Gartner on virtual worlds

Gartner Says 80 Percent of Active Internet Users Will Have A ``Second Life'' in the Virtual World by the End of 2011.“The collaborative and community-related aspects of these environments will dominate in the future, and significant transaction-based commercial opportunities will be limited to niche areas, which have yet to be clearly identified,” said Steve Prentice, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. “However, the majority of active Internet users and major enterprises will find value in participating in this area in the coming years.” Click image to link to article in BusinessWire.

Taesot 166/26/123

The 'unofficial' Beginners Guide to SL can be bought in one of the bookshops in-world. It seems weird to read a book in this manner, on the other hand we read web pages there too. The guide is a handy primer for newbies as it is a concise version of all the help (F1) available. The pages will turn when touched.

Envy 143/216/30

Global warming is hot. A lot of SL residents 'do something' with global warming and climate change. Good of them, of course and they all want to excel in doing so! This exhibition enables you to walk on water. A seagull accompanies you and there is the sound of water and singing birds.

Info Island II 240/223/23

McMasters Univerity introduces you to the mysteries of robots in Cafe Fireball. This funny thing on the roof goes on and on replacing blocks. It catches you when you start to wonder about the order of its movements. It's very relaxing too, watching work done!! Lots to see there, apart from this beauty.

Hobak 158/128/48

Muncheria, a northern part of China was visited by SongLi, a photographer who exposes his work for the third time in SL. The result is a 'stunner'. His words: 'These photos present silent efforts made in the quest for inner-peace, within the context of social traditions.'

Mixed reality

Mixed reality! To explain what it is I often use the example of the pizza. I tell my audience that it will be possible soon to order a pizza to your taste in SL, pay within SL and have the pizza-boy courier at your RL-doorbell 15 minutes later. Most people reply: 'Why don't you use the phone?' Some say: 'You shouldn't eat pizza's in the first place!' Pizza.Net starts this service on SL soon.

ABC on Second Life

The Australian Broadcasting Company has its own hangout in Sl. I reported on this earlier in this blog. Penn State's blog suggested the view of this video I 'd seen before. I wholeheartedly support their advise and looked at it again. Indeed, worth it from start to finish. It gives a balanced exposure of what is going on in-world. Click the image to view it, click on full screen or standard to start.

Architecture Island 91/157/33

The ideas behind the online collaborative spirit of Web 2.0 have been successfully harnessed in a wide array of disciplines. Can a field as subjective as architecture, or design in general, benefit from this collective intelligence paradigm? To help answer this question, ‘Real Life Architects in Second Life’ (RLASL) will be conducting a ‘Wikitecture’ experiment over the next month to determine just how feasible a collaborative approach in design might be in the architectural profession.

Virtual Worlds

A virtual world is a computer-simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars.
This habitation usually is represented in the form of two or three-dimensional graphical representations of humanoids (or other graphical or text-based avatars). Some, but not all, virtual worlds allow for multiple users. (Wikipedia, ”Virtual World,” 2006, para. 1).

Read the rest in an interesting article by Brett Bixler, Lead Instructional Designer & Manager, ETS of Pennsylvania State University. Click the image to go there!

Eson 30/235/63/

Brown University, Modern Culture and Media Department invites you to attend the opening of OSMOSA, the Open Source Museum of Open Source Art on Tuesday, April 24th, at 5PM SLT/8PM EST. OSMOSA aims to open up the process of art making and curating. "Open Source" means that visitors can add, modify, and remove art from the museum. In addition, the OSMOSA building is also open source, in that anyone can modify, add to, or delete parts of the structure. I did some 'work' on this guy.

Middletown 83/118/35

On May 1 at 3:30PM SLT Sarah "Intellagirl" Robbins' students will be hosting an open house to share their final project. They've created an immersive space they've named "The Celebrity After Party." The assignments started with rhetorical analyses of other SL spaces. The students then created a rhetorical situation of their own and constructed a space to meet that situation. The space is meant to explore the ramifications of America's infatuation with celebrities and the potential negative effects on the lives of celebrities. You are all invited!

Power = Attention x Depth x Efficiency.

What about Second Life after listened to Bernie's story. Attention: Yes!!, Efficiency: Yes!! Depth? Let me know what you think....

