Press Release

30 Days in ActiveWorlds, is an innovative project from the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, University College London. Examining life in Virtual Worlds, as part of research into Digital Space and an Online Planning System, '30 Days' has opened its virtual server to the world. Below is a summary of results, full operating system details and information are avalible on the '30 Days in ActiveWorlds' site.

Now in Day 15 the '30 Days' project has produced some stunning results:

Crime and Terrorism, in Digital Space

The world has survived a series of planned terrorist attacks by a group of users collectivly know as the 'ActiveWorlds Terrorist Group'. The leader of the group, an avatar know as 'Jero' ordered an attack on Day 4, placing 85,000 building objects in the world. The map below illustrates the world before and after the attack (note high resolution maps are available, please contact asmith@geog.ucl.ac.uk for details)

As a result of the attack the server was closed down until the database could be cleared, approximately 12 hours of down time occurred. The world continued to grow peacefully until Day 9 when 'Jero' returned to the world. A series of threats were issued, indicating that another attack was imminent. Civilians in the world were informed of a 'Def Con One' status and that the server should be assumed to be under threat.

A trace was carried out on  the IP numbers of the terrorist and Circle of Fire, the owners of the software system, were informed. Circle of Fire contacted the ISP of the terrorist and a telephone number was obtained. Upon contact it was established that the attacker was a 15 year boy in Canada and posed no real threat to the system. To this end Jero was ejected from '30 Days in ActiveWorlds', his last threat being that an attack would be ordered and the world owner (Andrew Smith, University College London) would lose all internet and email access. An hour later all email and Internet access was lost. To date, no more vandalism has occurred, however a series of patrols have been set up by Peacekeepers to keep an eye out for potential vandalism.

Explosive Growth of Virtual Space

The significance of the ActiveWorlds system is in the ability of users to build in the world. Using a range of pre rendered objects users can construct their own digital homestead in the virtual world.  Building in '30 Days in ActiveWorlds' has been mapped after each 24 hour period, providing an insight into the patterns of growth in virtual space. Pictured below is a map of the current growth at Day 14.

Maps of each days growth are available on the main sites news pages, as well as animation showing growth over the last 14 days.

To date 22,052 objects have been placed in the world, creating an amazing range of architectural and landscaping features.

Digital Architecture

The ability to build and create in the world has allowed  users with an internet connection to become the builders, architects and planners of the digital realm. For a world which opened its doors with no laws or guidelines for building, a mainly civil community has developed. From the building of Art Galleries to Night Clubs in the virtual world, '30 Days in ActiveWorlds' is providing a starting point for the examination of life in digital space, a life which may come to us all in the not to distant future.

The Future

Initially '30 Days in ActiveWorlds' was set up purely as a time limited research project into digital life. All users entering the world have been made aware that our Chief Scientists have detected a comet which is heading for a direct impact on 30th December 1998. The comets impact will result in an extinction event, bringing devastation to the world.

However, as a result of the success of the project to date, '30 Days in ActiveWorlds' is to be extended indefinitely to allow users to carry on building. Mapping an analysis of the life in digital space will continue throughout the projects life time.

University College London

Tel: +44 (0) 171 391 1255