Data Portability and Second Life (technical, but no code)
There are two groups in which I am active these days: The DataPortability Project and the Second Life Grid Architecture Working Group (SLGAWG, we need a better name, I agree 
).
The former is trying to provide policies and a set of (existing) technical standards to enable users on social networks (but also in other contexts) to share their data with other services, control where they go, remix them with other sources and so on. Basically it wants to make living in a global social network (the internet) easier.
The SLGAWG on the other hand is trying to make Second Life interoperable, eventually leading to an open virtual worlds infrastructure based on open protocols (a la the Web) in which you can host your own server(s) and connect to one or more grids. Apparently this sounds a lot like Data Portability, too.
So what are the connection points between the DataPortability Project and the Second Life Grid Architecture Working Group?
Virtual Worlds not only consist of 3D data but also a lot about social data such as profiles, friends, groups. They also usually have a mechanism to send messages between users. Thus in this regard they are actually social networks just with a 3D component attached.
Because of this it’s easy to use existing standards also in how virtual worlds might interact with each other such as:
- OpenID/YADIS for authentication
- hCard or FOAF for profile data
- XFN or FOAF for friends lists
just to name a few. I would really like to see that the SLGAWG embraces these protocols in their protocol so that not too much is reinvented and existing libraries can be used. In fact there already was talk about OpenID and the first draft of the login protocol has a means for a pluggable authentication system in place.
So IMHO it would be good if the DataPortability Project and the SLGAWG would work together on that and the easiest is probably that SLGAWG members join one or more of the DataPortability Action Groups.
Technorati Tags: secondlife, dataportability, dp, slgawg, slga
March 21st, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Wether SL is good or bad will remain unanswered, but putting together DP and SL will give a huge opportunity for all that persons seeking for business in both world. … actually that must move security and privacy in the focus too.
March 21st, 2008 at 5:40 pm
That’s right and security/privacy are always those issues why things usually start in a centralized manner. Making things decentralized brings those topics always on the table and these are in fact discussed a lot in the SLGAWG aswell as the DataPortability Group.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I particularly like your point about social networking and virtual worlds. That happens to be one reason I prefer the term ‘3d internet’ over virtual worlds because the internet is already turning into largely a social networking vehicle (in addition to the established business and media uses). Sure there are things uniquely 3d, like simulations, events and such, but a significant influence and effect of the 3d element is only to deepen the online social experience. [Enough deep thinking for me today.]