New Tenant Questionnaire – Submitted

Yesterday we submitted our New Tenant Questionnaire – the application for land in Nonprofit Commons. We’re in the middle of getting the legal signatures required, and hopefully should be getting land soon so we can start building.

Avatar Heroes!: Your Daily (Show) Dose of Humor

Click here!

Note: I don’t have the Custom Fields function to post this video from the Daily Show site, so please click the link to view this funny segment on Second Life: <font size=1? http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=165604&title=avatar-heroes

And the response from our friend Glitteractica and the folks at NPC:

Nonprofits in Second Life – Video

We submitted this video along with the proposal to Globalhood.  Thank you, Jason!

Proposal to Globalhood

Today we submitted a proposal to the folks at Globalhood.  Once we get the okay, we will go ahead with the New Tenant Questionnaire application to secure land for Globalhood in SL.

Proposal (PDF)

(Free file hosting courtesy of Badongo.com)

Project Plan (Working Document)

I. Proposal
To establish a Second Life presence for the nonprofit, Globalhood, via a launch party. The launch will employ social marketing strategies to raise awareness and fundraise for the organization.
1. Use SL virtual reality space to promote Globalhood outreach programs and inform the at-large community of projects completion. In addition it will be a platform to disseminate information to other non-profit communities and create a community of collaboration with the non-profit community in the United States and around the world.
2. Investigate the potential for delivering a virtual Globalhood program in the future.

II. Our Partners
The Platforms:
Second Life – Second Life is a 3D online virtual world where users can socialize, collaborate, connect and create using text and voice chat. Users connect via high-speed internet connection and communicate using Chat or Instant Messages, and more recently live voice. With stream-lined video and audio, it’s possible to watch a movie, hear a live performer, present a slide show or deliver training complete with virtual whiteboards, all from your computer. The actor Bruce Willis recently gave an Interview in Second Life.
Nonprofit Commons – The Nonprofit Commons project, run by volunteers under the management of the San Francisco-based nonprofit, TechSoup, is a virtual community of practice for nonprofits to explore the opportunities and benefits of Second Life.
The Nonprofits:
Globalhood - low-income Brooklyn youth organization transforming themselves and their community through travel to a rural village in the Dominican Republic and social enterpreneurship ventures.
Tech Soup - TechSoup is a US based software vendor that provides reduced-cost software to non-profit organizations. TechSoup is currently piloting the “NonProfit Commons Centre” in Second Life virtual world. Their intent is to provide space for an on-line non-profit community for collaboration, promotion and education, and with 36 spaces almost filled, there will soon be a waiting list.

III. Why Second Life?
With over seven million users (June 2007) from all over the world there is potential for global communication and collaboration with other non-profits and an opportunity for Globalhood to explore the possibilities of providing an alternative training service and reach out to potential clients and donors. SL popularity is growing quickly and commerce, education sectors and entertainment corporations see the opportunity in a new way to reach customers via virtual reality.
What we can offer:
1. Launch party
-Generate buzz/awareness in-world
-Fundraiser: can raise real dollars for the organization
2. In-world social marketing and advertising campaign featuring:
-Billboards
-Video media
-Press kits
3. In-world “office space” to maintain a presence within the SL nonprofit community
Obstacles:
1. Nonprofit’s access to Second Life technologies
-Requires High Speed internet connection, unknown impact to network if more than one user signed on
-Desktop hardware: SL client requires high-grade video card therefore computers may require upgrading
-Reputation: Misconceptions about Second Life and the capabilities of virtual communities
- Seen as playing an on-line game
- There is a seedy side which Globalhood should not be associated with such as on-line sex and prostitution, “Age-Play” role playing (sex with user who looks like a minor) and gambling
-Commitment: Globalhood (and/or The New School) must commit to two hours per week of SL land maintenance, and two hours per month of volunteering, as stipulated by Nonprofit Commons land agreement
-Security: Chat and IM sessions broadcast over internet in unsecured mode, possible client compromise issues (none reported)
-Cost: (Ongoing) Fee for office and training space if the NonProfit Commons project is not successful (user access is free) is approximately:
-$100 – $300 US one time fee for acquiring space
-$25 – $50 US per month for space monthly fee
-$60 US per year for a user account, required to own the space

