Monday, December 31, 2018

2019 MUVE: HG: Why am I talking about MUVEs when I am really talking about virtual worlds?


Why am I talking about MUVEs when 
I am really talking about virtual worlds?

Researchers use the term "MUVEto stand for "Multi-User Virtual Environment."   We virtual worlders use the term "virtual world" to mean the same thing.  These are ingroup terms for different ingroups.  I want this blog to share information between these groups, so I speak the language of both groups.  Here I report on some of the work of the researchers.  
An informal writing class in a MUVE

MUVE:  Multi-User Virtual Environment

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Sunday, December 30, 2018

2019 EDU: Why a reading assignment is like a treasure hunt. And why it is not.


Why a reading assignment 
is like a treasure hunt.  
And why it is not.

Consideration of similarities and differences between reading assignments and treasure hunts suggests strategies to manage reading assignments so as to give them some of the natural attractions of treasure hunts.
The Empty Classroom

Like

  • Reading:  Students are to find the important things.  
  • Treasure hunt: People are to find things deemed important by the organizers.
  • Reading:  Students can develop skills in finding important things.  
  • Treasure hunt: People can develop skills in finding treasure hunt targets
  • Reading: Students can develop skills in organizing their findings for easy memory. 
  • Treasure hunt: People can develop skills in packing things for ease in carrying,

Below

  • Unlike:
  • Students like treasure hunts
  • Do schools teach the skill of selecting the important things in a reading assignment?
  • Do schools teach the skill of organizing important things in a reading assignment?
  • Is there anything to be taught about selecting important things?
  • Could learning that skill be developed in a game?
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Saturday, December 29, 2018

2018 PROMO: TECH: MUVE: selected OSCC exhibits


MUVE: selected OSCC exhibits

Photos of some OSCC exhibits, with web links to help you follow up your interests. Links to videos of the sessions will be given when available.
OpenSimulator Community Conference
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Friday, December 28, 2018

2018 WRITE: STAGE: Someday...we should rework the calendar


Someday...we should rework the calendar.   
Someday



Have you noticed how many extra days the calendar has?  I don't mean the days with simple, boring numbers.  I mean days with special names like New Year's Day or Ground Hog's Day, or Yesterday.  Yesterday was celebrated by the Beetles.  You can't get more official than that.  


Tuesday, December 25, 2018

2018 COMEDY: MUVE: December: Lauren's place, Tuesday at 5:00 PM Pacific


December: Lauren's place, 
Tuesday at 5:00 PM Pacific

December collection of comedy from Lauren's place:  WyNott,  Catboy, Randy, Synnove

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      Monday, December 24, 2018

      2018 EDU: HG: Mainstreaming Virtual World Learning Colloquium. And some suggestions.


      Mainstreaming Virtual World Learning Colloquium
      Updated 1/4/2019


      A report on a recent colloquium of educators in virtual worlds.  And some suggestions for making more use of the affordances of virtual worlds

      The Empty Classroom
      • Saturday, December 1, 2018 - 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM
      • We weren't in a conference room.  We were comfortably at home.
      • Nevertheless, we were meeting with two dozen colleagues.
      • This Colloquium was a week before OSCC (Open Sim Community Conference).
      • How can people afford the time and money go to 2 meetings in a month?
      • Mainstreaming Virtual World Learning Colloquium

      Contents

      • Where can you hold a time-spread convention?
      • Program and video link (TBD) 
      • Colloquium reprise at OSCC 
      • About the colloquium
      • Unconventional conventions
      ******************

      Sunday, December 23, 2018

      2018 Promo: PEOPLE: Social media for the virtual worlds (RiP G+). Summary


      Social media for the 
      virtual worlds (RIP G+). 
      Summary
      Updated 2/18/2019

      Summary of articles  on social media for the virtual worlds. This article will be updated when new information is available. 

