Zinnia Zauber is an artist and instructor who uses virtual worlds like Second Life to teach and conduct research. She became involved in 2007 to pioneer art education in Second Life. Zinnia collects data through interacting with student avatars, conducting virtual classes, and observing how students present themselves. She found some students experiment with untested aspects of their identity through their avatars. Zinnia also builds virtual clothing like skirts by combining prims and textures from her artwork. Her work in Second Life complements her real-life pursuits in art and fashion.

1. DIGITAL ETHNOGRAPHY
Hue are you? Click on embedded video above to launch. Also on YouTube at
https://youtu.be/nfo7w61Hehk
ARE 494 & ARE 598 Digital
Ethnography in Virtual Worlds
Sherry Sklar
StarringZinnia Zauber

2. DEFINITIONS
• Ethnography is an in-depth description and interpretation of cultural patterns and meanings within a culture or social
group that largely uses qualitative research methods. Ethnographic studies tend to focus on culture, which is the shared
patterns of belief, normative expectations and behavior and meaning. 1 Qualitative research can include personal
experience, observation (either laboratory or participant), interviews and analyzing documents and primary and
secondary cultural artifacts. As this method of research is filtered through the researchers own cultural frame of
reference, conclusions can be infused with bias and ethnocentrism. This was particularly evident in the early days of
anthropology where European and European American field researchers interpreted their research through the lens of
their own cultural norms.
• Another type of research method is quantitative. As its name implies, large data sets are gathered and interpolated to construe
results. Testing, surveys or statistical population sampling are some research methods.This type of research can also be tainted
with unintended bias, depending on what subset of the population is targeted in any sampling procedures.
• Finally, there is a blended approach to research methodology that is a mixed-method, using both qualitative and quantitative
analysis to come to a result(s).
• Digital Ethnography is a method for representing real-life cultures through storytelling in digital media, whether this is
video, virtual environments, altered environments etc. Real life culture is expressed through storytelling within digital
media. This methodology can create an visceral experience that allows the end user to become immersed in another
culture, experiencing it on a deeper level.
• An example of this is Zinnia Zauber’s participation in Nonprofit Commons “pixelanthropy” showcase in 2008. The event presented digital storytelling
vignettes from charity recipients to donors to convey the positive their donations made.
1.James H. Mcmillian, Education Research,
Fundamentals for the Consumer, 1996

3. DIGITAL ETHNOGRAPHY AND ITS STAGES
Data Collection in the digital realm is a process of capturing information and choosing a methodology to do so. In VR digital media this
could be simple screen shots of events, interviews, participant observation, interaction within a group of avatars, possibly from differing geographical
regions or cultures, creating digital environments and tracking interaction within the space (notecards, gifted digital objects, touching objects for
interaction, allowing an Avatar to be controlled by scripted animations and other metadata tracking methods). Other digital data can be gathered from
social media channels, blogs, websites, photo sharing sites like Instagram, video sharing sites and user groups. Once the data is gathered and recorded it is
used for further analysis, stage 2 and stage 3!
Content Analysis Involves summarizing the data into meaningful groups in order to progress to stage three, comparative analysis; in
order to develop social construction context and understanding. Content analysis could involve writing data summaries, synthesizing data outcomes into
groups to form relationships, creating subsets of similar data and writing case studies. Within Digital Ethnography content analysis is always evolving as
technology and the way people use technology changes. As an example : top fashion brands were noticing that Millennial fashion enthusiasts were sharing
photos of themselves on Instagram wearing their brands, sharing experiences and trends with the hashtag of the brand as a way of crowd sourcing peer-
opinion and reinforcing their choices and self-esteem. Brands such as H & M trend spotted this phenomena and began interacting on Instagram by re-
sharing customer trends and providing branded hashtags and online contests to further promote the brand. This also provided H & M with a wealth of
consumer behavior and preference from a key target market—all culled from the digital realm. Drawing relationships, silo-ing information and conveying
stories are a part of content analysis in the digital realm.
Comparative Analysis is a type of research design that compares values of two or more levels of an independent variable. The goal in
comparative analysis is to capture behavior, create understanding, discover and describe multiple realities.

