Syndicating the Second Life blogosphere

May 09, 2008

Massively

iheartsl community blog

Zelly Mornington


Head on over to Dollarbies and pick up my real life static pose of Raquel Welch for 1L. You will find some really great dollarbies offered by numerous creators of SL. Then feel free to visit my new store, Striking Poses.   Enjoy!

Love,

Zelly


by Zelly Mornington at May 09, 2008 12:27 PM

Second Life Herald

Minnu Model Skins PhotoSourced from Renderosity???

Metaverse shocker -- pirated skins being sold in SL!!!

by Tenshi Vielle, fabulous fashionista - courtesy of shoppingcartdisco

Do you remember a while back, when we were talking about "what ifs" regarding stolen content across virtual worlds?

I think the best case has to be Renderosity.com artists' work being bought then redistributed without their permission (and against their own TOS) within Second Life. And of course, the general community in Second Life is mostly ignorant about what goes on at art sites like Renderosity - or, at least, doesn't think to check there first to see if the content they just purchased in SL is stolen.

One sharp-eyed Second Life community member did notice that a skin she purchased recently appeared to be stolen from Renderosity.com - and emailed the creator, which in turn caused the creator to email me to ask for help and find out how stolen things were handled in Second Life. I guided her towards a DCMA, but I would like to share her email and accompanying screenshots with all of you.

A
B
Do you recognize this skin? It's actually from Renderosity.com, Danae's Manhattan collection. It's been warped to fit the templates in Second Life… by none other than Minnu Pallen, the "great" skin creator.

More info below the cut, including Danae's original email to me:


Hello,

My name is Danae Kotsi and I am a professional digital creator vendoring at Renderosity.com for many years. I create photorealistic skin textures for applications such as Poser and DAZStudio and I have been a Top Selling artist in the 3D community for many years.

It has recently been pointed out to me from a member of the SL community that a certain member - seller of your community is using my original, licensed products as their own. The product I am referring to is the "minnu model skins, generation 4". The said SL seller has manipulated these textures against the TOS and License provided in my products and without any permission thus violating all copyright laws.

I have included an image of my product's renders against the ones sold by the SL seller. My work is on the far corners while the copied is in the 2 middle images. As anyone can see the similarities are beyond the scope of mere chance but clearly illustrate that my work has been plagiarized. You can view my full product description here : http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/index.php?ViewProduct=41330

It is clear that my work has been used in the production of the Avatars and most of the differences come from the change in format an the lower resolution - polygons.

As a professional my main income comes from producing and selling works such as the one stolen from me. It takes lots of research, money and many months of hard work to produce just one item and having this stolen by someone and claiming it as their own is very infuriating and insulting.

I have been informed that the said seller - and I refrain using the word artist for apparent reasons - has been selling my altered and stolen work and passing it as her own for a long time. So, I have informed my lawyers and we are currently thinking about the next step which is sure to be requiring immediate withdrawal of the said product and full compensation.

I was referred to you by someone because they said you know and care about the community and also know [...]

by SLHerald at May 09, 2008 12:16 PM

Mixed Realities

Virtual Journalism

The Agile Mind is a blog specializing in virtual government and virtual journalism. It is not yet very clear to me what “virtual journalism” actually means. There are journalists writing about virtual environments, there are journalists using multimedia techniques, but to me that is all just journalism, nothing very virtual about it.

Yet, Anne Laurent has an interesting view on this issue, suggesting that virtual journalism involves “multimedia storytelling”. She demonstrates it with a video she made about a federal technology show, meeting for instance guys from Forterra Systems. Please read more on her interesting blog, and here is the video:

I posted previously on non-linear storytelling and digital storytelling..

Roland Legrand


by admin at May 09, 2008 11:15 AM

BlogHUD

Virtual Girl Next Door

gogolita


Bijou is sexayyy!!!!!!!! I like this Focus outfit because it’s different. It’s like lingerie you can wear outside! <3

[Sleeveless shirt option]

[Complete outfit, back view]

[Worn with Intimizzio panties because it's layerable!! You can wear any panties you want for this outfit and truly mix-n-match.

And have you been to Maitreya lately? Gorgeous new hair textures!! *DROOLS* The new hair textures are my hair obsession for the week. I’m wearing Maitreya’s Eva-More hair in this entry to match the outfit because it has a sexy tousled look.

Other items worn: Maitreya’s Sassy Wedges (in Velvet Rose)


by gogolita at May 09, 2008 10:34 AM

BlogHUD

dispatches from the metaverse

Carnival of Doom gets new boss

CoD's Newest MembersSeemingly out of nowhere, two new faces appear at CoD, Boris and Natascha Dratman. Rumor has it that at Thursday night’s “Talent & Freak Show” Boris took the stage, along with his bony wife, to announce that Doom was his.

I was able to catch up with them a couple of hours before they made their announcement. Bickering and nagging, causing a scene at times. Their profiles are every bit as a mystery as what plans they have for Doom.

All I can say is, I hope Doom is prepared for them and that they are prepared for Doom.


by GwenethLange at May 09, 2008 09:40 AM

Massively

Second Life daily news

Filed under:

Second Life Daily News -- www.massively.com

Linden Lab's new Bay City area.

Continue reading Second Life daily news

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments


by Tateru Nino at May 09, 2008 09:30 AM

Tinsel Silvera

Introducing Bitropolis




What is Bitropolis?

