It really is quite amazing what one can see in Second Life these days. This is a period of unprecedented innovation by all sorts of commercial entities, to whom we should be eternally thankful. After all, only in the past few weeks have we had the first company to launch in Second Life, the first tabloid newspaper to launch in Second Life and now - the first radio station to launch in Second Life!
Channel 4 Radio is also expanding into Second Life, claiming to be the first radio station to be based in the virtual world. Avatars can access the station through virtuallife.tv or listen through a portable virtual radio, and shows will include a dedicated Second Life community show.
Channel 4’s director of radio, Nathalie Schwarz, said listener interaction is important for the station. “Being the first radio station to launch in Second Life enables us to bring our range of programmes to new audiences who are interested in interactive content.”
Just imagine - a radio station inside Second Life! All this time, we have been able to play streaming audio in parcels, and not a soul ever thought to set up a radio station until this auspicious day. I suppose that this is why those such as Ms Schwarz receive sizeable remuneration, and we do not.
I can scarcely begin to comprehend the astounding level of creativity that these forward-thinking individuals exercise for the benefit of we poor benighted avatars. Just think of all of the things which we would not have were it not for the efforts of such folk:
- businesses
- clothes shops
- newspapers
- radio
- live music
- cars
- anything given away for free
What new wonders await us? Perhaps Playboy will launch the first lapdancing establishment in Second Life. Perhaps Clear Channel will be the first to put up annoying advertisements in public places. Perhaps Chiquita will introduce - and this may seem somewhat peculiar, but bear with me, I am feeling the influence of all these media visionaries - a banana that is also a phone!
I hope that you realise quite how lucky you are to be able to be a consumer in this brave new world - and if you ever considered yourself to have actually created something, I hope you also realise now that you didn’t, because it says in the Guardian that someone else was first. Anyway, we are little people, they are big people with expenses and Powerbooks and cocaine and such, and thus it is in the natural order of things that their achievements are noted over our little nonsense tinkerings. My friends, we truly live in an Age of Wonder, which begins anew with every Press Release!
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November 8, 2006 at 6:49 pm
Samantha Poindexter
[giggle]
Very well put!
November 8, 2006 at 6:53 pm
Chicago Kipling
Quite entertaining. Though perhaps only marginally related to anything of consequence, I thought of your writings when I happened upon this set of pictures.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwhilde/sets/72157594363814399/
November 8, 2006 at 7:59 pm
Urizenus Sklar
Bravo.
November 8, 2006 at 9:50 pm
jrrdraco
We are very privileged, but still I miss gadgets that could create smell, shake or even touch
November 8, 2006 at 11:03 pm
Dolus Naumova
Privileged that such companies would be so willing to put themselves into this world for our benifit!
November 9, 2006 at 12:19 am
Celebrity Trollop
Hahaha!!
Awesome post.
November 9, 2006 at 11:56 am
Signore Iredell
Well done, Ordinal - Funny, and at the same time more insightful than one may think.
November 9, 2006 at 5:06 pm
Winter Ventura
I wholly look forward to the first jetpacks!
Will not that be exciting?
November 9, 2006 at 10:34 pm
ade
the correspondance with channel 4::
—–Original Message—–
From: ade Sent: 08 November 2006 23:16
To: Viewer Enquiries
Subject: re: Nathalie Schwarz, Second Life & Radio stations and BAD PR
fuckwits - “the first radio station in second life”
you have managed to do more bad pr in sl in one sentance than most ppl
do in a lifetime
“Channel 4’s director of radio, Nathalie Schwarz, said listener interaction is important for the station. “Being the first radio station to launch in Second Life enables us to bring our range of programmes to new audiences who are interested in interactive content.”"
have you got ANY idea how many radio stations are in sl and how interactive they are? - well you managed to alienate not only them but everyone else - there is enough talk about corporates coming into sl at the moment as it is - congrats - you’ve stoked the fires…
idiots….
the reply:
Viewer Enquiries wrote:
> We regret you felt the need to express your views on Channel 4 Radio in
> what the majority would deem to be a deeply offensive manner. We do
> not, therefore, feel able to respond in greater detail.
