Learning about Kitely - Part 3 - Learning and Teaching in Virtual World

Learning about Kitely - Part 3

7/10/2011

Many people think that look is not important in teaching in Virtual World (VW). For me it is important. Ha ha ha.... Not that I don't know "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" . I know that perfectly but it is a bad idea to look horrible all the time in VW.

So when I logged in for the first time in Kitely world, the first thing I did, like all women would probably do, was to use camera control to look at my face. I screamedddddd in RL. As a newbie in Kitely I looked like a ghost. (Look 1) This avatar package named Paula was not friendly at all. Her eyes were all black, the lips were oversized, the body was not proportional, the head was small and you name it. I didn't like every aspect of Paula.

I checked my inventory and library, nothing was there except Paula package. I had my first stress in Kitely. I knew that it was time for me to learn how to make my own avatar, something I never do in Second Life because I always buy what I need there.

After one hour of searching and learning, I managed to upload free skin and eye textures. Then I applied the textures in the new skin and new eye. Not bad at all, in one hour I could transform myself from a ghost avatar to a cartoon avatar. I didn't know that an avatar's skin contains three seperate textures. I made my own black eye texture using Paint Shop Pro and I found a more realistic free skin to upload. I changed the avatar shape to match my Second Life avatar, wore the new skin and eyes...Voila.... I looked like MYSELF (Inspired by Google Profile's BRAG rights)

33 Comments

Eurominuteman

7/9/2011 10:55:01 pm

OpenAvatar helps to avoid vendor lock-in, and improve appearance...
http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2011/07/openavatar-could-help-avoid-vendor-lock-in-improve-appearance/

James OReilly

2/22/2012 12:58:10 am

Learning about Kitely - Part 4
http://inesogura.weebly.com/2/post/2011/07/learning-about-kitely-part-4.html

7/9/2011 11:37:21 pm

Opensim is structurally different to Second Life. Kitely is a utility provider, like my phone company or power company. And you provide value-add services on top of the utility provider using the open source software Opensim. So you need Terms of Use, Rules of Conduct, and Privacy Terms for your world now, which includes all the rules you want, including the interface processes with Facebook. Example: http://ht.ly/4GpRG

7/9/2011 11:38:57 pm

Opensim is a different animal, e.g. Opensim Licensing of Content is also a big issue. Content Creator Licensing Requirements http://ht.ly/4PEig

Ilan Tochner link

7/10/2011 12:45:17 am

Hi James,

Your world's visitors need to agree to Kitely Terms of Service to use Kitely so, while you can define your own Terms of Use, Rules of Conduct and Privacy Terms, you don't have to.

Kitely's Terms: http://www.kitely.com/#!terms

Kitely's Privacy Policy: http://www.kitely.com/#!privacy

7/10/2011 12:58:40 am

Kitely and Amazon are a utility providers, like power companies. If you enter my office and turn the light on, you are governed by my terms, and not by the terms of the power company...

7/10/2011 02:16:41 am

Hi James,

While you are correct about the example you gave you missed one part in the analogy. Every visitor to your world has to be a Kitely user before they can visit it. That means that they need to comply with Kitely's terms if they are to use Kitely.

As the world manager you have the complete right to define your own terms but they don't absolve the people who visit your world on Kitely from continuing to comply with Kitely's terms of service as well.

7/10/2011 04:58:34 am

Well, I purchased those region authorities that provides a value-add service on top of the services of a utility provider of my choice...

And the utility agreement is between the utility provider and me... like a power utility provider...

The paying client and visitor is attracted by the value-add service and doesn't care who is the utility provider. I dont care either, by the way...

My value-add service terms are not contingent or sub-ranked under utility provider terms...

My due procurement policy ways lean on Semester 1 Microeconomic contingencies, and not on monopoly or vendor lock-in policies...

I would say that client-centered requirements management is the resulting policy...

You would need to relax your policies regarding any vendor lock-in of visitors...

And maybe check if your definition is consistent with:

OECD Information and Telecommunications Policy http://www.oecd.org/department/0,3355,en_2649_34223_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

OECD Consumer Policy Toolkit http://www.oecd.org/document/34/0,3746,en_2649_34267_44074466_1_1_1_1,00.html

7/10/2011 05:31:15 am

Hi James,

What vendor lock in are you talking about? :-)

Kitely allows people to import and export data using OpenSim standard formats. Our terms of service are amongst the most flexible of all virtual world providers (see: http://blog.kitely.com/2011/04/29/terms-of-service/).

The people who enter your worlds are not just your worlds visitors. They create their own Kitely accounts and therefor must abide by Kitely's terms of service. This is exactly the same as on any other website including ones providing software as a service.

If you rent a server directly from a data center (so your users don't create an account with your service provider) both you and all your users must still comply with that data centers terms of use. If, for example, the data center does not permit using its severs for sending out email spam then even if your terms of service for your own users permit them to do so you will be held accountable if any one of them breaks the data centers' terms of service. The same goes for your electricity provider (connecting appliances that put too much stress on the power grid), phone provider (operating illegal business using the phone network), etc.

