I thought it'd be worth enumerating the motivations for this project and to explain a little bit about what people do in SL.
There's a nice summary called 12 Things To Do In Second Life That Aren't Embarrassing If Your Priest Or Rabbi Finds Out
I've categorised the typical activities into the following:
Visual
These pleasures are largely inaccessible to blind users. I don't know of any feasible way to overcome this problem, that blind SL users will inevitably miss out on the visual aesthetic of the world. Fortunately there's some potential to convert content into text automatically, for example when using /gestures which are like /emote commands from MUDs. These are quite often used and constitute an important form of communication in themselves. Indeed the categories I'm using here are not intended as strict divisions but rather as conceptual guides for non-players to get an idea of what kinds of things are possible and common.
Content Creation
Inaccessible, but with some work scripting might be possible (see also Blind Programming). I have also had the pleasure to interview a blind artist called Amaya Summers. She's legally blind but has sufficient vision to be able to work with the SL client. The fact that she has a job in SL gives here a sense of purpose, structure and meaning that would be difficult to find in the outside world. As with all of these categories there is a large degree of overlap. In this case content creation and trade are tightly bound, and as most content is visual in nature it has a strong relationship to visual aesthetic, and finally the visual aesthetic of the way one customises one's avatar, land, buildings and props is itself a form of communication similar to body language and fashion in the outside world.
Communication
Clearly a major draw for everyone. Particularly compelling for the visually impaired if the interface was made compatible with screen readers. Often blind users find it hard to make new friends, so it would be great if we could make use of SL's potential to act as a venue for new friendships to form. In this category I mean to include everything from learning environments like universities, to performances such as live music streaming, etc.
Games
A sub-category of Social, and clearly compelling for everyone, perhaps less accessible due to game-specific visual qualities. This allows me to point out that while SL can be used for games, they are not a necessary feature of it as a Multi User Virtual Environment.
I don't really blame the people who think there's nothing to do in Second Life. One of the areas where Second Life is weakest is in introducing newcomers to the world. The user interface is confusing, and, worse, once you've got that mastered, it's hard to figure out what to do. The newbie is confronted with an array of cybersex areas, online casinos, and sleazy make-money-fast schemes. But once you get past that initial barrier, you'll find plenty of things to do in Second Life.
I've categorised the typical activities into the following:
Visual
These pleasures are largely inaccessible to blind users. I don't know of any feasible way to overcome this problem, that blind SL users will inevitably miss out on the visual aesthetic of the world. Fortunately there's some potential to convert content into text automatically, for example when using /gestures which are like /emote commands from MUDs. These are quite often used and constitute an important form of communication in themselves. Indeed the categories I'm using here are not intended as strict divisions but rather as conceptual guides for non-players to get an idea of what kinds of things are possible and common.
- See the sights (Visit Amsterdam)
- Dancing
Content Creation
Inaccessible, but with some work scripting might be possible (see also Blind Programming). I have also had the pleasure to interview a blind artist called Amaya Summers. She's legally blind but has sufficient vision to be able to work with the SL client. The fact that she has a job in SL gives here a sense of purpose, structure and meaning that would be difficult to find in the outside world. As with all of these categories there is a large degree of overlap. In this case content creation and trade are tightly bound, and as most content is visual in nature it has a strong relationship to visual aesthetic, and finally the visual aesthetic of the way one customises one's avatar, land, buildings and props is itself a form of communication similar to body language and fashion in the outside world.
- Building and creating things
Trade
Important as a means of self-expression, but mostly oriented around the Visual, making it mostly inaccessible.- Doing business
- Shopping
Communication
Clearly a major draw for everyone. Particularly compelling for the visually impaired if the interface was made compatible with screen readers. Often blind users find it hard to make new friends, so it would be great if we could make use of SL's potential to act as a venue for new friendships to form. In this category I mean to include everything from learning environments like universities, to performances such as live music streaming, etc.
- Talk to other people
- Listen to live music and attend other live events
Games
A sub-category of Social, and clearly compelling for everyone, perhaps less accessible due to game-specific visual qualities. This allows me to point out that while SL can be used for games, they are not a necessary feature of it as a Multi User Virtual Environment.
- Role-playing games
- Other kinds of games
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