My buddy Creech (Matthew Saunders) is working on a really neat proposal to the Knight Drupal Initiative to develop an open-source grant-making system using the Drupal CMS. I agree with him that there is a clear need for a more transparent, efficient and fair system for non-profits to apply for grant funding from grantmaking agencies. …
Barry Joseph’s career path: from tech geek to social reformer
Barry Joseph, the director of the Online Leadership Program at Global Kids, posted to the Huffington Post yesterday about how he got involved in youth-oriented digital media. It’s a very interesting read about how one person evolved in his career as a techie with a social conscience.
First Contact! Second day exploring Chinese virtual world HiPiHi
I got to log a few more minutes in the Chinese virtual world of HiPiHi this morning, which was pretty interesting. I somewhat randomly teleported around to some of the more popular locations, which is how I found this beautiful castle pictured above. It was largely a facade, with no rooms or furnishings on the…
$2000 prize for best multimedia piece on a global issue
My friends at Citizens for Global Solutions tell me that they are launching another cool multimedia contest for the best artsy piece on a global issue. Submissions can be flash animation, spoken word,or digital video, so virtually any kind of activist / artist can submit something: It’s that time again! Calling all aspiring flash animation…
New York teens wanted for Second Life machinima project!
I’m excited to announce that Global Kids is starting up again its youth machinima initiative called the "Virtual Video Project." If you know of a teenager in the New York area who is interested in global issues, politics, digital media and having fun, then send them our way! Applications are due by October 17. Students…
Draxtor’s report on the USC Public Good Challenge
Here’s another great machinima news report from my buddy Draxtor Dupres. This time he covers the USC Network Culture Project’s Public Good Challenge in Second Life. It’s a nice frame for looking at the potential of virtual worlds for more than just commerce and entertainment. I was honored to serve as one of the selection…
Ill Clan’s latest machinima: Tiny Nation!
Check out the Ill Clan’s newest machinima short, "Tiny Nation." Because they’re small, they’re furry and they aren’t going to take it anymore! So bloody cute. How they get Second Life to look so Pixar-like is amazing to me. Nice work, Kerria, Paul, Frank, Damien, Tom and the rest!
First foray into Chinese virtual world HiPiHi!
Today I found some time to do some initial exploring in the Chinese virtual world HiPiHi. I used the excellent installation and navigation instructions created by Alto Xeno, with the able assistance of our office techie Usman. Within a few minutes of setup, I was walking around, teleporting from place to place, modifying the appearance…
My avatar is an undecided voter, apparently
I logged into Second Life this morning to find that my avatar appears to be riding the fence about who he is voting for this coming November. Is Second Life in a Red State or a Blue State? Or just a confused state?
My first Spore creature: meet the Ferengi
I know, not very original name. For my first creature in the game "Spore," I wanted to create a small, mean, carnivorous race of creatures. So the name "Ferengi" just seemed to fit. I have just formed alliances with two other lesser races, and now I’m on the trail of other Ferengi who have flown…