NPC opening now!

I’m settling in at the Nonprofit Commons (NPC) opening in Second Life. I will be liveblogging by adding stuff to THIS POST rather than posting a new blog entry each time, so please come back and scroll down…

8:40 pm EDT
The sim is already full and folks can’t get in. There is an overflow space at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Plush%20Lake%20West/127/1/26

8:47
My first pictures are up at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubyji/sets/72157601449952247/

8:50
We are currently listening to a woman doing a nice solo guitar-and-singing thing. Enjoyable, but I always find it funny to hear folk music in virtual worlds…

Here are the ladies of the hour, from left to right: Glitteractica Cookie (Susan Tenby of TechSoup, organizer of this event and this community), Jeska Linden (NP liaison for Linden Labs, not sure if LL did anything in particular for this besides create Second Life), and Anshe Chung (SL real estate baron and donor of the island and buildings that house the NPC)

9:05
SL crashed my computer, as it does about once per visit on average.

I am back in-world, amazingly was able to get back to NPC, and the live video from San Fransisco is now starting. Susan Tenby is telling the crowd about TechSoup’s work in Second Life. 300 group members, thousands of avatars have come to their weekly meetings.

9:09
I’m told the video is also available at http://dss7.streamhoster.com/lv_slcompumentor/sltest.sdp

9:13
And crash #2.

9:22
I was in for about a second and then crash #3. Restarting SL now…

9:25

OK, I’m back in and I’ve got more pictures up. Here’s Susan Tenby appearing by video (behind the stage where her avatar is sitting).

Anshe Chung’s avatar is on the video and she is speaking from China. Susan is pointing out the avatars to people in the audience.

9:33
Susan reports that there about 100 avatars in attendance including the overflow area.
Next up: Coughran Mayo from Preferred Family Healthcare speaking via Skype.

9:40
Here’s Evonne Heyning on screen while her avatar In Kenzo is on stage.

Oh no! Evonne says that Vivienne Cassavetes was not able to get in to the event! She has been doing great nonprofit stuff in SL! Also we are being reminded of the URL: nonprofitcommons.org

Now there will be a Q & A with questions from SL.

9:46
Question: what predictions do you have for the future of non-profit activity in Second Life in the coming year?
Susan: Don’t know but has ideas about how to grow NPC.

me: I predict: it will grow.

9:58
Some discussion of volunteer efforts in SL and funding. Rik shared this link about Macarthur’s announcement today: http://www.rikomatic.com/blog/2007/08/macarthur-found.html

Here are some folks hanging out:

10:02
There was a question from the SF audience about how a nonprofit employee could justify SL to their organization. I think they meant how to do you get your org to support using SL. Here’s what I and others said:

Ruby Glitter: Do you also have to “justify” using the web?
Ruby Glitter: Let’s not use this word “justify!”
Ruby Glitter: My org trusts me and I do it during 9-5.
Spirals Sol: we told our org. that it’s a new fancy way to reach out to the world
Master Quatro: if you volunteer then you don’t have to justify .. use your volunteers to do this
Fletcher Dovgal: I think results speak, so someone has to do the legwork, but then more get on board when it works
Huckleberry Fargis: justify is appropriate as an eval of effectiveness
Ping Rau: thanks
Ruby Glitter: This is just as important as doing online outreach in any other medium. True we don’t reach everyone, but there is an important constituency here and it’s growing.
Carmen Gray: I think it is a a great idea
Fletcher Dovgal: sometimes I just say ‘it’s email/chat with pictures’
Rik Riel: pepole with aspergers and autism use Seoncd Life
Carmen Gray: that is needed
Rhiannon Chatnoir: This space has allowed the extension of real life programs for non profit organizations I work with like Global Kids who are able to do outreach programs … just in a different way
Ozma Malibu: my org gives input into what we want
Dru Rossini: /deaf people can read

10:27
Now folks are visiting the 32 nonprofits who have offices here at NPC. I am mostly visiting one that is Yehoodi, the swing dance society run by the fabulous Rik Riel. Rik is DJing for us a real time, the swing music is great! Here we are getting down:

10:32
It’s about bedtime for me so I think that’s end of my updates. All my pics are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rubyji/sets/72157601449952247/

Go visit nonprofitcommons.org on the web and http://slurl.com/secondlife/Plush%20Nonprofit%20Commons/130/125/22/ in Second Life. Good night!