From today’s ChangeWaves
<http://changewaves.socialtechnologies.com>posting, Vodafone has released a new service in Second Life called
“InsideOut”. Users inside Second Life will be able to “send and receive messages on virtual mobiles to real mobile phones outside Second Life, and visa versa”. A virtual handset is available from Vodafone’s site inside Second Life.
What’s more, users will be able to communicate from their real mobiles using their avatar identity…another example of the blurring between virtual and real identities.
This is an interesting move, and I would suggest that voice communication between virtual and real identities may well be next.
On the subject of blurring identiies, Chris De Wolfe, co-founder of MySpace is quoted in this
article<http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/dec/03/mondaymediasection.internet>
“More than ever, social networks are blurring online and offline worlds, evolving into social destinations that are driving the direction of the larger web and affecting industries like advertising, music and politics.”
These developments provide further evidence of three drivers of change:
- the mobile internet;
- established communications and media firms incorporating social networks
into their business models
- blurring of identity between the virtual and real worlds.