IV: Plan and Timeline
Project Manager and Blog Administrator: Alison Quigley
Second Life/Nonprofit Commons Liaison: Juan Rubio
Globalhood Liaison: Juan Rubio
ROLES: 1 = Globalhood Tech Support, 2 = Project Manager, 3 = Pilot Team (transition to ops)
TASKS:
1. Determine desktop upgrades (Role 1)
2. Create a virtual office (Roles 1, 2, 3)
3. Train two staff on how to maintain the office information (update photos etc.) (Role 1, 3)
4. Monitor network performance (Role 1)
5. Monitor SL traffic at the Globalhood site (TBD – Provider)
6. Involve Globalhood staff for their opinion on the potential for advancing to offering client services (Roles 1, 2)
WEEK 3: Submit New Tenant Questionnaire (see attached) to Nonprofit Commons
WEEK 4: create a space / scripting for land
WEEKS 5-6: social marketing campaign to generate buzz for impending launch
WEEKS 7-8: Launch party, date TBD

Update

Our group met in-world on Wednesday.  We discussed this week’s plan of action before our next scheduled meeting, to take place in-world on Saturday afternoon. Then, we will put together our project plan and New Tenant Questionnaire, so that we can formally apply for “office space” in SL.  (We will be coordinating a fundraiser to launch the NP’s SL presence.)

Juan attended the Nonprofit Commons meeting this morning (see image) and met and also met f2f with Globalhood earlier in the week.  We decided to partner with this NP instead of the HAF, because they seemed more interested in utilizing the SL platform to create a sustainable presence in-world to showcase their achievements and projects.

We also spoke with Lara Michaud from another project group dealing with the Facebook application, discussing potential collaboration between the two platforms.

Useful SL Tutorial – Land

Our group has begun to seek out media resources in preparation for our  SL project.  In addition to joining the SL/Tech Soup Google group, we’ve also found several SL video tutorials on YouTube, made directly by the SL admin folks.

Our First Meeting

On Wednesday evening, our group met at Waxalka Zoom’s home in Second Life. (I am lucky that both my teammates have experience in Second Life, and Waxalka even owns land there!) Waxalka gave us a tour of her home and we admired her artwork on the walls. We then sat down to begin discussing how to tackle our project.

Juan, who is also in the Social Marketing course, had attended the f2f meeting with the nonprofits the day before. The nonprofit we’re working with, the Hispanic AIDS Forum, responded less than enthusiastically to our instructors’ proposal to create a virtual presence for the organization on Second Life. Their primary concern was that the nonprofit youths involved have limited access to technologies such as Second Life. Subsequently, we conlcuded that a presence on Second Life for the organization should target adult SL users, educating people about the cause and providing a platform for fundraising. (As opposed to creating a cultural center for the youths themselves.) Juan mentioned an upcoming trip that the organization is raising money for, and although we will likely not have a site up and running in time to fundraise for the event, this is an avenue that we will continue to explore.

Our first major challenge is locating land. With Jason Pine’s introduction, we contacted Meghan Keane from the Nonprofit Commons on Second Life. While it may not be feasible for us to create a presence in Nonprofit Commons that is sustainable in the long run (as this is a short, summer intensive course), Meghan and Nonprofit Commons will be a major resource for us as we navigate how the nonprofit sector operates in SL.

Waxalka and AliQuig teleported to Nonprofit Commons to take a look around and generate ideas for our own space. (More on that to come.) We also toured a cause-specific SL site, dedicated to combating genocide in Darfur. We flew over a compelling and emotional maze of graphic photos that illustrate the gravity of the situation in Darfur.

Introduction

This blog is a project of The New School Graduate Department of Media Studies‘ Summer 2008 online course, Virtual Learning Environments, with instructor Josephine Dorado.

Group 9: Virtual Counseling Center / Cultural Center / Fundraising Center
Our team:
Alison / AliQuig Mavendorf (SL)

Theresa / Aiyana Tripsa (SL)

Waxalka Voom (SL)

Our task:
Locate low cost/free Second Life land and build virtual presence for one of the nonprofit organizations.