2014 EDU: Techland: STEM education.

Techland: STEM Education:
mathematics, chemistry, biology and earth science

Techland, is a group of a dozen thematic islands dedicated to mathematics, chemistry, biology and earth science created using OpenSim

• Watch on YouTube

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• Watch on YouTube

• Web site: Virtual Science (Italian--Google Chrome will translate for you.)
• Hypergrid address 
• (in Firestorm, paste the line below in the map search bar, click "Find")
• http://www.virtualscience.it:9100
• Vibe tour

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• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2015 OPENSIM: Getting Started in Kitely: The free explorer plan

Getting Started in Kitely: The free explorer plan
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Kitely Welcome Center

Click image to enlarge

• Yes, free.   For explorers.   For land owners there are costs. 
• But explore first.  Start exploring on the web:  Explore worlds.
• If you are on the Hypergrid,  you can come directly to any of those worlds.
• Click on the picture.  On the world page that opens, get the Hypergrid address.
• In Firestorm, paste the Hypergrid address into the address bar.
• Or in any viewer, paste the Hypergrid address into the search bar of the world map. 

Or check the web

• Kitely Events Calendar.    Kitely Events and activities.
• Kitely Market.  The Kitely market can deliver anywhere on the Hypergrid.
• Opensim Virtual on Google+
• Kitely Virtual on Google+

If you are not on the Hypergrid

• Get a free Kitely account.  Ignore that free world you get.
• It won't stay free and exploring does not need land.
• Set up your viewer.  I use Firestorm.
• FIRESTORM: Logging on to Kitely or another grid.
• You will enter at the Kitely Welcome Center.
• Look for the Worlds Showcase.  That has places you can explore.
• Join the Kitely community group--and ask any questions you want.
• You can get an invitation by clicking on a sign that mentions it.

• Scroll dowJn for News and Notes
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 VIDEO: HELP: Preparing a video set. AMP notes

Preparing a video set.  AMP notes

• We make the mistakes so you don't have to

Set with avatar positions marked

Click image to enlarge

Requirements for a video set in prep for a scene: 

• Matches script. 
• The position of each character in the scene is marked 
• with a character mark or a poseball.
• Non-playing characters (NPCs) are placed as needed.
• Set is dressed:  Set dresser
• Outdoor shot sites have appropriate background.
• Everything on the set has appropriate licensing.
• Everything purchased has export perms (Kitely Market).
• Everything is owned by a company officer and set to "Anyone can copy" (Kitely).
• Set lighting is planned
• Low lag.

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• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 EDU: Reimagining Learning: "I couldn't tell where the front of the room was."

Reimagining Learning:  "I couldn't tell where the front of the room was."

Richard Culatta identifies 3 major challenges with our current approach to education and suggests how a shift to personalized learning is the key to the future of education in America.

• Watch on YouTube

To make this shift, we must close the digital divide between those who can leverage technology to reimagine learning and those who simply use technology to digitize the status quo.-A teacher by training and innovator by inclination, Richard Culatta works to leverage technology to reinvent learning.-In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2015 HELP: BIZ: OPENSIM: Marketing by social media communities

Marketing by social media communities 

Communities are the main attraction of virtual worlds.  But people come into virtual worlds and then find the communities that interest them.   Why not use the attraction of communities as a marketing feature?  Instead of marketing a grid, market communities that live in the grid.

Virtual world communities are increasingly using outworld social media to communicate among their members and to reach out to those who do not yet know about how virtual worlds can fit their interests.  Social Media communities reach the outworld.  You can send links to people who have never been in a virtual world.

You can show pictures and videos of your inworld activities.  You can tell your outworld friends about what you do in your virtual worlds.  Maybe you can get some people to join you in your virtual world community.  Or maybe some others in the community can get their friends to join in.

• Virtual worlds are about people.  Communities, communication, shared goals

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• Firestorm on SLGo
• Hypergrid users surpass those on closed grids
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 VIDEO: BIZ: Avateers and all that. Job descriptions for video production in virtual worlds. AMP notes

Avateers and all that.  
Video production in virtual worlds.  
AMP Video notes

Avatar Media Productions (AMP)  has been developing standard practices for video production in virtual worlds.  For this video production to become a business, we will need job descriptions and contract templates.  Here AMP presents its current job descriptions.