      Uses for social media

      • Ingroup communication
      • Event promotion
      • Outreach: professional
      • Outreach: general
      • Outreach: playful
      • Outreach--repost target

      Dimensions of evaluation

      • Useful persistence: ephemeral, persistent,  archival
      • Ephemeral means you can't expect to find it after a week 
      • Useful persistence means that you can find items after a month.
      • Persistence is not useful without good search support.
      • Archival means you can find it years later. (Blogs are usually arcival.)  
      • Reputation: playful, professional
      • Reach, target density
      • 14 Key Points to Keep in Mind Before Migrating Your Online Community
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      Saturday, December 22, 2018

      2018 EDU: The Dickens Project: Seanchai Library: The Big Read, Dec 23 noon SLT


      The Dickens Project: Seanchai Library 
      The Big Read, Dec 23 noon SLT   

      Seanchai Library brings you The Dickens Project 2018. #MUVE, #Social 3D

      Go there for the Big Read:

      • http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA7/114/200/24
      • December 23, 2018 NOON (Pacific time) the BIG READ
      The Dickens project
      Second Life – The Dickens Project celebrates its sixth year in Second Life with a return to Linden Endowment for the Arts Region 7, where the annual celebration of Charles Dickens' seminal work first was realized in full region form a year ago. Offering four weeks of exploration, storytelling, music, dance, a new "Urchins in Dickens London" experience, this Second Life holiday tradition will be open to residents November 30th, through December 30th.
      The Dickens Project is produced by Seanchai Library (Shawn-a-kee, which means "Storyteller" in Irish), which was founded in March of 2008 in Second Life. Thousands of stories, and hundreds of authors later, the program remains dedicated to promoting the power of stories to transform and inspire through live voice presentations: "We bring stories of all kinds to life, in Second Life."

      Friday, December 21, 2018

      2018 PROMO: Twitter can serve as your timeline and you can embed it in your blog


      Twitter can serve as your timeline 
      and you can embed it in your blog


      My Timeline




      Your timeline

      • Your timeline is a string of items you post somewhere.
      • My timeline is a list of links relevant to topics in my blog.  
      • It serves as to hold links that I might want to use later.  
      • And it is suggested reading for others interested in some of my topics.
      • I also repost event notices that give a Hypergrid address in text
      • So my timeline carries some event suggestions.
      *****************

      Tuesday, December 18, 2018

      2019 PROMO: Themed grids (MUVES): Keng City grid tells its theme: entertainment and shopping


      Themed grids (MUVES): 
      Keng City grid tells its theme: 
      entertainment and shopping

      Keng City declares its theme.  It shows its promotion methods.   It offers an example in promotion for other grids (MUVE providers) to consider.

      Keng City theme

      Keng City Grid is a small private virtual grid dedicated to entertainment and shopping. It is hypergrid enabled, no new accounts needed as it is open to all to hypergrid in and out freely. Gloebits enabled for the whole grid to make purchasing easier for visitors. We will not be renting out regions, although we do have penthouses for rent. Instead we choose to concentrate on what has always made Keng City great... entertainment, commerce and making everyone who visits feel like family. -- Antoinnette Keng
      The Keng City Grid has that sprawling neon-lit look and feel with multiple trendy clubs, fun activities and a variety of shopping. Come and visit the Colorful multi-tiered Keng City Grid and get the experience....

      Go there

      • HG address
      • hg.kengcity.net:8002:Keng City 
      • Put the HG address in the Find bar of the world map, click Find, TP

      On the web

      **********************

      Monday, December 17, 2018

      2018 EDU: Social Media for the online Education Community


      Social Media for the 
      online Education Community

      A collection of social media links for the online education community
      The Empty Classroom

      Social Media for the Education Community

      *
      **************************************

      Sunday, December 16, 2018

      2018 PEOPLE : Friendica for social media?


      Friendica for social media?
      Friendica is opensource software for social media communication.  The software is free, but somebody has to create a node (on a server) to run the software.  Nodes can connect with each other so it is a distributed network.   A grid could be part of a node. 
      • friendica – A Decentralized Social Network
      • Friendica is open source software for a distributed social network
      • Friendica is part of the democratization of the internet.
      • Thus its operation plan is less familiar than the G+ plan (whatever that was).
      • To become a user you don't go to the Friendica website.  
      • You find a Friendica node and register there.  
      • You can immediately connect with others registered on your base node.
      • You can also connect with others on Friendica or others on the Fediverse
      • To connect outside of your base node, you need to know the Friendica address.
      • Friendica is part of the Fediverse, "an interconnected and decentralized network of independently operated servers."
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      ********************************

      Saturday, December 15, 2018

      2018 PROMO: BLOG: Talk Virtual Outworlding in MeWe


      Talk Virtual Outworlding in MeWe


      I created a MeWe group for conversations about this blog.  You can post there to suggest content or to discuss an article. 

