Second Life: A Guide to Your Virtual World Release Party
Que Books just published Second Life: A Guide to Your Virtual World by Ansel Gasparini (Brian A. White in RL) and tomorrow (the world famous! :D) Iris Ophelia is hosting a book launch party featuring some top shelf exclusive freebies: a very cool 512 square meter pre-fab store by Colleen Desmoulins of the Loft, a tee shirt by Dragontat Zagato of DMC and a really amazing dress by Ginny Talamasca. Yep, that’s right, a free Last Call dress just for swinging by the party.

Kiva in Second Life: Interview With Official SL Volunteers Kiva.org, a micro-finance organization, has funded nearly 17,0000 loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries and last week crossed the $11 million rank. Kiva.org has already had a very big year, funding about $9 million worth of loans so far, and having been featured in the mainstream media including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Oprah and on ABC News. With the assistance of dedicated volunteers, Kiva also maintains a presence on different social networking sites and has recently established a presence on Second Life through the Techsoup Nonprofits Commons Project.

When Second Life and Real Life Collide II: The Hiring Sometimes, in the name of art and upstanding journalism, we are forced to immerse ourselves in cultures we ourselves do not yet understand. It is with this in mind that, yesterday, your favorite quasi-luddite put down the NES controller and logged in to Second Life with one simple goal in mind: gettin’ that dolla.

Learning 2.0 - Shanghai, China AND YOU ARE THERE (sorta) Anyway, Sheryl’s presentation excerpt mentions SL/MUVEs, as does Chris’s, and its clear that the relevant conversation is not about Second Life per se but virtual worlds and their potential impact in education. It’s great fun to hear the excitement in Chris’ voice (and in emails) as he describes his foray into and fascination with Second Life.

Second Life Jewelry Exposition 2007 OnRez is a proud sponsor of Jewelry Exposition 2007, a week-long showcase of more than 70 of Second Life’s jewelry designers, taking place from September 15 to September 22. It includes designer-run events and an ongoing treasure hunt, and it culminates in a charity auction to benefit the American Red Cross.

LL Ducks Responsibility Will university faculty be held responsible for bringing students to the libertine free for all educational opportunity that is Second Life? How long until controversy spills over to real life for in-world harassment? Michael Bugeja, director of the school of journalism and communications at Iowa State University, asks these questions in his Second Thoughts about Second Life piece in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The article suggests that lawsuits can be brought against faculty and their institutions when participation in Second Life is required or recommended and harassing behaviors occurs in-world. Of course, it is hard to imagine harassment in-world. Not evah! There are almost no hard ass pipe hitting PNs in SL who indulge in greifing “for the lulz”. So - this is not a problem. What on earth was Bugeja worrying about? Perhaps he was listening to legal council? Sadly, it appears so.

Global Credit, Global Presidents: Alleged Swindles More financial scandals appearing, but off the mainstream radar. Apparently Global Credit and Global Presidents are at risk…

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