Astronomy Hangout

The recent emergence of video hangouts through tools like Google+ and Ustream have really bridged a gap in virtual communities. Streaming videos make communities more human and live. They are immediate, allowing you to attend without leaving your own home.

Video streaming has been going on for some time now. We’ve been able to watch and get addicted to seeing litters of puppies grow, having person to person conversations via web cams, see conference talks as they occur. But tools like Google+ Hangoug have come on the scene to provide togetherness for groups of people who would not meet otherwise, and to share experiences they couldn’t experience on their own. (more…)

Over the last few years, it’s been amazing to see how social media has united people globally in various causes from ecological concerns to political uprisings. These days it’s much harder for a government to silence people, to censor them, and keep them under wraps. (more…)

Virtual communities are similar in many ways, one of which is providing information and support. But Facebook alone stands out in a way that I’ve not seen on any other platforms. It’s a community of like minds, and sometimes discord. Both are what make the FB families so special, much like physical families. (more…)

Married couple playing checkers

This weekend I had the pleasure of meeting two friends in person who I’ve known for a few years in Second Life. We met in the Skeptical Buddhist Sangha, and they have been really supportive in the new island  I’ve been creating, Secular Community. (more…)