IBM to Regulate Employee Second Life Behavior

mytrip writes "In hopes of avoiding potentially embarrassing incidents, IBM is taking the unusual step of establishing official guidelines for its more than 5,000 employees who inhabit Second Life and other virtual worlds. 'IBM appears to be the first corporation to create rules governing virtual worlds. The move has critics, who say that mandating behavior for the so-called "metaverse" is unlikely to reform impish avatars. They also question why IBM would add a layer of buttoned-down bureaucracy to this relatively rollicking corner of the Internet. 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 IBM collectively calls the 3D Internet.'" This regulation may be coming from more than self-interest: IBM sees these environments as management training courses in some ways; working inter-personal skills via chat and human resources via guild activities.

Comments

Re:So...?

[HomelessInLaJolla]

I know, I know: RTFA is a joke. How about Read the Fine Road Signs? Can you name one instance where a corporate policy used to regulate the workforce has ever been lessened? Am I the only person who looks to the future?

Re:So...?

[HomelessInLaJolla]

What kind of company do you work in? In every company I've worked in that sort of game has been the rule of play. Always put the new guy in the middle of political power struggles--that way the major combatants don't get their hands dirty.