Limitations of a Corporate Enclave
We have been talking banks. And law. And "Avatar Rights". Prokofy Neva continues on the latter theme today at th above link and it was reading that which put me on a chain of thought.
Once the stuff of science/speculative-fiction, the world (RL) today is increasingly govered by corporate interests, to the extent that major players even buy their way into driving the illusion of democratic process. The effect this has on planetary conditions (both environmental and social) in the RL Sim is another story, but it is a parallel to note in considering the future of the metaverse.
I have never been to Japan, but have always been intruiged by the notion that corporate "ownership" of people’s lives is exemplified there - a divergant social structure from the traditional models seen elsewhere. Indeed, some decades back I worked temporarily for a major UK utility corporate in their R&D division. Whilst there, the major R&D outposts were all slowly being closed down and moved to a central location that comprised a new "corporate village". Employees had mixed feelings - but it was polarised. Some looked forward to induction to a "corporate enclave" whilst others refused to re-locate and were totally opposed to the concept. There was little or no ground in-between.
Prokofy, in one paragraph, rightly points out again that Second Life is owned, and thus governed, by a private company. We may be exploring visions of a civic structure for metaversal life, but we continue to do so in a virtual template which can be changed or removed at any point by the "owners". Whilst the surveillance society may be doing its best to thread itself into the worldwide web, it faces the challenges of doing so in a relatively open system. Not so in Second Life. The metaverse is still a closed system merely delivered to us via the internet.
Linden Labs may have made "moves" toward open sourcing the grid technology and "co-operating" with other outside interests, they may even claim to be working toward a nice idealogical vision, but the "lab" is more aptly a "business. It’s not even clear whether they subscribe to the "long tail" theory of modern capitalism, let alone shake off their addiction to US imperialism either by way of policy or attitude. They remain far away form being any kind of metaverse "fit for purpose" and are in danger of losing their lead to other corporates that, at least, take a truely international approach to their affairs.
Like the web before it, the metaverse breaks down communication barriers. Indeed, it almost certainly represents the future evolution of global communication itself. Immersionism, augmentalism and experimentalism aside, it is the combination of avatars and simulations together as a communications medium that is the bedrock of all metaverse development. Winners in any race to pioneer this new space will be those who best facilitate that potential and also do so in the awareness that they are creating a foundation for the future of internationalism.
The web changed the way we access information forever. The "grid" of a future metaverse will do the same for the way we interact and collaborate. It will need the basis of a civic/civil infrastructure that takes into account the residents of the (RL) global village and allows them democratic freedom to decide on governance. The metaverse must not be ruled purely by corporate interest, let alone one prostituted to national interests.
I have no time to wax lyrical myself here on the aforementioned "long tail" approach, but suffice to say modern economics allow for the idea that technology can be "bequeathed" to the people for free on the basis that the instigators can continue to benefit by focusing on the capitalisation of a macroscopic portion of what they have created. It is a lesson the Lindens need to learn and they could start by abdicating governance of the virtual world to democratic process by it’s international residents.
That is a template that would put Second Life further ahead in the race to build an international grid, possibly eclipsing what their increasing range of competitors are working on. The Lindens are already well placed to develop tools, rent virtual propertie and provide inworld services - for the grid itself they should become benefactors. Ultimately, their "market" would then extend beyond the world of their original design.
Of course, democratic governance is a minefield of it’s own - traditionally evolved from experience and consequence. The metaverse needs to transcend real-life models to accomodate a very new space. But better now than later. It’s also somehing that needs to be addressed more at the Internet Governance Forums who frequently seem to think everything is still anchored or built on top of HTML. Big mistake!
