Announcing the TechSoup Second Life Event: July 18th at 6:00 PM PST

Photo from my flickr stream taken during the June 30th in-world meeting.

The official announcement for the TechSoup Event is out and Deborah Finn has posted the details here.  Here's the direct link to the TechSoup Office in SL, click in it if you're all set up in Second Life. 

If you are new to Second Life, here are some good introductory pieces:

For more newbie and How-To information, check out the Second Life wiki:
http://secondlife.com/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=How-Tos

Getting Started in Second Life
http://www.nmc.org/campuswiki/index.php/Getting_Started

Here  is a great intro piece on how SL can be used for serious purposes:
http://futuretag.net/index.php/Slgp1

Library Services in Second Life
http://seriousgamessource.com/features/feature_063006_second_life_library.php

But, I know that reading about it isn't the same as experiential learning.   Second Life can feel a little strange at first.   As Lori Bell recently noted in an article about library services in Second Life, "The learning curve is somewhat steep because Second Life is like a different culture and things are done differently than in real life."

The best way that I learned was to spend a little "play time" in world and chat with more experienced users.   This might help you enjoy the event more and get more out of the presentations if you're new to Second Life.   In that spirit, I'm offering an informal newbie mentoring session prior to the event on Friday, July 14th at 2:00 p.m. EST.   Let me know if you're coming in the comments.

I've only been in-world for a month, so I'm still learning too - but when I was brand new I really appreciated the help I got from others ...

And, feel to explore my Second Life Learning journal here, my flickr npsl stream here, my delicious links here and my wiki notes here.  I also put together a series of flickr learning journals:

My Interview with Jeska Linden, Community Manager, Linden Labs

TechSoup Office in Second Life with Cyber Yenta

Nonprofits in Second Life: Tourist Shots

How To Conduct An Interview In SL

TechSoup Meeting Photo Documentation: July 7th, June 30th

My Flickr Second Life Learning Journal

Comments

[Nedra Weinreich]

Hi Beth, I'm going to try to come to your mentoring session. I definitely have a lot to learn about getting around in the SL environment. I don't think I'll be able to come to the TechSoup meeting because the timing is awful, but if I can steal away to the computer for a few minutes I will try.

[wolis]

Hi Beth,

Maybe you would like to have a look at my text-based multi-user virtual world - Creative Object World (cow).
http://creativeobjectworld.com

Its free, and text-based so it runs in any browser. Thats 2 good things it can do that Second Life seems to be hampered by.

I have tried to make it as accessible as possible with both a very plain interface and a funky AJAX one (well a few actually).

It can also publish out RSS feeds of rooms or list of things like this news room:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/wolispace.com/news

Please drop in some time and have a look around. While your there why not create something like this:

create a small glass plate
paint it as powderblue
create a lump of cheese
paint it as yellow
put it on the plate

Someone recently described it as a 'wiki-world' which I thought was a rather fitting description.. everything in the environment is created by the users.. even the commands you type like: do, say, get, drop etc..

And every object can be scripted to react and do things.. even the players.

Hope to see you in cow sometime.

[mike seyfang]

Hey Beth - great event, was cool to meet you in SL.
Fang - Mike Seyfang - LearnDog
(WhiteFang Shiras)

[kmwright]

Thanks so much for the newbie gathering --I plan to attend. It's taken me so long just to get comfortable traveling the World, and it's really hard to find places that I've been told about. I'm Sparkle Merryman & look forward to meeting you there!