Day: January 29, 2008

Virtual money and virtual worlds

CU Hype has an interesting take on Second Life.

When I compare the state of the art gaming machines (PS3 and Xbox) to SL it doesn’t take much to say which is better. I have never been much of a gamer but recently bought the full meal deal, Sony Bravia LCD and a PlayStation 3. Why? The state of gaming has changed quite a bit since Zork and Wizardry. The graphics are better than the cartoons I used to watch as a kid. And with my beginner skills some of these games are going to last me a lifetime. Most of them have a real-time, Internet connection that brings the game into a non-virtual arena. You are playing with and against real people so it lends some concept of a larger human community. In a smaller way that is what SL brings to the table but in a pixelated setting.

Sony has something similar coming out on PS3 so the battle for virtual worlds is heating up.
There are some serious costs of both time and money for a business to set up shop on SL. It would be tough to get any ROI here. People don’t view money and the financial aspects of their life in virtual terms. In fact there is nothing virtual about a handful of cash.

Maybe in some future formats there may be some greater value in CUs using SL or something similar. Is it too early to tell? or are we seeing a technology, hearing the hype, and thinking it can help us. I don’t know for sure but blogging, twittering, YouTube, and Jott seem to be more than adequate in this First Life.

Odd thoughts

We were successful yesterday in moving our core banking system to Linux, changing our switch provider to Threshold and installing a new Diebold ATM at the branch. Months of planning and some extremely dedicated staff were the major contributors to a long but satisfying day. Everybody wants to take it easy for the next few days just to catch their breath.

I came across these 3 quotations this morning in an email. They ring true.

  • Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether its at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.
    — Earl Nightingale 1921-1989, Author & Speaker
  • Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature nor do the children of man as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
    — Helen Keller 1880-1968, Blind/Deaf Author & Lecturer
  • I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center.
    — Kurt Vonnegut, Author