>
> Iain Wallis
> Channel 4 Viewer Enquiries
> channel4.com/faq
my reply:
“I” and a great deal of people who actually USE second life, find it deeply offensive you’ve ignored THREE years of innovation in second life and try to pass off C4 doing a radio station as being the first….
but hey if you dont listen to the people you’re trying to put on your side thats your problem
if you have watched the forums & blogs over the past few weeks you’d realise that RL companies coming into sl should watch how they do it - the community can & does speak
cf: the putting off of raising island prices because of community backlash….
whatever….
and you don’t address the core issue which is the statement by Nathalie Schwarz - i guess that means you agree with me by ommission…
because saying you’re “fuckwits” is deeply offensive? - oh please…. i’m heartbroken…
November 10, 2006 at 12:00 am
Ordinal Malaprop
Well, you did at least receive a reply of sorts, which indicates to me that it might be worth my making my feelings known there.
November 10, 2006 at 12:13 am
Ordinal Malaprop
My quick message to Channel Four Radio:
—
I refer to the following press release: http://media.guardian.co.uk/newmedia/story/0,,1941613,00.html
Whilst it is perhaps believable that whichever band of sherpas might have been guiding you around Second Life have told you that you would be the first to launch radio therein, I do have to inform you that there is absolutely no possible way in which Channel 4 Radio could be considered the “first radio station to launch in Second Life” (as stated by Ms Nathalie Schwartz in the above piece).
Radio stations broadcasting in Second Life have been present for years, with shows involving music, advice, all sorts of content; some are specific to Second Life, some are outside stations with a presence there - and all are streamable either inside or outside of SL.
Channel 4 Radio is quite simply *not* the first radio station to launch in Second Life by any definition, and I think that the community of content producers and listeners would be grateful if you would admit that this is the case - rather than follow the lead of so many arrogant promotional releases in claiming that doing something which residents have been doing for years is somehow a novelty.
I am certainly not hostile to anyone entering SL with the intent of offering new experiences, quite the opposite, but a little background research would not go amiss.
—
November 10, 2006 at 12:22 am
Ordinal Malaprop
And my letter to the Guardian itself:
—
I am a little disturbed that the statement by Channel 4’s director of
radio that they would be “the first radio station to launch in Second
Life” was accepted and publicised without any attention to the actual
state of affairs.
Streaming audio has been available in Second Life for some
considerable period of time and a number of different net radio
stations have arisen, broadcasting partly or entirely for the Second
Life community. There is absolutely no possible way in which Channel 4
Radio could be considered the “first” organisation to do so.
The research required to prove this assertion false is quite simply a
few seconds of use of Google, and I am concerned regarding
journalistic standards that this statement was allowed to pass
unchallenged, particularly in a section of the paper devoted to new
technologies.
I would be obliged if you would issue a correction that, in fact,
Channel 4 Radio would not be the first radio station to launch in
Second Life, regardless of their claims, since they would not be.
—
November 12, 2006 at 3:28 pm
Gabe
Do let us know when the correction is printed :)
November 12, 2006 at 8:55 pm
Ordinal Malaprop
You know, funnily enough, I’ve not heard back from them at all, and I see that there has been no change. How unutterably peculiar. You’d think that both organisations would be very interested in correcting such inadvertant mistakes.
I wonder if I can raise the profile of this post when one googles for Channel 4 Radio.
November 20, 2006 at 10:40 pm
Eloise
Whilst I agree with your comments, at least I did as I managed to read them slowly through the tears of laughter, has anyone told BBC Radio 1?
I’m not a fan, being rather too advanced in years, but I do remember going to an event that they ran in SL to mirror something or another IRL. Big event in the park maybe?
However Channel 4 Radio choose to define “a radio station” (my definition is closer to yours Madam) one is left feeling that the BBC might just fit anyone’s definition.