IBM Guidelines For Virtual Worlds
IBM is the first company to issue a complete set of guidelines for its more than 5,000 employees who inhabit gaming virtual worlds such as Second Life and other online universes. According to the Washington Post, critics believe that governing behavior in virtual worlds will do IBM do good. They also question why IBM would add a layer of unnecessary control to a virtual world environment. IBM executives counter that having a code of conduct is akin to a corporate stamp of approval, encouraging workers to explore more than 100 worlds in a secure and non-prohibitive way.
The big blue(IBM) does have an enormous stake in gaming online worlds such as Second Life. It has built a virtual retail center in Second Life for the department chain, Circuit City Stores Inc. and used the site to re-create the action at Wimbledon, the annual tennis tournament.
IBM's rules apply to Second Life, Entropia Universe, Forterra, There.com and other worlds. According to the company, they are logical extensions of the real world: Don't discuss intellectual property with unauthorized people. Don't discriminate or harass. Guidelines also include a 21st-century version of the Golden Rule: "Be a good 3D Netizen." Rules also caution workers who have multiple avatars or frequently change their avatar's appearance.
References
IBM Guidelines Govern Virtual Employees The Associated Press, July 26, 2007
See Also
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Compiled and written by: Bryan CHEN Shenglong, GOH Chong Sheng, KOH Zi Han, LIN Jiaqi and Dominic SIM Kuangwei, July 2007. | |