Interview with Crap Mariner on Second Life

Yesterday I sent private meaasge to 10 ireporters on CNN. But no one write back to me. So I just search thier names in SL and IM them. Two people added me and were eager to take the interview.

The following is the interview with Crap Mariner

- Instant message logging enabled --
[21:40] alicealice Zepp: Hello : )
[21:40] alicealice Zepp: Thanks for friendship!
[21:41] Crap Mariner: yw
[21:41] Crap Mariner: how may i be of assistance?
[21:41] alicealice Zepp: Well, I am a english major students
[21:42] alicealice Zepp: I am doing project about CNN ireporters report SL stories
[21:42] alicealice Zepp: COuld I ask some questions, let you show your experience? : )
[21:42] Crap Mariner: certainly.
[21:43] alicealice Zepp: Thanks!
[21:43] alicealice Zepp: Fiest of all, why do you want to be a ireporter?
[21:44] Crap Mariner: iReport.com has a large audience. If I have a story to tell, it's a good way to get it heard and viewed widely.
[21:44] alicealice Zepp: Yes, CNN is an international media
[21:45] alicealice Zepp: And what is your mission as an ireporter? : )
[21:46] Crap Mariner: I think it's to show that there are things in SL that would be interesting to people not a part of it yet. So many stories in the media are about the nasty side of SL. The few stories I have done, it's about the good side.
[21:47] alicealice Zepp: Ok. so you want to let more people to know the interesting and good part of SL?
[21:47] Crap Mariner: Yes.
[21:47] alicealice Zepp: I think it is good!
[21:47] alicealice Zepp: Then, do you know your readers?
[21:48] alicealice Zepp: thier age group and social background?
[21:49] Crap Mariner: I really don't know their demographics. There were a lot of viewers of the US Holocaust Museum piece. Some of them were quite dismissive and rude, but I've found that there are always hateful people i nthe world. I just brush them off, do what I do, and figure that their hate will one day be their undoing.
[21:49] Crap Mariner: Today's horrors in Washington reminded me of that piece I did on the museum in SL.
[21:49] alicealice Zepp: Ya
[21:50] alicealice Zepp: I think you hold serious attitude your writing?
[21:51] Crap Mariner: I try to have a loose and relaxed, sometimes silly feel in my writing. Hunter S, Thompson is a hero of mine, and his gonzo style demonstrates the thrill of a journalist writing with a narcassistic approach. But there are times when you have to be serious.
[21:52] alicealice Zepp: I think it is good. Both entertaining, relaxing and serious
[21:53] alicealice Zepp: And I notice your two articles about SL are on CNN, Good job!
[21:54] Crap Mariner: They were featured prominently, yes. I am grateful they gave attention to those efforts. The US Holocaust Museum in SL is an amazing build with purpose.
[21:54] Crap Mariner: i do it not for attention to myself, but for what i report on.
[21:55] alicealice Zepp: Ya, but there are so many articles in ireports everyday, to be selected on CNN is still a nice thing
[21:55] Crap Mariner: i keep meaning to do another. when i have the time and something is important to me, i will.
[21:56] alicealice Zepp: Do you have any idea about which kind of article can be selected on CNN?
[21:56] Crap Mariner: I am unaware of their selection or editorial process.
[21:57] alicealice Zepp: Ok
[21:57] alicealice Zepp: And, you like take adventure in SL and find your topic?
[21:59] Crap Mariner: Topics find me. They spark ideas.
[21:59] alicealice Zepp: Ya, it is good
[22:00] Crap Mariner: Every so often I get an idea... sometimes, I finish it, but often I just blog it and move on.
[22:00] Crap Mariner: Takes me about an hour to write, record, and edit a video piece. I work very fast.
[22:01] alicealice Zepp: You are a good writer then! For , when I write papers I work really slowly XDD
[22:02] alicealice Zepp: Are you a writer in RL? Or does you work have some relation with writing and reporting?
[22:02] Crap Mariner: I do a lot of writing in RL. Not professionally. A hobby.
[22:02] Crap Mariner: stories 100 words long
[22:03] alicealice Zepp: Um
[22:03] alicealice Zepp: Then, what the amazing part of reporting SL stories?
[22:04] alicealice Zepp: Personaly you feel......?
[22:04] Crap Mariner: Each thing I write about is important to me personally.
[22:04] alicealice Zepp: OK
[22:04] alicealice Zepp: is there any limitation of CNN ireports?
[22:05] Crap Mariner: I am not sure.
[22:05] Crap Mariner: But when I reach that limit, I am sure they will let me know ;)
[22:05] alicealice Zepp: XDDDDDDD
[22:06] alicealice Zepp: yesterday I sent a message for you on CNN ireport
[22:06] alicealice Zepp: But the deadline of the project is coming!
[22:06] alicealice Zepp: So I come to Second Life and take interview! XDD
[22:07] Crap Mariner: ;)
[22:07] alicealice Zepp: My group member have not finish the questionnaire
[22:08] alicealice Zepp: after she finished it, could you spend some time answer some more questuins?
[22:08] alicealice Zepp: It is all about CNN ireporters
[22:08] alicealice Zepp: just tell us your experience and feeling of be a ireporter!
[22:09] alicealice Zepp: I hope it wont bother you
[22:12] Crap Mariner: please do so
[22:12] Crap Mariner: crapmariner@isfullofcrap.com
[22:12] alicealice Zepp: Thanks a lot!
[22:12] Crap Mariner salutes
[22:13] alicealice Zepp: Finally, if is ok can I take some pictures with you in SL?
[22:13] Crap Mariner: i am about to go to sleep. perhaps tomorrow?
[22:13] Crap Mariner: there are many of my avatar in my flickr site. look for username isfullofcrap
[22:14] alicealice Zepp: OK, thanks a lot, you are grest help!
[22:14] Crap Mariner: feel free to use any. it's easy to find my av,
[22:14] alicealice Zepp: Thank you^^
[22:14] Crap Mariner: yw
[22:14] alicealice Zepp: Good night~~
[22:14] Crap Mariner: and a good night to you as well

