Nonprofits Get a Second Life
Let me preface this by saying that I don't really get it. I've never interacted with Second Life. I've read Snow Crash, so I understand some of the concepts of the "metaverse", but I would much prefer spending my own free time going for a hike or to a concert than building a virtual persona and interacting with others without nonverbal cues.
It is very cool, however, that there are virtual millionaires. And that one of them, Anshe Chung, has donated virtual space in Second Life – space which can cost hundreds or thousands of real dollars per month – to set up the Nonprofit Commons. According to the New York Times, more than 30 nonprofits have already opened offices in this "virtual business incubator".
According to their wiki, the Nonprofit Commons "was designed as a pilot project to lower the barriers of access to Second Life, and to create a community of practice for nonprofits to explore and learn about the virtual world." The "sim" – which looks like a cross between an idealized European college campus and a French sidewalk cafe – will be formally launched on Tuesday, August 14, at 5:30 PT with a mixed-reality event. The live event will be part of NetSquared's Net Tuesday, while simultaneous events will take place in Second Life. You can learn more from their press release.
I think the concept of a "mixed reality event" (and the phrase itself) is pretty great, and I encourage attendees to let me know how it was. Thanks to Britt Bravo for the heads up on this one.