• We make the mistakes so you don't have to

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• Firestorm on SLGo
• Hypergrid users surpass those on closed grids
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 HELP: OPENSIM: The virtual lands of the Opensim community, a beginner's guide

The virtual lands of the Opensim community, 
a beginner's guide 

By Opensim community, I mean the people who are active in using, developing, or otherwise working with OpenSimulator, a open-source piece of software that can create a virtual environment similar to that created by Second Life.  The  aim here is to give a simplified description of the grids used by this community to create a low cost, user-controlled collection of virtual worlds  

Important Opensim concepts for beginners

• Viewer or client: Software on your machine that displays the virtual world 
• Grid:  Where you login.
• Hypergrid:  Really rapid transit, takes you from one grid to another.
• Sim or region:  Area in a virtual world run by a single simulator program.
• Parcel.  Subdivision of a sim, with its own setting, controlled by a person or group
• OAR file:  file that can be used to reproduce a sim.
• Inworld currency:  Virtual tokens that can be used like money in a grid.

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• They're coming on Dec.19th this year
• Firestorm on SLGo
• Hypergrid users surpass those on closed grids
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 OPENSIM: WRITE: Interest tally, virtual worlds. Top posts on this blog about Opensim worlds

Interest tally, virtual worlds.  
Top posts on this blog about Opensim worlds  
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In Kitely grid at Wizards Retreat, Thyilea

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Since November 2013, I have been posting about Opensim worlds and about Kitely in particular.  That was partly because I transferred some of my activities to Kitely and partly because my readers showed increasing interest in Opensim worlds.  Here is a report on the posts that attracted the most interest. 

1. Hobo Reserved Sandbox on Kitely. For the Hobo Sandboxers   87,616
2. Cookie II appears on Kitely  85,767
3. Kitely Events Calendar  19,119
4. Virtual Worlds: Practice field for social media and PR people   2,300
5. OSCC, OpenSimulator Community Conference, exhibits (1)   2,017
6. KITELY: City Life. Freebies: free retail, residential property  1900 
7. Kitely: Ilan Tochner, Co-Founder/CEO at Kitely, Part 1, Overview 1378
8. Opensim Primer: Hypergrid, Search, OAR, IAR, SOAS, Kitely 1053
9. Education communities in virtual worlds expand into social media   1109

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• Scroll down for News and Notes
• They're coming on Dec.19th this year
• Firestorm on SLGo
• Hypergrid users surpass those on closed grids
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 TKR: Only humans can live in imagined realities. Money, nations, religions are imagined, conceptual realities.

Only humans can live in imagined realities. 
Money, nations, religions are imagined, conceptual realities.

In this excerpt from the event, A Brief History of Humankind, historian Yuval Noah Harari challenges everything we know about being human – our thoughts, our actions, our power, and our future.

• Watch on YouTube

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• They're coming on Dec.19th this year
• Firestorm on SLGo
• Hypergrid users surpass those on closed grids
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 BIZ: STAGE: How can we handle tips in Opensim? Paypal, Kitely Credits, sell tee shirts.

How can we handle tips in Opensim?  
Paypal, Kitely Credits, sell tee shirts..
Thanks, Roxy Roller

• Paypal donation box for tips.
• Tip Jar for the local grid "currency."
• Sell tee shirts on the Kitely market (for paypal cash or kitely credits)

Kayaker Magic's Paypal tip jar 

• PayPal Donate Box
• Thanks to Roxy Roller for researching this.
• Tip jar for the local grid "currency" 
• Sell tee shirts on the Kitely market 
• Sell videos or take donations on the web

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• They're coming on Dec.19th this year
• Firestorm on SLGo
• Hypergrid users surpass those on closed grids
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 STAGE: They're coming on Dec.19th this year

They're coming on Dec.19th this year

"Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grindstone, . . . a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster."