No matter what service you use, either you or your users will be held accountable for your users' actions. This means that while you can dictate your own terms of use, you and all your visitors will still need to comply with your service provider's terms of use as well.

If you think otherwise, here's a challenge for you: find me a legal business that knowingly allows you to enable your users to do anything outside that service providers' terms of service. A services terms of service serve a purpose of protecting a service from liability, thinking that a business will take legal or financial risks for your benefit is unrealistic.

7/10/2011 05:32:39 am

The specific role as Grid Operator (Utility Provider) also tangents Opensim Licensing considerations in virtual worlds, which should not overlap in-appropriately to Content Creator rights and obligations... http://www.scribd.com/doc/39525822/Licensing-Considerations-Virtual-Worlds-02-2010

During the Beta phase, these questions and policy definitions might need better scrutiny in order to avoid inconsistencies at a later stage... this is in the interest of all, in my mind...

7/10/2011 05:40:16 am

Again, there are many utility markets, e.g. telephone services, natural gas, electricity, that have specific role definitions and policies...

A visitor of my office is inside my domain and is not affected by utility provider terms, even if that visitor has a utility account at the same power company...

7/10/2011 06:11:45 am

All in all, it seems that the only internationally accepted definitions of roles and policies for grid operators & utility providers in the Internet domain is that of OECD...

I mean, I would expect that these OECD people have already done their homework, so that we don't have re-invent the wheel and risk any dissens situation...

Can you conclusively validate that Kitely role definitions and policies, as laid down in those Kitely terms, are consistent with OECD ones?

7/10/2011 06:11:47 am

Hi James,

I believe you are mistaken:

For example, lets say you lease a phone line for your office from a phone company and that phone company does not allow using its network for conducting illegal business (this clause exists in the small print of many phone company agreements). That clause does not just limit you as the person who signed the agreement but also anyone you let use that phone line including your employees, customers or even just a person your receptionist allowed to use the phone line. If they break the law using the phone line then the phone company can go after you for breaking their terms of service. If you state that it wasn't you but someone else using your line with your permission then they can decide to go after that person as well (most likely they will just sue you). Everyone who uses your utility provider must therefore comply with the utility provider's terms of service even if you allowed them to use the utility for things that fall outside those terms - or someone will be held accountable for it.

7/10/2011 06:24:44 am

Hi James,

Kitely is an Israel registered company with servers in the United States providing services to an international customer base. We comply with all laws that apply to us.

I would love to see you point out any OECD polices that state that an entity using the services of another entity can permit a third party to use the second entity's services in ways that are against that entity's terms of use.

The existence of such a policy would make contractual laws in OECD countries a farce as it would allow anyone to ignore service agreements by going thru a third party to break the agreed upon terms of service.

7/10/2011 06:33:59 am

It's in your sustainable interest to conclusively validate consistency with OECD role definitions and policies...

I mean, its about dissens-free definitions, which saves costs and nerves in the end... so I don't see a farce in this...

Thumb-twiddling things doesn't sound good. On the contrary, it would the real McCoy for your quality and branding efforts...

7/10/2011 07:02:05 am

Indeed, that OECD policy link factually EXISTS... No doubt, here it is... they even use the word POLICY... the top article addresses virtual worlds straightaway...

OECD Information and Telecommunications Policy http://www.oecd.org/department/0,3355,en_2649_34223_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

7/10/2011 07:04:19 am

Hi James,

We may have been caught unprepared when we just came out but once we got going we made sure to do things right.

Our Terms of Service were created by GKH (http://www.gkh-law.com/) one of Israel's leading corporate law firms. As of last year, Israel is also an OECD member. You can rest assured that our terms and policies were designed to comply with all applicable laws.

I was not stating that your inquiry regarding our policies is a farce - I believe it is a valid line of questioning.

I was stating that had OECD policies required companies to allow indirect access of their services in ways that goes against the terms they defined for using those services it would have made a farce of OECD contractual laws. Do you not agree?

Do you think there is an OECD policy that states that a utility provider can't define how its utility can't be used by its customers or their customers? Note I'm not stating a utility provider can always define what its service can be used for just what it can't be used for.

Once the restrictions are agreed upon by the entity using the utility then that entity can't just decide to let others ignore the restrictions it agreed to when using the utility.

7/10/2011 07:07:52 am

Hi James,

The link you provided is broken (it gives a 404 error):

http://www.oecd.org/department/0,3355,en_2649_34223_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

Please provide a link that works and give the section names/numbers you believe support your claims.

7/10/2011 07:56:44 am

I'm sure you prefer the risk-free side :-) A mix of cross-border issues are indeed addressed...

Long
http://www.oecd.org/department/0,3355,en_2649_34223_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

Short
http://ht.ly/5AVVr

Even if you were a previous SL avatar or a newcomer to virtual worlds, it makes sense to get a wake-up call from some delusionary virtual world lullabies sung by Linden Lab and some emerging rogue providers nowadays... We don't need that brand...

