A few weeks ago a colleague sent me a link to IBM’s data visualization project called "Many Eyes." Basically its a community-based website that enables anyone to upload data, examine existing datasets,…
New Castronova book examines how virtual worlds impact our real lives
University of Indiana professor Edward Castronova has a new book examining the real life impacts of our increasing involvement in virtual worlds, such as World of Warcraft and Second Life. Entitled Exodus to the Virtual World: How Online Fun is Changing Reality , it looks like an interesting read. From the book description: Virtual worlds…
Opening Keynote tonight for YearlyKos featuring Dean and Durbin
Dire Lobo, one of the organizers of Second Life section of the YearlyKos Convention, reminds folks that tonight at 5PM SLT Senator Dick Durbin and Governor Howard Dean will be speaking at the opening keynote (teleport SLURL.) I asked Dire how preparations for the convention were going. He reported that they are wrestling with some…
Rik Panganiban, the Redshirt
I got an email about a month ago from my friend and novelist David Mack, informing me that (1) I was a character in his latest Star Trek novel and that (2) I died in a particularly gruesome fashion. Thus fulfilling a fond wish of mine to be a redshirt in Star Trek. I rushed…
I’m headed to SLCC in Chicago!
"I’m going to Chicago, I’m sorry but I can’t take you…." I got a call on Tuesday from Barry at Global Kids asking me if I wanted to help out with the non-profit / philanthropy theme at the Second Life Community Convention. Oh, would I! SLCC is happening this year from August 24-26 in the…
TakingITGlobal moving to the virtual world
Catching up on old emails, I found a press release about the new virtual home of the youth-oriented international non-profit TakingITGlobal. It seems that the Starwood owners of the Aloft Hotel in Second Life have decided to donate their sim, which has outlived its usefulness to Starwood. So instead of letting it lie fallow like…
My new favorite ice cream flavor: Swedish Saltlakrits
I love black licorice and foods in general that are black. So when I saw that they had salty licorice ice cream in Sweden, or "saltlakrits" as its called, I had to try it. Definitely not for everyone, but I love it.
YearlyKos is this weekend!
This weekend, August 2-5, progressive activists, bloggers, and politicians from all over the country (and the world) will be gathering in Chicago for the Yearly Kos convention. Joining them will be all the major Democratic Presidential candidates, as well as Democratic party leaders, so you know its going to be quite the shindig. If like…
Civil society activists from Global South sought for Oxford Internet research program
The Oxford Internet Institute is looking for civil society activists from the developing world to participate in their new Civil Society Practitioners Programme: This visitor programme is intended for Civil Society Practitioners of distinction or outstanding promise who wish to visit the Institute for a period of six weeks between February and December 2008, to…
Global Kids hiring YouthVentures Program Manager
Catching up on correspondence after my trip, I saw this message from my friends at Global Kids that they are hiring a new "YouthVentures Program Manager". Here’s how they describe it: YouthVentures supports groups of teens to develop social enterprises. A social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to…