Assignment 11: Notes From Event Observation

My in-field research occurred on Saturday, January 19th at 10:00am (Central) / 8:00am (SL Time).  It was a dress themed event for jazz, and social, enthusiasts.  My notes from the first 20 min of the event are found below.

Location is Owner #1's Jazz Club

Event: Morning Jazz, Pajama Themed Event

Avatar arrival: 9:55 (Central) / 7:55 (SL Time)

Invite sent out 3 mintues before 8 SL time

14 attendees by 8:04 SL TIME

2 couples immediately start dancing

Owner #1 is dancing solo on floor

Girl relaxing on west wall couch

Dj is located behind bar at designated DJ area

dress code is pajama attire

Owner #1 is wearing formal dress

6 wearing pajamas attire

3 wearing goth attire

3 wearing formal attire 

2 wearing casual

1 Furry attire

Owner #1 welcomes all of the guests who arrive via Teleport

Owner #1 casually talks with attendees,

Everyone, but 5 dancers, is hanging out at the north end of the jazz club, next to the dance floor, sharing conversation

Observational Notes

Upon my arrival, before the start of the event, I was one of 3 avatars at the location.  It is a larger sized club that has several seating areas, 2 bars, a stage, DJ area, and a dance floor.  The decor was mostly set in red and gold, that gave a semi-formal appeal.  Within minutes, the DJ was shouting to the attendees in the chat window, asking if the music stream was working properly.  Within 5 minutes of the invitation being sent out, 11 avatars teleported to the site and immediately started socializing.   

2 couples soon went on to the dance floor and began dancing as partners.  The owner of the group was dancing as well.  As the music played, the avatars were exchanging comments that related to a darker humor.  More avatars showed up via teleport as the event became more established.  The maximum number of users I spectated were 24.  The general portion of them, not including the dancing partners, were hanging out at the north end of the club.  3 avatars were seated at the bar, one girl was laying down on a couch, while the remaining avatars stood to chat, and animate.  

By 8:20, I had noticed that the group had decreased in size.  The 13 avatars that were left would remain for the duration of the event.  The conversations remain on similar topics of dark humor; yet changed when a popular song, "The Girl From Iponema" began playing.  While some avatars were toying around with the name of the song, others began shouting requests to the DJ.  The next song was a performance by the modern jazz singer Michael Buble, which also prompted a response from the audience.  As the requests are continually shouted by avatars, the group begins to shift over to the west wall seating area; which is situated right next to the DJ's station.  

By 8:43, eight avatars are sitting down, and four are standing adjacent to the couches and chair.  Only one person remains on the dance floor.  The atmosphere becomes more timid, as the avatars are in a  relaxed position, and continue conversation with each other.  At this time, Owner #1 and the DJ announce some of the events that are occurring later on in the day.  For the final song, the DJ plays Frank Sinatra singing Happy Birthday.  The avatars join in on the singing to recognize the birthday of one attending group member.  It was with this, that the event had concluded, as well as my research.

Methodological Notes

I remained in public sight for the duration of the research.  I also participated in the clothing theme by wearing pajamas and slippers, embroidered with a band logo.  While I did not participate in the dancing, I joined in on some of the conversations when prompted.  I walked around the club hall to note the numbers, and dress code of the avatars.  As the groups positioning moved throughout the club, I placed myself right along side them. 

Some questions I had pertained to the ongoing relationships with the club's owner, and the group members.  Does she encounter the same group members each week?  Is the event a good source of recruiting new members and performers?  Does the number of attendees remain the same from week to week?  What transpires between Owner #1 and the DJ as the event was in progress?

Theoretical Notes

Being that the time of the event was in the morning, I didn't expect as much activity compared to a night event.  The ambiance seemed reminiscent of a small coffee house.  No more than 5 people participated in dancing, while the rest of the avatars seemed to be there for social purposes.  The chat window was more active than avatar animations.  This provided no sense of intimidation, as some avatars were open to ask questions since they were new to SL.  Also Owner #1 was able to use those opportunities to give out membership requests, and future event notices.  At the end of the event, Owner #1 and the DJ both thanked all of the attendees, and wished to see them again at future events.

