The Interview, part 2

Interview Subject X didn't respond to my request, so I went to another geisha community and found X's comparable counterpart, Interview Subject Alpha.

Because of the human subjects protections we are abiding by, any real identifiers have been removed.

[17:52] Chikara Yokosuka: thank you so much for agreeing to this
[17:52] Chikara Yokosuka: How old is this community and/or how long has it been active?
[17:53] Interview Subject Alpha: i'll have to ask PersonA this is the oldest okiya and geisha community in SL::))
[17:54] Chikara Yokosuka: What is your role in this particular geisha community?
[17:54] Interview Subject Alpha: head geisha of the Theta1 community::))
[17:54] Chikara Yokosuka: Why a geisha club in Second Life?
[17:56] Interview Subject Alpha: because the people in this club as you call it love japanese culture and there is no way in real life that we could become geisha as they start very young::))
[17:56] Chikara Yokosuka: Why this community as opposed to another?
[17:57] Interview Subject Alpha: my PersonA is a very kind and patient woman and tries to let us be as rl geisha as possible::))
[17:58] Chikara Yokosuka: which leads into my next question :)
[17:58] Chikara Yokosuka: Besides for the virtual components, are these geisha shows typically what one might find in real life?
[17:58] Interview Subject Alpha: yes mostly as i have heard from a sister of mine here who is a rl geisha in japan::))
[17:59] Chikara Yokosuka: Do you have a favorite geisha story to tell?
[18:00] Interview Subject Alpha: i will have to think on this for an answer::))
[18:00] Chikara Yokosuka: How are the geisha and/or their stories selected for each event?
[18:01] Interview Subject Alpha: we think of a theme for an event and that sets the tone::))
[18:02] Chikara Yokosuka: Do you repeat geisha stories? If so, how often?
[18:02] Interview Subject Alpha: once every so often but, not all the time::))
[18:03] Interview Subject Alpha: we tell poetry and haikus::))
[18:03] Interview Subject Alpha: and have patrons participate::))
[18:03] Chikara Yokosuka: just two more
[18:03] Chikara Yokosuka: How can one apply to be a geisha here?
[18:04] Interview Subject Alpha: get an application from PersonA and have an interview with her::))
[18:04] Interview Subject Alpha: Ooops sorry wrong window!!
[18:05] Chikara Yokosuka: Are the geisha shows typically attended by more male or female avatars?
[18:05] Interview Subject Alpha: both here i have found::))
[18:05] Chikara Yokosuka: interesting
[18:05] Chikara Yokosuka: that wraps it up on my end, Interview Subject Alpha
[18:06] Interview Subject Alpha: you are welcome i hope i have helped::))
[18:06] Chikara Yokosuka: domo arigato *bows*
[18:15] Interview Subject Alpha: yokosuka-san this one has been open here since [date] the oldest one here::))
[18:16] Chikara Yokosuka: domo arigato for finding this out
[18:17] Interview Subject Alpha: Do-itashimashite.
[18:18] Interview Subject Alpha: oh an my favorite story so far is madame butterfly!!
[18:18] Chikara Yokosuka: I'm not familiar with the story
[18:19] Interview Subject Alpha: it is a story which was turned into an opera::))
[18:20] Interview Subject Alpha: about a japanese girl marrying and english sailor and having a child and the english father trying to take the child away::))
[18:20] Interview Subject Alpha: madame butterfly killed herdelf in the end::))
[18:20] Chikara Yokosuka: oh wow
[18:21] Interview Subject Alpha: now you know::))
[18:21] Interview Subject Alpha: many stories are heart rendering::(( and so sad::((
[18:22] Chikara Yokosuka: I was at another geisha establishment and there was an enlightening story about a man selling hats to get some dinner for New Years
[18:23] Chikara Yokosuka: and he was coming home after not selling any, and instead got rid of the hats onto some statues he believed were cold
[18:23] Interview Subject Alpha: hai!! have many stories such as that::))
[18:23] Chikara Yokosuka: yeah it was a nice one
[18:24] Chikara Yokosuka: haven't heard any of the more sad stories
[18:24] Chikara Yokosuka: or many, i guess
[18:24] Interview Subject Alpha: and they came to life and left him food for making them warm/
[18:24] Interview Subject Alpha: hai!!
[18:24] Chikara Yokosuka: hai hai
[18:25] Chikara Yokosuka: well Mulan-san I need to run
[18:25] Chikara Yokosuka: thank you for sharing your information with me tonight
[18:26] Interview Subject Alpha: most weklcome::))

The Interview, part 1

First, we were supposed to select somebody to interview.

My interview subject is Interview Subject X. She was standing at the entrance spot to say hi to those teleporting in for the show. Her profile describes her as the " organizer and hostess for live music and other events at the beautiful Location Y venue and dance area." If I remember correctly, there was another host for the actual Location Y show, but I'm assuming Interview Subject X has been around these long enough to answer my questions.

