http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/swords A social software and virtual worlds blog by John Swords of Electric Sheep Company Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:53:47 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en There seems to be a new wave of interest in interface design with regard to the use of 3D environments for 2D data and applications. Is it happening because there is new research that backs it up or is it just a baseless, recurring (ooooh...shiny) trend? There have ... http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/swords/2008/04/11/3d-interfaces-to-2d-stuff-a-baseless-recurring-trend-or-better-than-reality/ It was great to see everyone at the Virtual Worlds Conference last week in New York. Thanks to all that came to my Platform Shootout presentation. For those that are interested, I have added some notes to my slides and have it posted here for download. ... http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/swords/2008/04/09/platform-shootout-presentation/ The Virtual Worlds Conference is quickly approaching. There are less than seven days left before we kick things off in New York next Thursday. If you are coming, be sure to wrap up lunch early on Thursday and head to Room 2 at 1PM for my session on ... http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/swords/2008/03/27/virtual-world-platforms-the-shootout-20/ "Sign up forms must die," proclaims Luke Wroblewski in his new book Web Form Design: Filling in the Blanks. I couldn't agree more. There is an emerging trend among Web 2.0 sites to employ a gradual engagement model as a way to give users a taste, often times a ... http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/swords/2008/03/25/death-to-sign-up-forms/ CCP and their online game EVE Online is a delightfully disruptive force in the MMO industry. It was no surprise when I saw this on the Kill Ten Rats blog: CCP [the makers of EVE Online] just started accepting candidacies for the Council of Stellar Management, or as their news ... http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/swords/2008/03/22/the-council-for-stellar-awesomeness/ I am calling for an end to classifying online games, virtual worlds, and social networks as being either wholly asynchronous or synchronous social mediums. Not only are these the wrong terms for what we really mean, they are treacherous generalizations. It also helps perpetuate the delusion that these ... http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/swords/2008/03/20/asynchronous-is-the-new-synchronous-sort-of/ The founders of Bitstrips.com are passionate about user-generated content and comic strips. This week they launched a do-it-yourself comic strip service that garnered much deserved attention on the trade show floor at SXSW Interactive. Bitstrips.com is an example of user-generated content at it's best. I mean, who doesn't at some ... http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/swords/2008/03/12/user-generated-comics-at-bitstripscom/ The "What Teens Want Online" panel consisted of one adult and a half dozen teens talking about their online and mobile habits. The panel started out with the young panelists listing the websites they like to use and why. The common theme was personal interests (finding music), personal expression (profiles), and ... http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/swords/2008/03/08/sxsw-interactive-what-teens-want-online-on-their-phones/ David Helgeson, CEO of Unity Technologies sat down for a few minutes during GDC to talk about the growing excitement around his company's software. Unity's primary product is a virtual world and MMO development platform that can deliver experiences on the web, PC, Mac, and Wii. There is much ... http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/swords/2008/02/21/audio-interview-with-ceo-david-helgason-of-unity-technologies/ For a conference devoted heavily to serious game culture at a sometimes epically pornographic level, it was great to come listen to Kurzweil rattle the brains of developers with the road to singularity. His talk was excellent and consisted mostly of a rapid fire assault of smoking hot slides and anecdotes ... http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/swords/2008/02/21/ray-kurzweil-at-gdc-2008/