Linden Lab Chief Executive Philip Rosedale testified before the U.S. Congress on Tuesday that he has asked the FBI to investigate denial of service attacks in Second Life, but reassured lawmakers that the online community is able to police itself. ... More >>

TechSoup's own Susan Tenby, Senor Manager--Online Community Development , aka Glitteractica Cookie, gave a prepared testimony before the the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet today about the potential of Second Life for nonprofits.

... More >>

I am trying to make sense out of the Reuters report about the testimony of CEO Philip Rosedale of Linden Lab (Second Life) and of other virtual virtual worlds experts before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce on Tuesday.

... More >>

They might drop the odd clanger, but it's nevertheless good to see politicians trying to engage with virtual worlds and their implications. So yesterday saw a congressional hearing in the US addressed by Linden Lab and IBM. ... More >>

I am reading some of the documents prepared for the Congress hearing about Virtual Worlds. In my previous post I wrote that this hearing was focusing heavily on Second Life and not that much on Virtual Worlds in general.

... More >>

had a response to that: "We have never seen any evidence that there is any such activity going on." California democrat Rep. Jane Harman was quoted as calling online worlds "glorious technology" as she expressed a desire not to see it abused; Rosedale stressed self-policing and cooperation with law enforcement as preventative measures to feared abuses. He also said he feels that keeping law and order in the virtual world is "somewhat more maintainable" than it is in reality. It wasn't all dignified, of course. Jokes about Congress already being a "virtual world" proliferated, while TechSoup founder Susan Tenby quite sincerely defended virtual worlds' potential as a home for positive advocacy groups and learning -- before introducing the representatives to her alter-ego, Glitteratica Cookie, a pink cat who lives in Second Life, as recounted by the Mercury News, and the House was also visited by "Ward Heeler," "Pica Paperdoll," "Socrates" and other avatars. IBM's Colin Parris was also in attendance to discuss virtual worlds' numerous business applications, while all of the attendees sought to reassure Congress' concerns about child safety, privacy and other commonly controversial issues. At the Washington Post, Mike Musgrove described this go-round between avatars and politicians as "a bit less chaotic" than when aimlessly floating Second Life avatars disrupted a visit by former Virginia governor Mark Warner. ... More >>

It’s a good thing I promised no more trademark-related posts for a while, because I’m so livid about last night’s April Fool’s joke TM policy clarification that if I tried to write on the topic right now, my head might explode. And I have clients coming over later. So, let’s talk about something different, shall we? (Go to NWN if you want to join the discussion over TM, and vote in Hamlet’s poll.) Still, I'm in the mood to rant about something. Let's see... oh, yeah.
... More >>

Philip Rosedale spoke at the US House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet yesterday, April 1. I thought it was an April fools joke at first, but this is real.

... More >>

"And one initial thought: apart from the opening remarks, this was mostly a hearing about Second Life." ... More >>