Second Life unveils Showcase

A new 3-D guide is being added to Second Life to further enhance the virtual world, Linden Lab announced at a press conference Nov. 19.

Second Life Showcase will be a place to highlight the best of the virtual world's user-created regions and "(make) it easier for people in Second Life to find cool and exciting content," Second Life Editor Brett Atwood said.

Second Life is a 3-D online world developed by Linden Lab where users from more than 100 countries across the globe can create, build and personalize a virtual life and space.

In addition to highlighting user-created builds, the new Showcase program will feature daily "hot spots" for Second Life users to visit. The new guide is accessible from the Second Life Web site and also within the Second Life program.

"Showcase is the go-to destination for enhancing virtual world exploration," Atwood said. "We think that it will be something that will benefit people who have an interest in virtual environments."

Before the launch of Showcase, some areas in Second Life have been hidden, Atwood said. Since the launch, the program has had a "huge impact" in driving traffic to the showcased builds.

The featured areas will be refreshed about two times a week, he said. The fashion and music categories of Showcase are two of the big current hot spots. However, Showcase also features hot spots from other categories including education and nonprofit.

The best of user-created videos in the emerging Machinima format will also be highlighted. Machinima enables users to create and record their own movies within programs such as Second Life. Avator-based performances can be recorded and then edited into a digital production that can be shared on the Internet.

The 3-D environment is continuing to grow. Atwood said one study found that the amount of physical virtual space within the Second Life Grid platform has actually become larger than some countries. This means there are a lot of areas to explore and Showcase allows users to “surf round” the virtual world, the same way one uses a T.V. channel guide, Atwood said.

"Showcase is meant to be a place that only sponsors the best," Atwood said.

The program has been in development for almost a year in various levels, he said. Throughout that time, categories were revised and functionality was improved.

Showcase was created as part of Linden Lab's "ongoing drive toward creating a richer, more immersive virtual environment," according to a press release.

Second Life had a high of 78,000 concurrent users in the week before the launch of Showcase, Atwood said. The program is also closing in on approximately 20 million downloads.

Ferdinand's Ice Cream Shoppe a WSU tradition

Once upon a time in Spain, there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand.

This little bull, who liked to sit beneath a cork tree and smell flowers, is the namesake of the Washington State University ice cream shop.

With eight flavors of cheese and more than 20 flavors of ice cream, Ferdinand's has been a staple on the WSU campus since the 1940s. Part of the larger WSU creamery organization, the shop’s name comes from the 1938 Disney short cartoon, “Ferdinand the Bull,” according to the creamery’s Web site. The full story is displayed through illustrated frames on the shop's walls.

"I think the products make the creamery special," Ferdinand’s supervisor Eric L. Needham said. "Canned cheese is rare. The flavor of the cheese is excellent and the ice cream is excellent. All the products are very good."

The creamery's most famous product is Cougar Gold, a sharp white cheddar cheese aged for a year and sold in 30 ounce cans. The cheese was a product of research sponsored during the forties by the United States government and the American Can Company. The goal was to develop a canned cheese that could be shipped overseas to troops without producing gas. Dr. N.S. Golding eventually helped create the now famous cheese, hence the name.

Since its invention, the recipe and bacteria used to make the cheese has been cultured for 60 years, Needham said.

"Cougar Gold is a tradition," he said. "A lot of alumni come back and visit the creamery for the cheese and the ice cream."

In addition to Cougar Gold and other cheeses, Ferdinand’s also sells ice cream products, such as milkshakes and ice cream sodas, and Cougar brand sausages.

"Ferdinand's is a great place to have on campus," Ferdinand's employee Chris W. Westerman said. "It's a fun place for students to come and grab an ice cream cone between classes. Customers can also watch the cheese and ice cream being made in the observation room."

Though his favorite cheese is Hot Pepper and his favorite ice cream is Tin Lizzy, Westerman said, there are so many options, customers come in and need a few minutes just to take everything in. One wall is covered with possible milkshake flavors, there's a cheese case full of different flavors, and of course, the ice cream cabinet.

On home football game weekends, Ferdinand's is open for four hours before kickoff and the line always stretches out the door, Westerman said.

Originally housed in Troy Hall, the creamery moved to its current location near the Food Science & Human Nutrition building in May 1992. Beginning in the late seventies, cheese was made at the creamery year-round and the revenue from the cheese and ice cream sales was enough to support the creamery and its research.

Needham's favorite part about working at Ferdinand's is serving the customers.

"The ice cream and cheese really make them happy," he said. "It's fun selling quality products."

The creamery produces approximately 250,000 cans of cheese each year, 82 percent of which is Cougar Gold, Needham said. The creamery used to employ about 30 part-time students, but the number has grown to about 50.

"I love working at Ferdinand's," Westerman said. "Years from now, I’ll be able to say I was part of a great WSU tradition."

The story of Ferdinand the Bull ends with him being taken back to his home pasture after he refused to fight at the bull fights in Spain.

Now he just sits and smells the flowers. He is very happy.

