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Second Life:Going Where the Users Are
Michael SauersTechnology Innovation Librarian,Nebraska Library Commission
What is Second Life?
• “Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents.”
• An environment
Statistics
19 March 2007 9:05SLT
Is Second Life a Game?
• “For me, it is a game because it’s a form of entertainment.”
• There are games in Second Life (Super Lag Ball)
• “There is no manufactured conflict, no set objective. It’s an entirely open-ended experience.”
• It’s an OS
Recommended System Requirements• Internet Connection*: Cable or DSL• Computer Processor: 1.6GHz Pentium 4 or
Athlon 2000+ or better• Computer Memory: 512MB or better• Video/Graphics Card**:
– nVidia GeForce FX 5600, GeForce 6600, or better
– OR ATI Radeon 9600, X600, or better• NOTE: Second Life does NOT currently
support Windows Vista
Account Options
• Free– Additional free accounts are $9.95– L$225 signup bonus
• Premium– $9.95/mo– L$1000 signup bonus– L$300/week stipend
Quote
“What is there to teach? You just log in and do it.”−Sara, age 13
Avatars!
www.flickr.com/photos/araiya/31927037/
www.flickr.com/photos/pathfinderlinden/386259434/
In-world Communication• Text chat
• IM
• Stream in audio and video
• In-world voice coming soon
Economy
• Linden Dollars (L$)
• Liquid Market– Buy L$ with real US$– Sell L$ for real US$
• $1=~L$240
Owning Land• Must have a premium account to own land.• Islands are priced at US$1,675 for 65,536
square meters (about 16 acres). Monthly land fees for maintenance are US$295.
• We offer a discount to verified real world educators and academic institutions (e.g., universities/schools) or 501(c)3 non-profit organizations that will be using the regions to support their organization's official work. For these organizations, small islands are priced at US$980 for 65,536 square meters (about 16 acres), and monthly land fees for maintenance are US$150.
83 sq miles
Building
• Create a “prim”
• Shape it, color it, texture it
• Apply physics and lighting
Scripting
• Avatar and object control– Movement (sexy walk, pose, dance,
combat)– Permissions (ownership, copy, modify)– Audio/Video– Event sensing– Output
Who owns what I create?• You retain all rights to your
intellectual property.
Camera View
• You don’t have to look through your eyes.
Learning Environments
• Walk through molecular models• Meditate in a Shinto temple• Heart Murmur Simulation• Live in Victorian times• Live in Ancient Rome• Visit the Globe Theatre
Events• US Congress• Henry VIII• Book discussion
groups• Author events
– Kurt Vonnegut,Dean Koontz
• Concerts– Jay Z, U2,
Duran Duran, Suzanne Vega
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34929109@N00/422987698/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremyvaught/422358779/
http://www.nevillehobson.com/2007/03/14/dean-koontz-comes-to-second-life/
Par-tay!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/photolibraries/419796290/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/christajoy42/385233507/
Groups
• Librarians of Second Life
• Podcaster Island
• Stroke victims
• Wheelies
• The Land of Doctor Who
Machinima
Info Island
Alliance Library Systems
April 2006 – Rented spaceMay 2006 – InfoIslandCurrently: 10 ALS Islands9 Associated Islands
Places & Faces• InfoIsland• InfoIsland 2• Health InfoIsland• Cybrary City• Cybrary City 2• EduIsland• EduIsland 2• ALA/ Arts Island• Imagination Island• Renaissance Island• Eye4YouAlliance Island (Teen Grid)
Service• Outreach
– Public– Academic– Special
• Conversation– Events– Workshops– Displays &
Exhibits– One-on-one
interactions
Benefits
• Networking• Partnerships
& Collaboration• Events, workshops,
discussion groups• Meeting space• Creative Space• Continuing education• Library education
• Individual Library Space– Academic
• Johnson & Wales University• Stanford Engineering Library• Claremont College Digital Library
– Public• Kansas State Library• Society Hill (SC) Public Library • Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg County
(NC)– Special
• Law• Medical• Nebraska Library Commission
Cybrary City 1 & 2
Cybrary City – Library Schools
UNC Chapel HillUNC Greensboro
University of South FloridaSan Jose State University
University of MichiganUniversity of PittsburghCity University of NY
ALA Headquarters and Washington Office Come to SL David Lankes from Syracuse University delivered ALA'sWashington Office's first interactive presentation in SecondLife
http://iis.syr.edu/projects/PNOpen/
Reality Checks
Reality Checks
1. If you don’t have the “recommended” hardware it’s going to be a frustrating experience.
2. If you can’t follow several conversations and are easily annoyed by tyops…
3. You don’t have to spend real money, but it helps.
Reality Checks
4. The more people at an event/in a location the greater the lag will be.
5. Your boss and co-workers will probably not view this as “work” so you’ll be contributing personal time.
6. The more fun you’re having, the more time you’ll want to spend on the grid.
Reality Checks
7. People are generally polite but they’ll still fall on your head.
8. Don’t plan on keeping track of acquaintances based on their appearance as many change their avatars regularly.
Reality Checks9. Updates, updates, updates.
– Trying to log in for an event at the last minute only to find out you need to download a new version first.
10.System problems– Grey Goo– Purchased items disappearing– The world goes offline
Getting Started
• Sign up for a free account and play!
• InfoIsland.org• Podcasts
– Who’s on Second– Second Life Library
• Videos on YouTube
Thank you!Michael Sauers
a.k.a.TravelinLibrarian Mandelbrot
Nebraska Library Commission
del.icio.us/travelinlibrarian/secondlife