Flying over empty waters

Your explorer entered the beta grid of SL to have a look around. Not many people and only a few pieces of land, mostly islands in an immense ocean of blue water all around, as far as I could move my hat towards the setting sun. The radio is not really my choice but crystal clear!

Undulosa 170/211/22

The anatomy of a solar hot water system can be observed in the Avatar Action Club, an area dedicated to environment and sustainability. I have been crawling around the bottom of the rainbow to find my treasure in gold, but alas! I hope you have more luck there. The big bowls with fish in one of the domes are a feast for the eye.

Future 185/67/30

Worlds leading vendor of cellular phones opened a station in SL showing all kinds of future technologies among with, of course, mobile phones, but also the use of alternative energy providers like the wind. I love the tablet PC they offer as a gift and is supposed to free you from the ridiculous typing in the air. I didn't get it to work, but do not know why. Their phones are all right, though.

Caledon 76/42/23

The Victorian era was a prosperous one. Much of it can be seen in the UK of course and some of it is to be enjoyed in most English speaking nations. This beauty and more was built in SL and can be admired 7/24 in Victoria City

BCV Island 149/64/45

Stress is a common illness in education. To stay healthy you must master some techniques that overcome or prevent stress. This location on SL is dedicated to that effort and provides courses and give room for coaching. It is a French initiative, no translation on their website as far as I could see, but isn't that anti-stress (when combined with white wine) already?

The complete map of SL

Ever had the idea that you did not quite grasp the size of SL in-world? I have all the time, so I was very happy at first to find a map of it. This joy went fast as it appeared to be larger than I expected. Over 30.000 in SL when I opened this site. It is a developers area but it is an eye - opener just scrolling the basic map.

Learning@bout SL

Learning to 2live, learning to 2build, learning to 2socialise, 2learning is all over the place and let us hope it is worth it. Primers to these subjects are spread all over the web, but some resources are better than others. Try this one for learning 2competencies!

Imagining places

I am right in the centre of a spheric picture here. This one and many more have been produced by John Graig Freeman of the Emerson Institute. The navigation is based on an earth map and tp's you to places like Kamloops, Sao Paulo and Mexico. Read the instructions careful as you will lose precious time and might give up to soon.

Gourdneck 171/183/121

The Studio lab and Development Island in Second Life is a resource for the students to explore the metaverse, as a tool of production and to investigate it as an emerging communication and entertainment technology. The main philosphy of the Lab is to be part of the community. It is a public space, so be prepared to see work in progress and experimentation. The Collective SL experience is blogged at http://ddmcollective.blogspot.com

Some reflections.........

My dashboard told me that I have published a hundred of these items today. I started a month ago, have a growing number of readers (over 350, from all over the world and 1 in 2 comes back and reads more than 2 pages) and get nice compliments by mail and in-world. So far, so good.
What is my result after this effort? I set out to investigate the added value of SL for learning, but must admit that I have not yet delivered outstanding examples of best practice in great numbers. Oh, there was this young teacher on the basics of photography, there is this other woman building an agricultural college and I have seen some smart solutions for facilitating teaching, but after a month of SL- estrial travel I have not seen examples of learning by construction: places where students build their own learning environment and develop their skills by doing so, in my opinion SL's unique selling point for learning and education. But it is 'to early to call', I must be more patient as one day I shall, no doubt, stumble upon such initiative.

The Avastar 103/211/80

There are several papers about SL, but not many are only accessible in-world. The Avastar can be obtained by touching a board. Then you will receive a note card with reference to a pdf-file. You can read the paper by opening this file.

Helicon Campus 130/204/26

Helicon Campus has opened an island for educational purposes. Students will work on the creation of a skeleton of a horse as a starter project. Amber has spent $300 to obtain several useful items for learning and teaching, has a $9.95 fee per month for her premium account and pays an annual educational- fee of $837.50. She spends a half-time job on the island for development and coaching her colleagues, the cost of that will differ per country or state.

Commonwealth Island 182/81/22

A complete image of the earth can be observed on Commonwealth Island. Also to be admired a mud pot and geyser. The excitement when the geyser shows an eruption is sudden and impressive. This part of SL is more or less dedicated to ecological issues.

