real opportunities in virtual worlds
DESCRIPTION
Using Second Life as an example, we will be exploring some of the ways in which nonprofirts can use virtual worlds for fundraising, for information, for training and networking. She’ll also be looking forward to how Open Source is leading to exciting new developments in virtual worldsTRANSCRIPT
Real Opportunities inVirtual Worlds
Pauline Woolleyaka Saffia Widdershins
Pauline and Saffia
• Pauline is a fifty-one year-old virtual world consultant of a certain size
• Saffia is a media executive who exists only in virtual worlds
• Saffia gets the looks and the glamour
• Saffia gets the Google hits too
• Pauline does the work!
What are virtual worlds?
• 3-D Environments
• Persistent
• Massively Multi User
• Resident Built and Textured
• Resident Scripted and Animated
• Resident Owned
Why should we be interested?
Opportunities for:• Fund-raising
• Awareness-raising
• Development projects
• Communication
• Training
Why should we be interested?
Web-based system that allows:
• Group Chat and Instant Messaging 1-2-1
• Streaming audio and video content
• Video Conference potential• 3d modelling in easy format
All for no charge to individuals Not-for-profits can create a
presence for about £80 per month
Fundraising
• Internal fund-raising in Second Life:Relay for Life:Prim Perfect launch
• Fund-raising in Second Life linked with real life:St.Jude’s Hospital
Awareness-raising
• Possibilities exist to create information points and interactive exhibitions in world – and more – such as Camp Darfur
• Events can become a focus for awareness-raising – a recent example has been International AIDS Day
Communication
Virtual Worlds can bring people together
• Without the need for expensive software
• Without the need for complicated packages to learn
• Giving them physical entities to interact with
Training
• Excellent in-world training opportunities
• Many universities exploring the possibilities of SL
• Wide range of web tools available within Second Life
Second Life v. Open Source
• Second Life already established and populated
• Technology established and tested
• Communities and support already in place
Second Life v. Open Source
• Offers a greater opportunity for individual development
• At the moment, largely untried and untested
• A number of key issues still to be determined
But it is the future ...
Some Useful Addresses
• Second Life: secondlife.com/
• Mal Burns, Metaverse commentator: Mal has an invaluable twitterfeed of information about virtual worlds:twitter.com/malburns
• Calaméo: http://en.calameo.com/ - the web book format. Hosts many Second Life amenities.
Contact Details
• Pauline WoolleyVirtual Worlds ConsultantOxmust28 Wolsey Road, Oxford, OX2 7SZTel: +44(0)1865 512286 Email [email protected]: www.oxmust.co.uk Facebook: Pauline WoolleyLinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/paulinewoolley
• Saffia WiddershinsCEO Prim Perfect PublicationsEmail: [email protected] Web-sites: www.primperfect.net & slcn.tv/programs/meta-makeoverBlogs: primperfectblog.wordpress.com/ & metamakeover.wordpress.com/Twitter: twitter.com/PrimPerfect Plurk: www.plurk.com/primperfect Calaméo: http://en.calameo.com/accounts/4234