Assignment 10: Practice Interview Report

In order to find a valid subject to interview, I chose to interview a subject from the managers and hosts of Owner #1 Music Group. The subject I interviewed volunteers as an assistant to one of the groups many musicians.  For this portion of my research I will label her as Member-1.  After receiving permission from Member-1, I organized my questions and started my interview.  I first asked Member-1 a question concerning the demographic of gender in the music group.  She stated that from her experience, she had found that more men avatars are involved with the music group.  She then included,  "the number of female musicians have been on the rise".  Observing the direction of the conversation, I thought it best to next ask if Owner #1 Music Group was the only music group she was involved.  She informed me that she ends up working with several music groups due to her "passion" for live music.  Due to her participation and involvement with the music scene; I asked her opinion concerning the competitive nature, or lack there of, in SL's music culture.  She stated that while some music venues have a competitive nature towards other SL businesses, most of the musically involved avatars have a "shared love of live music";  and therefore collaborate with each other to "bring about the best in live music".  We then went into discussion about how she became involved with the music scene in SL, and eventually worked for one of it's musicians.  What I gained from the interview was a sense of inspiration from the music culture.  Member-1's enthusiasm is practically palpable when when she converses about music.  What I was looking for in this interview was to gain insight on the reasons why, and how, these avatars manage the music in Owner #1 Music Group.  I am satisfied with the amount of input I received from my interview subject.

Assignment 8 & 9: Interview Approval & Questions

One of the portions of my practice in field research includes interviewing a member of the group in which I am studying.  I was able to find a member of the music group, who also volunteers to work for one of it's musicians.  After gaining Member-1's approval for the interview, I started working on questions that would be the foundation of the interview.  Other questions in the interview will be lead by the responses Member-1 gives to the foundation questions.  I will start with questions involving the group in general, then lead into questions pertaining to her involvement with the group.

With your involvement in SL's music, would you consider the culture to be more occupied by male, or female avatars?

Would you classify the music groups in SL to be more competitive or cooperative?

Describe your first interaction with SL music culture.

How did you end up working for one of Owner #1 Music Group's musicians?

Is Owner #1 Music Group the only music group you are involved in? 

Assignment 6: Maps

I mapped out an area of one location that is owned by the group I am researching.  Most of the descriptions are self explanatory.  The area labelled "Public Job" is a place where your avatar can scrub the floors, while earning a small amount of pay.  

Assignment 5: Confirmation From Group Owners...

Below is a transcript of the chat conversation I had with the two owners of the group that I will be researching.  They have given me allowance to study their events and group members.

[13:26]  Myself: okay, I am currently taking a class in SL where we have to research a specific group online.

[13:27]  Myself: Because of my interest in jazz music, yours was one of the first that I heard about

[13:28]  Myself: So I would like to formally ask your permission, as the owner, to base my research on your group, Owner #1 Music Group

[13:28]  Myself: I have an official documentation that will inform you of all our activity and your rights during my study

[13:30]  Owner #2 accepted your inventory offer.

[13:30]  Owner #1: ok, I'd like to know what you will mainly be looking for.. And want you to know that withing the group, I promote other genres as well, from country to classical. It is Location #1 and group that feature mostly JAZZ.

[13:30]  Owner #1 accepted your inventory offer.

[13:31]  Myself: Yes, your area of jazz is what interested me, but I was planning on researching events and members of all music genres

[13:31]  Owner #2: Great

[13:33]  Myself: The most important thing that the document states, is that I will not use any avatar names for privacy; and you can request me to stop at any time with no penalty

[13:33]  Owner #2: SOunds good.

[13:33]  Owner #1: ok sounds good to me.

[13:34]  Myself: Thank you both very much, I appreciate it.

[13:37]  Myself: There is one more thing I need in order to solidify our agreement with my teacher.

[13:37]  Myself: I have to ask a couple of questions, that ask for your permission

[13:37]  Myself: so i can forward the chat transcript to my teacher.

[13:38]  Owner #2: ok

[13:39]  Myself: Do you read English clearly enought to understand this form and respond?

[13:39]  Owner #2: Yes, both of us.