Terminus 128/109/34

A small group of SL Avatars has started developing a simple and functioning ecosystem within the possibilities of SL. At this moment it is not more than a group of islands with some 'vegetation'. But that isn't how it started millions of years ago in RL. I wonder how long it will take to develop the first mammal? And what is that big grey thing above it, will we have an extraSLestrial landing soon?

Virginia Tech 64/120/33

The tragedy that took place on the campus of VT brings a shadow to SL too. A memorial on the victims shows pictures of some of the victims and tokens of sympathy and grieve. Not all frames are filled, which gives an extra dimension to the impact of this disaster.

Dirty 171/115/26

Marketeers have big problems dealing with SL. How do you track people, what do they do, what do they want. SLBuzz helps you to get an idea of your SL behaviour. Joining the SLBuzz community has its charm, but is it a free lunch altogether? I am not sure. Nomen est omen? I got myself a free watch today and I will keep you informed.

TC Educator 125/194/25

Announcing the Virtual Game Jam in Second LifeThe Virtual Game Jam will take place in Second Life on TC Educator Island starting at 12 p.m. EST on Saturday, April 21 and ending on Sunday, April 22, when participants share their work at 1 p.m. EST (10 a.m.PST). The Virtual Game Jam is an opportunity for game developers (professional, hobby, or aspiring) to gather for 24 hours and create games in Second Life. It is open to developers of any skill level and any location. Oh, and you should have an account with Second Life by the time the game jam begins. More information is available at http://columbia.edu/~cce2110/vgjam

Accommodation for students in SL

For those of you that would like an impression of the cabin I included in my calculation. It is 35 x 23 meters and suits large and small group activity, including places to rest. The model can be copied and modified. 3d Examples can be visited in British Columbia in SL

The TCO of an Island for Education

Many dream of setting up an educational island. But what does it cost to start and run in SL. Total cost could mount to $1.203.653 for a four year period. This means $ 1.253.81 per student per year, including rent, accommodation, the costs for furnishing and the costs of staff to coach the students. Developing learning materials and methods is included in the costs of staff. The image will enlarge when clicked upon. If your interested in receiving the spreadsheet, leave a comment or send me a mail.

FYI

"On May 6th. 2007, at 12 PM SLT, there will be a walk on the SL road from Meiji East to Opera. This walk will be the first protest walk in Teen Second Life. Our mission is to get Linden Lab to grant teenagers permission to travel to the main grid's PG sims, and adults to travel to our public sims. We would have teen only sims (Teen Grid) , as the MGers would have their mature sims.

Linden Lab, let our people go. Invite people. Let's show LL what us teens can really do."

Swain 117/60/106

I have an office, a home, a hangout in SL. It is fun building something that is completely to your taste of that moment and without compromise to anybody else. Unless you have to share, of course. I do not, so that is why it looks like it does. Hope you like it, and feel free to visit it. Give me a notice in advance, to give me time to go there too and prepare your visit.

UCLA 226/107/24

UCLA must have been boasting on staff and group of friends in SL as there is virtual no evidence of presence there in Cybrary City but a nice white brick building with doors opening tidy. A lot of promise but patience might be a virtue here. Hope to find what I looked for now soon.

Exploratorium 76/40/48

Aimee Weber built it and it can be admired in Midnight. This bit of Sl also houses the SPLO and the Tressis Van Gogh Exhibition. I 've been there and got the T-shirt, but this building shows the planets, the moon and the sun in 3d. The cylinder where you can see the orbit of the moon is easy to enter, but a challenge to leave.

The Hague 59/83/23

The city of the Hague in the Netherlands profiles itself to an international audience by building a beach house. They also give away a free kite to play with. I have seen worse presentations although I miss some of the residential distinction and the diplomatic atmosphere here. Still it must be fun to many, no doubt

Casablanca 84/141/26

Arabian architecture is a feast for the eye. In a strong and modest way it is shown in Casablanca, one of Morocco 's major cities. Just outside you will find a market with several traditional products. Do not forget to collect your free fez and local outfit.

Conference Island 128/101/37

This amazingly beautiful building shows 'objets d'art', such as a painting, a vase, etc. But it also shows signs with reference to other places in SL. like Reuters and such. It looks like a center, an exhibition hall and a museum, but what is it really?

