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Ballooning in Second Life

Last night I joined members of the Online Facilitation email list for a tour of Second Life, including a balloon ride over various places created by Linden Lab employees. I'm finding the Second Life experiences pretty interesting, though someone on the list questioned, after the fact, just what it's good for. Here's part of my response:

...if you looked at events in search, you'd see that there's loads of stuff going on. After we finished last night, I dropped by a location where there was going to be a 'Socrates Cafe' - philosophical discussion - and talked to the person who was setting up for it. They get a good turnout, and I could see how the visuals were kind of an ambient enhancement... discussion is harder when you're moving around and trying to do stuff, which is one use of the system, but it's easier when you're sitting in a supportive context, focusing on verbal communication while influenced or "vibed" by the visual environment. I also found a Buddhist center with meditation cushions, where there are regular discussions of Buddhist practice and philosophy.

Joel Greenberg of GSD&M was showing a bunch of us around SL the other night. GSD&M is a high-end ad agency based here in Austin. They've bought an island, which they call Idea City, which is a concept from one of the company's founders (their building here also has that name). I think they use it for sessions where they can prototype ad campaigns. They also give back to the SL community - they have a place where you can get a parachute and be shot from a cannon straight up, skydiving down.

Photo: Nancy's avatar on the balloon, floating and looking around.

jon posted this at 10:32 AM
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