It’s the general election in May here in Blighty, so last night we travelled to the West Oxford Community Centre to listen to Dr Helen Salisbury outline her plans for the big day when it dawns.
Dr Salisbury is an engaging individual with an obvious passion for the National Health Service. She’s standing as a candidate for the National Health Action Party for the Oxford West & Abingdon constituency. She is a doctor of medicine.
This is a marginal seat. Nicola Blackwood won it at the last general election from the Liberal Democrats, in 2010, with a very slender majority indeed. Dr Salisbury believes that all of the three main English parties have an interest in an NHS being “run down” and “sold off”, and she wants an end to privatisation, the price finance initiative (PFI) scheme and TTIP.
Dr Salisbury is far from oblivious to splitting the vote in the marginal – but as an outsider, or rather a voter in this constituency, I can see her taking votes away from the Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party and so helping to put incumbent Nicola Blackwood back in place as the standing MP. You can find the National Health Action Party here. ♠
She has no website: I would have thought with only 3 months to go that was pretty essential. I am afraid I cannot see her doing anything but making a tory win more likely.
Thomas Von Drashek Paper 1 (revised) 10March2015. Second Life: Creation of virtualized second reality.
Linden Laboratory, Creator of: Second Life is Digital game of building and social interaction in new community, online. Internet brings into user’s mind mental images. Creating concerned Citizen of Second life thru virtual experiences described by Tom Boellstorff in terms broken down of digital software games, particularly Second Life and how software affects users’ fascination within Second Life virtual reality, called second reality: SR as series of visual and audio machine events stored in Second Life software game memory, memory of players choices over time of virtual playing within framework of game rules. Some rules set in software, others variable by game or player of game. Terms of Boellstorff help explain: how effect can be reduced to terms of verticalness? High speed interaction is machine key to believability. Is this good experience for all?
Making Second Life on digital screen into mental images of imagined real places, affecting user long term memory in human brains and reactions to second reality thru machine as well as latter responses in reality for user. Explored in films, now actually true effect on viewer/user in digital game Metaphor created first as similar to real life, becomes, to users mind thru visually believable created scenes, actual real human memories and responses. Forming world concepts from digital machine’s interactive game. As rapid as eye can see, principle of cascading frames in film is start, now interactive by computers high speed. Complex human player as participant, own mind evolves. In chapter 4 of Boellstorff provincial mindset of gamer’s person grows, as mask created thru interaction/creation by second believable reality. Teche becomes teacher, thru software programing and memory at Second Life host computers, software developed in unique term: Cyber psychology. Games enforced personality image and words take user to new understanding of social relationship, although imagined. Complexities of interaction, given to take gamer’s to fit into established, yet non real community, contribute seemingly realness while remaining in special 2D space of ongoing success 3D believability in blackness of subconscious. To quote Paladin: Knight without armor in savvy land. Savvy being creation of Linden Lab software in means that interaction takes place and leaves seemingly 3D memory, use of phrases of words, bounds of landscape, claimed large as continents. Similar to waking from dream state.
Swooning of user’s feelings as noob, (Newbie) is enchanted user in early days of Second Life game. Special fondness of, attention to, clear way for rules of Second life to embed in user’s mind with warm attentive feeling. Machine characters teaching of SL (Second Life) courses to newbie, direction of success for players feeling to embrace as accepted being. By machine.. Over time user becomes accepted part of SL community, perhaps: midbie might be term, suggested in Boellstorff, that member whom has become substantial person within areas created in Second Life, virtually created. Player becomes comfortable and feels success is meaningful, as seen and heard as reaction to player by machine characters. Easily done online and with far less time than real life events take, newbie is gaining virtual belief strength every session. Person imagined strength as Citizen in virtual world, created feeling and memory are taken back to RL, (Real Life) and person becomes what Linden Lab hoped to create. Person desirous of becoming second reality good person Citizen. Boellstorff States users’ interaction makes variety of online reality real. Mask maker relatively unknown to player. Poly morphing of human and machine character/landscape. Persona making new mask from ongoing virtual interaction grows spontaneously in real life’s mind of user. More game memories collect and interact second time in real users real past experience memories. Clever isomorphism. Alternative personalities begin to form, not only of user, of software of Second Life characters too begin to sway as user reactions are compared to software library of Second Life writers.