What's Happening to the News?

Within the first few minutes of the opening segment, it is said that the practice of applying the same standards to entertainment as news, is one of the greatest tragedies in journalism. This is one of the things that struck me most from the Frontline documentary. Standards for news have shifted, especially online when it's all about trying to get click-throughs and catch attention. The internet has certainly been good for journalism is some ways as well. There can now be instant updates and stories constantly develop through the day. But being a fan of traditional print journalism, the online trend leaves me concerned.

The President of ABC said he thinks news is what matters to people, and that's why so many broadcast stations have entertainment type stories. However, I would argue that in addition to what matters to people, journalists should take into account what should matter to people and also report on those issues.

I also find it interesting that most of the news content from online and broadcast stories still depends on the reporting done by print journalists. It's a weird relationship because while online coverage depends on newspapers, it is also threatening them. What will happen when newspapers become irrelevant and fold when they can't make a profit. Where will the reporting come from then?

One of the positive things about the internet is that the unlimited space allows for the expanded range of coverage. However, one of the biggest negatives I see is the fact that there are also no limits to the internet. Anyone can put forth something they call news and it can spread rapidly, but the accuracy and relevance of such stories is questionable. The creator of Rocketboom said he has never even thought about journalism and what that means. Without standards, there is nothing to prevent news from being corrupted. News should be trustworthy, but the internet with its openness to anyone and everyone can't offer this. Print journalism can, but it's a dying field.

International News Assignment

Observations:
In general, I think a lot of the news organizations outside the U.S. have a greater focus on international news. BBC News is one of my favorite sources of news because they have comprehensive international coverage. I think that of the sites, they are also the most objective. The others sites, I would not say are biased, but they definitely present the news from a different viewpoint. In some cases the government also seems a bit glorified. On the other had, I also think these organizations sometimes present news in a more straightforward fashion than you find in the United States. There is less sensationalism for some stories.

1. How effective do you think the Internet will be for Al Jazeera as it attempts to reach a U.S. audience?

I don't think it will be very effective in its attempts to reach a U.S. audience. Even though it is available on the web, I think few Americans are going to be drawn to the site because of its negative connotations, even though many views of the station may be unfounded. Because they are using the internet, if users do stumble upon it, it will also be very easy for them to leave. On the internet, Al Jazeera must be found in order to be viewed and I don't see many Americans seeking it out.

2. Based on your own observations, do you think that Al Jazeera English should be allowed to broadcast in the U.S.?

I think they should be allowed to broadcast in the United States because I am a strong proponent of free speech. No one would be forced to watch it, it would be possible to change the station or turn it off. As long as they are not inciting violence or doing a different activity in violation of free speech, they should be able to broadcast just like any other international organization. From my observations, though coming from a different viewpoint there is nothing really objectionable about the station.

3. What, if anything, do you notice about Al Jazeera's approach to telling the news? How is it different than the U.S.-based TV news outlets that you have experienced?

Al Jazeera's approach is different in the sense that it comes from a different viewpoint than American news. Al Jazeera's approach definitely comes with more of an emphasis on the Middle East perspective. I don't think this is a good or bad thing, it just means the news is funneled through a different lens. Also, I find it interesting that while American news doesn't focus on international stories as much, Al Jazeera does to an extent, though there is definitely also a specific focus on the Middle East.

4. While on the Al Jazeera site, be sure to check out the network's published Code of Ethics. Based on your own observations, do you think they are adhering to them?

I thinking they are doing what they can to adhere to them. Overall their coverage seems fair and balanced, and is at least as objective as American news is. Again, it just comes from a different perspective. While watching the site, you wouldn't necessarily think this is a broadcast with a particular agenda, it seems like many other international news agencies. Their Code of Ethics holds them to quite a high standard and I think yes, they are adhering to it as much as is possible based upon the limitations of being human.

In-class research exercise

1) Pullman is listed as having 4 hate crimes for the year 2006. This seems fairly typical when compared to other cities in the states. Most have less than four reported hate crime and only a few cities have more. In 2007, the number of hate crimes rose by one. Most of the other moderate size cities still have four or less. The number is higher, generally, as the population of the cities increase.

The most common kind of hate crime was racially motivated and classified as single-bias incidents. This was the case for both 2006 and 2007. More than half of the reported hate crimes were racially motivated.

2) Dino Rossi received the highest political contributions in 2008. He received $7,587,579.

His highest industry contribution came from Health Professionals which gave $15, 330.

The highest industry contributions for Gregoire came from lawyers and lobbyists. This industry gave $55,110.

The Republican part received the most money from the forestry and forest products industry. Republicans also received the most money from the lobbyist and public relations industry.

3) Digital video recorder: http://www.google.com/patents?id=N7h1AAAAEBAJ&dq=%22digital+video+recorder%22

Social networking: http://www.google.com/patents?id=fVsGAAAAEBAJ&dq=%22social+networking%22

Automobile: http://www.google.com/patents?id=Kh9TAAAAEBAJ&dq=%22automobile%22