consummating their need for intimacy? Get me out of here!

 

Well, supposedly that sort of thing does happen (though I haven't found it...yet), but a lot of other things are happening in Second Life too; a lot of business-related activity is beginning to develop. IBM is both using Second Life as well as helping to develop part of its infrastructure. It appears to be quite a technical challenge, and for anyone who wants to step through the technical looking glass, you can glean quite a bit of information just from visiting the site and learning what is going on behind the scenes that is creating this platform.

 

The reason I registered was to explore what IBM is calling a three-dimensional Virtual Green Data Center (VGDC). The virtual data center supposedly has been designed to give visitors a chance to learn how to manage and improve their data center energy efficiency--without leaving the office. According to the company, the data center is located on the IBM Virtual Business Center Island in Second Life.

 

Before describing my experience searching for this green data center, let me say that my first exposure to this brave new world began with a slight disappointment. I received a message after registering that said my system "does not meet Second Life's minimum system requirements." I scoffed at this because I had just upgraded my motherboard, processor, memory, etc. not more than a year ago with a snappy Intel dual-core processor and all the usual hardware. Come to find out, in order to move around Second Life with any kind of freedom (and isn't that what it's all about?), you've got to have something more along the lines of a gaming computer with access to a very fast Internet connection. I'm not sure what they mean by "fast" since most "high-speed" connections upload at around 700 kbps and download at around 3,000 kbps, which is what mine does. Regardless, I was moving pretty slowly through Second Life--before my system crashed, that is.

 

I did create an account and an identity, which is free. You give yourself new first and last names in Second Life, so suddenly I became, "MrChris Scribe." The last name was one I picked from a list, but I thought it appropriate to my occupation. My actual first name was already taken, so I just mashed together a common title, and voila.

 

I searched around first for the IBM Virtual Business Center Island and came across an add-on section of Second Life called the Grid, which is where all the business activity seems to be happening. Companies can build showrooms or meeting areas, give presentations, and show products. Needless to say, there is a developing ecosystem of technology developers who are there helping companies build their virtual presence online--and yes, one assumes they are getting paid. Real estate company Coldwell Banker apparently believes this is the new way to show property because it hired one of the development firms to create a virtual world for them online. It makes sense. Why waste valuable time and precious gas driving around looking at homes for sale when you can do it online from the comfort of your home office.

 

When I first entered the site, I did so in the regular area of Second Life, outside the Grid. I'm looking around at this colorful landscape with golf-course-like green terrain and marble-style terrazzos when right in front of me is this shapely babe in a bright purple low-cut blouse and tight pants. My first instinct was to cruise over there and give her a "Hi, I bet that fall from heaven must have hurt!" (which I would have had to type into the Local Chat window). But I couldn't steer my avatar, and MrChris first bumped into a marble column and then tripped over some stairs. Before I could get over to her, the object of interest rose up and flew away. Yes, you can fly in Second Life, and apparently it's no big deal.

 

But I came to my senses and realized I had work to do and thus teleported over to the Grid--a new feature--and did a lookup for IBM. Wow, those folks working on this have been busy. It's like watching the creation of a wasp nest. There's IBM China, IBM Italy, IBM Healthcare Island, several IBM Business Centers--about a dozen separate listings that correspond to plots of land in the Second Life Grid. That's another interesting feature of Second Life; you can buy and sell land. Who knows where it actually is, but it's for sale nevertheless. And you can buy it for, like, $5 a parcel. Even your kids can afford to buy property here. I found myself wanting to upgrade my free membership so I could buy a plot. Who knows why. It's just such a good deal, you have to have it.

 

Well, in all the IBM listings, I could find neither the IBM Virtual Business Center Island nor the Virtual Green Data Center. I'm sure they must be there somewhere because IBM was reported to have demonstrated the green data center at the Virtual Worlds Expo in Los Angeles this month. But I looked and looked, and then my system crashed again. I did, however, make it to the IBM Business Center Events marquee, where I joined the IBM Business Center Group. I know this because I received a message that said, "An object named Group inviter owned by IBM Business Center has given you a note card named 'joining the IBM Business Center Group.'" You can choose whether or not to accept the note card, which of course I did. Upon doing so, I received another message that said, "Congratulations! You've joined (or are about to join) a group of business and technical leaders interested in staying up to date on  virtual worlds and IBM innovation. We hope you enjoy your invitations to special members-only events, reminders of current events, and free stuff!  There's a new freebie each month. Touch the sign opposite this one to receive the new freebie."

 

I tried to get the free t-shirt, but my system crashed again, and I gave up--but not before I made a screen shot of yours truly standing in front of the IBM Business Center sign. (At the time, I noted there were 42,304 people logged onto Second Life--doing who knows what).

 

"Yo, everyone! Having a great time here in Second Life. Wish you were here!"

 

091908ChrisFigure1.jpg

 MrChris stands before the IBM Business Center Events marquee trying to figure out how to get a free T-shirt pictured at right. Residents online at that moment: 42,304.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: