I received an email Monday from Paul Hemp, Senior Editor at the Harvard Business Review pointing me to an article on the HBR website: “Avatar-Based Marketing” (Link).

It’s a nice overview. The big thing I noticed, however, was the idea that avatars are anonymous. That may be largely true now, but I’ve mentioned previously that afaic anonymity is a myth, and the New Yorker cartoon (you know the one) represents a bygone era. The majority may still think they’re anons, but that will change. When it does, the dynamics of marketing inside virtual worlds will change as well. I suppose the first thing that will happen is that the number of people who rip off brands or engage in griefing will decline. This alone would make online environments less risky for real world companies. After that, there’s no telling how marketing and advertisers will use virtual spaces to promote their products. One thing for sure though, they’ll have to be more creative than what I typically see coming out of Madison Avenue.

By the way, there’s a Q&A over on Ad Age (Link) about this article. Might want to check that too.

I’ve spent a little time the past couple of weeks browsing the net for inspirational work, images, textures, whatever. One of my best finds is Joe Ginsberg Inc (Link). That company does amazing work. Check out their Interior Design portfolio. Also be sure to check out the Materials and Surface Treatments section.

The above image is the bathroom from the Tsunami Restaurant (sorry, don’t know where that is) which has cast limestone cone sinks with polished copper supports. Another image on the site shows stone floors and metal panel walls. Too sweet.

{Image Copyright © 2004 Joe Ginsberg, Inc.}

There’s an interesting “Open Letter to Bono” (Link) on Counterpunch.org that’s worth a read. It concerns a violent video game whose main theme is invading Venezuela and the rockstar humanitarian’s involvement in funding it. I want to believe Bono wasn’t aware how his money was being used, but Scott Michael Perry raises some good points.

via Blue’s News

Well, he’s pretty well “tracked through space and time” so we have the location-awareness thing down. There are “inexpensive means of remotely and uniquely identifying [Sterling] over short ranges” (like binoculars; he’s pretty easy to spot). If he carries a cell phone we have a “mechanism to precisely locate [him] on Earth” (we could get Julian Bleeker to superglue the phone to Sterling for the purists, but afaic it makes no difference if the device is subdermal or stuck to his backside).

I suppose if you asked him a question his brain would “mine large amounts of data for things that match some given criteria, like internet search engines”. He might refuse though. Digital Sterling Rights Management.

Haxxor: “Bruce, we know you’re working on a book. Give it up. Now.”

Sterling: “No.”

Haxxor: “Bruce, we’re going to give you a little anti-DSRM shot. This won’t hurt a bit. You’ll just feel a small pinch.”

Sterling: “Noooooooooooooooo.”

I bet there are medical records and x-ray scans and maybe even 3D scans of his body so we have an idea of how he’s made. Whether or not he started off as a virtual 3D file is up for debate (God as a CAD app worshipped by the Church of the PLM).

“Cheap, effective recycling”? Soylent green works. Or maybe we could sell his organs on the black market. Imagine some old wealthy farts bidding to have Sterling’s heart implanted. Actually, don’t imagine that.

And now we know that It can be replicated because I got a good laugh out of an impression(?) of Bruce Sterling posted over on the Neoglam blog (Link). Go have a listen.

{Reference: Spime}

Virtual-related stuff sure is hitting the fan it seems. I’m drowning in work and each time I come up for air I seem to see another story… most of which I only have time to scan. So, in order to at least have them posted (so I can go back eventually and read them), here are some virtual world-related things that seem to be flooding the blogosphere:

“Warner Bros. to Launch Album in Second Life” (Link) – over on 3pointD (with more over on Clickable Culture)

“A Virtual Cannes Screens X-Men Footage” (Link) – over on 3pointD (and again, a similar post on Clickable Culture)

“The Sheep Market” (Link) – over on We Make Money Not Art (with more commentary concerning the future of work – something I keep bringing up – over on 3pointD)

“Linden Lab Grants $4,000 Fellowship to Chicago Art Students”(Link) – over on Clickable Culture (discussing further developments of the 3D milling service first mentioned over on 3pointD; not sure I posted here about it but have had plenty of “backroom” discussion)

“SL Future Salon on May 25th – or – Machinima: Take two!” (Link) – over on SL Future Salon (unfortunately I couldn’t make it, so I’ll be checking back for a podcast or chat log).

“The Future of Media Arts” (Link) – over on WorldChanging (more stuff on ubicomp and mapping internet to the world apparently; haven’t yet listened)

“Virtual worlds, visiting rights and restraining orders” (Link) – over on the Gamesblog (this goes hand-in-hand with my comments a while back on the SL Future Salon about the social implications of teaching lower caste people in developing nations – how that knowledge potentially effects the underlying social structure)

“Can Acclaim’s ‘Free’ Model Work?” (Link) – over on Next Generation (I’ve followed Sony’s moves toward the same model – reLink – so this is interesting; I’m already on record as saying movies, music, art, design, and similar intellectual property/nontangibles will eventually be cost-free, so this is no surprise to me)

Happy reading (and listening) everyone.