U.S. House of Representatives and Virtual Worlds

"Ms McCann. Are you now, or have you ever been a viewer of Romper Room? And remember you are under oath".

If they do pass a tax bill on digital income I wonder if I could find a job in RL that would pay me to be in SL. Then my job would be to get a job so I could afford to pay both my digital taxes and my RL taxes.

Wonder what form I would use in SL??

On the other hand it would open up a new job market. SL CPA's and Tax preparers.

For that price I'd make a female alt for him

For that, you'd want Ex Gov McGreevey

I think for that price, he'd expect voice at least....

I will only admit to being a "Do Bee," and appearing within the Magic Mirror, nothing more.

Mari

Just as long as you aren't a "Mr Bungle".

*even later today, in a closed, secret session*



codename POTUS: "Welcome to the White House... want some pretzels?"

codename PHILCEO: "Gee, no thanks sir - Valleywag has run out of topics, and is speculating about my sodium intake lately."

codename POTUS: "Them crazy tekki-wiki-nista's! Never understood you Californ-i-ay types."

codename PHILCEO: "It's alright. Say, what brings me here? I'm surprised at the interest, quite frankly."

codename POTUS: "Phil, you got to understand. This is a daaangeris world we're livin' in. Look what you've done."

codename PHILCEO: "What have I done, sir?"

codename POTUS: "C'mon look. Anonymity. People talkin' to furriners. Vices run rampint everywhar. You could have every vice known to man runnin' on them virtual servers of yours."

codename PHILCEO: "We've cooperated closely with the Feds."

codename POTUS: "Oh you know that ain't enough son! All those idiots did was ruin my little weekend cardgames, and now the sploder at my favourite country two-step joint is gone."

codename PHILCEO: "I'm sorry about that - but what more do you want? $L Taxes? Inside information on user activity?"

codename POTUS: "Don't be joshin' me, I don't want any of those things. Sounds like you been talkin to the Veep?"

codename PHILCEO: "Not really. Last I saw Hall1burt0n Hax he was at FurNation about to yi..."

codename POTUS: "That's enough, let's not discuss our secrit shame."

codename PHILCEO: "Alright. Well, I'm still mystified as to why I'm here."

codename POTUS: "It's simple, really. Phil, we just can't let the terrrists win."

codename PHILCEO: "And... how do I not let them win?"

codename POTUS: "I need more security, Phil. For the real-life national nexus of Homeland Security which we run on your grid."

codename PHILCEO: "As much as I am a proponent of the Second Life grid, I really challenge the wisdom of putting their critical operations center 700m over The Edge nightclub."

codename POTUS: "Nobody would ever suspect! And we had to take the fight to where the action is. We know the grid is ripe for terrrrist recruitment!"

codename PHILCEO: "I struggle to see how that is the case."

codename POTUS: "Phil this is beyond-top-secrit infermation I'm about to give ya, but we found a terrrist training camp in SL already."

codename PHILCEO: "You did? I'm super sad to hear that."

codename POTUS: "We did. It's codename is: combat sandbox Rausch."

codename PHILCEO: "Oh, I... see. I'm really beginning to understand where you are coming from sir."

codename POTUS: "Ah trust we can count on you for your full, continued support?"

codename PHILCEO: "Your teams will have everything they need to stamp out any and all terrorists in Rausch."

codename POTUS: "Good. One last question before we wrap up - can you help me with my avatar? This mornin it looked like a chimp - I think I been hacked."

codename PHILCEO: "Do you really want avatar help from a man with a sparkling codpiece?"

codename POTUS: "You got a point there son. Alright, I'll let you go, I got fake Steve Jobs waiting in the hallway and my busted Iphone right here waiting."

codename PHILCEO: "Good luck, and see you on the grid."

Desmond, that's the funniest thing I've read in ages.

Now that is just too funny!

Nice job, Des.

Now dat reference required a trip to Wikipedia. I'd hafta say no to being either a Mr or a Bungle.

Mari
(Who did meet the hostess of the local Romper Room production in my RL childhood)

Don't knock the Representatives because they are holding a hearing on this topic.

Usually legislation runs about twenty years behind the current technology. Virtual worlds are a type of technology with a lot of potential for good and bad use, and a legitimate subject of public policy. At least when it comes to the technolgy of virtual worlds, our Representatives are only going to be ten years behind the technology, rather than twenty.

