Networking is what triggered this topic. I saw a question on the Vio business networking channel about the possible limits on meeting sizes. That's how networking operates in Second Life. I could answer that question, so I did. But I realized that other people would want that information, too. I put it in an earlier article and in the Hobo Kit (intermediate section), too.
But there are other things people need to know about how to produce meetings in Second Life. And the conversation in the Vio channel made me think there are people around who would want to have that info. So I made a list of the main problems that I have seen in connection with running meetings in Second Life. And, because I favor problem solving over problem listing, I turned the list into actions that a newcomer could take to tame those problems.
The content needed for most of these recommendations is available in the Hobo Kit. Best pick up a copy at the Cookie Welcome Center. That is where I update the master copy, so you get the most recent copy from the poster-giver there. The starter part of the kit carries embedded notecards you can copy to your inventory and give to newcomers. The intermediate part carries recommendations for people planning events. Those are also embedded notecards for you to give to people working with you. Note that all the cards have the key word Hobo. You can find them your inventory by searching on that word.
For most of these recommendations, I plan to develop more thorough coverage and publish it on this blog, on my web site, and in the Hobo Kit.
You may look at some of the suggestions here and say, "I don't know how to do that."
Answer: Ask a network group. Somebody else probably can show you.
Ten Gates to successful meetings in Virtual Reality
1. Ya gotta know the territory.
If you don't know the territory, you need to network with people who do. The way to do that is to join some networking groups. A good place to start is with groups for beginners. Here are three that I know well:
You can join any of these groups by looking them up in search
For specific help in setting up business meetings: Vio "A company built upon a foundation of strong virtual networking and community-building"
Vio has developed into an effective networking group for business and professional goals. The group is open to anyone seriously interested in such goals. You do need an invitation to join -- get that by contacting one of the officers.
2. Avoid the edifice complex.
Building your own meeting place is great to show off the size of your budget. But there is plenty of space available that you can rent or, if you are a non-profit, get to use for free.
How do you find out about such resources? That is another job for networking. You send a group notice or group IM to your networking groups telling about what you are looking for. Chances are you will get some useful answers.
3. Set up a welcome path for newcomers.
If your event is going to bring in newcomers, don't leave them to fend for themselves. You can arrange the entry experience for new arrivals. From a web page, you can bring newcomers into any place in Second Life. You go to the place, get a SLURL, and use it on your web page as you would any other url.
There are already welcome centers and community gateways set up with all the information beginners can use. Here are web links to two that I work with.
The contents and equipment at these sites are freely available and I will help anyone who wants to set up a welcome center. Just contact Thinkerer Melville in Second Life.
The official Second Life community gateways offer entry paths in various languages.
4. Promote in Second Life.
The Hobo Kit (Intermediate section) has recommendations for promoting events in Second Life. Many events will also be promoted in the physical world on websites and blogs.
5. Control the information explosion.
Questions and suggestions can come in via chat, individual or group im, or other routes if you set them up. Best arrange for several handlers with different skills:
- Tech help -- can't hear, for example.
- Content -- requests for clarification, references
- Handle and feed comments/suggestions into the discussion.
Keep in mind that you can use chat logs and IM logs to record all typed messages.
6. Prep your speakers.
Tell them about Murphy's Law so they don't have to learn it in front of a live audience
Plan outside of the power-point box. Think about presentations that use the web and/or the 3d world.
Arrange for experienced tech help in SL. Everything is hard when you don't know how to do it.
7. Prep your audience.
Give them the info to change what they can change. Many people don't know how to use voice controls for effectively for listening. Necessary content is in Hobo Kit-- Starter, Hobo-Voice notecard. This may be a good thing to give out and have people look at in the prelim period
8. Prep for griefer management.
A well-publicized and well attended meeting will attract griefers. Have several people experienced in SL available to handle griefers. Be sure the audience is prepped on Defense Against the Black Arts. Have advanced plans for land control settings and actions
9. Set up a prelim period.
What shall they do while waiting? Examples: Check voice and volume. Look over profiles, offer friend links, offer group membership. Introduce selves publicly. offer invitations to join groups, network
10. Plan for follow up.
You will want a list of names. If you want a list of incidental visitors (who did not register) you can put out devices that will record names of people in the vicinity. There is a simple device (free) in the Hobo Kit (Advanced section) that will take names and send them to the owner's chat log.
You will want to invite people into one or several groups or mailing lists related to your goals. You can set up joining posters for inworld groups at your venue. You can also get people to act as "tag slingers" sending group invitations to individuals present. You can also set up Hippo or Subscribeomatic panels that will let people join mailing lists. You may also want to invite people to use web contact methods such as
- Subscribe to a blog site.
- Join a Google group, Ning page, or the like
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Outfacing events
This occasional section will feature events that have their primary focus on things outside of virtual reality. Here I am highlighting a "virtual symposium" about green technology. Actually, it is a real symposium held in a virtual environment. And it not only is about green technology, it exemplifies the use of green technology.
Imagine what the media would do with a green technology symposium held in a "real" place, reached by "real" airplanes burning "real" fuel and releasing "real" carbon dioxide.
"Dr. Tedder, do you have an estimate on how much carbon dioxide your symposium has produced with all that travel?"
But this meeting will be in second life. With virtual travel that uses virtually no fuel and produces virtually no carbon dioxide. This event points to a modern technological replacement for travel that has almost everything going for it. Huge savings in time and money -- and you get to feel pious about sparing the environment.
CALL FOR PAPERS
FOR A VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM IN SECOND LIFE -- February 8-14, 2010
ADVANCES IN GREEN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
"Speakers and authors are invited to submit one paragraph abstracts (400 words maximum) describing proposed presentations on green science and technology. Presentation topics may include studies in basic research, pilot work on emerging technologies, or position papers describing future directions in research and development. Papers describing the use or manufacture of alternative fuels, energy or resource conservation, improvements in transportation technologies, green chemistry, cleaner manufacturing and more sustainable product development, the production of electricity with reduced emissions, and waste management with fewer environmental impacts are appropriate. Other topics will also be considered. Suitable presentations will include balanced discussions of key "green" features such as environmental impacts and sustainability. Scholarly reviews are solicited and selected manuscripts will be published.
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Another forthcoming virtual symposium is the 2009 NMC Symposium for the Future. It will explore actual and potential applications of technology that could impact issues of global importance over the next five years and beyond.
The New Media Consortium (NMC) is a community of hundreds of leading universities, colleges, museums, and research centers..The Symposium will be convened in the NMC’s private virtual space, the Hakone Project. This virtual space is supported by the same technology that underlies the virtual world of Second Life™ but is located behind a firewall in a secure and private environment (the mixagrid).
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The future of virtual goods By: Maria Korolov
Maria gives an economic overview of the virtual goods economy in Second Life. She cite an estimate that places Second Life’s economy at over half a billion dollars.
I think it is time to start distinguishing the inworld economy from the outfacing economy. The outfacing economy would include products and services delivered to the general public via methods other than Second LIfe. A major example of such products would be videos made in Second Life and exported to ordinary uses as videos on cable channels, web outlets, or instructional contexts. These will involve money transactions and will appear in the GDP of the nations recording the transactions. In time, I expect such the value of such outfacing exports to expand far beyond the value of inworld virtual goods.
There is no reason to expect that these outfacing transactions will appear on the books of Second Life, so I don't know how they could be calculated as part of the Second Life economy.
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Networking news
Bluemars opened its public beta. I have not tried it. The word on the SL street is that you won't miss anything but aggravation by waiting till they get it working. I will wait. I get enough aggravation from Second Life.
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