Friday, December 28, 2007

transitions

Today was the day.

After 7 years, I no longer work at Linden Lab. It was surreal to get home last week and see myself on the television while carrying a banker's box of stuff from work, but all good things come to an end. Lot's of different writers have already weighed in on my departure and really I don't have anything more to say. Linden has great people working on an amazing product. I wish them all well.

This space is for what is next.

With this initial post, I wanted to take a moment to look at a few pieces of Second Life work that have appeared just as I leave Linden. First, MIT Press has published the MacArthur Series on Digital Media, including the Ecology of Games volume with my chapter, "Education Unleashed." Second, the journal Innovations: Technology, Governance, and Globalization just published my paper "Collapsing Geography," which this blog is named for.

As I ponder my future, I am most interested in continuing to explore how we -- how people -- can play, interact, connect, collaborate, learn, and innovate at a distance. How we can best leverage our myriad talents as a social species that are today so hamstrung by geographic distance.

I can't wait for 2008.

9 comments:

yolto.com said...

Hi, Cory.
I'm glad you have a blog now. We've included it in our feeds/news reader http://yolto.com , please keep all of us updated. If it's time to move on - it's time to move on, you know. :) Been there, done that maaany times. Stay positive, you did a great job and people will never forget it.

Regards, Alex

Dave Rickey said...

I'm doing the teaching thing myself next semester (not anywhere as prestigious as USC, though). If nothing else, it's a chance to practice my presentation skills with a captive audience.

I'm definitely interested in what you've got to say. I've come to the conclusion that most of what we've got right now (not just games, but much of the so-called Web 2.0 stuff) is demonstrations of a raw capability rather than a really complete system of social entertainment. But I've been afraid to talk about it because it seems too far out.

--Dave

Unknown said...

All the best Cory, have a great 2008!

Evonne @ Amoration said...

We're excited to have you down @ USC more often! Congrats on moving forward; I hope we can catch up here in LA and talk about these trajectories...my fascination is with the connection and the deeper bonding that happens through participatory play across time and space. We're into building more live/event/interactive art these days vs. overheated laptop play and I'd love to see what you'd do with interactive fogscreens making new inhabitable creatures appear.

Gwyneth Llewelyn said...

For seven years you've laboured hard to create a space to "play, interact, connect, collaborate, learn, and innovate at a distance". The space is now there. Thank you!

For 2008, I can only wish that you can spend at least another seven years studying how we humans, as a species, can take advantage of what you've built at Linden Lab.

Happy New Year — and a happy new phase of your life that begins today! I truly hope it'll be even more exciting (and probably less stressful, too!) as the phase you just have left — going from "toy-builder" towards "explorer of toys". Good luck and all the best!

RIP said...

Hi Cory
You want to be true to your convictions and really effect the way people interact worldwide. Then come look at the progress made by the volunteers of the OpenSim Project. This will be the next step in the natural evolution of the VW experience.

Oh Cory! Dont let moving on from SL bother you guy. Just remember this, If your not walking forward your growing roots, and you end up being a cut-off stump!

www.Osgrid.org & www.openlifegrid.com.

KS

Anonymous said...

Hei Cory. We got here in Brazil a blog based on SL and virtual worlds. Brazilian's know about your history and relevance on Second Life and Linden Lab, and felt sad with your Linden's shutdown. I'm particularly very glad to find you pretty new blog here. I know it isn't about SL but, wish to ask you about sharing your words to brazilian community. I just need your permission to translate your articles, with credits, to our blog. Will be a honor for us.

Best regards and a great 2008 to you!

Marcelo Posthorn
http://mundolinden.blogspot.com
mundolinden@yahoo.com.br
Brazil

Unknown said...

looking forward to even more great things springing from your brains and hands

realtime_me said...

hi,
just checked out this one...i guess felt a kind of coming home. n also the truth in the permanence of the saying" the more things change..."we all go thru these moments of change... and they help us metamorphose our facets.so transition be it, for change is the way of nature.