Today is the first day of the third annual BlogHerCon, and the third year that I have been unable to attend. But this year something is different: BlogHer is happenning in Second Life as well as in real life!
The published a schedule of SL events. I’m going to go check in right now, and you can find me there on a panel with two of my favorite avatars – In Kenzo and Glitteractica Cookie. We’ll be talking about online activism at 5:30 pm EDT. Here’s a link directly to the conference hall in Second Life. Hope to see you there!
Update: Here’s a description for our panell…
Session #3: Getting It On(line) for a Cause
Audio to be streamed live from Chicago into Hyperstring.net island with Second Life discussion and panel to followDescription for BlogHer in RL session: Using technology as a distribution channel for the greater good. Galvanize personal action or bring awareness. Rochelle Robinson moderates the presentation and discussion of two case studies, including Green L.A. Girl (aka Siel)’s amazing Starbucks Challenge project. Walk away with a fistful of practical ideas. Then, with Cooper Munroe and Emily McKhann facilitating, we pick next year’s case study! Learn about how you can help choose the issue we rally around. Introducing a new BlogHer community activism initiative: BlogHers Act!
The conversation continues in Second Life to discuss Second Life’s role as a platform to do good. Second Life Panelists include Susan Tenby (avatar glitteractica cookie) of TechSoup with the help of her volunteers, she recently launched a community of over 300 nonprofit staff members and volunteers in Second Life – and Ruby Sinreich (avatar Ruby Glitter) founder and editor of OrangePolitics.org, and In Kenzo- the creative director of AMO Studio in Second Life and in Los Angeles producing award-winning short movies, machinima, videos, interactive design, arts experiences, television, web and print media.
I’m hoping that my avatar IF Mastroianni will have a chance to meet Glitteractica Cookie and to check out BlogHerCon in Second Life. This must be the year for bloggers in SL. Yearly Kos in Chicago starts up in a week (Aug. 2-5 at McCormick Place). YKSL runs concurrently (http://www.yksl.eventbrite.com/). I sincerely hope that Glitteractica or In Kenzo will drop by YKSL.
Here are rough notes for my talk:
First, props to Glitteractica Cookie for getting me to join Second Life, and to In Kenzo for helping me figure out what to do when I got here.
1. Early ingredients for RootsCampSL: BarCamp organizing model, real-life RootsCamp.org ideas. 2 remote colleagues (me and Drew Frobozz) with blogs and an interest in SL. We started talking in late Ocotober via comments and then e-mail.
2. We picked a date & found a willing venue (Better World Island)
3. We e-mailed people and blogged about it (online organizing) and we also contacted in-world communities that would be interested (SL organizing).
4. We made a wiki for sharing information and to allow folks to add their suggestions.
5. We had a week-long event in November! Which led to …
6. Weekly meetups for progressive activists to network, brainstorm, and inform. we got a space.
7. Decided to have a protest supporting J27 in DC, goto #2.
Additional ingredients: Capitol Hill SL, volunteer builders (esp. Errcheck Hicks), notable bloggers (esp. Rik Riel).
Results: 120+ avatars at the event, good media coverage (BBC, Portland paper, SL media)
Wiki: http://rootscampsl.org
Blogs: http://rootscamp.pbwiki.com/RootsCampSLBackground
Pictures: http://flickr.com/groups/42551081@N00/pool/
More related links: http://del.icio.us/tag/rootscampsl