Bitropolis is the virtual venue of the Bitfilm Festival and can be found deep underground in the 3D world of Twinity.

The Bitfilm Festival is a festival of digital film, dedicated to showcasing the best digitally animated films on the planet. This year, for the very first time, the festival is being held in both the real world and the virtual world of Twinity.

The creative hub of Bitropolis is naturally the cinema which will be screening highlights from the Bitfilm Festival program. This is the place to go to watch the latest in innovative animation. After the movie, join fellow cineastes for drinks in the bar or dance the night away in the night club.

The 2008 Bitfilm Festival runs from 1 May to 12 July. To find out more about the festival or vote for your favorite film, visit www.bitfilm.com/festival.

by noreply@blogger.com (Tinsel Silvera) at May 09, 2008 09:04 AM

New World Notes

What's Your SL Name-To-RL Name Google Search Ratio?

So here's a fun if disconcerting exercise: Google your Second Life avatar's name, and be sure to put it in quotes. Note the number of Results you get. Now do the same with your real life name (also in quotes)...

by SLHamlet at May 09, 2008 08:22 AM

2nd Sex

Day Oh Let's the Cat out of the bag:New Huge Prims

First new huge prims since the last bug was closed.

Free. Full Perms.

This cat will need a large bag.

The way this is done is by using the create object message in libsl, I'll post this as soon as SL stops misbehaving. Maybe there is a throttle in the client that could be removed now?

by Lillie Yifu (noreply@blogger.com) at May 09, 2008 06:58 AM

iheartsl community blog

Candy Lemmon


Like most every stylish girl out there, I’ve been anxiously anticipating the Sex and the City movie release. In my day-life I’m a clothing stylist in a vintage store, and I’ve earned the neighborhood nickname of “Carrie Bradshaw”. Let’s see if I can live up to it!

This was my most challenging shoot to date. From the styling to the setting, I really wanted to do the city and the clothing justice, and I hope I accomplished that. This look started at the top, because I originally wanted something like the opening sequence in which she wears a tiered skirt and casual tank. When I realized I didn’t have the right skirt in my inventory, I got creative and discovered the bottom of Ingenue’s Lady Stardust might just have the right amount of glitz. I layered a Celestial Studios tank over the undershirt option, edited the straps, and raised the hem of the tank enough to give a pretty high-waisted effect. Of course, the truly fashionable woman knows it’s all in the details. Carrie always knew just how to accessorize, and I’m paying homage to that memorable season in which she often wore big, statement-making flower corsages. The ruffled socks and white gloves add the touches that truly make personal style. I knew I needed Cake’s slightly wild volume to pull off her trademark tousled curls, and it just wouldn’t be Carrie without that perfect pair of pumps, and a great purse.

Van’s photo was a tough one - Big needs a black car and a city street at night, and there weren’t too many of those waiting for my camera. In the end I turned to the trusty black Shadow, attached it to his avatar and managed to take a picture next to the “Candy Club”, which I found to be cutely appropriate. Deciding on a suit required some discussion, but we settled on a true oldie-but-goodie, Van’s very first suit from SF Designs. The included prim cuff-links and tie-pins are favorites of his, and emphasize the power and class that Mr. Big always exuded. It was hard to talk him out of his Scorpio skin, but he agreed that businessman don’t tend to wear eyeliner, and donned a Minnu Model skin, a past group freebie. (I don’t know if the current controversy extends to freebies, I’ll read up on my scandal lit and get back to you.) Likewise, he traded his longer locks for a well-manicured effect, and tried a new sexy amber eye-color.

Stay tuned next week for Smith and Samantha!

Credits after the cut…

On Candy (as Carrie)
Skin: Vogue Skins - Last Year’s Spring Series - Fresh in Pure
Eyes: Miriel - Duotone Collection - Predawn
Hair: Cake - Wish II in Deep Red
Tank Top: Celestial Studios - Boybeater in White
Skirt: Ingenue - Lady Stardust Dress in Midnight
Socks: Rebel Hope Designs - Candy Socks
Shoes: Tesla - Shiny Felicity Platforms in Red
Gloves: Muism - Lady Gloves (Worn without Prim Fox Fur and Pearls)
Purse: Rebel Hope Designs - The Hope Gown Pillbox Purse
Corsage: Bare Rose - Thorn of Beauty Geisha Outfit Roses
Lashes: Cake - Flutter Lashes

On Van (as Mr. Big)
Skin: Minnu Model Skins - Pale Shaved
Eyes: Miriel - Jeweled Collection - Amber
Hair: Armidi - The Grammar in Sangria
Suit: SF Designs - Executive Suit in Black
Shirt: Casa del Shai - The Luna Suit White Barong Shirt
Shoes: Storm Schmooz - Men’s Black Shoes
Tie: Bare Rose - Casablanca Outfit Tie in Simple Red
Tie Pin and Cuff Links: SF Designs - Executive Suit

As always, for full pictures and Slurls, See Red-Headed Step-Child and my [...]

by Candy Lemmon at May 09, 2008 05:09 AM

Metaverse Journal

Weekend Whimsy

1. Iron Man in Second Life 2. Henry Jenkins in Second Life Talks about Potter Fandom (this one runs for 51 minutes) 3. Tiny Anatine’s “A day in Second Life” Related storiesMay 2, 2008 -- Weekend WhimsyApril 25, 2008 -- Weekend WhimsyApril 18, 2008 -- Weekend WhimsyApril 13, 2008 -- Weekend WhimsyApril 5, 2008 -- Weekend WhimsyMarch 29, 2008 [...]


