Interview with B. C. on Jun, 16th

The interview was hold on June, 16, 2009, morning. At B. C.’s home.
Interviewer was Brooke Yven.

[17:45] B. C. is Online
[17:45] Connecting to in-world Voice Chat...
[17:45] Connected
[18:05] Teleport completed from http://slurl.com/secondlife/CNN%20iReport%20Island/98/96/24
[18:05] Connecting to in-world Voice Chat...
[18:05] Connected
[18:05] B. C.: hi sorry it took me so long
[18:06] Brooke Yven: Hello.:D
[18:06] Brooke Yven: Nice to meet you.
[18:06] B. C.: yes same here
[18:06] B. C.: this is my SL home
[18:06] Brooke Yven: It's okay. I am the one bothering you.
[18:06] B. C.: I just opened up a gallery
[18:06] Brooke Yven: Thank your for your time.
[18:06] Brooke Yven: Ok. I see.
[18:06] Brooke Yven: Let's get it start?
[18:06] B. C.: sure
[18:07] Brooke Yven: First with 7 background information questions
[18:07] Brooke Yven: 1. Age?
[18:07] B. C.: 48
[18:07] Brooke Yven: 2. Gender?
[18:07] B. C.: Female
[18:07] Brooke Yven: 3. Where do you live in RL?
[18:07] B. C.: New Jersey USA
[18:08] Brooke Yven: 4. and your RL occupation?
[18:08] B. C.: medical librarian
[18:08] Brooke Yven: 5. How long have you been a CNN iReporter?
[18:08] B. C.: for about 2 years off and on
[18:08] Brooke Yven: 6. How often do you submit SL stories to CNN iReport?
[18:09] B. C.: not that often this year, I used to submit more last year when Healthinfo Island was more active
[18:09] Brooke Yven: Okay.
[18:09] Brooke Yven: Btw, is there any relation between your career and your purpose to report news on CNN?
[18:10] B. C.: not directly but I do alot of work in SL with health care related exhibits so I like to promote our work in here
[18:10] Brooke Yven: Ok.
[18:11] B. C.: I recently began to do RL work in SL under my RL library's name
[18:11] Brooke Yven: How do you perform this?
[18:12] B. C.: through special activities, such as giving a presentation on Info Island for library students or working on a special consumer health exhibit
[18:13] B. C.: i do that on work time
[18:13] Brooke Yven: Oh, so these are not related to news reporting.
[18:13] B. C.: yes and no....after the event or exhibit I then would create a report about it
[18:14] B. C.: and now my RL library has a blog so I now will link to the ireport
[18:14] Brooke Yven: Okay. I see.
[18:14] Brooke Yven: Let's move on to the next.
[18:14] B. C.: kind of a big loop
[18:14] Brooke Yven: 7. Why do you submit SL stories to CNN?
[18:14] Luv Bunny (White) by Aeryglow Wildlife v0.38 adores you.
[18:14] B. C.: to raise awareness about certain health care related activities in SL
[18:15] B. C.: *activities
[18:15] Brooke Yven: Ok.
[18:15] Brooke Yven: Then it's time for the second part: CNN ireporter experiences.
[18:15] B. C.: ok
[18:15] Brooke Yven: Q1. What reasons make you become a CNN iReporter in SL?
[18:16] Brooke Yven: Did you begin this because of your career?
[18:17] B. C.: yes and no lol...i've been working in SL for nearly 3 years now and it was on my own time. But I felt that eventually my RL job would catch up to emergent technology and it has
[18:17] B. C.: so now I am teaching workshops at my RL job about SL and can then report on it
[18:17] B. C.: so reporting has helped develop my career indirectly
[18:17] Brooke Yven: Ok. I understand.
[18:18] Brooke Yven: Q2. What places or what groups of people in SL do you find the most interesting?
[18:18] B. C.: I enjoy the librarians and educators in SL..they are an active, creative group
[18:18] B. C.: I also am active with the church movement in SL
[18:19] Brooke Yven: Then, do you usually report these group or people that you meet in SL?
[18:19] B. C.: I have in the past....but now mostly on my blog
[18:20] Brooke Yven: Then, is there focus group of your reporting? Like your librial activities and groups?
[18:21] B. C.: I usually will report on something specific...such as I led a tour group in SL for first time educators and took them around health sims. I wrote about that
[18:21] Brooke Yven: Ok.
[18:21] Brooke Yven: Q3. How do you find SL stories to report?
[18:21] Luv Bunny (Black) by Second Wildlife v0.20 adores you.
[18:22] B. C.: I'm guilty of self-promotion lol...i report mostly on my own activities I'm involved in or create
[18:22] Brooke Yven: It looks like you report things relates to you.
[18:22] B. C.: yes lol
[18:22] Brooke Yven: Yes, I can tell.
[18:22] Brooke Yven: ok, next one.
[18:22] Brooke Yven: Q4. What kinds of news have better chances to be “on CNN”?
[18:23] B. C.: oh i think that unfortunately its the sex stuff that makes the cut...and not education or health care issues in SL
[18:23] Brooke Yven: Woo, ok.
[18:23] Brooke Yven: I wondered this would happen in SL only...
[18:24] Brooke Yven: You're the first one who gives a certain answer to this question.