Given the title, I'd guess that this is an investigative hearing, not necessarily tied to any specific legislation. However, someone had an agenda when setting this up. If you dig deeply enough, I'm sure you'll find Representatives with either draft legislation, or campaign promises, relating to virtual worlds, even if they are not tied specifically to this particular hearing.

And if you are interested in what goes on at the hearing, typically transcripts of hearings are made available to the general public from the committee conducting the hearing. I'm not sure of what the lag time is between a hearing, and the transcript of the hearing being made available. (There are all kinds of information that may be submitted after the hearing to be included in the record of the hearing, so the record of the hearing isn't necessarily available immediately upon the conclusion of the hearing.)

The hearing is scheduled for 9:30am EST tomorrow and will be webcast. Link to stream here: http://energycommerce.house.gov/membios/schedule.shtml

I think this is a good post.

I just completely disagree that Congress should be worrying about Virtual Worlds. The Government is involved in too many things already

Basically, when is the "Government Downsizing Committee" going to investigate anything?

The problem is that we keep electing lawmakers. Therefore, they feel the need to make laws to justify their position.

The potential of SL/Virtual spaces, in real world activities is vast.

Besides SL business, and social playgrounds, there is great potential for Business meetings, Congresses of all kinds, NGO organizations, UN organizations, etc. Both closed and open spaces.

But of course it cannot work in situations where griefing or cyber terrorism, pornography, are rampant, nor can it be useful if the technology is not totally secure and stable, or where source code is open, allowing various world factions, to set up teams of hackers, to scam, spy, terrorize or manipulate technology.

Otherwise, it is just an idea for the future, that should be discussed by governments, but is in no way seriously usable today, as it is.

lol, this is true

But the ultimate lawmaker would be the one who streamlines government as much as possible.

People like to say we live in a Republic not a Democracy .. this is BS

We live in a Bureaucracy.

These are all big concerns you are right

However the problem is they make laws for "cyber this and cyber that" thats backwards

They should make a bulletproof law for fraud for example - and then its up to the Executive branch and law enforcement to enforce it when it occurs on the Internet and in Real Life.

Internet fraud should be covered under the same laws that cover Interstate fraud for any media (Or International of course).

I agree! I think this is nothing more then a probe into how to generate more tax revenue and how to keep consenting adults "safe" in the virtual world. Had to come sooner or later with all the media attention SL has gotten the past two years.

Maybe they are concern about SL addiction causing more energy consumption.....and energy waste.
They always seem to want to pick on average citizen and make them responsible for all things like energy wasting...while they look the other way and fund research on tomatoes and large companies and whatever acts they are doing.
Nah let not using non impact energy sources that won't effect the food supply, lets raise the prices of corn and keep using coal, and blame the energy waste on US citizens going to Sl

I think Congress should be aware of the technology.

Whether they create any legislation affecting virtual worlds is a different issue. I agree that the federal government generally legislates way, way too much.

Remember that your elected representatives, at least at the federal level, don't live in the same real world as you or I. Since they are not personally in touch with reality, the next best thing for them is to hold hearings in which selected experts fill them in on the reality which they are not experiencing.

There might be some lawmakers, who only know about virtual worlds based on a few media reports, thinking that there are all kinds of evils in virtual worlds that need to be regulated. Maybe a positive outcome of these hearings it that these lawmakers realize that they don't have to over-regulate this area at all.

I'd guess though, based on the committee holding the hearings, that primarily they are looking into virtual worlds as they affect the US and global economy. It could be part of a consideration as to whether some of the overall system of economic laws deals well with new technology or not.

I agree, but alas this is now an agenda without a serious political voice in the US -- we have two big government parties now, and the main disagreements revolve around how to finance the huge government and what to spend the money on.

I thought i saw or heard a story about some professor in the UK who made a study and came up with the conclusion that people who have an avatar in SL use almost twice the amount energy than people who stay just in rl... but then again it might have been just one of of those dreams the I seem to be having lately.

As far as the hearing.. I am sure there is an agenda behind it. Who knows what it is.. but I am sure energy consumption is not it. It would not generate enough headlines.

.d

I agree with you. The problem that sometimes exist is that laws are worded in such a way that they do not anticipate a new technology, and that prevents the law from being applied to the new technology in a way that is consistent with other applications. Prosecutors and courts can't (rather, aren't supposed to) enforce the spirit of the law- the letter of the law needs to reflect the spirit of the law.

I'm giving the Congress the benefit of the doubt here, of course. They could also disappoint me by deciding that this is a fertle ground for over-regulation and taxation.