A Second Life for Deadwood

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I love HBO’s “Deadwood”. It’s not only one of the best-written dramas to come along in years, but more interesting to me is the detail with which they’ve recreated the texture (both physical and psychological) of the historical time and place. It’s a simultaneously optimistic and ugly world where characters play out their dreams and desires, unfettered by rule or constraint.

Second Life is a lot like Deadwood. Just go there. Wander around. Thankfully (unlike the historical Deadwood, S.D.) there’s no chance of being shot in the street, but if you look long and hard enough you’ll find all of the other elements: gambling, sex, and all other manner of lawless capitalism at work.

Second Life is not a game. There’s nothing to win or lose. There aren’t really even any laws in Second Life. Sure, the creators of the world (Linden Labs) have created a basic set of rules and limitations, but it’s a place largely regulated (or unregulated) by its inhabitants. It’s a place where people can go to recreate themselves, in whatever image or manner they want. Physical barriers disappear- your appearance and abilities are bounded only by your imagination.

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Smart syndication…

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Sony to let bloggers post music videos Well, as long as they display them in Sony’s ad-supported player, which bloggers can soon embed on their sites. It’s part of a new Sony site called MusicBox Video, powered by Brightcove.

This is a very good idea….