      Talk Virtual Outworlding in MeWe

      • Use this group to suggest content for Virtual Outworlding.  
      • Offer to provide an invited article (no pay, just distribution).  
      • Offer links with content you think the blog should report on.  
      • Ask questions you want answered in the blog.  
      • Present issues you think the blog should discuss.  
      • Comment on an article in the blog.   
      • Post a press release that you want this blog to carry.  
      • Describe recurring events you want this blog to mention (on the MUVE update page).   
      • You have to be registered in MeWe to get to the group:
      • Talk Virtual Outworlding in MeWe
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      **************************************************

      Friday, December 14, 2018

      2018 EDU: WW: Quests and quizzes support in 3DWebWorldz--the three e's: exercise, engagement, evaluation


      Quests and quizzes support in 3DWebWorldz
      --the three e's: exercise, engagement, evaluation 

      Every quest calls for learning.  What is learned may be trivial--skills required to succeed in the quest.  But a quest can be designed so that the skills are from instructional objectives.  Then it is an instructional questWondering how to use that idea?  Then your quest is to answer that question.

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      Tuesday, December 11, 2018

      2018 WRITE: Writing: Create a collaborative blog to market your writing


      Create a collaborative blog 
      to market your writing


      Suggestions on how to use a collaborative blog to market fiction.  Use it as an online writer's colony.  Cooperate on promoting you fiction and building an audience for the blog.  Suggestions for starting a blog, finding collaborators, creating content, promotion, monetizing, and meeting on the web.  #web-world  #socialmedia  #virtualworld  #MUVE  
      • Collaborative blog: Multiple authors publishing on the same theme.
      • Online writer's colony: Writers collaborating online.

      Starting


      Contents

      • How can I find other writers online?
      • Why collaborative?
      • Suggestions for content
      • Promotion
      • Can we make money on the blog?
      • Will Selby create a collaborative writer's blog?
      • Meeting on the web

      Monday, December 10, 2018

      2018 EDU: WRITE: Interactive writing: Guide your readers


      Interactive writing:   
      Guide your readers  


      Write Interactively?  Don't you need a web page for interaction?  No.   All effective writing is interaction.  Fiction gets a reader to imagine the scene. Informative writing gets a reader to want the information before it is given. Instruction gets a reader to figure out part of an answer before the writing delivers it. Stimulate curiosity.  That is one of the standard writing devices to get readers to finish what they begin.
      **********************

      Sunday, December 9, 2018

      2018 PEOPLE: Facebook offers much the same things as G+. For those willing to use it.


      Facebook offers much 
      the same services as G+.  
      For those willing to use it.


      Report on Facebook as social media support to replace G+ for users of  OpenSim.

      Key buttons on FB home page
      Click image to enlarge

      What it offers to MUVErs

      • Huge audience can access your post.
      • You can join or form groups.
      • Repost buttons on articles make easy reposting.
      • You can use reposting to save articles you may want to share or use. 

      Drawbacks

      • Most of that huge audience is probably not in your target market.
      • With so many posts it is hard to get your post noticed, 
      • Educators and other professionals may not want to be seen in that neighborhood.
      • You may get booted if you use a fake name, especially if it looks fake.

