Sweden opens up embassy in Second Life
January 30, 2007 10:14 AM Subscribe
Sweden sends ambassadors to Second Life, becoming "the first country to establish diplomatic representation in the virtual reality world..."
Are Swedes "furries" or "scalies"?
posted by Megafly at 10:27 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by Megafly at 10:27 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
When will Sweden start providing welfare in Second Life?
posted by Captaintripps at 10:30 AM on January 30, 2007
posted by Captaintripps at 10:30 AM on January 30, 2007
I'm more interested to see the first country that decides to force a regime change through military force in Second Life, and how much that costs in money and lives.
posted by yeloson at 10:31 AM on January 30, 2007
posted by yeloson at 10:31 AM on January 30, 2007
Second Life Ikea opens next week.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 10:32 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by kuujjuarapik at 10:32 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
Are Swedes "furries" or "scalies"?
"Trannies". Duh.
posted by loquacious at 10:32 AM on January 30, 2007
"Trannies". Duh.
posted by loquacious at 10:32 AM on January 30, 2007
Serious question - can you kill people in Second Life? If there are no in-game witnesses, are there any consequences?
posted by Pastabagel at 10:35 AM on January 30, 2007
posted by Pastabagel at 10:35 AM on January 30, 2007
Is it just a mac client thing or Second Life sucks balls at graphics and smoothness? Almost unplayable - if play is the right word.
posted by Baldons at 10:36 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by Baldons at 10:36 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
my guess is that the first Second Life hostage crisis will involve a demand for free pensises.
posted by pruner at 10:37 AM on January 30, 2007
posted by pruner at 10:37 AM on January 30, 2007
Can I be the first to say I've totally lost interest in people who lose interest in anything that happens in Second Life?
posted by mouthnoize at 10:39 AM on January 30, 2007
posted by mouthnoize at 10:39 AM on January 30, 2007
Avatars don't die in Second Life, but when their health reaches 0 they are teleported home.
posted by mouthnoize at 10:40 AM on January 30, 2007
posted by mouthnoize at 10:40 AM on January 30, 2007
How's the coke over there?
posted by The Straightener at 10:40 AM on January 30, 2007
posted by The Straightener at 10:40 AM on January 30, 2007
Sounds like a third-rate Bob Newhart sketch. "Sven, now calm down. You say you lost your passport... and your Linden dollars... while you were flying over the grid. Uh huh..."
posted by hal9k at 10:43 AM on January 30, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by hal9k at 10:43 AM on January 30, 2007 [2 favorites]
I've had the same impression, Baldons. I'm on Mac, too.
posted by brundlefly at 10:46 AM on January 30, 2007
posted by brundlefly at 10:46 AM on January 30, 2007
Those SL fellas have some unfathomable PR going on, these kinda stories are popping up weekly. I can't work out if its a bona fide phenomenon in the making or just another hideously overhyped VR gag.
posted by MetaMonkey at 10:48 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by MetaMonkey at 10:48 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
I just lost a little bit of respect for Sweden.
posted by MegoSteve at 10:48 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by MegoSteve at 10:48 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
Hot off the wires:
The Iranians have just become the first to storm and occupy an embassy in Second Life.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:54 AM on January 30, 2007
The Iranians have just become the first to storm and occupy an embassy in Second Life.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:54 AM on January 30, 2007
This totally justifies all the jokes my Norwegian relatives ever made about the Svedes ("nuttin but Norvegans vit dere brains knocked out!").
posted by languagehat at 10:54 AM on January 30, 2007
posted by languagehat at 10:54 AM on January 30, 2007
Have Mormons sent missionaries there yet?
posted by QuietDesperation at 10:55 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by QuietDesperation at 10:55 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
This is a well-meaning gesture, but they're missing the fact that Second Life is "a" virtual reality world, not "the" virtual reality world. And in any case, the "virtual reality world" is just a collection of information that reflects the "real reality world" -- so they may as well try to send ambassadors into the TV.
posted by Drexen at 10:57 AM on January 30, 2007
posted by Drexen at 10:57 AM on January 30, 2007
mr_crash_davis
are they demanding free penises, as I predicted?
posted by pruner at 11:00 AM on January 30, 2007
are they demanding free penises, as I predicted?
posted by pruner at 11:00 AM on January 30, 2007
The idea of passing out tourist-citizen information to a market segment that would rather embody a virtual self sitting in a chair than travel in this reality... seems like not a lot of ROI there. Financial, intellectual, or otherwise.
posted by YoBananaBoy at 11:06 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by YoBananaBoy at 11:06 AM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
The Scandanavian nations have gotten a lot of milage out of unbridled goofyness. Why stop now?
