World of Warcraft Spam

I was wandering around the World of Warcraft created city of IronForge as my nearly erected gnome (which was a new experience for me being “inside” Alliance walls – I have a preference for the Scourge and Taurens – see images) … By the mailbox, a heavily populated area of the city, there popped up a level 1 “spam gnome” advertising for its website which farmed gold. This was the first time I had encountered an in-game spambot (I have yet to encounter one from the Horde’s perspective), and I could see that I was not the only one new to this, as curious level 60’s even nosed about.

The spambot was advertising in the “/say” channel, which meant that it was clogging up the message window, ultimtely altering the game experience (having to break out of what I was doing to “/ignore” the Spam bot, whose name was a long line of jibberish).

I had, up to this point (have played casually for about 4 months now), felt that WoW was somewhat a place of “escape” from advertising, though it seems to that this space is not able to escape market penetration (I am also finding that the sports team/s I play on and am playing against are degenerating more and more – with the players active billboard space, the better the player, the better the sponsor).

So, any comments or experiences of a similar nature are welcome  …

     

It’s not FIFA, but it looks like fun!!

It’s not computer games, but hey, it’s Football!!

3 years and running!! – The Eurowoman Street football tournament (for women only) took off today. Street style outfits were the main attraction, but hopefully the participants and spectators noticed the sweet manoeuvres and impressive teamwork from the amateur players. Hopefully such a tournament will open the doors for a serious women’s street football tournament in the near future.

As the organisers of the American counter-part note on their site www.sensationalstreetsoccer.com

“We want to create a day where several hundred women play against each other, hang out, win cool prizes, experience team bonding, feel the excitement to play in front of an audience and cheer at each other.”

There aren’t really that many spaces that women, especially women over 30, are seen in public playing in such active, competitive, and team based leisure activities — So, to the organisers, keep up the good work!!

Here are some little moments from today’s hur-rah! Including the political (Team “For bold – ikke vold” – “For football – not violence”), the first-row seats (nearly got flattened by a loose canon kicked from a defender) and the aggressive moves (which were everywhere!)

 

Big chance!!

So, if you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a pro gamer … or at least experiencing a slice of that lifestyle – here’s where to go. The girls gaming house is holding a contest with the grand prize of a weekend in the pro-gaming pad “The Home of Chrome”!

There’s only one catch – you can’t enter “yourself”, only a (girl)friend  (…cut to me, writing many MANY applications for myself and sending them to friends so they can “nominate” me )

 So, ENTER NOW! And tell me what it was like when you win!!

Computer Games – bringing people together

Whilst returning from wonderful France and waiting in the not so wonderful CDG airport, a little German fellow, about 10 years old, nearly fell over himself (and nearly crushed my ever so cheap shell lamp hang thing) whilst trying to lean over my Nintendo DS (and nearly head butting me in the process) to see what I was playing.

On seeing this his parents scornfully whipped him away whilst stating his name !!GUSTAV!! very loudly and very clearly (always more intimidating in another language), and I was left all the poorer. Isaac from “LostMagic” died (again) and my newest friend and fellow enthusiast was dragged away. I will start producing t-shirts immediately – “Gamers — the most social creature of them all. LET US MINGLE!” …

Young Women and Computer Technology report — out now!!

I have finally put the finishing touches on my report on young women and computer technology (here in Denmark), and for those interested, the full paper will be up shortly.

>> The paper is now available at: http://www.edu-art.dk/html/research.htm 

Here’s a link little teaser …

 …. We stand inside the gates of the 21st century, almost a decade after “getting connected[i]”, nonetheless, a panoptic view of girls and young women in Denmark reveals that this significant group of diverse individuals remain situated as society’s “second-class citizens” when it comes to computer technology, as those who are least “connected” (PISA 2003).

Connectivity in this regard refers not to physical access to computers or access to the Internet, but rather, in terms of being able to access IT-Literacy, IT-Networks, and IT-Imagery, which communicates positively to the diverse population of girls and young women.

Seen in a larger perspective, the paucity of women in IT-related educations and careers affects Denmark’s accessible knowledge pool. Having access to an IT-workforce reservoir filled with competitive, talented and creative individuals with diverse lives and life experiences is key for Denmark’s position in the global technological marketplace. The shortage of women in both IT-educations and IT-careers directly affects diversity within this marketplace; it affects the content and culture of spaces and products created with computer technology.

The creators of computer technologies are in the process of renovating jobs and creating new ways of interacting. In Denmark, those of us who are not affected by this technology are in the minority – government services are electronic, E-mail addresses have become required fields for correspondence and various fields of occupation require more complex IT-competencies than ever before.

How are women to be a part of the information age if they are not there to define it in terms of content, culture and criticism?   As reported in the Danish government’s 2002 IT for All report,

“It can be said quite simply: Denmark’s future depends on our ability to create and use knowledge and technology.” – IT for All report, Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

It can be said very simply: women are not fully represented in areas of technology that will play a part in defining this future.

This report helps us to gain an understanding of young women’s awareness and affiliation with computer technology in Denmark, and exposes the variety of motivations and deterrents that play a part in many young women’s movements into or disassociation with educations and careers in fields of computer technology.

The key themes and recommendations of this research are put forth for inspiration or critical consideration for those who wish to see a global technological society as one representative of its constituents.

These themes emerged; from interviews with young women between the ages of 13 to 19 years, who attend or have previously attended a suburban Danish school, from teachers of these various schools, from observations within the schools’ IT-Labs and from interviews with group leaders from IBM’s Girls and Technology (an external action) program.

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[i] The World Wide Web connection gained worldwide use in the mid 1990’s after its creator Tim Berners-Lee founded the idea at CERN in 1989.

 A link will be put out sooner than later …