Techsoup, that super ICT resource for non-profits, has a nice article profiling three youth organizers that work within Second Life. Entitled "Change the World by Working in a Virtual One," the piece features quotes from Dave Pentecost, Technology Director of the Lower Eastside Girls Club of New York; Barry Joseph, Director of the Online Leadership…
Bransford post-script: on testing learning hypotheses and changing the academy
Okay, I’ve had a couple of days to digest some of the substance of Dr. John Bransford’s presentation on virtual learning environments that took place a few days ago. I suspect that what he is proposing fairly radical. There are really two points: If we are serious about virtual environments as being fertile learning spaces,…
Rik’s skating tour of Info Island (video)
I got an invite to the official opening of the Info Island Second Life Library, a project I have been watching develop for the past six months with great interest. Those librarians have a whole weekend full of activities planned from October 12-14, from panel discussions to scary movies, a costume ball, a beach party,…
Serenity is mothballed: the definitive word from Joss Whedon on “Firefly”
So this is the official word from Joss Whedon, the creator of short-lived, much-beloved scifi series "Firefly": Hi boys and odd, smooth, compellingly bumpy non-boys. I’m in Liverpool, on Alexis’ lap… sorry, laptop, checking in and seeing all sorts of nonsense about a sequel to something… There’s no sequel, no secret project regarding Serenity or…
Vox: Sweet jesus, I’m blogging about blogging
I’m sorry, but I can’t help but blog about Typepad’s new "Vox" blogging platform that they are previewing now. I got an invite — like the 11 million other typepad junkies — to try out the vox interface and I’ve been playing around with it this evening. It’s got some fun tools, I have to…
Rik’s Event Picks on New World Notes
The first installment of what will hopefully be a long and mutually beneficial collaboration is on Hamlet Au’s pre-eminent blog New World Notes: "Rik’s Event Picks." About once a week on New World Notes I will be featuring particularly interesting events coming up within Second Life, from art openings, to live music jams, academic lectures…
Alas, poor Ike and Tina, we hardly knew ye
I’m very sad to report that both Ike and Tina, the six-week-old kittens I was fostering for City Critters, have passed away. Sadly, they both succumbed to Feline Distemper , presumably because they were not vaccinated earlier. Tina was lethargic from the get-go, but we were very surprised that Ike also died since he was…
Parioli: immersive Italian-themed sim
Man, those folks over at Parioli sim have created some incredible 360 degree images of places in Italy that really make me wish I was there. I really wanted to walk over to the Coloseum and hang out in the bleachers. This panoramic photo of a plaza in Italy was so real it seems like…
Ban Ki Moon is next UN Secretary-General: share your views on the race
I’ve mentioned previously that my pal Tony Fleming runs a very well-done blog covering the race of the UN Secretary-General position in 2007. Tony tells me that he has been invited by the Washington Post to provide background material on the UN Secretary General’s race. Using this material, the Post asked leading editors, writers and…
Snow Crash HUD e-book available for purchase
Last month I mentioned that Penguin Publishers UK was releasing an in-world version of the classic cyber-punk novel Snow Crash (1994) by Neal Stephenson. I finally got a hold of the sampler HUD (heads up display) from the Rivers Run Red HQ in Avalon (225, 55, 37). The HUD is definitely a lot easier to…