I wonder how much it costs to be a citizen of virtual Sweden and what the benifits package looks like. Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong is starting to seem overpriced to me.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 11:09 AM on January 30, 2007
I wonder how much it costs to be a citizen of virtual Sweden and what the benifits package looks like. Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong is starting to seem overpriced to me.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 11:09 AM on January 30, 2007
The Scandanavian nations have gotten a lot of milage out of unbridled goofyness. Why stop now?
good point. maybe their avatar will be the chef from the muppets.
posted by YoBananaBoy at 11:12 AM on January 30, 2007
good point. maybe their avatar will be the chef from the muppets.
posted by YoBananaBoy at 11:12 AM on January 30, 2007
To the people complaining about low frame rate in SL/Mac:
It's no better in Windows. Has it ever broken 30 FPS on any machine, ever, in history?
posted by secret about box at 11:40 AM on January 30, 2007
It's no better in Windows. Has it ever broken 30 FPS on any machine, ever, in history?
posted by secret about box at 11:40 AM on January 30, 2007
Here's a question:
Assume that SL will become highly popular and widely used in the future. Is this the first step on a slippery slope?
SL (and virtual spaces in general) are mostly anarchic by nature at the moment. This could be a watershed moment -- seen from the future it could be the moment that the real world power structures inserted themselves into the virtual, bringing the laws and precedents and bureaucracy it implies.
Of course, it could just mean nothing.
posted by o2b at 11:50 AM on January 30, 2007
Assume that SL will become highly popular and widely used in the future. Is this the first step on a slippery slope?
SL (and virtual spaces in general) are mostly anarchic by nature at the moment. This could be a watershed moment -- seen from the future it could be the moment that the real world power structures inserted themselves into the virtual, bringing the laws and precedents and bureaucracy it implies.
Of course, it could just mean nothing.
posted by o2b at 11:50 AM on January 30, 2007
"are they demanding free penises, as I predicted?"
No, you predicted "pensises".
Close.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:58 AM on January 30, 2007
No, you predicted "pensises".
Close.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 11:58 AM on January 30, 2007
To the people complaining about low frame rate in SL/Mac:
It's no better in Windows. Has it ever broken 30 FPS on any machine, ever, in history?
What the hell is the matter with you? Mac user's just admitted there was a little break in the perpetual sunshine produced by the better engineered and deliberately secure jobsian field and you go and tell them it is raining everywhere.
posted by srboisvert at 12:10 PM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
It's no better in Windows. Has it ever broken 30 FPS on any machine, ever, in history?
What the hell is the matter with you? Mac user's just admitted there was a little break in the perpetual sunshine produced by the better engineered and deliberately secure jobsian field and you go and tell them it is raining everywhere.
posted by srboisvert at 12:10 PM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
Assume that SL will become highly popular and widely used in the future. Is this the first step on a slippery slope?
Since Linden Labs can delete your account and property at any time, no.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:22 PM on January 30, 2007
Since Linden Labs can delete your account and property at any time, no.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 12:22 PM on January 30, 2007
Um, what's Second Life?
just kidding, but really, I'd rather enjoy my first life, and am a little freaked out by the pay-for-penis scheme they have going on, anyway.
posted by echo0720 at 12:30 PM on January 30, 2007
just kidding, but really, I'd rather enjoy my first life, and am a little freaked out by the pay-for-penis scheme they have going on, anyway.
posted by echo0720 at 12:30 PM on January 30, 2007
Great, just what Sweden needs; an influx of basement dwelling nerds incapable of making it in the real world. Attention Second Life gamers: We don't want you here, living off our parents and being shy in front of the girls we're unable to talk to! Go back to the pixels from whence you came!
posted by soundofsuburbia at 12:39 PM on January 30, 2007
posted by soundofsuburbia at 12:39 PM on January 30, 2007
By the way, here's the official pressrelease.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 12:43 PM on January 30, 2007
posted by soundofsuburbia at 12:43 PM on January 30, 2007
srboisvert: we're talking about lazy, windows-centric, not-yet-enlightened programmers, not about mac flaws. Mac is perfect, it is. IT IS.
posted by Baldons at 12:44 PM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by Baldons at 12:44 PM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
Will someone pleas just buy or destroy Second Life already. I'm so tired of their PR machine. Maybe if I didn't RSS Wired Boing..
posted by cavalier at 12:57 PM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by cavalier at 12:57 PM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
I'll be scared when some SL nation opens up an embassy in...uh...Pragueapest or whatever the capital of Sweden is.
posted by Midnight Creeper at 2:02 PM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by Midnight Creeper at 2:02 PM on January 30, 2007 [1 favorite]
The Iranians have just become the first to storm and occupy an embassy in Second Life.