[18:24] B. C.: its titillating and people are fascinated about sex in virtual reality so I can understand but SL is so much ore
[18:24] B. C.: more
[18:24] Brooke Yven: Yes.
[18:24] Brooke Yven: Q5. What is your target audience? How do you know?
[18:24] B. C.: good question ...I assume that if i write about health care education and training a certain audience will automatically be interested in it
[18:25] B. C.: not sure if thats right nor wrong
[18:25] Brooke Yven: Yes, so you have a certain target readers.
[18:25] B. C.: i hope with tag words that people looking for this material will pull it up
[18:26] Brooke Yven: I see.
[18:26] B. C.: as a librarian I think of key terms :)
[18:26] Brooke Yven: That's what I thought. :)
[18:26] Brooke Yven: I love libraries, too.
[18:26] B. C.: did you know there are over 1500 librarians working in SL?
[18:27] Brooke Yven: Not at all.
[18:27] Brooke Yven: I've only reached SL since this semester.
[18:27] Brooke Yven: SL isn't so popular among Taiwan.
[18:27] B. C.: its very popular in europe
[18:27] B. C.: USA is behind them
[18:28] Brooke Yven: I can tell. according to people I met here.
[18:28] B. C.: I try to promote SL as an educational platform as much as I can
[18:28] Brooke Yven: Our school is the second school having SL as teaching material in Taiwan.
[18:29] B. C.: you are very lucky to be exposed to this technology :)
[18:29] B. C.: I hope you take the time to enjoy it beyond working
[18:29] Brooke Yven: yes, I think so . But there is a problem that I get dizzy in 3D environment easily...
[18:29] Brooke Yven: lol
[18:29] B. C.: oh interesting ....
[18:30] B. C.: maybe you need to find camera control
[18:30] Brooke Yven: I enjoy this place but feel uncomfortable of this.
[18:30] Brooke Yven: camera control?
[18:30] B. C.: the more you are here the more immersive you will feel
[18:30] B. C.: yes some people zoom in too much
[18:30] Luv Bunny (Black) by Second Wildlife v0.20 adores you.
[18:30] Luv Bunny (Black) by Second Wildlife v0.20 adores you.
[18:31] Luv Bunny (Black) by Second Wildlife v0.20 adores you.
[18:31] Brooke Yven: So there is anything I can do to ease my problem?
[18:32] B. C.: well do you see over your head or do you see your face?
[18:32] Brooke Yven: I see behind my head.
[18:32] B. C.: maybe it would be helpful to turn your camera around....
[18:32] B. C.: you do that with alt and arrow keys
[18:33] B. C.: you will spin the camera around and see yourself
[18:33] B. C.: then scroll out to see long range
[18:33] Brooke Yven: Oh, Isee.
[18:33] B. C.: might help
[18:33] Brooke Yven: I'll try it later, thank you. But let't get it back to the questions. lol
[18:33] B. C.: yes
[18:34] Brooke Yven: Q6. What topics are popular to audiences of CNN iReport?
[18:34] B. C.: I think its topics of sex, psychology of people behind the avatars and fashion
[18:35] Brooke Yven: Okay.
[18:35] B. C.: oh music too and how people make money in SL
[18:35] Brooke Yven: Something like the former interviewee said, "human interest".
[18:35] B. C.: yes i was an english major so i'm more wordy LOL
[18:36] Brooke Yven: hahaha
[18:36] Brooke Yven: okay, the last one.
[18:36] Brooke Yven: It's really fast I think...
[18:36] Brooke Yven: Q7. What are the restrictions that limit your freedom to post news and pictures on CNN iReport?
[18:36] B. C.: oh! glad you asked that!
[18:36] Brooke Yven: Is it?
[18:36] B. C.: its the software!
[18:36] B. C.: I found the site really cumbersome
[18:37] B. C.: that wasmy only obstacle, not writing the article
[18:37] Brooke Yven: Ok.
[18:37] Brooke Yven: The first interviewee said that, too.
[18:37] B. C.: i'd post more in fact if it were easier
[18:37] Luv Bunny (White) by Aeryglow Wildlife v0.38 watches Brooke Yven adoringly.
[18:38] Brooke Yven: Excuse me, so the software you meant was?
[18:38] B. C.: I guess the cnn ireport site
[18:38] B. C.: where i'd post the article
[18:38] Brooke Yven: Ok.
[18:39] B. C.: maybe software is wrong word
[18:39] Luv Bunny (Black) by Second Wildlife v0.20 loves B. C.!
[18:39] Brooke Yven: Well, it is included.
[18:39] Brooke Yven: Great, we've done!
[18:40] Brooke Yven: Thank you for your sources!
[18:40] B. C.: hope i was helpful
[18:40] Brooke Yven: Indeed. :D
[18:40] Brooke Yven: And Let me take a pic with you...
[18:40] Brooke Yven: Ok, thank you.
[18:41] B. C.: am i close enough?
[18:41] Brooke Yven: Yes.
[18:41] Brooke Yven: It's a very nice home. :D
[18:41] Brooke Yven: So beautiful.
[18:41] B. C.: yes i love it here
[18:41] B. C.: its very peacful
[18:41] Brooke Yven: Okay. Thank you.
[18:41] B. C.: take care and ty for your patience
[18:41] Brooke Yven: You, too.
[18:42] Brooke Yven: See you.
[18:42] B. C.: bye bye ;)
[18:42] Teleport completed from http://slurl.com/secondlife/Woodsong/236/196/25
[18:42] Connecting to in-world Voice Chat...
[18:42] Connected

