[CAUTION: This film contains flashing content which may trigger seizures in persons with photosensitive epilepsy] Since March 2020, Draxtor has been following UC Irvine Department of Anthropology researchers Tom Boellstorff, Evan Conaway, Chandra Middleton and Sandy Wenger around Animal Crossing and Second Life to find out how the COVID-19 pandemic is reshaping online interaction. In the film, protagonists from all over the world open up about their anxieties and everyday challenges during the last two years, and share what virtual worlds and social games mean to them in the context of a global health crisis. Many hours of mixed reality interviews, group discussions in Second Life and a comprehensive survey filled out by over 4000 players/residents provide the basis for a sprawling narrative. What emerges through participant observation is a mosaic of impressions, voices and worlds belonging to people from all walks of life, who are actively engaging in community building in the digital realm as they are trying to make sense of a new age dominated by uncertainty and physical isolation. Contact drax at draxtor dot com for more information and a free screener for qualifying institutions. A press release can be downloaded here https://bit.ly/vcpd_press More information about the research is here https://faculty.sites.uci.edu/boellst... (This film has been made possible with support of the National Science Foundation, award number 2028560, “RAPID: The Role of Emerging Virtual Cultures in the Prevention of COVID-19 Transmission”)
They take time folks ... don't ask me when the next one is coming ... I am STRESSED OUT .... well ok, I will tell you this: "The Second Life of Toni Harper" may be in production? ETA 2026? Stay tuned!
These are some of my favorite videos I made for the official SL channel. There are MANY MORE so do check them out!
The Second Life Book Club was a series of monthly literary-minded events with the occasional non-fiction author thrown in. Meetings ran from April 2020 through October 2024. The SL Book Club Archipelago is still around in-world. Go go go go henceforth and converse?
"The Drax Files: World Makers" ran from 2013-2019 and profiled the creative people behind the avatars who move the Metaverse forward, cutting across gender, ethnic and generational divides.
Flufee was/is your cuddly mesh mega-star, roaming the SecondLife grid & pontificating on the future of the Metaverse [show ran from 2011-2013]
“Our Digital Selves: My Avatar is me!” tells the story of 13 ability-diverse global citizens as they explore their identity through artistic expression and make their home in the Metaverse.
I entered the Metaverse in February 2007 & have enjoyed documenting the ups and downs, the ins and outs, the drama, the creativity, the edge pushing ever since ...
Breaking News: your friendly trademarked avatar Draxtor ™ has a first life, appears in videos, produces music and even went to Paris to talk to Jimmy Carter once ...
#DraxtorReads across the Metaverse featured social scientists, musicians & bestselling authors with interviews taped at #114Harvest in Sansar [more info at http://draxtor.com/draxtorreads]

The Drax Files Radio Hour #223: Tad Williams

Draxtor
3.5K viewsStreamed 5 years ago

The Drax Files Radio Hour #245: Matt Ruff

Draxtor
215 viewsStreamed 5 years ago

The Drax Files Radio Hour #246: Ken Liu

Draxtor
235 viewsStreamed 5 years ago