About Me

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Australian philosopher, literary critic, legal scholar, and professional writer. Based in Newcastle, NSW. My latest books are THE TYRANNY OF OPINION: CONFORMITY AND THE FUTURE OF LIBERALISM (2019); AT THE DAWN OF A GREAT TRANSITION: THE QUESTION OF RADICAL ENHANCEMENT (2021); and HOW WE BECAME POST-LIBERAL: THE RISE AND FALL OF TOLERATION (2024).

Monday, May 22, 2006

Second Life - this could get addictive!



Some of my colleagues at IEET, particularly Giulio Prisco, have used the Second Life reality to set up a virtual-reality meeting space, so I've registered there and am trying to figure out how it all works.

Learning how to control an avatar, making it walk, fly, or teleport around this alternative reality, is a challenge at first. It's also a challenge just designing an avatar. I've been trying, with my limited artistic talent, to create a somewhat idealised (of course) but faintly-recognisable image of myself. I think enough is enough, and maybe I should stick with the current version.

Giulio took me on a virtual tour of the dives of Amsterdam the other day, but I haven't yet figured out how to soar and roam by myself beyond the safe space of the island where IEET has its meeting hall. I can already see, however, how this could get addictive.