• A Christmas Carol
• Friday Dec. 19. at 5 pm SLT
• Live theater, presented in voice
• Free.  Donations welcomed.
• At A.R.T.'s Theater on Cookie 
• Location Link. Click to go or drag to the viewer screen: 
• http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cookie/198/205/21

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• Firestorm on SLGo
• Hypergrid users surpass those on closed grids
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 HELP: ART: Particle effects with Firestorm Particle Editor. AMP video notes

Particle effects, Firestorm Particle Editor. 
AMP video notes for Firestorm.

How to use the Firestorm Particle Editor to design particle effects.

Firestorm Particle Editor

• Adjust particle settings, see the effect immediately.
• Easy changes: explore more possibilities.
• Create a script or paste the code into another script, eg. touch-start.
• To work with particle generators, you may want to set: 
• avatar/preferences/graphics/ max particle count =  250
• Caution:  Too many particles may crash your graphics card.
• Note: If the particles persist after you finish, close and restart your viewer.
• Documentation: Firestorm Particle Editor
• Alternative:  LSL Particles System script generator

Why use particles?

• Particle effects. Smoke, fire, flies, snow, butterflies
• Particle art in virtual worlds
• Redemption by Mary Wickentower. Particle art by Particle Tom
• A Video Christmas Card from Team Wickentower
• Particles are generated by the local video cards.  No load on the server

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• Scroll down for News and Notes
• Firestorm on SLGo
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 STAGE: Wizards Retreat, Morlita Quan, Roxy Gellar and the Sun & Moon Group

Wizards Retreat, Morlita Quan, Roxy Gellar 

and the Sun & Moon Group

• Over 20 people at Morlita Quan performance Monday, Dec. 8th 
• In Kitely grid at Wizards Retreat, Thyilea

Depressed robot dancing

• HG address: grid.kitely.com:8002:Thyilea
• Web address: http://www.kitely.com/virtual-world/Roxy-Gellar/Thyilea
• Host: Roxy Gellar

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 STAGE: Torbin Asp in his own immersive theater in Opensim. Electronic music, particle art

Torben Asp in his own immersive theater 
in Opensim, electronic music, particle art
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• Watch on YouTube

Torben Asp has been performing in Second life for several years

• Torben Asp, Second Life, July 2013

He is now also performing in his own theater on Francogrid, Opensim

• Hypergrid address, paste this into the Firestorm address bar, enter
• hg.francogrid.org:80:Residence-09:/135/136/561

• How do people get tips without Lindens?
• Torben has a Paypal tip script.

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• L$1 Mil+ UWA 3D ART & MACHINIMA FINALE - 6AM SLT SUN.  DEC 14
• The 8th Annual VWBPE conference calls for proposals
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Lauren's channel 
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 HOBBY: VIDEO: iTEC A10 Warthog Weapons & HUD Testing. Physics engine: BulletSim PE

iTEC A10 Warthog Weapons & HUD Testing

Testing of the iTEC A10 Warthog running under ArribaSim Dev 8.x. Scenes were taken from my 3072 varregion using BulletSim PE as the physics engine.

• Watch on YouTube

"HUD and weapons for the iTEC A10 Warthog - though at its early stage shows very promising testing result and has the technology that can be used in other projects. During the making of the video I felt like I turned into a "Griefer on wings" spawning all that 30mm bullets and air to air missiles. Now I can move on working on the target aquisition using the mouselook look-a-like view that I came up with."

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• L$1 Mil+ UWA 3D ART & MACHINIMA FINALE - 6AM SLT SUN.  DEC 14
• The 8th Annual VWBPE conference calls for proposals
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 EDU: BIZ: Wish list from educators in virtual worlds, and a few solutions

Wish list from educators in virtual worlds 

I have been following discussions by educators and other non-profits on what they would like to have in virtual worlds to support educational activities.   Here is my summary of the main items, along with my opinion about what is currently possible. I will keep this page updated as I find out about new needs and new possibilities

• Education entry portal(s) with no mention of sex, vampires, or zombies.
• Student onboarding web site and entry portal.  
• Backups, permanent possession of products, ability to disseminate products.  
• Collection (library) of evaluated educational resources
• Support for learning how to teach in virtual worlds 
• Institutional accounts