[13:41]  Myself: May I observe your behavior in this setting and make notes about it as part of a class exercise (rather than data collection for analysis & publication)?Myself

[13:44]  Owner #1: Yes, you may.

[13:44]  Owner #2: Yes

[13:45]  Myself: May I transcibe a copy of your conversation in this location and keep it as data ( remembering that I will immediately change the name attached so that the data cannot be connected to your avatar or person)?

[13:45]  Owner #1: of course you may

[13:45]  Owner #2: Yes

[13:45]  Myself: last question...

[13:46]  Myself: May I practice learning to do field research on your land?

[13:46]  Owner #1: yes you may

[13:47]  Myself: Alright, that should set everything straight.

[13:47]  Owner #1: okay, then

[13:47]  Myself: Thank you so much for taking time out to do this.

[13:47]  Owner #1: KNOW that you may use this office as your HQ when working on this land.

[13:48]  Owner #1: KNOW that this here ( I will give it to you) is a notecard with the landmarks to all my venues. The island is open to you.

[13:48]  Owner #1 gave you Location #3 info - Please read.

[13:48]  Myself: Thank you very much.

[13:49]  Owner #1: Okay. If there is anything you need, or questions you have, do not hesitate to IM me, Joshua.

[13:50]  Myself: Thank you, and you have the URL in the notecard of my blog that posts all my research. (http://joshuamcc.blogspot.com)

[13:50]  Owner #1: yes, I do. Thanks

[13:51]  Myself: Okay, well i'm going to go process the information, and I will see you at the events :)

[13:51]  Myself: Thanks again.

[13:51]  Owner #1: You are quite welcome.

[13:51]  Owner #1: ttyl

[13:51]  Owner #2: :)Owner #2

[13:51]  Myself: bye :)

Assignment 4: Rights of those being observed...

My name is Joshua McCarthy / Ted Fujita.

I am an undergraduate student enrolled in an introduction to research methods class (Multimedia 333:Introdution to Field Research In Virtual Worlds) at Bradley University in Peoria Il, USA,  that is being conducted in Second Life. 

We are learning to do field research/ethnography and will not complete projects this term. But next semester, if we decide to do a project, our projects feature observation of a “community of practice,” that is, a group of people doing similar things in a cultural setting. I am observing this area at this time as I consider what work I might do next term.

My observations are merely descriptive: I’ll take notes about what I see and I may summarize those notes in my paper, in class presentations, or on my web-blog about this research. The blog is found at: . 

I will not record or publish either the SL or RL name of any avatar/person. Any observations about avatars or recording of their talk transcripts would take place only after having obtained the explicit permission (in text chat) of that avatar/person and would only happen after the name of the avatar had been changed via secret coding scheme. I will ask you if I can have your permission to use your talk as an exercise in learning about observing and taking notes. Any pictures taken in SL, that serve as explanatory information and which might include avatars, will be modified so that avatar names and identifying characteristics are blurred/blocked. You may choose to withdraw at any time without penalty by simply me to wish to stop observing you.

We will also learn how to interview informants about the communities of practice that we are studying. In this class, our conversations are informal, preliminary, “practice interviews.” In MM 333 we are learning the process of interviewing rather than collecting interview data. I will only keep track of our conversation in order to hand in an assignment to my teacher; no data will be analyzed or published.

These conversations are, again, voluntary and only with the informed permission of the avatar/person/informant. At the start of our interview, I will ask you, in text chat, if I have your informed consent to continue; you may withdraw or give permission (in text chat). I may copy out parts of the chat transcript from our conversations/interviews. When I do, I will change/code your name so that there is no recorded connection between you/your avatar and the data. You may choose to withdraw at any time without penalty by simply telling me you wish to stop. 

You may follow the progress of all of the class, at: . Information that we describe on our blogs serve as our gift to the communities of practice who share time and knowledge with us; perhaps our perspectives will help residents more fully understand and appreciate their activities.

If you have questions regarding the study, you can contact  me, in world or our of world via email at , or my teacher, Professor Beliveau in world or out of world as Ed Lamoureux at  ell@bradley.edu, 309-677-2378.