Discussion II

This week, Heather and I had discussed the questions for students. Our group’s topic is the difference between the English-teaching of RL and SL. First of all, we should make it clear that why students would like to choose on-line English learning on Second Life. What attract them to here and begin learning? Do teachers of SL use some tools and methods which are different from RL? Is on-line teaching more professional and effective? Is on-line teaching more interesting and entertaining? And also, we tried to focus on the feature of Sl. We think when people are using Second Life, they probably don’t pay much attention to it. For example, when one is using computer, he may also watch video games, check out emails and chat with others on MSN. Therefore, on-line learning is so free! There is no one watching you. How students face this existing problem and still learn a lot from SL? We are rally eager to know it! In the class, Brooke and Alina gave us some advice and helped us amend the questionnaire. Yet we have a big problem. Our urgent mission is to find the owner. But it seemed very difficult.

5/27 Second Life discussion!Yes, but where are the students?

Yes, but where are the students?

27, May, 2009, Group 4 decided what we will do for our final project. First we should find some English-learning organizations. Yes, obviously there are some in Second Life. But the big question is just like what Brooke said: no one is there. When we searched apart, the problem kept bothering me. However, I thought it could be better to put it aside and discuss our survey.
We should have a topic. And I wondered why people would like learn English in SL? I mean learning language in virtual world must be quietly different from learning in real world. So, what is the advantage of learning on line? Alina pointed out that we can ask about how they have classes, such as their way of teaching. I found it interested me a lot-how do those virtual schools follow their students’learning. To connect with people online sometimes may be difficult. Therefore, how do they overcome it and succeed in teaching online? Our group finally decided there will be two parts in our project. Two of us will focus on the organizations and the other will take the students part. We have to try to meet mangers and students. Yes, I am certainly sure that we will do it. Yes, but where are the students? Oh, I’d like to take to them and get some useful information!

Some vampires in SL

The blood fountains!



Vampires are dancing!


I have read some stories about vampires in RL since I was a little girl. Those books nourished my imagination. I could not avoid falling love with the romantic, mysterious stories. Now I am still interested in vampires and hope I will have chance to experience it. However, it seems impossible in my RL. Where can I find a vampire? Therefore I have been visiting a region in SL. It is owned by some vampires. They make the place extremely gruesome. You can see some graves and blood fountains here. There are some dark buildings and strange tools on the streets. The former make the place colorless, and the latter let people can not help but strongly feel the horrible atmosphere. I was a little scared. Somehow I thought they will suddenly show up and bite me or something, and I will inevitably become a vampire when I have no intention to be so.

But I was totally wrong. After I really knew them well I realized they are “nice vampires”. It means that they won’t bite you if you refuse to be a vampire. The leader of them is an elegant lady. She told me that I am safe in this region because everyone is nice here. She also told me that there are many factions of vampires in SL. Sometimes other vampires visit them and have fun together.

