Connections List Annotated

Where I'm at:

The topics of my research include how virtual worlds have become a form of masquerade entertainment and how they are changing today, as well as how material creation arts are coming back as people seek out a solid connection through the immaterial medium of the Internet. The first subject is more developed and researched than the second.

Experts:

Thor: My Dad, he is a professor of digital media technology at UVU.  I will ask him about the idea of virtual worlds and how he feels about the idea of it being a masquerade, also whether it is a viable kind of society or whether it will fall apart eventually.  

Dr. Duerden: A professor of Shakespeare here at BYU, I know how passionate he is about the plays.  I will ask him about the use of masques in the plays of Shakespeare, especially with The Tempest, and how that kind of idea could be tied into modern masquerades on the internet.  

Edward Castronova:  He is an expert in the field of virtual worlds, especially having to do with economies. I will ask him about whether he thinks that there will be a revival of virtual worlds like Second Life through the new technologies such as Oculus Rift or whether history is doomed to repeat itself in a short, expensive burst of misplaced energy.  

Tom Timbrell:  Blacksmith at Mary Arden’s Farm and working individually.  I will ask him why he decided to become a blacksmith and whether influences of learning about it through the internet had anything to do with it.  I will ask about how he connects with other blacksmiths and enthusiasts through digital means.  

Enthusiasts:

Robert Means: Subject Librarian for English, so he should be able to orient me.  I will ask him about different authors who write about the masques or masquerades of the Renaissance and their influence on society.  

Anthony:  Animation professor at UVU, friend of my father.  I will ask him if he has ever played a virtual world like game and how he felt about it as a gamer and as a professional.  If he hasn’t played, what does he think of the genre; is it a fun and harmless masque or a chaotic carnival?

Peers:

Adrian:  He’s smart, he’s savvy, and he’s rich.  He’s also played every game there is to play.  I will ask if he has ever played a virtual world like game and whether he likes it or not, what he thinks about the concept.  

Josh:  A friend of my older brother, he and his family have all played WoW together since it first came out.  How have virtual worlds affected him and his family?  What about them is alluring and what is distasteful?  Has he continued playing them?  Will he play them in the future?  

Homies:

Eric:  My nerdy friend who is waaaay in to Live Action Role Play, fighting reenactments.  I will ask him if doing LARP has made him want to create his own weapons and armor, whether he has, and how that has been for him.  

Rachael:  My lovely girlfriend, she once mentioned that she played WoW as a youth. I want to know how she felt about it and why she stopped.  I know that she’s not that into video game, but she is fairly social.  

Ben and Mandy:  A good friend from high school and his new wife.  How did they meet?  How long did they know each other virtually before knowing each other physically?  Do they think that the virtual interaction was necessary instead of real life interaction?