4. INTRODUCING MISS COOKIE CLIP
CONTEXT
I was always interested in digital storytelling from the early days of computer animation, having designed the costumes and digitally painted the backdrops for
an Avatar version of ice skating Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi for a girls’ computer animation game titled Ice Skating Fantasy. However, two decades later I am
still fascinated by the concept of gaming and digital fashion design. I am compelled to explore the VR, as a creator--realizing it is the next frontier. This class
helped me do just that and prompted me to understand the unique culture that Second Life has created.
My Avatar’s name, Cookie Clip, is loosely based on my own birth name Crisp, which was changed when my stepfather adopted me. In fact, I never knew I was
adopted, so the name Clip is emblematic of Crisp, a surname still hidden in the recesses of digerati. Cookie was my nickname as a child, so the two merged
and my Avatar was rezzed! I attempted to keep her body type, hair and facial features as close to my own as possible—circa age 27! I had a fun time
customizing her appearance and either shopping for, or building her wardrobe from scratch.
My initial forays into Second Life were to newbie islands for orientation and then off to explore. Londontown was the first island I visited after Orientation
Island. It was lively, the music was great, surroundings comforting to me (I have been to London so it felt somewhat familiar) and allowed me to test my chops
walking, flying and running. I also experimented with different camera controls and points of view. I still like the straight forward camera angle the best.
I have to say though that there were three islands that I spend the most time on because they either comforted me or fascinated me. UUTopia (I am a
Unitarian Universalist member in Real Life) Paris 1900 and the City of New Babbage. I believe it was the atmosphere of peace, diversity, tranquility and safety of
UUTopia, romance and art in Paris 1900, and fascination with Edwardian era England with an undercurrent of something darker that appealed most. Their
URLS are below:
UUTopia http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/UUtopia/69/76/26
Paris 1900 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Paris%201900/217/7/24
The City of New Babbage http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Babbage%20Square/180/35/108

5. HANGING OUT IN LONDONTOWN…

6. ZINNIA ZAUBER
AN AVATAR OF MANY HUES…
I was introduced to Zinnia by Professor Stockroki as an educator that shared many of the same interests as me, namely design, fashion and in Zinnia’s case, a
strong interest in the meaning and atomic weight and fission of color. Just as Kandinski claimed to be able to hear color, Zinnia’s research focused on colors
ability to catalyze intent and create action.
So off to Zinnia’s island of color and brilliance we went! Zinnia has an incredible island of her own (she also spends a significant amount of time on Nonprofit
Commons) located at island Brauni http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Brauni/139/28/107
I was amazed, not only at the proliferation of virtual cats lolling about the place, but the visual explosion and rich saturation of color. It was like landing in a
Crayola box of crayons—the 48 pack. Eventually I found her research area where she posts large billboards on her educational research and findings.

7. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
???????
• As an artist and instructor why did you become immersed in VR, particularly Second
Life?
• Where do you interact with students in Second Life?
• What was your most profound discovery in terms of behavior and presentation in
your student Avatars and how did this translate to Real Life?
• When did you first become involved with Second Life?
• How did you learn to build and how do you build a skirt!? Let’s discuss fashion!
Does your real life fashion pursuits interact with Second Life?

8. CONTEXT AND ATMOSPHERE
THE VIRTUAL LOUVRE
HTTP://MAPS.SECONDLIFE.COM/SECONDLIFE/PARIS%20COUTURE/38/93/22
Rois Thraces
This was the entry to the Louvre
introducing the Rois Thraces (The Saga of
the Thracian Kings) exhibition on Ancient
Thrace (modern Bulgaria) treasures. The
collection comprised of objects, bas relief
sculpture, free standing marble sculpture,
metalwork
Classical Greek Statue
of Poseidon
This triton bearing statue greeted me on
the ground floor of the Louvre dedicated
to the royal art of Ancient Thrace, which
had not left the country to travel until
this past year.
Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione c.
1514–1515 by Raphael
You can see the placement of paintings
on the wall is how you might see them in
the real Louvre. This upstairs gallery was
a quiet, warm space. I was alone to
contemplate the art peacefully and
wander about.