Questions for CNN iReporters

Purpose: To find out the essence and conditions of news reporting in CNN iReport, especially focus on Second Life (SL) stories reporting. The information you provide will all be anonymous and used for research.

Part A: Background Information
1. Age:
2. Gender:
3. Real Life (RL) Location:
4. RL occupation:
5. How long have you been a CNN iReporter?
6. How often do you submit SL stories to CNN iReport?
7. Why do you submit SL stories to CNN?

Part B: iReport Experiences
Q1. What reasons make you become a CNN iReporter in SL?

Q2. What places or what groups of people in SL do you find the most interesting?

Q3. How do you find SL stories to report?

Q4. What kinds of news have better chances to be “on CNN”?

Q5. What is your target audience? How do you know?

Q6. What topics are popular to audiences of CNN iReport?

Q7. What are the restrictions that limit your freedom to post news and pictures on CNN iReport?


Thank you for your sources.

Group Project report on 06/15

We were totally frustrated last week. It seemed whatever topic we chose, it would be ended up in vain at the last step. None of the interviewees replied our questionnaire by Wednesday last week. It was the second time we met this situation. We found no people to receive our interview. We had thought the situation would become better since the places we visited this time were famous and the members there were insured by teacher that they were kind people. However, they ended up helping us at the last moment. They suddenly disappeared after receiving our questionnaire. This result was according to the connecter of our group, Alina. Speak frankly, after encountering these failures, I really wanted to quit doing this project for I had not been so interested in it at the beginning. And staying on Second Life (SL) really made me sick. I got dizzy within 30 minutes whenever I got on-line recently.

Well, but we still worked hard on it in order to fulfill the final project. Although I invested no dream in it, being a student, it is my duty to complete every project and assignment I am responsible for. Maybe god has witnessed our hard-working, thing has become better after we changed our project topic. We decided to survey the CNN iReporters on SL. There were plenty of interviewees for us to ask for an interview so we were more confident this time to find our interviewees. We sent invitations to at least 10 CNN iReporters each one and waited for their responds. So far we have received 5 replies by June 14. During these interviews, I found some of the iReporters have their purpose in reporting their news on CNN iReport. And I have the same emotion with them. Finding people who have the same dream as me makes me feel better when doing this project. The following are the pictures I took with my interviewees.

Group Project report on 06/03

2009.06.03
Our homework was to formulate our questionnaire and we have successfully done this by today. We have decided to divide into two groups, owners and students, to make the interview from two different aspects to observe the English teaching in Second Life (SL).

However, the process of searching for the other place to make our interview was not so smoothly as making these questionnaires. I had tried to find four possible places on Internet and search them in SL but in vain. Two of them were not built in SL; one were none members for me to make an interview to, there the avatars were like Non-Player-Computers (NPCs), whatever I asked them would receive no reply; the other one is the same one I found last time, where it was not able to teleport to. What was even worse, Lin replied me that she was going to give up interviewing “ESL”! She told me she had received rude treatments from the owner of “ESL” and decided to quit it for him having no willing to receive our interview. Well, it seemed our research had come to a dead end. There was no answer from “English Town”, either. I began thinking about changing the topic from “English teaching” into “how English teaching is known by everyone in Second Life” because the English teaching centers were empty or hard to find. I remembered there was only one interviewee knowing SL be a teaching material during my last interview.Luckily, after meeting with teacher today, we have got great support. Teacher listened to our dilemma and gives us some new places, “EduNation” and “Secondlife English”, to pay a visit to. These are places where foreign professors getting together and exchange their teaching experiences in SL. We believe this time the chances would be bigger to find new interviewees for us. If we can find a professor, he/she would probably give us a chance to visit his/her class.

