Tuesday, May 30, 2017

2017 BIZ: IMA: Virtual world money: Virtual world commerce needs micropayments

Virtual world money: 
Virtual world commerce needs micropayments  
Commerce in virtual worlds depends on selling things at low cost.  We can do that because replacement cost is zero and selling costs are very small.  But low cost means that we need a way to pay in micro-payments.   Here I give some background, cite various systems for micro-payments, and give superficial consideration to their prospects. 
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  • Virtual world goods will only sell at prices considered small by the customer.
  • Inworld currencies can use denominations that accommodate that need.
  • Content creators want to convert inworld earnings to outworld money.
  • OpenSim has many grids.  Single grid currency is not satisfactory.
  • How can we have a multi-grid currency that converts to outworld money?
  • And also accommodates micro payments. 
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Metaverse events, current and upcoming


Monday, May 29, 2017

2016 EDU: Learning in a Digital Age with Sonia Livingstone. Digital connections count

Learning in a Digital Age with Sonia Livingstone
Learning in a Digital Age with author & professor Sonia Livingstone. What is the meaning of education in a digitally connected but fiercely competitive and individualised world? Professor Sonia Livingstone presents the results of her most recent fieldwork, based on the experiences of young teenagers growing up and learning in a digital world. 


Livingstone offers insight into young people’s everyday lives, and unveils how the structures of social class and cultural capital shape the development of personal interests, relationships and autonomy. 

Related


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Metaverse events, current and upcoming


Sunday, May 28, 2017

2017 SEE: PEOPLE: Space station Astraios, on 3rd Rock Grid

Space station Astraios, on 3rd Rock Grid
TimeLine: Secret! The ability of the HG protocol to establish wormholes was not public knowledge till March 12, 2073.  If you are reading this before that date, you must assume that the information given below is fictional.  You may safely discuss this information with others as if it were true, counting on general time-blindness to keep people from taking you seriously. Do not, however, allow yourself to consider the possibility that the HG protocol can create wormholes or that HG stands for Higgs Grid.

  • Watch on YouTube
  • Live video: You see the screen as I see it.
  • You see the text conversation and can probably read it if you go to full screen.
  • You see a thumbnail of me (bottom right)
  • Space station Astraios is a role-playing activity based on the Star Trek legacy.

Go there

  • 3rd Rock Grid welcome Center HG Address:
  • grid.3rdrockgrid.com:8002
  • Put the HG address in the Find bar of your world map. Click Find, TP

Metaverse Tour

  • The Metaverse Tour travels every Saturday at 1 pm California time
  • The tour starts at Kitely Welcome Center.    HG address:
  • grid.kitely.com:8002:Kitely Welcome Center
  • Other metaverse tours
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Metaverse events, current and upcoming

Saturday, May 27, 2017

2017 SEE: TRAINS: A visit to Seven Oaks. A working rail car. Ebeneezer's Used Luxury Cars lot

A visit to Seven Oaks. A working rail car.  Ebeneezer's Used Luxury Cars lot
Take a scenic train tour. Visit Ebeneezer's Used Luxury Cars lot. Explore Chinatown, and to relax after all that, pop by Joe's Cafe. Those are just a few of the interesting places to see and enjoy at Seven Oaks.  Video.
  • Watch on YouTube
  • The metaverse tour travels every Saturday at 1 pm California time
  • The tour starts at Kitely Welcome Center.     HG address:
  • grid.kitely.com:8002:Kitely Welcome Center
  • Other metaverse tours:

Go there

  • HG Address:
  • hg.osgrid.org:80:Seven Oaks
  • Put the HG address in the Find bar of your world map. Click Find, TP
  • The train ride was flawless, the most scenic and elaborate train ride I have seen in OpenSim
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Friday, May 26, 2017

2017 OSHG: EDU: PEOPLE: What can visitors do in a web-world if nobody is there?

What can visitors do in a Cybalounge web-world 
if nobody is there?
A web-world can best provide an opportunity for informal conversation between people.  But it can't have hosts there all the time.  Here are some ideas for giving people something relevant to do if  they come at a time when there is no live host.
Web-world for nonprofits 
and public service organizations
  • The best element on a web page is a person.
  • Not just a video, but somebody you can have a conversation with.
  • But you can't have people available all the time.
  • The cooperative web-world for Nonprofit Commons is part of a solution.  
  • Time-share the use of the space.  
  • Multiple organizations can make better use of the space.
  • And people coming to the web-world often find someone to talk to.
  • Often, but not always.  What do they do while waiting?

Drop by and let's talk

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    Thursday, May 25, 2017

    2017 EVENT: IMA: IMA Social Web and Virtual World Events, Calendar

    IMA: Shawn's Calendar,  
    monthly view

    This post is being used to create a monthly events calendar for Shawn's Hypergrid calendar.   I will put this view on the Eventorator, along with the original agenda view, so people can use the one they prefer.  

    The agenda view shows all the events on a day, starting with the current date.    But on a very busy day you may have to scroll down.  (You can do that with a web page on a prim.)  The monthly view shows much less current information, but does emphatically make the point that we have a lot going on in OpenSim.  (Despite the name, I am reasonably sure that it lists only OpenSim events and probably only those accessible on the Hypergrid.)