      Possible services

      • Host for reposting: Excellent
      • Outreach: Fair to good, depending on the use of groups
      • Event promotion:  Poor to fair, depending on the use of groups.
      • Ingroup communication:  Poor
      **********************************

      Saturday, December 8, 2018

      2018 HEAD: WRITE: How language shapes the way we think

      How language shapes the way we think
      There are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world -- and they all have different sounds, vocabularies and structures. But do they shape the way we think?
      **********************

      Friday, December 7, 2018

      2018 PEOPLE: ART: From The Ashes Of AvatarFest, Opensim Fest Rises


      From The Ashes Of AvatarFest, 
      Opensim Fest Rises
       AvatarFest has been a creative effort which has celebrated the people of Open Sim for years, and AvatarFest 2018 was it's final year. In the spirit of this incredible yearly festival, OpenSim Fest begins with our first festival starting in March 2019.



      What can YOU do to be a part of OpenSim Fest 2019?


      You can come by and visit us at Expo region 5/Booth number 26 at this years OpenSimulator Community Conference (OSCC 2018) if you would like to ask us any questions or sign up as an contributor to Opensim Fest.

      Or contact 


      Tuesday, December 4, 2018

      2018 COMEDY: VID: November: Lauren's place, Tuesday at 5:00 PM Pacific


      November: Lauren's place, 
      Tuesday at 5:00 PM Pacific

      November collection of comedy from Lauren's place: High Tech, WyNott,  Catboy, Randy, Synnove, Selby 


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          Monday, December 3, 2018

          2018 PEOPLE: PROMO: Visit Littlefield Grid's Christmas Island!! Open Now!!


          Visit Littlefield Grid's Christmas Island!! Open Now!!

          Promotional video from Littlefield grid, and good promotional features on the landing page.

          Go there 

          • HG address:
          • hg: lfgrid.com:8002:Christmas Island
          • Put the HG address in the Find bar of the world map, click FindTP  
          • On the web: Littlefield grid
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          Sunday, December 2, 2018

          2018 WRT: MUVE: VIDEO: "The last werewolf in Blanken" A writer's workshop in 3D


          "The last werewolf in Blanken"  A writer's workshop in 3D

          A video about a workshop for writers being developed in 3D MUVEs of OpenSimulator.  People with access to the hypergrid can visit the MUVE.  Anyone with access to the internet can visit another version being developed as a web page running in a browser.

          Video captured at Nara's Nook 

          • Go there via the Hypergrid:  :
          • world.narasnook.com:8900:Dark Manor
          • Nara's Nook grid:
          • http://www.narasnook.com/
          • A similar MUVE is under development for access in a browser.
          • That development is a little behind the MUVE at Nara's Nook
          • You can visit the browser version: 3DWebWorldz 
          • look on the menu under "writers", go to Writers Swamp.
          • The region name, Dark Manor, is not connected with The Dark Manor Haunted House

          Credits: video and story

          • MUVE file (OpenSim OAR): Linda Kellie
          • Imported, adapted and hosted:  Nara Nook
          • Story:  Selby Evans, Talia Sunsong, Nathan Adored
          • Video performers: Talia Sunsong, Selby Evans, Nathan Adored
          • Note: the child avatar is operated by an adult.
          • Video capture, editing, and publication:  Selby Evans
          • Video captured at Nara's Nook, Dark Manor MUVE (sim)

          Saturday, December 1, 2018

          2018 EDU: The Dickens Project: Seanchai Library


          The Dickens Project: Seanchai Library

          Seanchai Library brings you The Dickens Project 2018. MUVE, Social 3D
          The Dickens project
          Second Life – The Dickens Project celebrates its sixth year in Second Life with a return to Linden Endowment for the Arts Region 7, where the annual celebration of Charles Dickens' seminal work first was realized in full region form a year ago. Offering four weeks of exploration, storytelling, music, dance, a new "Urchins in Dickens London" experience, this Second Life holiday tradition will be open to residents November 30th, through December 30th.

          Go there:

          • http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA7/114/200/24
          • December 23, 2018 NOON (Pacific time) the BIG READ
          -
          The Dickens Project is produced by Seanchai Library (Shawn-a-kee, which means "Storyteller" in Irish), which was founded in March of 2008 in Second Life. Thousands of stories, and hundreds of authors later, the program remains dedicated to promoting the power of stories to transform and inspire through live voice presentations: "We bring stories of all kinds to life, in Second Life."