I have a mounting number of cases listed at:

Immersive World Consumer Protection
http://www.facebook.com/groups/immersiveworld.consumerprotection

7/10/2011 08:12:04 am

Hi James,

I agree. People need to know what they and their users are responsible for when they use virtual worlds. Disregard for IP rights and other forms of illegal conduct are not acceptable just because some people use avatar identities.

To my knowledge, we comply with all the laws that are applicable to us and we require people using our system to do the same. If there is some applicable law that we are breaking I would appreciate knowing about it so we can immediately act to remedy the situation.

7/11/2011 01:29:24 am

I am not talking on breaching law as a focus.

I am talking about the reduction of role overlaps and policy inconsistencies in IT service management... from the win/win viewpoint of IT Infrastructure Library ITIL...

This is a piece of quality management to reduce dissens risks...

Civil and penal litigation is a SYMPTOM of not observing win/win driven risk management CAUSES.

7/11/2011 01:34:12 am

This is proactive and preventive, and not reactive... Reactive is too late...

7/11/2011 01:48:58 am

This is not about wearing a developer's hat, and an attitude of reactive bug fixing.

It's about organizational structure and its constitutional design...

7/11/2011 09:09:55 am

Hi James,

As I stated previously:

- We retained the services of one of Israel's leading corporate law firms to make sure that we comply with all applicable laws.

- We designed our Terms of Service after doing our due diligence on the needs of our various potential customers and made sure that they liked what we created.

I'm not quite sure what you are trying to achieve by continuing this particular thread. What exactly, in actionable terms, do you think we should be doing differently?

This entire thread began by me stating that people using Kitely need to comply with Kitely's Terms of Service. Unless I've missed your meaning completely, this has turned into a discussion about the general need to follow third-party policies. If you believe that there is some Kitely policy that we should change then please state it.

7/11/2011 02:19:02 pm

Yes, Terms of Service is the issue. And those terms define basic roles and the policies those roles follow.

Yes, there are higher-level policies, namely OECD policies... and Israel is a member of OECD...

Why don't you Explicitly Underline that the advantage of your Terms is that they are aligned to higher-level OECD policies that give you the clout for international and cross-border operations as win/win utility provider in virtual worlds?

It would NOT be False to refer to such a basic assumption, as it also relays the message that such basic assumptions and policies also serve and are compatibel with the OECD purpose of Consumer Protection in virtual worlds.

Consumer Policy Toolkit

Long
http://www.oecd.org/document/34/0,3746,en_2649_34267_44074466_1_1_1_1,00.html

Short
http://ht.ly/5C47C

Many competitors lack this marketing clarity...

7/11/2011 02:44:56 pm

I added you as member of...

Immersive World Consumer Protection
http://www.facebook.com/groups/immersiveworld.consumerprotection

7/11/2011 03:15:30 pm

Hi James,

Thank you for explaining your intentions more clearly. I agree that the type of explanation you suggested can be valuable for individuals and organizations who are considering their virtual-world service provider options.

7/11/2011 06:14:00 pm

Here is the group description...

We are concerned with Bona Fide Consumer Protection, Trust, Security, Licensing, and Risk Management in Immersive Worlds.

This is a place for Transparency, Integrity, and Accountability in these Issues.

We don't need Rogue Grid Operators & Service Providers, Mock & Fake Sim Operators and Content Creators, Hack-Capable Grid/Hypergrid Versions or Builds, or any other Limited Value Arrangements.

Mission Targets

- Establish & Operate a Forum for the Publication of Consumer Protection Abuses
- Establish & Operate a Forum for the Publication of Consumer Protection Remedies
(Consumer Education & Awareness, Information Disclosure & Other Measures, Contract Terms Regulation, Cooling-Off Approaches, Moral Suasion, Codes of Conduct & Trustmarks, Standards, Licensing & Accreditation of Firms or Providers, Financial Instruments, Prohibitions, Dispute Resolution & Redress Mechanisms, Enforcement Strategies)
- Establish & Operate a System for Immersive World Customer Protection Ranking
- Act as Sounding Board for Due Commercial Dis-Appraisal & Reverse Burden-of-Proof Obligations

Breen Whitman

8/16/2011 08:05:57 pm

@Eurominuteman "We don't need Rogue Grid Operator".

Who is "we"?

ANd by OECD do you mean "The OECD has been criticised by several civil society groups and developing countries. The main criticism has been the narrowness of the OECD because of its limited membership to a select few rich nations.[25] In 1997–1998, the draft Multilateral Agreement on Investment was heavily criticized by several non-governmental organisations and developing countries. Many critics argued that the agreement would threaten protection of human rights, labor and environmental standards, and the least developed countries. A particular concern was that the MAI would result in a 'race to the bottom' among countries willing to lower their labor and environmental standards to attract foreign investment."

In short, the OECD is a rich nations sock puppet.

Why don't you stop pasting your link trolling shit James?

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Learning about Kitely - Part 3

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