9. DATA COLLECTION
THE INTERVIEW SUMMARY
Sunday evening, February 28, 2016 I conducted a phone interview with Zinnia to
discuss my questions and her work. Our call lasted around 20-30 minutes.
Summary:
SL Name Zinnia Zauber
RL Name: Renne Emiko Brock-Richmond
SL Location: Brauni Island and Plush Nonprofit Commons/EduCommons
SL Artform: Garments and art education research on color and intention
RL Artform: Silk scarf painting and instructor and Multimedia Communications Program Coordinator at
Penninsula College. Own personal website: http://uniqueasyou.com/

10. DATA COLLECTION
THE INTERVIEW SUMMARY
As an artist and instructor why did you become immersed in VR, particularly Second Life?
I became involved in 2007 when it was still a new frontier and seemingly was one of the pioneers in art education on the site. Since then I have
branched out my presence to include many social media sites, a blog and my own website (http://uniqueasyou.com/connect_social_media.htm)
Where do you interact with students in Second Life?
I meet them on my island Brauni in a virtual classroom. They adopt their own avatars and we meet there for class
( http://slurl.com/secondlife/Brauni/231/121/22)
What was your most profound discovery in terms of behavior and presentation in your student Avatars and how did this translate to Real Life?
I found that some of my students were trying out their untested self in SL to see if they were successful interacting socially in VR. Many translated this
to Real Life, working up the courage first in VR. For instance, their Avatars were female when they were male. Or perhaps they sported a tattoo and
later had it done in Real Life. She noticed that these particular students seem to be trying on, discarding or keeping alternative identities. At that
point, I interjected and told her that I experienced something similar with my Real Life fashion design classes, where over the course of the semester,
students felt accepted and safe and began to integrate their authentic inner world selves into their student self. The example I gave was with Cosplay,
Lolita and LGBT students expressing this identity publicly.
When did you first become involved with Second Life? Early on in 2007, I believe.
How did you learn to build and how do you build a skirt!? Let’s discuss fashion! Does your real life fashion pursuits interact with Second Life? Yes,
certainly! I learned to build a skirt first by stitching together cylindrical prims and importing textures from my artwork t texture map onto them. From
there, with practice I got better and was able to create garments to wear and share. My gallery and shop is on my island Brauni.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Brauni/180/0/22/

11. CONTENT ANALYSIS

12. EXCERPT FROM INTERACTIVE ARTIST'S GALLERY TALK: OBSERVATION AND
INTERPRETATION OF COLOR COMMUNICATION THROUGH CLOTHING
“The human body is not as brilliantly colored like other living things in nature. We
express ourselves in our clothing to act as moving artwork. Our choices invite
emotions and memories, as well as stimulate the senses of ourselves and others.
Nature uses color for a variety of reasons-as a warning, to attract a mate, or for a
dominant or camouflaged appearance. As humans, we do the same thing."

13. REFERENCE
• Pixelanthropy: Charities tap into Second Life, NBC News, 1/10/2008 http://www.nbcnews.com/id/22574057/ns/us_news-giving/t/pixelanthropy-charities-
tap-second-life/#.VyEnf_krKUk
• McMillan, James H. McMillian (2004). Educational Research Fundamentals for the Consumer, Sixth Edition, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012, 2008,
2004 Pearson Education, Inc.
• Underberg, Natalie, Zorn, Elayne (2013). Digital Ethnography: Anthropology, Narrative, and New Media, First Edition, University of Texas, Austin
• Stokrocki, Mary (1997). Qualitative forms of research methods. In S. D. La Pierre, & E. Zimmerman (Eds.). Research methods and methodologies for art
education (pp. 33-56). Reston, VA: NAEA