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• L$1 Mil+ UWA 3D ART & MACHINIMA FINALE - 6AM SLT SUN.  DEC 14
• The 8th Annual VWBPE conference calls for proposals
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Psykopaint
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 WRITE: PROMO: A Virtual World Magazine could also be a blog

A Virtual World Magazine could also be a blog
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• A magazine published in a virtual world could also publish as a blog.
• You already have the content.
• You already have the writers.  
• You can get additional distribution as a blog on the web.
• Here is why and how (below the fold)

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• L$1 Mil+ UWA 3D ART & MACHINIMA GRAND FINALE 
• The 8th Annual VWBPE conference calls for proposals
• You judge: MACHINIMUWA VII: Top prize 20,000 Lindens
• Univ. of Delaware NATIONAL AGENDA 2014 Speaker Series 
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Psykopaint
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2015 VIDEO: NMA Resources for video production in virtual worlds

NMA Resources for video production 
in virtual worlds 
Updated 7/21/ 2016

• We make the mistakes so you don't have to.

• Want to make an animated video? Try a virtual world. It is a live-in graphics engine

NMA (New Media Arts) has developed this collection of resources for producing videos in the virtual world.  It will be updated as we find our about or add resources. 

2014 HELP: BIZ: Virtual world welcome points. Littlefield shows features to consider

Virtual world welcome points. 
Littlefield shows features to consider  

Every virtual world needs a welcome point.  I will report on grid welcome points and their features from time to time.  Perhaps someone will build a full-featured model and sell it on the Kitely market or offer it open source as a freely available OAR.  

Litttlefield Welcome Point
Click image to enlarge

• Littlefield Grid
• LIttlefield Blog
• Get land: Littlefield Systems, LLC
• Hypergrid address:  lfgrid.com:8002:Littlefield Welcome
• This welcome area has some features I think are good. 

Some of the choices 

at the Littlefield Welcome point

Click image to enlarge

Noteworthy features

• Early triage
• Walk-in teleports
• Mentor on call (button)
• Intro zone for newcomers
• Grid members group
• Grid calendar
• Grid guide 
• Social networking
• Classes 
• Free condos
• Hangouts
• Public sandbox--24 hour auto return
• Freebie zones

2014 EDU: TKR: Ken Robinson: How to escape education's death valley.

Ken Robinson: How to escape education's death valley 

Sir Ken Robinson outlines 3 principles crucial for the human mind to flourish -- and how current education culture works against them. In a funny, stirring talk he tells us how to get out of the educational "death valley" we now face, and how to nurture our youngest generations with a climate of possibility.

• Watch on YouTube

Related

• Use your head! They always tell you that. They never tell you how
• Education in Virtual Worlds. Summary

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• L$1 Mil+ UWA 3D ART & MACHINIMA GRAND FINALE 
• The 8th Annual VWBPE conference calls for proposals
• You judge: MACHINIMUWA VII: Top prize 20,000 Lindens
• Univ. of Delaware NATIONAL AGENDA 2014 Speaker Series 
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Psykopaint
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2017 OPENSIM: EDU: PROMO: Immersive Education in virtual worlds

Immersive Education in virtual worlds
updated 1/16/2017

Virtual worlds offer many interesting opportunities for education. This video explains what a virtual world is and how it can be used for education.

• Watch on YouTube

• 3DLES 
• TILA PROJECT
• Euroversity Network
• From a display in OSCC, OpenSimulator Community Conference

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• L$1 Mil+ UWA 3D ART & MACHINIMA GRAND FINALE 
• The 8th Annual VWBPE conference calls for proposals
• You judge: MACHINIMUWA VII: Top prize 20,000 Lindens
• Univ. of Delaware NATIONAL AGENDA 2014 Speaker Series 
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Psykopaint
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 STAGE: “Mr. Spaceship,” by Philip K. Dick Friday, December 5th, 5 pm SLT, Avatar Repertory Theater

“Mr. Spaceship,” by Philip K. Dick  Friday, 5 pm SLT
December 5th, Avatar Repertory Theater.