Group Project Discusion on 05/27

2009.05.27
Having no patience in children, I had considered myself not suitable for being a teacher. So I was not so interested in making a research of English teaching at first.
But it was better doing something than idle. Therefore, when Lin suggested adopt this topic, I made no objection.

Had learned from teacher and former interviewers, I knew there were people using Second Life (SL) as teaching material indeed and I wondered there must be many chances to meet. However, there were only a few places found according to key words like “English”, “English teaching”, “ESL” and “second language” and some of them were even not able to be teleported to. It was out of my surprise that we came to our first difficulty so quick. Until meeting with teacher in SL today, we had found only 2 places, “English Town” and “ESL”. I mentioned the former and Lin gave the latter.

“English Town” is actually a solid company, which is named “EF”, in real world (RL). It is responsible for most abroad studies in England. In my opinion, to find it is really lucky because it is a big and famous company and the equipment and environment it provides in SL are really nice. But the fact knocks me down again because I cannot find anyone there to make an interview to. The last way I have is to send an instant message (IM) to the owner to ask and wait for a chance to interview him/her.

“ESL” was found by Lin due to her friend, who had once taught in “ESL”. And we are lucky enough to have her willing to give us a class if we need. But after we visited “ESL”, there is the same problem with “English Town”. We can find no one there, either. Guessing we came at the wrong time, so we also send an IM to the owner by everyone to ask for an interview chance.During the time to wait for their responses, we are going to find the other place to visit and to make our interview. Because I have to stay home, where the computer isn’t good enough to get on SL, during the following weekend, I will search for possibilities on Internet.

Interview questions for English town

Purpose: How do they teach English in SL and what is the result?

1. Since you have a solid company in real life (RL) already, what is your purpose to establish a teaching site here in SL? (skip this question if you don’t have a solid company in RL)
2. Do you think teaching English in SL is more or less effective than that in RL? Why?
3. What are the opportunities of willing to learn English in SL for you to discover?
4. What kinds of service/skills/tools of teaching English do you provide here in SL?
5. How do you arrange the class schedule in your company? Why?
6. In what ways of having English classes do you use in SL? (For example, classes in text, voice, etc.) Which one is the most effective and the second most effective, etc.? How is each one effective in its way?
7. What are the difficulties, which seldom appear in RL, in teaching English in SL? Do you have to change the teaching methods in SL from RL?
8. What are the advantages, which seldom appear in RL, of teaching English in SL?
9. How do you know what the students in your company learn from the classes? (For example, do u have tests?)
10. What are the biggest difficulties and the advantages of students’ learning English in SL?
11. Are the purposes, willing or other learning situations of English learners in SL the same as that in RL?Are there any specialties of your company’s way of teaching English compared with other English-teaching companies in SL?

Script, Magic in Second Life (Final revised)

　　　It is said in the last news which introduced this foreign On-Line Game (OLG), Second Life (SL), to Taiwanese OLG players that SL would become more and more popular and well-known among the world in the future because people can get chances to learn foreign languages. According to the interviewees’ opinions, there is another reason why SL attracts its users. Besides the convenience, it provides people from all over the world with communicative opportunities and visual sex at will. This makes SL much more different from other OLG. To figure out how users in SL perform this action, it is necessary to understand “Scripts” in SL first.


　　Basically, all the actions of avatars are designed through “Scripts” and these scripts can be attached to some objects. That means, avatars can do some particular actions by touching certain things in SL. Take dance for example. Avatars are not equipped with the ability to dance; however, if an avatar touches a dance pole, he/she would be able to do strip dance immediately. Unlike other OLGs, SL not only provides well-done objects to users, but also allows users to have more liberties in interacting with it, including creating things in SL. Another example is the performance of sex. Users are free to create whatever they want to make so objects attached with sex actions are made and the performance of sex becomes possible. Nowadays, players can find these special objects in “Mature” areas, in which adult behaviors are allowed and these actions are performed by their avatars. As a result, SL nowadays draws more users to seek for visual sex instead of other purposes. This may attract Taiwanese OLG players to visit SL, too. If so, they will need to take a job first because those special objects are provided at high prices.