May 09, 2008 05:04 AM

BlogHUD

Game Ideas


A friend of mine asked me for ideas for building some collaborative games. I haven't seen much of this in SL at all. Most games simply need one person. I replied with a few ideas for him and I hope that he is more than happy with the results, or is inspired to build upon them into different ideas. Most games these days seem to be confined to a box that aren't really that much interactive themselves. I've suggested a few games with props and others that encourage people to move around and get active. Some are even very silly. I would love to take my readers on the journy, but I don't know how senstive the work is yet. NDA? Who knows.

posted by Dedric Mauriac on Brie using a blogHUD
blogHUD map and teleport permalink

May 09, 2008 04:21 AM

Your2ndPlace.com

Building in SL Just Changed! New Mega Prims

Today Day Oh released new mega prims. These are not the cut and hacked ones, they are newly created! The first set the .5 series is perfect for those parcel sized builds like in Fermi Sandbox. They are free, and over 2000 in the first box are available here http://slexchange.com/modules.php?name=Marketplace&file=item&ItemID=685589

This is huge, and was first reported by Lillie Yifu.


by ArthurFermi at May 09, 2008 04:06 AM

BlogHUD

Jaycatt and Shady kick back


Listening to Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy with a few folks. Jaycatt Nico was there, which was a nice thing to see. He is only evey on stage, at the piano Nice to see him relaxing. And, oh, what a great story.

posted by DrFran Babcock on Embu using a blogHUD
blogHUD map and teleport permalink

May 09, 2008 04:06 AM

Massively

$30,000AUD for studies in religion

Filed under: , ,

Doctor Helen Farley (Lecturer in Studies in Religion and Esotericism) and Doctor Rick Strelan (Senior Lecturer in Studies in Religion) were awarded a $30,000AUD Strategic Teaching and Learning Grant by the University of Queensland (Australia) in October of last year to construct an island in Second Life for Studies in Religion.

Dr Farley has already had practice teaching meditation via Second Life, and used it successfully for student work thus far. The new University of Queensland island will be attached to the New Media Consortium region, which has over 250 educational institutions involved.

Continue reading $30,000AUD for studies in religion

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments


by Tateru Nino at May 09, 2008 04:00 AM

Crap in the morning

Playing with Windlight

I tinkered with Windlight a bit while listening to Grace tonight... grace at slip 09 grace and red sunset grace at slip 04 And then... um... grace monkeyhair When she showers, it's banana, rinse, repeat?

May 09, 2008 03:32 AM

Skinemax Island

Cinemax Island is PG? skinemax Shit, even their color bars are softcore porn, eh.

May 09, 2008 03:32 AM

BlogHUD

Impromptu SL Bloggers meetup


I ran into Princess Ivory at the Crescent Moon Museum and had to grab a snap of the two of us - seeing as we're both reading each others' blogs all of the time. What a fun evening, hanging with another kindered spirit!

posted by Morris Vig on FairChang Village using a blogHUD
blogHUD map and teleport permalink

May 09, 2008 02:57 AM

New World Notes

Whose Avatar Is It Anyway? (Drew Carey's, That's Who)

So there I was today watering the fifty foot marijuana plant on my office deck, when beloved libertarian funnyman Drew Carey flew by, then began waving a microphone in front of me. You may spot him too, because Reason.tv's travel...

by SLHamlet at May 09, 2008 12:50 AM

Osprey Therian

I highly recommend
Tina's Universum
Now with Extra Special Translatory Goodness!

I've copied her translator idea - as she said to me, "We are one world!"

by Osprey (noreply@blogger.com) at May 09, 2008 12:24 AM

May 08, 2008

Your2ndPlace.com

The Bay City Rollers

Well someone had to mention them, my sister scarred me for life! Via the official blog Bay City is up and running.

The work of the LDPW, a cityscape, a cinema, a lighthouse, a trolley bus, bowling, ballon trips and probably much much more.

No terraform, no subdivide, no join, no messing around with the builds. Auctions start next week and to those of you who claim this is just a hosting service, let's see what value people place on these parcels.

Aided and abetted by Katt Linden, who not only told me Bay City was south of City Haven, she also told me which direction south was (Thanks Miss Communication ;) ).

I took a stroll around to capture the new sights.

This is a bowling alley, honest!

A lighthouse always works.

I didn't see the water trolley, maybe I was looking in the wrong places.

Canals but I didn't see any gondolas.

The inside of the cinema, it's great being able to go to the pictures..not sure what the main feature is and they're optimistic with that many seats!

The outside of the cinema, traditional looking but alas no circle or stalls...I'm not the only one who remembers the circle and the stalls am I?

read more


by Ciaran Laval at May 08, 2008 10:32 PM

iheartsl community blog

Close Picture of Rosaly and Hat


Close Picture of Rosaly and Hat

Coco Chanel once said, “it’s best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.”  Well, I probably don’t have a date with destiny today, but I like the idea of always looking your best because any day could change your destiny and why not look the part.

