We held the first session of the “Virtual Worlds Symposium” yesterday. Dr. Charles Cardwell spoke at the beginning of the session, setting the stage for our discussion of “Philosophical Issues Raised by Virtual Worlds.” (You can download a copy of the notes he handed out.)
Dr. Cardwell suggested the following points for our first discussion:

1. Virtual worlds offer an alternate medium for communication. This new medium seemingly comes at the cost of previous forms, most especially face-to-face communication. Is this something that we as a society should embrace?
2. The economic activity of virtual worlds is now in excess of $1bn… and growing rapidly. What will be the economic impact on real world governments in lost tax revenues and what effects could this have on society as a result?
3. Do the roles that people play in virtual worlds “cross the membrane” and affect behavior in the “real” world? If crimes are committed that result in real losses, who has jurisdiction and how can punishment or restitution be compelled?
4. Because of the level of immersion and realism in virtual worlds, “toxic scenarios” are a possibility. People could be lured into a “bad” reality and become addicted to the experience. Terrorist could use virtual worlds to completely immerse themselves in an environment in preparation for an attack on a real world site. Military organizations commonly use virtual reality simulations to train troops. Should we be concerned about the potential negative uses of virtual worlds and if so, what should we do?
5. What can virtual worlds teach us about “real” life and the human condition?

We broke into two groups and had a lively and wide-ranging discussion of the impact of virtual world technology.

If you have an interest in virtual worlds, I encourage you to read “Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games” by Edward Castronova. There are still a few copies of this book at the PSTCC Bookstore on the Hardin Valley campus. This is the book that sparked the interest that led to the “Virtual Worlds Symposium.”

Please join us for the next session on Tuesday March 27 when Dr. David Howell will start our conversation on “Religions and Virtual Worlds.”

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[Added by Donn King] The Conversation Café format definitely brought out and clarified the thinking about virtual worlds. One group in particular (the one I was in) had a lot of concerns about whether virtual worlds would worsen problems of disconnect and escapism in our society. Those concerns are well-placed in the sense that we need to be thinking about such things–the questions are more important than coming up with answers. (I will take advantage of being an author in this blog to say that I offered the opinion that virtual worlds are moving us back in the direction of more connectedness on a human level, though it will never be like it was before electronic communication came to us.) Ultimately, I think, we came away with greater understanding of the questions, and once again, that is more valuable (in my opinion) than coming up with the answers.

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