|
Hobo Kits The Avatar’s Guide to Gatherings |
How to get into Second Life without really trying |
| Ten keys to
successful meetings in Virtual Reality Networking is what triggered this topic. I saw a question on the Vio business networking channel about the possible limits on meeting sizes. That's how networking operates in Second Life. I could answer that question, so I did. But I realized that other people would want that information, too. I put it in an earlier article and in the Hobo Kit (intermediate section). http://rezzable.com/blog/thinkerer-melville/library-places But there are other things people need to know about how to produce meetings in Second Life. And the conversation in the Vio channel made me think there are people around who would want to have that info. So I made a list of the main problems that I have seen in connection with running meetings in Second Life. And, because I favor problem solving over problem listing, I turned the list into actions that a newcomer could take to tame those problems. The content needed for most of these recommendations is available in the Hobo Kit. Best pick up a copy at the Cookie Welcome Center. That is where I update the master copy, so you get the current copy from the poster-giver there. The starter part of the kit carries embedded notecards you can copy to your inventory and give to newcomers. The intermediate part carries recommendations for people planning events. Note that all the cards have the key word Hobo. You can find the entire set in your inventory by searching on that word. For most of these recommendations, I plan to develop more thorough coverage and publish it on this blog, on my web site, and in the Hobo Kit. You may look at some of the suggestions here and say, "I don't know how to do that." Answer: Ask a network group. Somebody else probably can show you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Ya gotta know the territory If you don't know the territory, you need to network with people who. The way to do that is to join some networking groups. A good place to start is with groups for beginners. Here are three that I know well: Hobo Helpers http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cookie/146/102/22 Rockcliffe University Student Group http://slurl.com/secondlife/Rockcliffe%20I/92/106/24 Second Living http://slurl.com/secondlife/Hyles/42/32/22 You can join any of these groups by looking them up in search For specific help in setting up meetings: Vio http://www.getvio.com/ "A company built upon a foundation of strong virtual networking and community-building" Vio has developed into an effective networking group for business and professional goals. The group is open to anyone seriously interested in such goals. You do need an invitation to join -- get that by contacting one of the officers. http://www.getvio.com/contactus.asp ---------------------------------------- 2. Avoid the edifice complex Building your own meeting place is great to show off the size of your budget. But there is plenty of space available that you can rent or, if you are a non-profit, get to use for free. How do you find out about such resources? That is another job for networking. You send a group notice or group IM to your networking groups telling about what you are looking for. Chances are you will get some useful answers. --------------------------------------- 3. Set up a welcome path for newcomers If your event is going to bring in newcomers, don't leave them to fend for themselves. You can arrange the entry experience for new arrivals. From a web page, you can bring newcomers into any place in Second Life. You go to the place, get a SLURL, and use it on your web page as you would any other url. There are already welcome centers and community gateways set up with all the information beginners can use. Here are web links to two that I work with. How to get into Second Life without really trying http://thinkerer.org/SLintChan/SLentry.htm Rockcliffe Welcome Center http://www.urockcliffe.com/?s=gateway http://thinkerer.org/Slimages/RUGateway.jpg The contents and equipment at these sites are freely available and I will help anyone who wants to set up a welcome center. Just contact Thinkerer Melville in Second Life. The official Second Life community gateways offer entry paths in various languages. http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Community_Gateway ------------------ 4. Promote The Hobo Kit (Intermediate section) has recommendations for promoting events in Second Life. Many events will also be promoted in the physical world on websites and blogs. -------------------------------- 5. There will be an information explosion. Control it for your goals. Questions and suggestions can come in via chat, individual or group im, or other routes if you set them up. Best arrange for several handlers with different skills: Tech help -- can't hear, for example. Content -- requests for clarification, references Handle and feed comments/suggestions into the discussion. Keep in mind that you can use chat logs and IM logs to record all typed messages. --------------------------------------- 6. Prep your speakers. Tell them about Murphy's Law so they don't have to learn it in front of a live audience Plan out of the power-point box. Think about presentations that use the web and/or the 3d world. Arrange for experiences tech help in SL. Everything is hard when you don't know how to do it. ---------------------------------------------------- 7. Prep your audience. Give them the info to change what they can change. Many people don't know how to use voice controls effectively for listening. Necessary content is in Hobo Kit-- Starter, Hobo-Voice. This may be a good thing to give out and have people look at in the prelims period ----------------------------- 8. Prep for griefer management A well-publicized and well attended meeting will attract griefers. Have several people experienced in SL available to handle griefers. Be sure the audience is prepped on Defense Against the Black Arts. Have advanced plans for land control settings and actions ------------------------------------------------------ 9. Set up a prelims period What shall they do while waiting? Examples: Check voice and volume. Look over profiles, offer friend links, offer group membership. Introduce selves publicly offer invitations to join groups, network --------------------------- 10. Plan for follow up. You will want a list of names. If you want a list of incidental visitors (who did not register) you can put out devices that will record names of people in the vicinity. There is a simple device (free) in the Hobo Kit (Advanced section) that will take names and send them to the owner's chat log. You will want to invite people into one or several groups or mailing lists related to your goals. You can set up joining posters for inworld groups at your venue. You can also get people to act as "tag slingers" sending group invitations to individuals present. You can also set up Hippo or Subscribeomatic panels that will let people join mailing lists. You may also want to invite people to use web contact methods such as Subscribing to a blog site. Join a Google group, Ning page, or the like> http://www.ning.com/ |
|
|
Meetings, conferences, symposia, and other gatherings.
|
|
The Thinkerer
09/12/2009 Copyright (c) D. F. Dansereau & S. H. Evans |
All Channels | ||
| Famous fables | SL Intro Channel | ||
| Talk is the earliest form of virtual reality. |