Okay, I confess the hat is a bit much. I wouldn’t wear it in real life because it would knock people in the head on the bus…but I would like to. I might not even mind banging people in the head with it. But isn’t it pretty? Isn’t it timeless? It could have been worn by Emma or Eliza Doolittle. It’s one of those sweeping romantic picture hats that serve to highlight the fragility of the female neck and the romance of female eyes. It’s not about the weather, it’s about the wearer. More @ It’s Only Fashion.


by Cajsa Lilliehook at May 08, 2008 09:53 PM

2nd Sex

Two new events at the Kama Sutra Institute!

First, let me please offer my humblest apologies for taking so long to follow up with more events at the Kama Sutra Institute. I can only claim the plague of RL invading my playtime.
This week I'll be hosting two events: the first meeting of the Working Girls' Union and the first installment of a continuing exploration of the texts of the Kama Sutra. Read on for the details (I know you must be chomping at the bit already)....

WORKING GIRLS' UNION - Local #69
Saturday 10th May @ 7 pm SLT

This will be a relaxed round-table discussion for Second Life sex professionals⎯escorts, dancers, madams, and club owners, whether you're new to the game or an old hand⎯to share your experiences, vent your frustrations, ask some questions and answer those of others.

Sex in SL provides its own set of rules, written and unwritten. There are defined borders and of course large swaths of grey areas, relatively 'normal' clients and those that test or redefine your perceptions entirely, novice mistakes and a seasoned pro's reevaluations. This talk is sure to provide valuable insight to the nature of the profession, the nature of sex in the digital medium, and hopefully be a great resource for beginners and those more experienced alike, allowing us to expand and hone our craft in an open forum.

Our guest of honor will be Lillie Yifu, one of SL's finest and most accomplished individuals in any medium⎯especially the erotic!

Note that despite the name, this event is open to sex workers of all genders & species; however, you must be a sex worker as outlined above. As always, seating will be limited so IM me your request to attend; the parcel will be closed during the duration of the talk. Also, this is a text-talk; I don't have voice capability, but others are free to use it.


Kama Sutra 101
Tuesday 13th May @ 7 pm SLT

Have you heard of the Kama Sutra, but never had the good fortune to read it yourself? Curious about the different translations and commentaries available, and how they differ? Not sure exactly what "Kama Sutra" even means?

This short class will provide the student with a brief overview of the actual Kama Sutra texts, an explanation of what this mysterious book contains and purports to accomplish, and a survey of its historical and cultural context.
Later classes will explore specific chapters and topics in-depth.
No prior knowledge of the Kama Sutra is required for this class. There will be handouts!
This class is open to all who are interested, and without a fee; however, seating will be limited so IM me your request to attend, as the parcel will be closed during the duration of the class. Also, this is a text-talk; I don't have voice capability, but others are free to use it.

All the best,
~Shrutiyan Anatra

by Shrutiyan Anatra (noreply@blogger.com) at May 08, 2008 09:44 PM

New World Notes

New World Tableau: Truthseeker Young's Extropian Harvest

Last month we glimpsed Truthseeker in his life support tank; here he is out in the open, a gentlemen farmer in an unknown future. Or as he puts it, "Gettin' ready to harvest thuh SPACE-WEED!!! The plasma-fence is fer keepin'...

by SLHamlet at May 08, 2008 08:38 PM

Crap in the morning

Flagpole

I removed the cap from the dome and then slid the flagpole to the top of the tower: flagpole The flag's flexi, too. And it it's Boston Red Sox, either.
After calling in sick and hitting the snooze bar, I checked the tower and found a bunch of prims had slid out of position in the legs and struts of the tower. So, I tore out the bad ones, rebuilt the poles I needed to remake, linked them up in sets, and locked the prims to prevent further accidents. I need to get better about locking prims. As much as I tinker, it's so easy to grab the wrong prim and cause massive damage to a build without even knowing it.

May 08, 2008 08:38 PM

eightbar

Planet Hursley

This is what planet Hursley looks like early in the morning. Ian suggested I share. :-)


by Darren Shaw at May 08, 2008 08:31 PM

DJ Doubledown Tandino

Serdan Mendes @ Solo & Stereo Sushi Party




SERDAN MENDES INFO:

Venues and events in SL played at:

- Funkyhouse
- The Wish
- Sands House CLub
- SLeek
- Koola
- NIKKI House Club
- IRONWORKS
- ELECTRIC CABARET
- official Playboy SIM
- lots of SIM openings, fasion shows, private parties

Warmup and aftershow sets for:

- Hed Kandi
- Stereo Sushi

SCHEDULE:

IRONWORKS - every monday 12pm SLT: 􀀀
SLEEK - every wednesday 12pm SLT: 􀀁
KOOLA - every friday 12pm SLT: 􀀂
ELECTRIC CABARET - every sunday : 􀀃


Photgraphy by Doubledown Tandino
at STEREO SUSHI
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Solo/187/32/22

by Brad Reason/DJ Doubledown (noreply@blogger.com) at May 08, 2008 09:10 PM

BlogHUD

Java CAPS


En la pemultima conferencia en JavaOne

crossposted to marlonj inSL

posted by marlonj Myers on Sun Microsystems 4 using a blogHUD
blogHUD map and teleport permalink

May 08, 2008 08:09 PM

Mean Girls Guide to SL

Got Nerd?


