Introduction to Second Life

Introduction to Second Life, Part 1

SLA/Click University

03 December 2009

Scott Brown

Member, SLA VW Council

Social Information Group

Cindy Hill

Chair, SLA VW Council

Hill Information Consulting Group

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Agenda

SLA Virtual Worlds Council

Upcoming SLA virtual events

Overview of virtual worlds and Second Life

How to get started in Second Life

Information for Part 2 – let’s meet in-world!

Resources & more detail in the slide set

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SLA Virtual Worlds Council Appointed by President Gloria Zamora

Created to recommend short and long-term direction for SLA’s presence as an association in virtual worlds

Develop and promote opportunities for members to learn more about virtual worlds

Learn more at

http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/sla_in_second_life/

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Upcoming SLA Events in SL Library Buzz sessions

Check for upcoming events in 2010: http://wiki.sla.org/display/SLASECONDLIFE/Upcoming+Events

SLA Leadership Summit Highlights

Feb 2, 4 and 10, 2010: Anne Caputo and Janice Lachance

Possible SLA Annual Conference sessions in June

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Why virtual worlds?

Long-standing interest

“Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson

Tron

Interactive, social environment

“Next web”?

New and emerging technologies

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Why virtual worlds?http://www.kzero.co.uk/blog/?page_id=2092

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Webkinz

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Club Penguin

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Habbo

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Twinity

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HiPiHi

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Multiverse

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Multiverse

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Protosphere

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Wonderland

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Quick Survey

Do you have an avatar – in any world?

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What is Second Life? Internet-based 3D virtual environment created by Linden

Labs

Users have avatars (called “Residents” within the universe) and can explore, learn, socialize, conduct business, participate in individual and group activities

Linden Labs only provides the infrastructure; the entire contents are created and owned by its residents

Second Life is not a game – unlike some virtual worlds

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Environment

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Simulation

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Government agencies

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Simulation

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Connect remote employees

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Simulation

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Thomson Reuters

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Active learning

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Modeling

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Play with scale

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US Federal government in virtual worlds

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Why virtual worlds? Virtual worlds hold great potential for learning and for

organizations – and it’s starting to emerge

◦ Education, collaboration, eco-responsibility, global reach These environments are:

◦ Generally non-threatening

◦ Great ways to enhance and encourage knowledge sharing, collaboration

◦ Very dynamic and engaging – “just like being there”

◦ High-touch Conversations can be more open and honest Community can develop at a rapid rate

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Quick Survey

Have you spent time in Second Life?

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How does Second Life work?

Download Second Life's software package onto your computer◦ Currently clients for Windows, Mac OSX, Linux & Solaris x86

◦ Launch SL software and log in there – not on secondlife.com

Create your avatar◦ http://join.secondlife.com

Must have a broadband Internet connection of some sort◦ Cable, DSL, etc. - Dialup will not work

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How does Second Life work?

Must have a fairly powerful computer and connection◦ Windows XP 2000, XP, or Vista

◦ 800MHz Pentium III or Athlon, or better; 256MB memory or better; nVidia GeForce 2, GeForce 4mx, or better video card ATI Radeon 8500, 9250, or better

◦ For Mac, Mac OS X 10.3.9 or better; 1 GHz G4 or better; 512MB memory or better

◦ Linux system requirements also available on Second Life site

These are MINIMUM requirements; RECOMMEND even more power than this

See http://secondlife.com/corporate/sysreqs.php for full requirements

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Once you’re in…

Communicate by instant messaging

Voice available; you will need a headset

Move through Second Life by using your arrow keys, fly and teleport to different locations

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True-to-life Avatars

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“Furry” Avatars

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SLA campus

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Janice & Gloria in Second Life!

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Library Buzz sessions

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Quick Survey

If you have a Second Life avatar, what is your Second Life name?

If you don’t – what would you choose for a first name?

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Getting ready to meet in-world

Download the software at secondlife.com Create your avatar

◦ http://join.secondlife.com

◦ Create your basic look: gender, skin color

◦ Choose a name

◦ You get to choose your first name

◦ Choose your last name from a pre-determined list

◦ May register one avatar per email for no charge

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Getting ready to meet in-world

Register for ClickU’s Part 2 session ◦ This is how we’ll send you information on meeting in-

world

Get in-world and play around – a lot – before the session◦ Launch SL software and log in there – not on secondlife.com

◦ Second Life takes getting used

◦ Walk by using arrow keys on keyboard

◦ Fly by clicking on “Fly” button (click again to stop flying)

◦ Teleport by searching for places and clicking “Teleport” button

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Second Life, Part 2 sessionRemember to get your avatar before registering!

Last one of the year!

