The Vine

For a fascinating perspective on connection and belonging, and the lengths (some might say depths) we’ll go to find them, check out the film Second Skin.

This superb documentary explores the phenomenon of MMOs—Massively Multiplayer Online games, such as World of Warcraft, Second Life, etc.—through several players whose lives have been transformed by them…in ways both good and bad.

There are 50 million MMO gamers worldwide, half of whom describe themselves as addicted, spending upwards of 14 hours a day absorbed in synthetic worlds—often at the expense of jobs, relationships, health and finances. Nearly half say they value their online friends more than the flesh-and-blood people in their lives, and one-third have told an online friend a secret they’ve never divulged to anyone else.

It’s tempting to characterize this as a bunch of socially maladjusted outcasts indulging in escapism—a new generation of Dungeons & Dragons geeks now with broadband Internet access. And a lot of them are. But as the film illustrates, it’s not that straightforward. (It never is.)

For starters, most gamers are members of guilds, which are ongoing, cohesive player groups. One of the most successful, The Syndicate, has an international membership, holds monthly, local dinner parties of 20 or more, and stages an annual conference that draws over 100 people in real space. It has a charter, codes of conduct, and a mission statement that declares, “We seek to foster long term friendships among members and enhance the online gaming experience by virtue of those friendships.” How is this all that different from an Elks Lodge?

Or consider the case of Andrew Monkelban. Severely affected by Cerebral Palsy, Andrew is unable to walk or talk. When he goes out in public, he is (at best) avoided by able-bodied people who find his condition too uncomfortable to deal with. “Before I started playing MMOs I used to be quiet and keep to myself, because I am so different from other people,” Andrew types. “But playing lets me drop my guard and open up to others. They let us have lives of our own. Although they are virtual, they are still our lives nonetheless. Using my character’s abilities makes me feel free from my wheelchair.”

He goes on: ”This is going to sound corny, but MMOs have made me a better person. I’ve learned loyalty, the meaning of friendship, sensitivity, what it truly means to be strong. I’m able to give back to the community and I take great pride and enjoyment in it. I would definitely consider myself a resident of the virtual world.”

Edward Castronova, an expert on the societies of large-scale online games, acknowledges that there is an inherent problem in so many people finding their identities in virtual worlds—but he suggests that in many cases, the problem is with us, not them. Castronova believes that videogame environments may actually be holding up a critical eye to the society we’ve created.

“If we lose hundreds of millions of people to these synthetic environments,” he says, ”that would be a terrible condemnation of the kind of world we’ve made out here.”

And that’s the film’s strongest message of all.

The story is by turns funny, sad, eye-opening, touching and uplifting. It’s now out on DVD, and it’s well worth renting.

While filling out a profile for an online community, one of the questions asked us to submit “An idea worth sharing.”

I chose this one, from Meg Wheatley’s wonderful article Relationships: The Basic Building Blocks of Life:

“The scientific search for the basic building blocks of life has revealed a startling fact: there are none. The deeper that physicists peer into the nature of reality, the only thing they find is relationships. Even sub-atomic particles do not exist alone. One physicist described neutrons, electrons, etc. as ‘…a set of relationships that reach outward to other things.’ Although physicists still name them as separate, these particles aren’t ever visible until they’re in relationship with other particles. Everything in the Universe is composed of these ‘bundles of potentiality’ that only manifest their potential in relationship.”

The notion that we’re social creatures wired for community is so self-evident that it hardly requires scientific proof. If you have a pulse, you yearn for the companionship and touch of others. Babies die if they’re not held. And the chronicled effects of solitary confinement are alarming.

Yet it’s somehow reaffirming to learn that our desire for relationship—and the potential it unleashes in us—is embedded at the most elemental levels.

We are “bundles of potentiality.” An idea worth sharing indeed.

(NB: Meg was a speaker at The Vine ’07. You can watch her presentation here.)

Ann Oliveri points us to an intriguing (and counterintuitive) perspective from IDEO designer Patrice Martin: Powerful individualism is often what leads to strong communities.

See the article: The “I” in Community

With examples ranging from Yelp to Pixar to BRIDGE Housing, Patrice shows how the unique, creative expression of individuals can contribute to a stronger identity and deeper engagement of the community.

“As we strive to move away from cookie-cutter sameness, individuals’ opinions, points of view, or unique thoughts can spark connection,” she writes. “We see it across all types of communities, whether grassroots or corporate-sponsored, virtual or rooted in physical space. The more eclectic and interesting, the more it thrives. Funny how an emphasis on ‘I’ leads to a more coherent sense of we.”

(Patrice, btw, will be one of the designers leading our November 17th salon at IDEO headquarters in Palo Alto)

Last week I had the pleasure of spending a day here, AT&T Park in San Francisco.

I went with a friend, and we were joined by 40,000 others with a shared a connection — whether that be a love for baseball or simply a desire to be outdoors playing hooky on a workday.

It was a Ferris Bueller-esque sort of day (minus the foul ball…although we came close). Gorgeous weather. Indulgent eating. The relaxed banter of conversation with a good friend. And, oh yeah, the Giants pulled out a dramatic victory in extra innings.

As the winning run crossed home plate, we were a large, loud, euphoric crowd. But we were not a community.

What distinguishes one from the other? Plenty of theories abound (here are three). But the most significant difference imho is this:

A crowd absorbs an experience. A community actively shapes it.

Whatever business you’re in, you can attract a crowd or you can create a community. There’s value in both.

Just be sure you know which you’re after.