Remember 733t sp34k? Well folks have gotten completely past that and now moved into nerd tech speak (or 'Nerdic' as it's not being called) and actually considered it as an official language. Finally after decades of wedgies and 'kick me' signs, us nerds no longer need a series of bad movies to prove that we have worth!!!

Who woulda thought 5 years ago that terms such as 'Google', 'MySpace', 'Blog' 'YouTube' would become so ingrained into our very social make-up? At this point if you haven't heard any of these terms before, you are totally living under a rock... in a mirror dimension...

It'll only be a matter of time before other tidbits of our linguistic lexicon become ingrained into everyone's Nerdic vocabulary. But... the question is, what should the New Oxford dictionary consider next?

LOLspeak

A growing phenomenon (especially on Second Life®) started by the internet phenomenon of LOLcats.

animal

Admit it... fluffy animals in silly poses are like crack. Not to mention the implement of such phrases as as 'Yus!' and 'I haz it' that have become staple phrases on SL®. This will no doubt continue to spread across our screens and suck more into its whimsical cuteness. You will be assimilated! Come on... you know you want to.

Jive


Cab Calloway made it into an art form with his songs... and you gotta admit that watching June Cleaver talking Jive is one of the most hilarious moments in film history. Here's a dictionary if you're not up on your jivin' lingo. Be sho' man t'check it out! Right on!

Swedish Chef


Okay you're probably like 'that's a dialect?' Apparently this Muppet lingo is on some video games (I personally found the language option on Guild Wars). If ya wanna sound drunk on purpose, this is the one to use. BORK!

Jellyisms

Oh yes, the Jelly has her own language to spread to the masses! Who hasn't heard the words, 'kkthnxbai' or 'Mayhapsibly' and not thought of the Pink Wonder? Even though she is not around SL as she once was, many of us have been touched by her catchphrases and all around spunky attitude. Before too long we all caught ourselves saying 'I know, right?' among other goodies. It's easy to say that she's definitely left her mark.

Know other ignored dialects? Tell us so we can confuse multitudes of folks who are not 'in the know'. ;-)


by ♪ Guenevere ♪ (noreply@blogger.com) at May 08, 2008 09:07 PM

Tinsel Silvera

Scenes from Bay City





After much anticipation Linden Lab opened the new Bay City today. There are a variety of parcels that will be made available through the auction. Thankfully there are some restrictions being placed on the parcels. Hopefully some of us common folk will be able to get them and the prices won't be driven up by land flippers. Congratulations to the Linden DPW and all the Moles who made this possible. Well done everyone!

by noreply@blogger.com (Tinsel Silvera) at May 08, 2008 07:44 PM

Rikomatic

The Tech Museum looking for virtual exhibits on tech that benefit humanity

Techmuseum_001

Those awesome folks at The Tech Museum in San Jose have done it again. They sent out news that they are launching a new initiative to support exhibits on technology that benefits humanity in unique and innovative ways.  Called the "UCanTu" initiative, the project calls upon Second Life residents to create virtual exhibits that demonstrate how cutting edge real world technologies can better people's lives, based upon tools developed by past Tech Museum Awards Laureates from around the world. 

The best of these designs will be featured in the real world Tech Museum starting in January of next year.  Sounds like another neat effort to open up the museum exhibit creation process that totally hacks the traditional relationship of the museum visitor-curator into a more collaborative and dynamic engagement. Interestingly, unlike their previous exhibit open call for submissions, this one does not have any financial incentive attached to it.

The deadline for submissions is June 1.  See their website for more details, or read the full press release which follows.

For Immediate Release

THE TECH MUSEUM OF INNOVATION ANNOUNCES UCanTu: A VIRTUAL EXHIBIT CREATION INITIATIVE HIGHLIGHTING TECHNOLOGY BENEFITING HUMANITY

The Tech Calls for Virtual Exhibit Designers To Develop Interactive Experiences Based on
The Tech Museum Awards Laureates’ Projects

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 6, 2008 - The Tech Museum of Innovation (The Tech), one of the nation's premier science and technology museums, today announced “UCanTu,” the next phase of The Tech Virtual (http://thetechvirtual.org/projects/ucantu/). Following on the success of The Tech’s “Art, Film & Music” virtual exhibit design contest in Second Life, UCanTu is a virtual exhibit design initiative based on the international humanitarian awards program, The Tech Museum Awards: Technology Benefiting Humanity. The Tech is inviting Tech Virtual participants to choose one of the existing award-winning projects from past Tech Museum Awards seasons, and to develop a virtual exhibit that showcases these technologies in an interactive, educational way.  The new virtual exhibits will fall into the five categories of Tech Awards projects, which are health, education, environment, economic development and equality.

Designers are being invited to create memorable experiences for visitors based on real devices, artifacts and technologies that have been developed by Tech Museum Awards Laureates and used around the world. The best of these designs will be featured in the “real life” Tech Museum Awards gallery at The Tech scheduled to open in January 2009.

