Before one examines
Second Life as a disruptive technology and its implications one has to have an
understanding of variables influencing disruptive technologies, their
implications and ability or failure to become an active influencing agent
bringing about change.
According to
Christensen (2002) in a video presentation; The innovation economy: How technology is transforming
existing industries and creating new ones; many variables will
influence ability of disruptive technologies to succeed in an established
market. He goes on to state that many of
the disruptive technologies are not necessarily a better product but one that
can tap into a market segment that leaders in the industry find uninviting or
one that does not necessarily provides maximum return for their products or
services. Christensen also illustrates
that disruptive technologies can overtake established industries and
technologies due to inability of established corporations to be flexible enough
by failing to base decisions on changing market tastes, needs, changing
demographics and adapting business models
in changing world economy and society. Given examples by Christensen include
two types of disruptive technologies; Celeron processor chip is a low end
disruptive technology that disrupted high end chip resulting in established
company such as Digital Computers to fall from forefront and
become defunct and purchased by Compaq.
Second example of disruptive technology described by Christensen includes discount retailing such as Walmart.
This discount retailer provides an opportunity for a larger group of
people with limited finances to participate and purchase products at lower
prices than established retailers such as Sears and others. According to Thornburg (2008) in video
presentation; Disruptive Technology
(2008), could also occur when a new product such as transistor comes in is able
to meet specific functions, does it more efficiently at a lower cost will result
in the disruptive technology making old technology obsolete. Example given by Thornburg (2008) is
transistors replace vacuum tubes.
How is Second Life a disruptive technology?
Second Life is a
disruptive technology of established social interaction that was mainly carried
on in a specifically defined environment whether it was meeting face to face,
through correspondence by telephone or by mail. Second Life provides an
opportunity to use new technologies, the computer and Internet to establish
virtual worlds that people with similar interests can interact and provide
services and opinions about. Second life
enhances people’s abilities to visually express themselves, create virtual
environments that helps people to expand their thinking horizons for how things
can be done differently and uses graphics.
Second Life is a disruptive technology allowing
individuals to create real and imaginary life situations by themselves or with cooperation
and interaction with others. Several
comments posted on YouTube indicate most sentiment of users have a
positive experience using Second Life.
Second Life provides opportunities to learn new things and meet new
people and also Second Life allows individuals to control, create, invent and
manipulate technology. Two technologies mention by Rosedale that were disruptive and allowed Second Life
to Flourish is the Invent of Broadband and Enhanced Graphic Card.
What technology or innovation did it displace?
It
displaced technology that relied totally on text and one that was not
interactive. An example of this is ICQ
communication and email used in the 1990’s.
Improved Internet access using fiber optics, cable along with improved
storage and processing power of PC’s provided an opportunity to extend ability
for creating, viewing and collaborating in real online communication provided an
opportunity for Second Life to develop.
Second Life Link to Game is; http://secondlife.com/?gclid=CO2yyr6o478CFUNgMgodMl0AwA
. Requires user name, password and
personal information that I looked at but did not provide.
How many years do you think Second Life has left before
another emerging technology or disruptive technology replaces it?
Second
Life has an opportunity to be around for a decade or more before an emerging or
disruptive technology replaces it as long as Second Life creator, supporters
and users see new or improved abilities to accomplish simulations that can be
applied to imaginary virtual worlds and real life situations. Using second life to create virtual patient
care instructions for nurses or doctors can be used resulting in greater efficiency
and at lower costs. It is critical to
include additional variables such as having a focus and also agenda that is
flexible to meet and take advantage of opportunities that will produce positive
results. Exposure and illustration of Second
Life possibilities on YouTube and other media locations provides an opportunity
to attract new users and attract users to enhance Second Life.
Rosedale asks the
following question about Second Life future; He asks if development mean that we immerse in virtual
reality to have an extension of ourselves or are we going to immerse ourselves
and develop our own extension through robots.
What are the social benefits of Second Life, and what might
be the social implications of virtual worlds in your industry?
Second
life provides an opportunity to encourage and enhance creativity,
collaboration, connection with people all over the world. Second World provides an opportunity for
people to learn and develop skills that they could harness in real word and
benefit economically. Second Life
provides an opportunity for people from all over the world to get a better
understanding of similar and different characteristics, abilities and desires.
Improved understanding of people living in different locations along with greater
dialogue provides an opportunity to discuss, explain and work more
cooperatively to improve human environment.
In education it is critical to effectively illustrate and practice positive
dialogue that encourages people with different, skills, knowledge, and
different social and economic status to work together more effectively. Virtual worlds could provide an opportunity
to create specific environments that might be too dangerous for people to
accomplish in the real world.
References
Christensen, C. (2013): Disruptive Innovation. In: Soegaard, Mads
and Dam, Rikke Friis (eds.). "The Encyclopedia of Human-Computer
Interaction, 2nd Ed.". Aarhus, Denmark: The Interaction Design Foundation.
Accessed from; http://www.interaction-design.org/encyclopedia/disruptive_innovation.html
Christensen, C.
(2002), The
Innovation Economy: How Technology Is Transforming Existing Industries and
Creating New Ones accessed from;http://video.mit.edu/watch/the-innovation-economy-how-technology-is-transforming-existing-industries-and-creating-new-ones-9844/