First published in 1953 in “Imagination,” this short story by prolific, classic Sci-Fi author Phillip K. Dick is set in a distant future where mankind at war develops a spaceship powered by a human brain. Of course, it doesn't work out quite as planned. 

• Friday Dec. 5. at 5 pm SLT
• Live theater, presented in voice
• Free.  Donations welcomed.
• At A.R.T.'s Theater on Cookie 
• Location Link. Click to go or drag to the viewer screen: 
• http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cookie/198/205/21

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• L$1 Mil+ UWA 3D ART & MACHINIMA GRAND FINALE 
• The 8th Annual VWBPE conference calls for proposals
• You judge: MACHINIMUWA VII: Top prize 20,000 Lindens
• The Machinima 48 Hour Film Project,  Details here 
• Univ. of Delaware NATIONAL AGENDA 2014 Speaker Series 
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Psykopaint
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 PEOPLE: OPENSIM: Use hypergates and hubs to build hypergridian communities

Use hypergates and hubs to build 
hypergridian communities
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Communities are are made of people with two kinds of connections: 

• Common interests
• Easy communication 

A  hypergate makes any place on the hypergrid your virtual neighbor.
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Hypergate.   A scripted teleporter to take an avatar from one grid to any grid in the Hypergrid world.  Usually, it is triggered by an avatar walking into it.  From the user's standpoint, the effect is much like walking to the place next door.   Thus hypergates can serve as devices for making easy connections between grid points of similar interests.  

• Virtual worlds are about people.  Communities, communication, shared goals

Use hypergates 

• To give people who visit your place an easy trip to a partner place.
• To get traffic from partner places.
• To interconnect a community 
• To show new people the places in the community
• To publicize the community in destination guides.  

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• Expiring:  You judge: MACHINIMUWA VII: Top prize 20,000 Lindens
• L$1 Mil+ UWA 3D ART & MACHINIMA GRAND FINALE 
• The 8th Annual VWBPE conference calls for proposals
• You judge: MACHINIMUWA VII: Top prize 20,000 Lindens
• The Machinima 48 Hour Film Project,  Details here 
• Univ. of Delaware NATIONAL AGENDA 2014 Speaker Series 
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Psykopaint
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)

2014 OPENSIM: PROMO: Mall owners, venue owners, anyone looking for traffic: Your parcel is not my parcel

Mall owners, venue owners, anyone looking for traffic: 
Your parcel is not my parcel

I am not looking for my parcel

• But one of these landmarks goes to the place I am looking for.
• Which one is it?

• Your parcel is a default name given to a new parcel.  
• As I travel the hypergrid, I find lots parcels named "Your Parcel."   
• When I take a landmark, it gets the name "Your Parcel" or "HG Your Parcel."   
• In my inventory, I see several landmarks named "Your Parcel" or "HG your Parcel."
• They are not to the same place, as I can tell from About Landmark. (Right click).
• But I might conclude that I have a bunch of duplicates and delete them. 
• At best I must go back and give the landmark a name I can recognize. 

• If you care about traffic, you don't want people to delete your landmark. 
• You want your landmark to be part of your marketing campaign.
• You want your landmark to encourage people to come to your place again.
• Remember those paper matches companies used to give away? 
• Those paper matches were not to help people light their cigarettes.  
• The matches put the company name/phone number in people's pockets.

• You can put your parcel name in other people's inventories
• Give that parcel a memorable name that suggests what you offer there.
• If people can't find the landmark you gave them, it is your default.

• Scroll down for News and Notes
• L$1 Mil+ UWA 3D ART & MACHINIMA GRAND FINALE 
• The 8th Annual VWBPE conference calls for proposals
• You judge: MACHINIMUWA VII: Top prize 20,000 Lindens
• The Machinima 48 Hour Film Project,  Details here 
• Univ. of Delaware NATIONAL AGENDA 2014 Speaker Series 
• THIS WEEK at Seanchai Library
• Psykopaint
• More news in my blog roll (column on the right)