The Tech Museum Awards are one of the premiere annual humanitarian awards programs in the world, recognizing and supporting solutions that benefit humanity and address some of the most critical issues facing the planet and its people. Each year, the program recognizes 25 innovators (Laureates) worldwide whose solutions demonstrate their commitment to solving global challenges. The five universal categories of work--education, equality, environment, economic development and health--recognized by The Tech Museum Awards address the global challenges inspired by the United Nations’ The State of the Future at the Millennium report. The 175 past Laureate projects are as diverse as the individuals who created them, chosen each year from hundreds [...]

by rikomatic at May 08, 2008 06:58 PM

Mixed Realities

Generation Virtual: long live the personae

In 10 years time the largest influence on all purchases will be the virtual experiences associated with them. More money will be spent marketing and selling to multiple online personae than marketing and selling offline. This will be driven by Generation Virtual or Generation V, a very different generation from the previous ones. Those bold predictions are being reiterated by principal analyst Adam Sarner of Gartner in a commentary on Forbes.com. It is not the first time I read these theories and observations, but the commentary is very outspoken and well formulated.

Marketers use categories such as baby boomers, Generation X and Generation Y to segement the population with a focus on age. However, Generation V recognizes that general behavior, attitudes and interests start to blend in an online environment:

Customers will hop across segments at various times for various reasons and are likely to act like several generations at any given time.

Unlike previous generations, Generation V is not defined by age, gender, social demographic or geography, but is based on demonstrated achievement, accomplishments (merit) and an increasing preference toward the use of digital media channels to discover information, build knowledge and share insights. Generation V members create multiple, often anonymous, personae to control relevant information flow into the community and businesses.

Nowadays companies are still obsessed by discovering the “real identities” of customers and potential customers. In the new world envisioned by Sarner, companies will have to use psychographics to understand the personae. Virtual environments will be created in order to get a better understanding of the reactions and behaviors of those personae.

Generation V is defined around three key behavioral attributes:

  • The use of technology as a simple tool to facilitate communication that is not bounded by the previous limits of geography.
  • Generation V wants to participate through involvement in global communities through self-created online personae.  “Key in this desire to participate is the absolute belief in the necessity and value of two-way participation, an active involvement in the community rather than a passive consumption, through conversation instead of getting a communication.
  • Finally, the belief in a meritocratic environment, the value of collaboration, that “we” is more powerful and valuable than “me” and that sharing increases value rather than diminishing or eroding it.

In my next blogpost I will give an example of how Generation V works, from the Teen Grid of Second Life.

Roland Legrand


by admin at May 08, 2008 06:55 PM

Rikomatic

PMT Breakers performing tonight at Frim Fram dance

PMT breakers 0408d
Somewhat last minute, the PMT breakers group that I'm in is performing again tonight at Yehoodi's Frim Fram dance at around 10pm, if anyone is interested in catching us.  We're mad rusty, but hopefully we'll pull off something cool.

That's at 412 Eighth Avenue, near 31st Street, 4th floor, NYC.  Only $8 at the door, $5 for students.


by rikomatic at May 08, 2008 06:39 PM

Jaycatt Nico

Wow!

Wow, I just happened to look, and I noticed I am the top of the page at thesixtyone! How'd that happen? lol


by noreply@blogger.com (Jaycatt) at May 08, 2008 06:39 PM

Mixed Realities

Virtual Tools: Alltop (and… MixedRealities)

Alltop is a site where blogs are editorially selected. The blogs are ordered by topic, and one finds the virtual worlds blogs as part of the “geekery” subjects. A fine selection of virtual worlds blogs is presented there, such as… MixedRealities!

This makes me feel proud, but it is a bit stressy too. I started this blog a few months ago, out of personal/professional interest in new media in general and in virtual worlds in particular. I thought it would be more interesting to publish my notes and thoughts on a blog, so that others could read my musings and react.

I was surprised people actually did read my blog and I got very interesting reactions. I soon realized that running a blog inscribes one into a social network of people sharing the same passion. I also experienced that fascinating viral effect of blogs. One day I asked myself whether virtual worlds would somehow be countercyclical, in this sense that people would continue using virtual worlds and spending money there to escape in part from for example the harsh realities of the subprime crisis. I published a short post with just that question. The venerable blog Marginal Revolution quoted me on that and that quote ended up on the blog Free Exchange of The Economist. I must admit, in all the years of hard work as a Belgian journalist (writing in Dutch however) I never was quoted before on the site of the The Economist. Blogging in English about virtual worlds in my spare time did the trick!

All this is great, but it also means that writing this blog becomes more like a job, and that I should do my very best writing about virtual worlds. But I really do like it, it even becomes addictive…

I do realize I talked a lot about myself and this blog, but please go to Torley Lives for more about Alltop! And of course, Alltop itself has also its very own blog...

Roland Legrand


by admin at May 08, 2008 06:03 PM

New World Notes

Lanna's List for May 8-14: NASA, Ol' Blue Eyes, Dr. Who Author, and more...

Charlanna Beresford’s weekly round-up of upcoming SL events… As part of its 50th anniversary, NASA is hosting a mixed reality forum to discuss its future; NASA Deputy Director Shana Dale (SL Xena Dahl) is going to present by avatar in...

by Lanna at May 08, 2008 05:56 PM

Virtual TO Reality

Lotro - Welcome back weekend

jr_lotrowelcome.jpg

LOTRO, Lord of the Rings Online, is having a special weekend for previous players. If you have played this game before you will be able to log on with your account and play free through May 8th to May 12th. There’s been plenty of new updates since this game started a year ago. They also have a special new pricing for this month. You can pay for a 3, 6 or 12 month plan and get the special pricing of $9.99 a month! You can also pay for a lifetime subscription for $199. I’m sure there will be new players trying it out but I think AOC, Age of Conan, beta will still be a big draw for ones who have their key. I was lucky enough to get a key and I’ll be reviewing it soon.


by JohnnyRS at May 08, 2008 05:43 PM

Massively

Cinemassively: The Metanomics Colbert Challenge

Filed under: , , , , , , , , ,

On April 1st, Philip Rosedale appeared before the Congressional Subcommittee to discuss virtual worlds. Among those testifying was Susan Tenby, whose in-world name is Glitteractica Cookie. Once the Daily Show found out, it was open season for Second Life.