Second Life: an introduction, part 2: Registration –Thursday, December 10, 2009, 8am PThttp://www.sla.org/content/learn/members/webinars/webinarreg/secondlife1110.cfm

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Upcoming SLA Events in SL Library Buzz sessions

Check for upcoming events in 2010: http://wiki.sla.org/display/SLASECONDLIFE/Upcoming+Events

SLA Leadership Summit Highlights

Feb 2, 4 and 10, 2010: Anne Caputo and Janice Lachance

Possible SLA Annual Conference sessions in June

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Thank you!

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Cindy Hill (aka Sydney Delphin)

Chair, SLA VW Council

Hill Information Consulting Group

cindyvhill@yahoo.com

Scott Brown (aka Steven Source)

Member, SLA VW Council

Social Information Group

scott_r_brown@comcast.net

Resources: SLA in Second Life

SLA Second Life wiki

http://wiki.sla.org/display/SLASECONDLIFE/Home

SLA in Second Life blog

http://sla-divisions.typepad.com/sla_in_second_life

SLA in Second Life: Google Calendar

http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=slasecondlifecalendar%40gmail.com

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Resources: Second Life

Second Life system requirements

http://secondlife.com/support/sysreqs.php

"The Mission of Linden Lab" by Philip Linden

http://blog.secondlife.com/2006/11/06/the-mission-of-linden-lab/

Build your own SLURL (Second Life URL)

http://slurl.com/build.php

“Second Life for Business: Ten Techniques”, FUMSI, October 2008

http://web.fumsi.com/go/article/use/332647

Resources: Islands in SL

Cybrary City II (SLA area in SL)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cybrary%20City%20II/59/100/22/

Alliance Virtual Library: Info Island

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Info%20Island/128/128/33/

ALA Island

http://slurl.com/secondlife/ALA%20Island/127/102/29/

Virtual Ability

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Resources: Groups, listservs, newsletters, etc.

The Immersive Internet: Make Tactical Moves Today For Strategic Advantage Tomorrow - ThinkBalm

http://thinkbalm.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/thinkbalm-immersive-internet-report-nov-20084.pdf

Virtual Worlds News

http://www.virtualworldsnews.com/

Clever Zebra: events, news, etc.

http://cleverzebra.com/list

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Walking around

• Use the arrow keys to move your avatar

• Pressing Ctrl-R (Cmd-R on a Mac) toggles

running instead of walking

• Pressing Shift-Left Arrow or Shift-Right Arrow

moves the avatar from side to side

• You can also enable the Movement Controls

using View → Movement Controls to help move

your avatar.

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FlyingPress the Fly button to start flying and Stop Flying to land

Use the “E” key to go higher & the “C” key to move lower and the arrow keys to adjust direction. You can also use “Page up” and “Page Down”

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Sitting

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Select the object you'd like to sit on and right-click it (On Mac, select Cmd-click)If the object can be sat upon, Sit will appear in the pie menu

To stand, click “Stand up”

Mini-map

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The Mini-Map is a small panel that shows your present location and where other avatars are currently located, if they are close by.

the World Map Dialog

Searching for places and other things

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The search button on the bottom of your viewer opens the Search DialogYou can search for:

Classifieds – things for sale Events – training, concerts, shows public meetings, etcShowcase - highlights some of the best in-world locations and resident creationsLand sales – real estate for sale or rentPlaces – land whose owner allows searchable listingsPeople – avatars with public listing (a profile option)Groups – groups that allow their listing in Search

the World Map Dialog

Making friends

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In Second Life, your friends are avatars you have connected with and agreed to friendship.

To add someone as your friend, Right-Click their avatar and select Add Friend. If they agree, they are added to your contacts list as Friends.

the World Map Dialog

Friends

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the World Map DialogFriends are added to the Contact Lists “Friends” tab on the Communicate Dialog

Friends

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the World Map DialogFriends are added to the Contact Lists “Friends” tab on the Communicate Dialog

Communicating: Local Chat

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Local chat is an “open channel” to everyone within a 20 meter radius of your present location.

You can “shout” in local chat to reach avatars within a 100 meter radius.

To say something in chat type your chat in the text box provided in the Local Chat tab or

Send the chat by pressing Return

Profiles

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Your profile contains information about your avatar.

To open your profile either:Right-click your avatar and select Profile orSelect Edit → Profile from the menu

To open another avatar's profile simply right-click their avatar and select Profile

Example profile

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2nd Life – About your avatar

Web – Favorite web sites

Interests – Topics in SL the interest you

Picks – Favorite places in SL

Classified – Things you have for sale

1st Life – your real life profile

My Notes – private notes you want to record about this avatar – these are notes linked to any avatar's profile but only accessible by you

Image credits

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