New Website Studies Policy Implications of Virtual Worlds

Pixels and Policy (www.pixelsandpolicy.com), a new website and blog dedicated to the study of how virtual worlds impact real-world policy, politics, and culture, opened its virtual doors today.

Pixels and Policy, the brainchild of former U.S. Congressional Legislative Fellow and Asia Chronicle Staff Writer Max Burns, draws on Burns’ experience as a long-time researcher and user of virtual worlds and his academic and professional international relations experience.

The blog takes an optimistic look at the many ways worlds like Second Life are changing our media culture, international relations, and basic human interactions. Written in a readable, often humorous style, Pixels and Policy has the depth seasoned researchers want while remaining accessible to a casual audience.

Accolades are already arriving. Pixels and Policy’s debut article, “The Iranian Revolution’s Second Life,” was accepted by Georgetown University’s Foreign Policy in Focus think-tank as a feature piece of what Burns calls “cyber-policy.”