Preliminary Map

This is the preliminary map of the area I studied. There will be a final version to accompany the prospectus.

[Map has been edited out due to change in URL]

Interview Schedule

[Note: [Activity] was edited in this to meet the requirements for human subjects protection.]

How old is this community and/or how long has it been active?

What is your role in this particular community?

Why an [Activity] club in Second Life?

Why this community as opposed to another?

Besides for the virtual components, are these [Activity] shows typically what one might find in real life?

Do you have a favorite [Activity] story to tell?

How are the [Activity] participants and/or their stories selected for each event?

Do you repeat [Activity] stories? If so, how often?

How can one apply to be an [Activity] participant here?

Are the [Activity] shows typically attended by more male or female avatars?

Interview Subject Proposal

Assignment 8

My interview subject is Interview Subject X. She was standing at the entrance spot to say hi to those teleporting in for the show. Her profile describes her as the "organizer and hostess for live music and other events at the beautiful Location Y venue and dance area."

If I remember correctly, there was another host for the actual Location Y show, but I'm assuming Interview Subject X has been around these long enough to answer my questions.

[Note: Due to lack of quick response by Interview Subject X, I had to choose another subject of roughly the same status at a similar but different location.]

Practice getting permissions

Note that in the future, we must customize the form for which type it is (land owner or venue owner).

This form was just PRACTICE in getting permissions for when we do actual research.

-------

My name is Adam Bockler / Chikara Yokosuka.
I am an undergraduate student enrolled in an introduction to research methods class (Multimedia 333:Introduction to Field Research In Virtual Worlds) at Bradley University in Peoria IL, USA, that is being conducted in Second Life winter/January term, 2009.

The course I am enrolled in right now is just focused on practicing getting permission of landowners, research subjects, and/or informants. There is no formal research being conducted until the next term.

The community here seems to be focused around author discussions, so I want to learn a bit more about how one comes to fit in with the group, about the kinds of things that you do during these events, about the various roles that people play in the events when they are here, and anything else I may be missing but have not had a chance to notice or experience yet.

My observations are merely descriptive: I’ll take notes about what I see and I may summarize those notes in my paper, in class presentations to my classmates, or on my web-blog about this research. The blog is found at: http://www.adambockler.com/interact/blog/chikarayokosukaSL.html.

I will not record or publish either the SL or RL name of any avatar/person. Any observations about avatars or recording of their talk transcripts would take place only after having obtained the explicit permission of that avatar/person and would only happen after the name of the avatar had been changed via secret coding scheme.

I do need to remind you that in the case of text chat, others beside myself have copies of text chat (perhaps interviews or general conversations) within their computing systems; likewise, Linden Labs servers have copies. I cannot "control" those copies; I can only promise to control/protect data that is in my possession.

If I were going to observe you as subject, I would ask you if I can have your permission to observe you in general. Any pictures taken in SL, that serve as explanatory data and which might include avatars, will be modified so that avatar names and identifying characteristics are blurred/blocked.

We will also interview subjects and informants about the communities of practice that we are studying. These conversations are, again, voluntary and only with the informed permission of the avatar/person/informant. I may copy out the chat transcript from those conversations/interviews. When we do, we will change/code names so that there is no recorded connection between you/your avatar and the data.

If you agreed to serve as subject of observation, interview, or as an information, you may choose to withdraw at any time without penalty by simply telling me you wish to stop.

You may follow the progress of all of the studies in the class, including this one at: http://slane.bradley.edu/com/faculty/lamoureux/website2/333/bloglinks333_09.html. Presentation of the activities from the class serve as our gift to the communities of practice who share time and knowledge with us; perhaps our perspectives will help residents to more fully understand and appreciate their activities.

If you have questions regarding the class or its activities, you can contact me, in world or out of world via email at phenomenal.aj@gmail.com, or my teacher, Professor Beliveau in world or out of world as Ed Lamoureux at ell@bradley.edu, 309-677-2378.

Do you read English clearly enough to understand this form and to respond?

Yes.

Do you have any questions?

No. Thank you.

If you are a land owner/venue owner, may I practice observing and interviewing avatars on your land/at your venue? [I may, later, return and ask your permission to do an actual research project here]

land owner/venue operator sign and date here:
***** ********, [occupation omitted]
_______________________________________________

If you are a an avatar with whom I seek to practice interviewing:

May I observe your behavior in this setting and make notes about it?
May I transcribe of copy of our interview for use in class presentations and published to the blog after removing your identity.?

practice participant sign and date here:

_______________________________________________

Thank you for your time and consideration of my requests.

Group of Practice

After spending a couple of evenings in a few clubs (themed towards heavy metal), I would like to try and pursue my research in the music field.

[Note: Since this assignment, I have sense been exploring other options and am now interested in possibly researching the SL geisha community.]