Assignment 2 : Initial Observation

The music-focused group in which I'm studying held a music event last night.  The invitation that one of the group officers sent out specified that the event was intended for country music fans.  The evening concert was a one man show presented in a concert hall with Egyptian decor.  Upon my arrival to the event, I found 13 attendees where already present, including the owner of my studied group.  I was able to identify her since the groups label includes her name.  While most of the avatars wore casual or "night club" attire (jeans, collared shirts, mini skirts, and low-cut blouses) , I only found that three people were dressed to fit the country theme that was playing on the live stream.  The only avatar that stood out visually was the one furry who had an exaggerated skunk tail that was larger than the rest of it's body.  

As the music was playing, two couples, and one single, where dancing.  While the single and one couple danced enthusiastically, the remaining couple slow danced through the hour.  The owner of the music group was quite involved in the event verbally.  She would welcome any new visitors to the concert, gave thanks for each tip given, and responded to most of the comments made in the chat window.  Yet, despite her spoken involvement,  she remained at the side of the dance floor, never joining the others.

The chatter from the audience was topically based on dark humor.  It seemed to be their reaction to the first several songs in the musician's set, which all related to death in some way.  The musician would respond to some of the chat history that occurred in between his songs; also thanking individual audience members for their tips. Towards the end of my stay, the audience became very participatory in the musician's song, where the chorus states, "God'll f*** you up."  The audience typed the words to the lyrics in attempts to sing along with the musician.  

Assignment 1 & 3

For the beginning of my research, I have browsed around Second Life to find a group that is worth studying for my field research.  Below is a list of five groups, all of which pertain to an interest that I share with them.  For precautionary reasons, I will present the groups, and it's members, with a higher level of anonymity.

Group 1:  Amateur astronomers is very much alive in todays culture.  So it was no surprise to me when I came across several astronomy themed groups.  The astronomy group is meant for users who wish to discuss topics and sights they see through their own telescopes.  The leader of the group gives occasional presentations on his most recent research then opens up the group for discussion.  While this group communicates through SL, it doesn't necessarily use the unique features of the application.  The group does not own any SL property, and makes no use of Second Life's currency.

Group 2:  The SL jazz group  is an organization of SL members who enjoy, play, DJ, or dance to jazz music.  Currently having over 900 members, the Jazz Enthusiasts collaborate with each other, and other music groups to seek out events in SL that involve jazz music; or create jazz events of their own.  While the group does not own any property, the DJ's and musicians of the group communicate with property owners to set up events.  For the now the groups finances are currently run off of complimentary tips.

Group 3:  A night club group that supports six building owners by arranging music events at their respective locations.  There is no preference of genre for this group, as it supports jazz, country, blues, rock, dance, and techno music.  Members include enthusiasts, musicians, managers, and DJ's.

Group 4 :  X's radio group is a collection of music enthusiast.  The owner, X, and 8 officers organize, and manage 84 Musicians and DJ's to play at events through out Second Life.  During these sessions, any member of the group is open to make suggestions about events, new musicians, and music request from the DJ's.

Group 5:  The video game group can be purely defined as a members forum.  Various members will gather together to discuss some of their favorite games, as well as announced games that have yet to be released.  The group events however, are simply discussions, and do not effectively use some of SL's more advance features.

Out of the 5 groups, I have decided upon group 4.

Fáilte / Welcome

This blog will currently be used as an additional resource to my Second Life field studies. Any information I gather will be organized and displayed on this blog for the duration of this 3 week study.

For introductory purposes, I'll briefly share some information about myself, and my Second Life avatar. My name is Joshua McCarthy, and I am a senior attending Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. My studies are focused in the area of multimedia, with a bit of personal interest in digital animation. Outside of class, my interests include music, (I play the guitar, along with several other instruments) astronomy, various sciences, and gaming.

My avatar's name is Ted Fujita. I picked this name after a famous meteorologist, Dr. Ted Fujita, mostly known for his studies on downbursts and the Fujita scale to rate tornadoes (F0-F5). My avatar's basic image is somewhat reflected of my own. Take out the chiseled muscle tone, and you get the basic idea of what I look like.

So with that, I hope you find my near future research valid and interesting. The upcoming three weeks shall be quite informative. Until then...