CPCC Campus 61/165/54

For some reason, unknown to me, and very likely many others, somebody created a pile of coins in a hidden cave on this campus of the Central Piedmont Community College. The search option, typing CPCC brings you to a place on the mainland. From there you can teleport to a handful of other locations on their island. It is not clear to me yet what they intend to do here.

Focus: Teen voices on digital media and society

Discussion and reflection on how digital media affects the lives of youth is becoming increasingly important for today's connected teens. FOCUS: Teen Voices on Digital Media and Society is a place where teens have the opportunity to reflect with their peers around the world, on how digital media is affecting their lives and society.

Thomson 170/25/35

You do not come across teachers like this very often. Excellent teacher Andreia will show you the basics of camera controls. They were very professionally and pleasantly highlighted at Thomson NetG classrooms today. This way of teaching works, everywhere and therefore in SL too. Added value is the chat-history and the big screen hanging between you and the instructor, while she is still facing you. They have a lot of these classes at decent hours and a must-take for newbies and others.

Student Survey in SL

Short survey results from Dioselin Gonzalez. " A total of 13 students from 3rd year, all with no previous experience in Second Life, took this class. At the end of the semester they received an email invitation for an online survey on the use of Second Life. 44% of respondents considered SL to be very effective for their learning, and 62% indicated an increase of interaction with tutors and classmates; 100% had technical difficulties with the software."

SL in 3600 seconds on Slideshare

An interesting and critical examination of SL from Andy Powell, Eduserv Foundation. Both the possibilities, its potential and its drawbacks are covered in this clean and clear presentation. A must-read/view for most of us.

Neufreistadt 208/185/178

I have just joined the Geographic Society of SL. They keep a modest office in Neufreistad, a peculiar yet interesting place to visit. Some of its items rise mixed feelings but in general it seems a relaxed environment with a unique face. The church is worth a visit and there some nice shops.

Paris 1900 60/224/23

Paris 1900, using search in SL, tpees you to the Metro, taking the stairs you will walk in the Moulin Rouge almost immediately. Nearby you will find the Tour d' Eifel and fashionable shops, a Cafe des Artists and more you would expect in Paris in that era. I visited the Calledon Gallery of Art and found an exhibition of Monet and some other artists.

Eduisland 137/177/34

Of great interest to all those that have an educational ambition in SL. One will find laptops and other gadgets for sale and some nice-to-haves in freeware. The three storage building shows a lot and gives useful information that maybe of interest to newbies and the elderly SL'r.

AECT

The Association for Educational Communications and Technology opened a headquarters in SL. First floor: wall to wall images of the website that link to the website, Second floor: images of books that link to publications on the website, Third floor: large conference table and roof terrace. The 'staircase' is a challenge, I prefer a TP here. The HQ is interesting but the added value to their rich website is little so far.

SLED Picayune Info Island 24/217/34

To stay informed on what is going on in SL regarding education I read the SLED Picayune weekly. The periodical was found by Milosun Czervik and brings news and landmarks on categories like News & Articles, Events & Places, ICT library and shopnews, Blogs & Listservs and New to SL. For past issues you better visit the SLED Picayune office on Info Island.

On the Louvre and more

Two PhD students wrote a paper on museums in SL. Worth reading too. Among the museums mentioned I discovered the Louvre. New to me and worth a visit. It was not quite what I expected but still an interesting site. The paper can be read clicking the image, the Louvre is easily found using the search option and text............yes! Louvre

Adventure Ecology

Global warming has no advantages. To help to stop its progress youngsters are motivated to join in this game. I would not have noticed it as an item for this blog when the AE team did not flood parts of SL. At least that is what National Geographic News tells us. SL Insider published the news, but so far I ve not spoken to eye-witnesses. A hoax? Maybe today, but not in the future if we go on like this.

Cuscus 99/112/99

The Jewish Community in SL has a warm fire and some nice couches in their community building. It is open to all that wish to meet other people. The community will soon open an island that will give more room to all the different buildings and its content. The museum shows a number of portraits on famous persons, you will recognize quite a few I think. The synagogue is worth a visit for its Torah, to be seen direct, not hidden behind curtains.