After John Stewart mocked poor Glitteractica, Robert Bloomfield, aka Beyers Sellers, had her on his show, Metanomics, on the SL Cable Network. While there, he issued a challenge to the man whom he felt was John's little brother, Stephen Colbert. You'll just have to watch to see the amusing incentives that he offers!

[Thanks, Beyers!]

If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.

 

Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments


by Moo Money at May 08, 2008 05:30 PM

Crap in the morning

I think I'll just stick to being an idiot-in-chief, thank you very much

I was told to read this Harvard Business Review analysis of virtual worlds as leadership incubators. The most interesting difference between online leadership and meatspace leadership is the concept of "temporary leadership" where different individuals will take the help at different times depending on the situation or the need for it. What I like about the podcasting community is that it's in a state of constant leadership flux. There's no one strong dominant voice, folks tend to work things out horizontally with a bit of networking guidance or assistance from whomever has the time to step in. I'll admit that the arrival of Adam Curry into SL was a good thing to spark the community of podcasters, but his departure got them to stop kissing his ass and start seeing each other eye-to-eye and collaborating with each other on their own terms better. (And, I swear, I'm ripping the lips off of anybody who tries to kiss my ass. My ass is for shitting and sitting, just like everyone else's.) I'm trying to remember the principles of successful online social networking, but collaboration, a sense of belonging, and getting constructive feedback (positive or negative) were important ones that stood out in my mind. From the article, which is far less than the 500 words limit for citation:
One major impediment to group collaboration in business is uncertainty about whether an individual will get credit for contributing useful information, especially digital work that can be easily forwarded or repurposed, after it is passed around the organization. Take the case of someone’s e-mail notes that end up in a widely circulated internal document. A virtual currency system that identified the source of digital information and tagged its subsequent use could ensure that the originator would receive credit—formal acknowledgment or some more tangible reward—when those data were forwarded, reused, or cited. That would create a strong incentive to share.
Of course, it's always easier to assign blame than credit, but who's counting, eh? I figure give credit where credit's due, keep the lines open for anybody to throw around any crazy-assed idea, and laugh it off when folks properly identify the idea as crazy-assed. (But don't be too shocked when everybody gets caught up in the crazy-tsunami and whips out their surfboards all crazy-like.) It's interesting to look at the "leaders" of SL... Dolmere and The Sixtyone, Harold The Barrel, Slim Warrior, Barney Boomslang, and so on. Might be interesting to ask folks who they consider to be leaders, why they follow them as a leader, what they get out of such a relationship, how they feel it's doing good for the community, etc.

May 08, 2008 04:44 PM

Linden Lab

Michael Linden


Now open for Resident inspection — Bay City! Regions intended for a vibrant urban experience, double primmed for your pleasure. Roads, parks, a movie theater and city services are already in place, maintained by Linden Lab. Close to the offices and shops of Nova Albion, with broad canals usable for travel and tourism — but with broad, clean beaches and plentiful vegetation.

Rail and water trolleys carry the Residents of Bay City about; a balloon tour provides dazzling aerial views of the city. Connections to the world at large by ship, seaplane, dirigible, road and rail are available.

In just over a week, auctions will begin for the many attractive parcels in Bay City’s first twelve Regions. Ranging in size from about 512 square meters to nearly 2000 square meters, the parcels cannot be terraformed, joined or divided by their owners. Buyers will receive a package of textures and objects to help with their building projects.

Governor Linden said in a pre-recorded statement, “We hope that the Residents of this new city will produce interesting and attractive structures, in styles appropriate to the period 1930 to 1960 when most of our buildings were erected. In any case, the Residents of Bay City will form a unique and bustling community.”

Bay City — easily reached by Route 66 from Nova Albion, or by sea via the Straits of Shermerville.

“Bay City — the City by the Bay.”  Directions Today: Bay City is so new it doesn’t show on the map yet, but it is there, and it’s worth a visit! To get there, open your Map in-world, search for Cape Haven, and teleport there. Bay City will be SOUTH of you.

You can open the Mini-Map to see which direction you need to go, just fly up above the water (in Cape Haven you land on the ocean floor) and then fly due South to visit the new Bay City — the City by the Bay.”   [Edited to add directions for today, -- Katt Linden]


by Michael Linden at May 08, 2008 04:39 PM

BlogHUD

ASTD meeting about Croquet


Julian Lombardi (Imortega Lungu) presenting

crossposted to Scene but not seen

posted by Elmo Dynamo on Wolpertinger using a blogHUD
blogHUD map and teleport permalink

May 08, 2008 04:21 PM

ASTD meeting


Scene before Julian Lombardi arrives to speak about Croquet

crossposted to Scene but not seen

posted by Elmo Dynamo on Wolpertinger using a blogHUD
blogHUD map and teleport permalink

May 08, 2008 04:15 PM

Collar Launch!