With my observation, I find them really doing what vampires ought to do. They hold queer ceremonies. They round in a circle and they curse a lot. But astonishingly, I find that when they are doing those activities, they don’t actually pay attention to it. Once they were dancing and they invited me to join them. With the vocal chat I realized that they are discussing one member’s personal life in RL. The man told us a sad story about his unhappy marriage, and it was no relation to vampires! One time a vampire showed me to their beautiful beach. It is a very wonderful place and I often see them play there. They act like normal human-beings at the beach. They often hold party there and they even take sun-bath at the beach! Well, have you ever heard about vampires enjoying the sun light?

I interviewed a British. He told me the reason why he became a vampire in SL is because he has to save his friend beaten by vampires. He became a vampire and he gained the power to redeem the girl’ soul. He also told me that some people chose to be vampires just for fun. And I believe that why they chose to be vampire in SL is because they wanted to try something new. But what brings more fun to them is still the normal interaction.

Some vampires in SL

I have been visiting a region in SL. It is owned by some vampires. They make the place extremely gruesome. You can see some graves and blood fountains here. There are some dark buildings and strange tools on the streets. The former make the place colorless, and the latter let people can not help but strongly feel the horrible atmosphere. I was a little scared. But after I really knew them well I threw this thought away. They are “nice vampires”. It means that they won’t bite you if you refuse to be a vampire. The leader of them is an elegant lady. She told me that I am safe in this region because everyone is nice here. She also told me that there are many factions of vampires in SL. Sometimes other vampires visit them and have fun together. And since they are nice vampires they will treat strangers kindly and respect their own will.

I find them really doing what vampires ought to do. They hold queer ceremonies. They round in a circle and they curse. But astonishingly I find that when they are doing those activities, they don’t pay attention to it. Once they were dancing and they invited me to join them. With the vocal chat I realized that they are discussing one member’s personal life in RL. And it was no relation to the SL and vampires! One vampire shows me to their beautiful beach. It is a very wonderful place and I often see they play there. They act like normal human-beings at the beach. Well, I think why they chose to be vampire in SL is because they wanted to try something new. But what brings more fun to them is still the normal interaction.

A Palace Grand Ballroom in SL

My exploration in SL started at a ballroom. I was new to this game, having no L$ and experience. I searched on the website and found that there are many events in SL. I decided to try it and find this place. The first time when I saw it I had the impression that I was in such an elegant place. It is really splendid and gallant. I wanted to enter the ballroom but the attendant prevented me from entering it. She acted nicely and politely but she insisted that I should wear formal dress. She then told me how to get a free gown in this palace. I was immersed in the elegant atmosphere and I went there again and again.

The ballroom in SL is just like a really good one. You can dance with your partner here. The attendants are all females. They are all good mannered and have been ordered to call us “Sir” and “Madam”. They are eager to show the courtesy to us. And actually they obey the rules which are suitable for the RL. Once I carried a tree on my body (it was due to my unfamiliarity with the manipulation), and I was in the ballroom. The attendants asked me to remove it or they would expel me from the place. I had difficulty in doing it, and suddenly I was expelled! The politeness and the efficiency always astonish me. Whatever I ask they are willing to do me a favor. And in fact I pay them nothing. There is a ballroom in SL which provides a place where people can enjoy the high class culture. People in it are not negligent in doing their job. They consider it not only a game but try to make it perfectly real. This kind of attitude in SL is interesting. People do things which they may have no chance to do in RL, and they want it to be as true as possible.

My some experiences in Second Life

My some experiences in Second Life
Before I started to play Second Life, Our professor warned us of the probable culture shock. I suddenly became worried about this game. However, after my exploration in it, I found there is no need to be anxious. The only thing I have to do is enjoying the fun and experiencing everything which is so new to me. I have known that there are many activities in Second Fife. I went to a place where we can dance. At the entrance I met some female attendants. They are all very nice and kind to me. Since I didn’t have the proper dress I couldn’t join the dance party. They therefore helped me to get a free one and directed some helpful position to me. A girl came from Singapore was really friendly and was eager to tell me her own experience in SL. And a Japanese girl was the first one who talked so much to me in SL. Everything was so strange to me at that time. I had difficulty in clicking rightly. I made some mistakes. Yet she didn’t tease me but teach me with patience. She told me that she went to SL because she wanted to practice her English. And I told her my why I went to SL was due to the assignment. Now I am very glad to have the special opportunity. This is such a new kind of studying for me.