    Tuesday, May 23, 2017

    2017 PEOPLE: Kitely MayDay dance, May 1, 2017. Virtual worlds are people

    Kitely MayDay dance, May 1, 2017.  Virtual worlds are people
    Mostly people having fun together.  Maybe killing dragons.  More likely riding dragons.  Maybe dancing together.   Lots of frivolous stuff.   Not what we learned in school.  Maybe what we learned after school.  Now do you see why we like to come to virtual worlds.
    Anyone can dance in a virtual world


    • Rosa Alekseev organized the party
    • This dance was at Kitely Welcome Center, a MayDay celebration 
    • Go there:  On the web: Kitely
    • On the Hypergrid:  HG address:
    • grid.kitely.com:8002:Kitely Welcome Center
    • Put the HG address in the Find bar of the world  map.  Click Find, TP

    Roundel Short Poetry Workshop-Tue 5/23, 7pm SLT

    This week the Short Poetry Workshop presents the Roundel, which is a British rhyming form with a refrain similar to the French Rondeau.
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    Metaverse events, current and upcoming


    Monday, May 22, 2017

    2017 OSHG: IMA Commerce working group forming

    IMA Commerce working group forming
    IMA Commerce WG, call for participation, citing of stakeholders, and statement of initial objectives regarding digital economy, intellectual property, and intergrid commerce.  Added comments about IMA's possible function as an OpenSim Chamber of Commerce.


    • Mike Lorry has formed a Kitely group called IMA Commerce Working Group.
    • That prepares for an IMA working group of the same name.
    • Related: Hypergrid Chamber of Commerce
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    Metaverse events, current and upcoming



    Sunday, May 21, 2017

    2017 OSHG: Physics Engine Benchmarking for virtual worlds. Example for Testing WG, IMA

    Physics Engine Benchmarking for virtual worlds. Example for Testing WG, IMA
    Example of an engineering test to provide data for comparing the handling of physical objects in the common physics engines of virtual worlds. Presented here as an example of test plans that the IMA testing WG might develop.  

    The study

    • Compared the load limits of physics engines: ODE, Bullet, and PhysX.
    • Quantifiable method to compare physics capabilities among virtual world systems.
    • Results suggested that PhysX could handle more physical objects in that test.

    Educators and professionals note 

    • Such work can produce publishable results.
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    Metaverse events, current and upcoming

    Saturday, May 20, 2017

    2017 Metaverse Tours visited Egypt at Outworldz Wwanderer got a video

    Metaverse Tours visited Egypt at Outworldz.   
    Wwanderer got a video
    Metaverse tours visits places on the Hypergrid every week.  Often WWanderer gets a video.  Here is a report, with video, of our visit to ancient Egypt.

    • The Metaverse Tour travels every Saturday at 1 pm California time
    • The tour starts at Kitely Welcome Center.    HG address:
    • grid.kitely.com:8002:Kitely Welcome Center
    • Other metaverse tours:

    Go there

    • Outworldz: the grid cannot be reached from the web.  
    • Go to any OpenSim grid on the Hypergrid (HG) and take the HG from there.

    • HG Address Outwordz Welcome Center:
    • http://www.outworldz.com:9000
    • or
    • www.outworldz.com:9000
    • Put the HG address in the Find bar of your world map. Click Find, TP
    • At the Welcome Center, find the wall poster for Egypt, and click for TP
    • DO NOT use the world map to go there.
    • Note: Some people have run into problems in getting to Outworldz grid. 
    • If you can't get there, try from another location or try another day.
    • Outwolrdz has the kind of IP address that changes from time to time.
    • If the grid you are using has not gotten the update, it won't find Outwordz.
    • Maybe it will get updated in a day or so.

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    Metaverse events, current and upcoming


    Friday, May 19, 2017

    2017 OSHG: IMAWG: Cybalounge: where you can build your web-world

    Cybalounge: where you can build your web-world 
    Video demonstrating the tools we will use to build web-worlds with Cybalounge.  The web-worlds of Cybalounge will much like the virtual worlds of OpenSim--built by the users to meet the requirements of the users.  

    Drop by and let's talk

    • Web-world under development
    • I am there almost every day from 10-10:30 California time.
    • If there are people there to talk, I can usually stay longer.
    • Follow our development here:  Our web discussion community
    • Feel free to ask questions or make suggestions.
    • Web-worlds are a project of IMA: Web-world WG
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    • We (of the virtual world community) want user-built virtual worlds.
    • We do not want to become computer programmers to build our worlds.  
    • Our virtual worlds empower artists to build.  That is how we get artistic builds.
    • Educators can build.  That's how we get educational builds.
    • If we wanted worlds that tech experts built for us, 
    • We would play computer games.  
    • We want to build our web-worlds too.
    • And Cybalounge is developing the tools to build our web-worlds.
    • The video gives us a demonstration -- it is not intended as instructional.
    • Cybalounge is in public beta.  Things may not always work as intended.
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