My collar/outfit for Omega Collars has launched and here's the huge party with my posters! =)

posted by Summer Seale on O BDSM North using a blogHUD
blogHUD map and teleport permalink

May 08, 2008 04:03 PM

Crap in the morning

Dancing

Caleb's been locked up in Lockup Land, so a curiously similar stand-in came out to play Urbanity for RFL: caleb and the guitarpiano It was a bit of a togglefest, but a good set nonetheeless. And something different from all the other performers at that time. Very rarely do I let my av couplesdance, but I figured Ducky can kill me later. dancing with angelkitteh 3 dancing with angelkitteh 2 Afterwards, Ish showed me some of her gallery collection, and I found three pieces by her that would look good in the clocktower gallery... angelkitteh art I think these need to be on their own wall panels, so I may redo the center wall on the lower floor.

May 08, 2008 03:39 PM

Jaycatt Nico

New music room setup

Well, my laptop died when I was in Portland with Hunter recently, and I sent it in to HP. They said it was a motherboard failure and would cost about $800 to fix. YIKES! So, instead of getting it fixed, I decided to spend less money just building a new PC for the music room (which is about the only place I used that laptop anyway). The benefit of all this is that I can now read chat while playing! Or is that a drawback? Depends on how distracted I get hehe

Here's a picture of the new setup!


by noreply@blogger.com (Jaycatt) at May 08, 2008 03:37 PM

Prim Perfect

Asian-inspired chest and hanging


From the “I wish I’d thought of that” department:

Miles Beck, who sounds like good friend material, sent me a message requesting a “gift certificate” good for an advertisement in the next issue of Prim Perfect for Rosalie Roux to celebrate her birthday and the opening of her new store Decorum Furniture. What a great idea, Diva says to herself! So, my curiosity piqued, I paid a visit.

Asian-inspired chest and hangingAs expected from a new retailer, the number of pieces offered is modest so far. The look is contemporary, and though my taste runs to more decorative pieces, I found a lot to like. I was particularly fond of the wall art; here you see one of her wall hangings with an Asian-inspired chest that demonstrates her simple and straightforward aesthetic.

So, happy birthday, Rosalie! And props to Miles for such a thoughtful gesture. Best wishes from Prim Perfect for your success(es).


by divaregina at May 08, 2008 02:47 PM

Forseti Svarog

Gartner: Generation V

Forbes has an opinion piece from Gartner analyst Adam Sarner about a new kind of demographic breakdown: Generation V, for Virtual (thanks Greg Verdino for the link and thoughts on the piece). Rather than focusing on Gen Xers versus Millenials, Sarner’s argument is that “general behavior, attitudes and interests start to blend in an online environment” across age groups. He writes:

As more baby boomers (who are living longer) and young people go online and participate in a flat virtual environment, the generational distinctions break down. Customers will hop across segments at various times for various reasons and are likely to act like several generations at any given time…

While traditional wisdom has focused on customer identification for one-to-one targeted marketing campaigns, cross-selling and so on, the reality of Generation V members using multiple personae (e.g., Amazon reviewer, eBay seller, Second Life avatar “World of Warcraft” blood elf, digger, blogger, YouTuber)…

…business intelligence and analytics markets will shift from collecting demographic information to psychographic information to better understand these various personae and their behaviors…

Companies will create multiple interactive, virtual environments as a way to orchestrate customer exploration toward purchases.

Not surprisingly, I agree with the latter point. In particular, I believe that these virtual environments will increasingly show up directly on company’s websites, rather than outposts in existing virtual worlds. Since Generation V participants expect conversation and participation, rather than broadcast, websites will evolve to foster this, both asynchronously and in real-time.

I also agree with Sarner’s statement: “To digital natives and Generation V, this is not technology–merely the stuff they use on a day-to-day basis.” I think that is exactly right. The technology has to get out of the way, so that this stuff is easy, accessible, and focused on the experience.

The piece has a lot more than I’ve touched on here, so highly recommend that you read it.


by Giff at May 08, 2008 02:15 PM

Your2ndPlace.com

SLWallet Shareholder's Meeting

05/12/2008 - 17:00
05/12/2008 - 18:00

Via this announcement:

There will be a shareholder's meeting on Monday May 12 at 5pm SLT and Tuesday May 13 (for the Euro investors) at 12pm SLT.

The meeting will be held on the sim Treasury Cove in the soon to be new location for SLCapex:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Treasure%20Cove/128/141/38

It is expected to be an interesting meeting.


by Nobody Fugazi at May 08, 2008 02:09 PM

BlogHUD

Café de Croc auf Tableau


Another Otherlandish experience...psychedelic Café inside a glowing crocodile on one of Barnsworth Anubis islands

posted by Windfairy Welles on Tableau using a blogHUD
blogHUD map and teleport permalink

May 08, 2008 02:06 PM

Metaverse Journal

Virtual worlds: a real life leadership incubator?

The mainstream media cops fairly regular criticism for its sensationalistic coverage of virtual worlds and rightly so in some cases. A very impressive exception to this rule is an article published this week by the Harvard Business Review. It’s a detailed look at the role gaming worlds like World of Warcraft and Lord of the [...]