Abstract
In this chapter I, Jan Northoff also known as “January Lightfoot,” try to break up the parts and key aspects of the revenue model of the YOUin3D.com GmbH. Therefore, I start with the special features about the development of the virtual city “BERLINin3D.com,” a three-dimensional replica of Berlin (Germany), using Second Life technology. I will also touch the key aspects of setting up a business concept within Second Life and similar virtual worlds like OpenSim. Later on I will dig into our actual business processes and I will give a range of examples in its attached fields like community work, currencies, religion, art, and even virtual Tamagotchi phenomena like breedable virtual horses. At the end I will draw a short line over from the “social web” to a forecast of the future of the 3D Internet.
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- 1.
A Second Life or OpenSim 3D server, usually referred to as an island or region. Its virtual size is 256 m ×256 m.
- 2.
3D object / item, sometimes scripted to be used in a game or in Second Life. In Second Life virtual goods can be created and sold by any resident (user-created content).
- 3.
Shopping center at the Berlin Alexanderplatz (www.alexacentre.com).
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An ice sculpture art show.
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A dedicated place where new avatars are born.
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The company owning the ALEXA shopping center and 50 other shopping centers (www.sonaesierra.com).
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Free virtual goods in Second Life. Usually created and given away by other Second Life residents.
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New Second Life residents.
- 9.
German discount grocery store chain, now owned by Netto Marken-Discount AG & Co. KG.
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A direct Link to a Second Life location provided with a SLurl (Second Life URL).
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Berlin-based rock radio station (www.starfm.de).
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A mixture of short avatar animation, text chat, and sound effects.
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Famous evangelistic Church in Berlin (www.marienkirche-berlin.de).
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Clock which displays the time for many places around the world. It is also a famous meeting point at the Alexanderplatz.
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Materialize premade grouped and/or scripted objects by putting them on the simulator by dragging them from their inventory onto the virtual ground.
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LSL, linden scripting language: Second Life programming language to alter Second Life objects and other interactions.
- 17.
An artwork with an artificial intelligence chatbot software, created by Jan Northoff, Frank Wittig, and the.0 artist group.
- 18.
Institution in Berlin with contemporary art exhibitions, discourse, publications, and Artothek.
- 19.
A famous Chirch in Berlin Alexanderplatz.
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Artificial word of mixture machine cinema and animation.
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Berlin International Film Festival.
- 22.
Slow reaction or occasional freezing of the avatar.
- 23.
Virtual brithdays: the date of the “birth” of an avatar.
- 24.
Internet slang: a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, insulting, or off-topic messages in an online community.
- 25.
For example, putting car merchandising at the boundaries of race games or let them even sponsor an advanced race car.
- 26.
Several different “OpenSim” servers connected to a “3D Network”.
- 27.
The convergence and mixture of all virtual worlds, virtual reality, and the Internet itself.
- 28.
Pictures optimized for 3D content creation.
- 29.
Second Life object visitors can tip other residents.
- 30.
OpenSim module developed by Dr. Crista Lopes, an associate professor in the School of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Irvine.
References
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Northoff, J. (2014). Business Meets Community in Virtual Berlin. In: Hebbel-Seeger, A., Reiners, T., Schäffer, D. (eds) Synthetic Worlds. Integrated Series in Information Systems, vol 33. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6286-6_13
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