Computer may even become believable persona, with game glove, game joy stick, buttons and microphone user starts speaking/interacting to machine created personas’. Ghosts of people and events explaining term. Conduct of characters morph user. Characters then respond as director gives more reactions to game response itself. Embodiment is Boellstorff term User sees characters and game as self-embodiment, yet Lind Labs created Second Life for more, to entrench to point of additional purchases of features in game. Perhaps creators over expectation, Monopoly like money that analyses’ users person and creates credible data pile for producer might have been possible goal, yet early on in development, cooperation of game events as hazed into local server, limited or not expected vast understanding of publics psychology , not even reliable monies for rewarding user. Scheming world, scheming Second Life. Mentioned by Boellstorff as nicer to buyer of new colored hair, yet wrong color and less nice. Reducing Foolery or needed audience of some, Linden Lab may have tried to exploit too directly upon consumer public, leaving power for some in Second Life. Muddled state of Law and needed users’ mindset, created imaginations of value of expensive corrections. Game writers of Tetris or easier childlike virtual games, just enhance virtual world, less demanding perhaps, overall. Play monies use of value data, probably yes to user. Actual monies, thin. Development effort developer banks value, not users so much, seems result of actual world’s response to virtual world’s complex play. However, Complex development thru virtual world capability is Big Brother concept. 1984 found. Yet learning differ between peoples. Original mindset of disabled person mentioned by Tom Boellstorff, sensitive nature of skin color to some users, areas Boellstorff just mentions in passing to readers. Too hot to handle except handicapped craves variety and experience. Second Life gives handicapped user just that. Average teen might like start in RL community, handicap want what Second Life is, entertainment, imagination. Prims developed to real life test standard by handicapped peoples separated from out world’s curiosity of 3D life is engaged in easier 2D way. Second Life uses 360 degree moveable vision of character, better than wheel chair at some time, time to use simple mouse to see “world” around easily,, chase images, speak to others in virtual world’s space. New self, freed self of iron braces, strange physical helpers, perhaps Second Life characters as handicapped individual would be less popular virtualization game, second reality too gruesome. Game with cataract vision for player’s piece, No, uh, uh. Too much. Second life as well as so many high priced games are just that. Boellstorff terms fit all, yet does public fit just any mold. Understanding of virtual reality creation is defined in present, yet by whom.
Finally, Fresh internal experience mentioned seems shoe in for some, children exposed to watching virtual game simply to build experience inexpensively. Understanding of developing ideas, life can be suited to users as group with instructor. Not as much as RED ball, yet much needed in mental growth. Second Life may be as good of helper as most. Is Linden Lab in beaten path, looking for certain social goals not really desirable or needed? Undoing good naive’ people. Scaring old mask into blurred slang uttering beast. Compunction to subjugation, just to ride true user thru easily thought out rue. Building in machine lag just to fool users, another Boellstorff example. Using odd, twisted terms to claim software did not misinform. Participant observes, responds, machine titillates and users remembers, almost as real, in excited State. Then when in real world, responses might ne evoked that actually aren’t successful or good for player, in real life. Certainly impressive piece of software, Computer can make digital image faster than eye can see. Stored memory takes specific characteristics in, gives programed response. Why does Second Life use images of people that just hang out? Seems no adult usefulness or even usefulness at all. Except as model of computing ability today. All Hail banks desire, fostered thru software. However, is virtual world being corrupted by pirates and slickers? Must get 5 MHz processor, with 16 core and $1,000.00 game card, plus others. Maybe pentagon let them develop it. Chips cost pennies each, perhaps such sophistication is needed, yet not most people have understanding on how people sold government funded sneak attack under door, under own gaze. Interaction is so well defined in University, yet public seems tired of door to door salesperson. Did supply create demand or magical press overstate promise, church of imagined mystical.. Coolness.. Dealer with quickly broken units, in effect and no recourse. Mockup of virtual reality: good Interactions yet, never get close too, well “now you know”. Tomorrow goon. High speed internet, high speed computer, high speed reaction time, strong human memory. Lots of surplus time to learn Second Life… It’s machine and it’s you. Manipulate Us.
Research.
Tom Boellstorff Chapter 4 Stimulating Self “Time and Place.”
Tom Boellstorff Chapter 5 Stimulating Self “Personhood”
End.
5 paragraphs 4 pages 1,246 words. Essay style
My first paper, Saturday going to 7 Drawfs by Sommer at Rarig Theatre, Wanna come?
drashek