A few random notes about the talk (by the way, I’m adding to this same post after I post it once–the talk has started).
- Last night I reacquainted myself with how to use SL (it’s been a while). Wow, it’s easy to forget all this information if it’s not fresh on your brain.
- Wow, those SL updates are really gigantic files. (20 mb!)
- As nice as the concept of SL is, in practice I find little practical value in just strolling through gamespaces. Wow, look at the pretty whirling ball! Wow, look I can fly!
- Since I arrived early, the presenter had time to get me teleported to the right spot. Then he added me to his friend list and then transferred folders full of landmarks/bookmarks. That is probably the most amazing thing about SL–the ability to share/transfer/view objects effortlessly between players.
- as ludicrous as it sounds, it actually makes perfectly sense to hear a talk in meatspace about SL. That gives you to opportunity to interact with individuals who might actually ignore you in real life.
- Tringo (SL offshoot morphed into its own video game).
- growth rates: 3 million residents 1/2007 to 5.7 million in 4/2007. Online now: 13,000 (1/2007) to 26,000 (4/2007).
- currency conversions from dollar to Linden dollars. 286 linden dollars to 1 USD.
- Pathfinder Linden. (outreach program to academia for SL).
- llhttprequest: allows you to interact with web. API for exchanging data with CMS (such as Sloodle/Slurlicious/Sloog, Bloghud/Live Streams)
- SL: lets you retain ownership . (SL doesn’t own it). Created virtual laptops for students to use.
- SL Best Practices in Education conference upcoming May 25 ; wow, MIT 5 Collaboration conference is taking place as we speak! (Holy cow, and I was all prepared to fly to Boston for it!)
- here are his lecture notes (with SLURLS).
- business models for SL universities? Unclear now; now, it’s just a lot of early adopters.
- Q: Can you make yourself handicapped as an avatar? (Surely). Update: There are wheelchairs you can ride in, with attendent accessibility problems.
- Q: bandwidth in classroom: Upstream averages 80 kbps, spikes to 400 kpbs; average downstream is 30kpbs.
- Q: group tours (yes, if you exchange landmarks with players in virtual space)
- SL groups–you can im all group members, skype is enabled. Voice is spatially sensitive. Enables voice communication into the environment.
- Stability problems. What happens if SL is down? (class is dismissed?)
- Blurring of reality and fantasy: Different attitudes toward SL: some regard it as purely fantasy while others view it as simply another kind of meatspace.
- Getting married in SL. (“I can’t engage in a virtual marriage as well as a real life marriage”). Some can compartmentalize worlds; others are not as adept.
- don’t accept random teleports from people you don’t know. (“I did once and was trapped around lots of naked bodies doing crazy things”).
- Teacher Buzz Sessions
- Money Trees (getting free money) exist in SL.
- How much money does it cost for a teacher to get started in SL? What do educators spend their money on? (Unanswered).
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