Next week, al Qaeda will be the first to simultaneously bomb embassies in Second Life andOlso Helsinki Stockholm.
posted by Joe Invisible at 2:07 PM on January 30, 2007
Next week, al Qaeda will be the first to simultaneously bomb embassies in Second Life and
posted by Joe Invisible at 2:07 PM on January 30, 2007
Iranians have just become the first to storm and occupy an embassy in Second Life
are they demanding free penises, as I predicted?
No, 5mpx Nokia camera phones!
with 3000 transferable monthly minutes
and unlimited data
posted by CynicalKnight at 2:42 PM on January 30, 2007
Kid Charlemagne : Mr. Lee's Greater Hong Kong is starting to seem overpriced to me.
Sure, it's expensive. But they let you keep your swords, and your burbclave is protected by a Ng Securities semi-autonomous guard unit. Well worth the price if you ask me.
posted by quin at 3:41 PM on January 30, 2007
Sure, it's expensive. But they let you keep your swords, and your burbclave is protected by a Ng Securities semi-autonomous guard unit. Well worth the price if you ask me.
posted by quin at 3:41 PM on January 30, 2007
I've been an online game enthusiast for about 10 years now, and bordered on an addict for some of those. I'm a strong proponent of most computer users finding an online community they enjoy and becoming a part of it. I've played approximately 20 online games, and hope to play at least 50 more.
In other words, online games are one of my main interests.
And this is *STILL* the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard.
posted by Ynoxas at 8:04 PM on January 30, 2007 [2 favorites]
In other words, online games are one of my main interests.
And this is *STILL* the stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard.
posted by Ynoxas at 8:04 PM on January 30, 2007 [2 favorites]
The embassy would not provide passports or visas but would instruct visitors how to obtain such documents in the real world and act as a link to web-based information about the Scandinavian country.
(...)
Wästberg hoped the embassy would open soon. In the longer term the Swedish Institute envisaged buying an island in the virtual world to create a home for Swedish companies.
So this isn't so much an embassy as it is a tourism/commerce marketing campaign. Nothing to see here, people, move along.
posted by chrominance at 9:00 PM on January 30, 2007
(...)
Wästberg hoped the embassy would open soon. In the longer term the Swedish Institute envisaged buying an island in the virtual world to create a home for Swedish companies.
So this isn't so much an embassy as it is a tourism/commerce marketing campaign. Nothing to see here, people, move along.
posted by chrominance at 9:00 PM on January 30, 2007
Is there a point to all of this hubbub about Second Life? Or, is there a point to Second Life?
What I want is a site that puts a person's avatar next to a photo of them at their computer. Heck, I'd like that for any online community with goofy avatars.
I'm gonna go sit with the Haters. They have good hooch and know all the best dirty jokes.
posted by fenriq at 10:33 PM on January 30, 2007
What I want is a site that puts a person's avatar next to a photo of them at their computer. Heck, I'd like that for any online community with goofy avatars.
I'm gonna go sit with the Haters. They have good hooch and know all the best dirty jokes.
posted by fenriq at 10:33 PM on January 30, 2007
RE: Second Life PR Madness
A marketing person at my company here in Japan asked me if we should set up shop in SL because she had recently attended a seminar by a company selling their Second Life "construction" services in ADVANCE of the Japanese SL client release. Yeesh.
posted by ejoey at 11:39 PM on January 30, 2007
A marketing person at my company here in Japan asked me if we should set up shop in SL because she had recently attended a seminar by a company selling their Second Life "construction" services in ADVANCE of the Japanese SL client release. Yeesh.
posted by ejoey at 11:39 PM on January 30, 2007
I played second life. Once. As soon as I logged on, someone handed me a penis. I haven't been back.
posted by chairface at 12:51 PM on January 31, 2007
posted by chairface at 12:51 PM on January 31, 2007
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