Staying Informed Through Discussions & Classes in SL
Dana Oceanlane
Discussion groups on the Internet are popular because of the way they connect people across long distances who have similar interests or mind frames. Additionally, they allow people to stay informed, at least to some degree, in their areas of topic interests. I have subscribed to various discussions groups over the years, some of which I still participate in, and some have fallen away or I lost interest.
In discussions groups, posts are more similar to email correspondence, and while these can encourage tight connections between people and bridge many together, it does fall a bit short of what you might get within a group setting.
Enter Second Life (SL). One of the strong pulls for me to engage in SL on a regular basis are the many discussions groups and classes going on at any given time. These are similar to discussion groups on the Internet in that they attract people with common interests, concerns, and needs, but they also add the value of a 3D virtual environment, and discussions and instruction are live. You need not wait days or weeks for someone to respond to your comment or question. It’s as interactive as attending a group in-person.
I have written about the Buddhist talks and meditations I attend, but this is a tiny fragment of available in SL discussions and classes . . .
On any day of the week, you can use Search to find out what discussions and classes are taking place on any day or date. Click the Events tab, then in the drop-down menu select Discussions. Do the Same for Education. Both of those will give you a list for whatever day you wanted to search.
Scifi Saturday
For instance, today when I did a search one of the first items was a discussion for science fiction fans called Scifi Saturday.
This group meets regularly, and you can discuss your favorite scifi movies and books, characters and plots, and enjoy the wild variety of avatars that go to this group.
Of course, make sure you are a scifi fan, and not going to make trouble. This is a sensitive bunch, and they won’t welcome nerdy, off base remarks.
You can also find regular discussion groups for specific scifi fans, such as those geared to Star Trek or Star Wars, the Stargate series, or to specific characters like Darth Vader.
As in all discussion groups, stay on topic, be respectful, and if it’s not for you, just don’t attend any longer.
Many of you may want something more “real world” and for that you can find many class postings from hardcore science to building classes.
NCI Building & Scripting Class
It’s not uncommon for SL citizens who have a penchant for computing to want to learn how to create and add their own artistic touch to this 3D environment. You can take building classes that specialize in creating jewelry, avatar clothing, avatars, buildings, houses, furniture, plants and trees, animals, etc. Building classes are available for the very beginner to the very advanced.
To locate these classes, do a Search as mentioned above, then teleport to the location even if there is not a class going on at that time. Chances are you’ll find a calendar of regularly held courses that you can attend.
Lyme Disease Center
Perhaps you’re more interested in a cause or concern, an issue you’d like to see more people become aware of. You can also find groups that meet regularly to discuss important issues such as autism in children, adults with disabilities, world hunger, or one like I found today on concerns over the growing epidemic of Lyme disease in the US. You can also search out some of these by doing a Search on Places, then type in your topic or area of interest. Going to those places will often result in the discovery of scheduled chats or courses.
You can find regular discussions on everything from animal care to the spiritual awakening predicted for 2012. You can join regular discussions on the fall of the major religions, or join a religious group, you can attend talks, or arguments, that are politically focused, or attend classes to build knowledge and skills in all areas imaginable. There are even regular discussions built around published books, such as A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose (Oprah’s Book Club, Selection 61) by Eckhart Tolle.
I recommend joining in on SL’s discussions and classes over many static ones you might find on the internet. I find them enriching, enlightening, and educational.
April 21st, 2009 at 5:57 pm
As a rank beginner on SL, I am having an interesting time.
I’ve decided to just experience myself ‘experiencing’ SL, just to see where the meta-experience goes. I am spending maybe a little over an hour a day, and am in my fourth day now.
I am amazed at how good the simulation is, and that they can support it over a web connection. All by itself, this is an ingenious accomplishment.
I am surprised that the interface is good, and that there are tutorials and brief help notes that are actually helpful.
I can see how addictive this experience is. My own avatar hypnotizes me when I move it around through the landscapes I find myself in, and I know better. I see great potentials for travelling, skills building working on socializing skills for kids, teens, young adults; anybody.
As a beginner, my first problem, is that it takes too long to learn the basic stuff — how to move the avatar, how to pan around the avatar, how to change its appearance and add gestures to it, how to chat, and how to find out what else is available to me in SL. I’m finding the answers, but it takes me a day to discover how to do something simple that a good set of notes would just hand to me in five minutes.
I also find that there are some bugs. I have a strange right arm. I returned one day to find myself bald. Another day, I had lost my jacket. I completely lose track of my avatar once or twice a day.
The ‘appearance’ menu item choices seem to vary from day to day, and this surprises me. It is often very hard to make menu choices even operate, like gestures. I have never made a gesture operate apart from the “test” button on the gesture menu. I have to install and activate them each time I log on, which seems odd. Some of my issues might be because I am new, but that makes them a UI design problem — the inventory menus ought to make it clearer to me as a newbee, what I am supposed to do, so I don’t make ‘newbee’ mistakes.
Anyway, enough for now. Thanks for SL — your entries have been more helpful than anything else I’ve consulted so far.
milt