British firm Daden have been releasing virtual worlds products for a while now - we covered their in-world web browser last July. Their latest launch is an "open-source learning system or virtual worlds, the web and iPhone". Its moniker is PIVOTE and it's the result of a project called PREVIEW funded by the UK Government's Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC). The … [Read more...] about PIVOTE – open source learning for virtual worlds
Health
Relay for Life in Second Life: teams being formed
A yearly highlight in Second Life is the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. The 2007 and 2008 events were big successes, with more than 55 million Linden Dollars (approximately 200 thousand US dollars). Teams have started forming and if any Australian or New Zealand teams are forming, do let us know and we'll promote your fundraising efforts. The team registration … [Read more...] about Relay for Life in Second Life: teams being formed
Therapy and the metaverse
Mark Kizelshteyn (SL: Chronos Laval) is a virtual world researcher and one of two principals at virtual worlds developer Popcha!. As part of his recent university studies he completed a paper called Therapy and The Metaverse: Second Life and The Changing Conditions of Therapy For Convalescent and Chronically Ill Users, which will be published in Washington University's … [Read more...] about Therapy and the metaverse
Sexual expression in virtual worlds – is normalcy achievable?
From our sister site, Metaverse Health: For many, the Christmas / New Year period is a time when there's more regular social contact with people. It's certainly been the case for me and it's emphasised a well known virtual world conundrum - personal boundaries. Over the past month I've had the occasion to discuss virtual worlds with a handful of people who have no experience … [Read more...] about Sexual expression in virtual worlds – is normalcy achievable?
The View from a Wheelchair
Australian Second Life resident, Seshat Czeret, provides her second guest post. Thanks Seshat! There is always a lot of talk about 'accessibility', so-called 'making things usable for the disabled'. You also hear a lot about phrases like 'discrimination', 'equal opportunity' and 'political correctness'. It can be difficult to work out what is actually needed to help a … [Read more...] about The View from a Wheelchair