Vlad Bjornson: sorry filthy, I guess that bit of info is in limbo – like everything else from the old SL forums. LL has promised to repost the archived...
Filthy Adored: Do you have an updated link to Ponks tutorial, I cant find it there?
Here’s a great example of a RL nonprofit that is using Second Life to assist in educating, organizing, and networking. FasterCures is working to accelerate the research and development of new therapies for the treatment of deadly and debilitating diseases and SL is an important part of their efforts.
“You can help people find a doctor, you can help people find patients if they are doctors or hositals. You can have whole sections explaining why, when you have a biopsy, should you donate some of the tumor to medical research. What does it mean? What are the ethical issues? What are the medical issues? “
Check out FasterCures now to find out how you can get involved. They’re located in the Nonprofit Commons – an SL collective dedicated to all sorts of interesting, pro-active, informative orginizations.
Here’s an informative video that showcases the International Society for Technology in Education and how they are creating a network of educators in Second Life. This is a large, and growing, group of teachers and universities who are very excited about the educational possibilities of virtual worlds. Visit ISTE Island for more information.
This is the first in a series of weekly posts where I’ll share a few blog posts, new articles, and other Second Life related links that may have fallen through the virtual cracks over the last 7 days. I’m a bit obsessed with Sl news, so I might as well share the fruits of my info-overload addiction. :)
Fast Company talks about The Second Life of Second Life. “I think at first, everyone was there strictly for the hype and sunk their money into 15 minutes of fame,” Involve’s Stein says. “Now they’re analyzing what they’re doing and seeing how Second Life breathes.”
Market Watch reports on LL’s newest hire, Howard Look. “Very early on in my career I recognized the transformative power that 3D technologies can have on human interaction and communication. Linden Lab is taking the power of 3D technologies much further than I had originally thought possible”
Jaz Beverly shares her favorite bits of a panel discussion on Orange Island relating to Virtual Architecture.
Dusan Writer wonders about communicationa and branding. “…when I think about the incredibly rich branded experiences of places like Loco Pocos or Golgothica, I wonder if it’s at all possible for the tools, technology and creativity on the Grid to support a next wave of ‘conversational marketing’ or ‘brand stories’ in the coming years.”
Here’s a short documentary/report on the use of video games and virtual worlds as support platforms for environmental change. “Second Life can be one of many tools that helps give other people that insight that there’s something beyond ourselves that’s worth preserving.”
They also discuss a nifty edu-game called Venture Arctic that teaches about environmental issues and values while you play. Very nice to see virtual worlds being discussed in a postive, proactive way.
Hey, mainsteam media: Second Life is not just about sex, griefing, and making money!
I get tired of hearing the same ol’ SL news stories over and over. These stories are usually reported by somebody who has never even logged onto the grid – or if they did log in they skipped orientation then went straight to the first sex club they could find to start digging up some dirt.
To help counter this narrow view of SL I am going to start posting more examples of how people are using SL as a positive platform for change and growth. Here are just a few of the notices that came through my Google Alerts setup for the phrase “Second Life” in the past few days.
Palomar West This ‘Hospital of the Future’ has been visualized in Second Life, including an interactive tour of the hospitals facilities and technologies. The tour uses video to good effect, with SL-rendered videos to guide visitors and provide information about the project. Article on Dusan Writer’s Metaverse ~ Direct Teleport
University of Houston’s Texas Obesity Research Center
Researchers will be recruiting 500 avatars who will learn about nutrition, and engage in virtual exercises, and record the progress of the RL weightloss. The program is hoping to discover if these virtual activities will have an effect on RL behavior. Article on SF Gate ~ Direct Teleport
Literature Alive! “What if, in addition to reading a book, we could actually visit the locations we read about?What if, instead of reading the words of a Lincoln or a Shakespeare, we could hear them speak?” The Literature Alive! project seeks to provide quality content to SL residents by focusing on the creation, development, and dissemination of literary resources in Second Life. Further, the program seeks to help new RL college faculty use the resources within SL to teach effectively and ethically. More info on their Blog ~ Direct Teleport
Texas State Technical College
Beginning fall ‘08, TSTC will be offering a Digital Media certificate utilizing virtual world technology using Second Life as the primary delivery method. The Digital Media certificate will include courses in computer applications, professional development, basic graphic design, digital imaging, digital publishing, computer illustration, fundamentals of photography and design communication. Press Release ~ Direct Teleport
Second Life HIV/AIDS Support Network
The HIV/AIDS SUpport Network has been created to allow all the various Groups and Organizations that support and educate about HIV/AIDS related issues to have a central place to meet and discuss. More info on their WIKI ~ Direct Teleport
University of Cincinatti Galapagos Island Project
“The website for the project hasn’t been launched yet, so I’ll have more info soon, but we have several exciting things planned, including using the Second Life Galapagos Project in conjunction with several courses in a variety of disciplines, and also to incorporate images, video, and reports from the field as student groups take trips to the REAL Galapagos Islands and bring artifacts back for us to display on the virtual islands.” More info ~ Teleport to UC’s SL Office
