Law and regulation of virtual worlds seminar

Melbourne keeps on churning out interesting virtual worlds events. This time it’s a seminar titled “Law and Regulation of Virtual Worlds”.

The details:

Wednesday 25 June 2008, 4 – 6.30 pm
Monash Centre for Regulatory Studies
Monash University Law Chambers
472 Bourke Street Melbourne

Key Speakers
Gary Hayes, Director LAMP @ AFTRS and Head of Virtual World Development, TPF
Dan Hunter, New York Law School, Melbourne University Law
Melissa deZwart, Senior Lecturer, Monash Law
David Lindsay, Senior Lecturer, Monash Law

This looks like a lively event. We’re in process of organising an interview with Melissa deZwart – watch this space.

Second Life’s Fifth Anniversary: it’s about culture

Linden Lab have unveiled their theme for Second Life’s fifth anniversary celebrations. “Celebrating the cultural diversity of Second Life” is it and residents are invited to create exhibits – applications close soon.

An Aussie culture exhibit anyone?

All the details here.

Tube2SL to launch – more in-world cinema

A new virtual cinema is about to launch. Tube2SL offers a website that interfaces with its SL cinemas:

“The Tube2SL website will enable its members to upload their very own film productions for showing on huge virtual screens in the Tube2SL Virtual Cinema Complex located in the virtual world of Second Life. Our aim is to provide an interactive and fun platform for amateur film makers to promote and receive feedback on their work, enter contests, meet new contacts, learn and share new skills. We for see the Tube2SL project as a precursor to the future of on-line public digital media broadcasting.”

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The launch is scheduled for September 30th, 1pm-6pm SLT (7am-11am on the 31st AEST), with the background being:

“The launch has been planned to coincide with the Tube2SL YouTube Short Film Producer 2007 awards ceremony that is to be held at the Tube2SL Virtual Cinema Complex in Second Life. We have been running the contest throughout this summer via the Tube2SL YouTube Channel, with each entry being shown daily in the Tube2SL Virtual Cinema Complex. There is no fee to enter the Tube2SL Virtual Cinema Complex, allowing both our members and everyday Second Life residents the ability to watch and vote for their favourite movies in a realistic 3D virtual cinema environment.

The official contest award ceremony will commence on Saturday the 30th of September at 1pm (Second Life Time), with Mr Murcus Parker-Rhodes announcing the contest winners before handing out trophies and prizes. Mr Marcus Parker-Rhodes is an accomplished British animator and former assistant to Terry Gilliam during the making of Monty Pythons Flying Circus.

Events are planned throughout the day including live performances by the Second Life and real life renowned Beatles tribute duo, Bill and Pam Havercamp. Entries to the contest have been many and varied, consisting of machinima, animation and real life productions. The contest prize fund totals 40,000 Linden Dollars (approximately $150 USD).”

Burning Life, Australian style

On the SLOz forums, Australian SL resident Good2Go mentioned he’s set up an RSS Feed Board devoted to Burning Life 2007 – you can find it here.

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Good2Go’s take:

“There is seating nearby, for residents to chat and make their Burning Life plans. If there is enough interested we may be able to put together some Aussie proposals for plots. This year’s Burning Life will run concurrently with Burning Man”.

If you’re participating in Burning Life we’d love to hear about your plans. Is there a critical mass of Australians to make an impact on Burning Life?

Check it out in-world

Rockit a success

Veteran Aussie SL resident Wolfie Rankin held his first instalment of ‘Rockit’ this evening on Eragon island. A cross between and RocKwiz, close to thirty people turned up to watch. The two teams of four were selected from the audience after an initial round of questions. Then, a number of rounds followed including audio and video questions.

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Team 1 consisted of Profit Enoch, Good2 Go, Angsty Rossini and some nerd from an Aussie SL news blog. Team 2 contained Roget Qinan, Diag Anzac, Noah Millgrove and Kalliee Tomsen. After 90 minutes of battling it out, Team 1 took out the night on 195 points to Team 2’s 170 points.

All-in-all it was one of those community events that everyone enjoyed. Hopefully there’ll be a follow-up as the general consensus was it was an enjoyable, interactive event. You can never have enough of them in SL.

(Disclosure: Yours truly was said nerd who ended up on winning team)

Thursday’s Fictions Q&A a success

This afternoon, the ABC Island Ampitheatre played host to the Q&A session following the ABC TV screening of Thursday’s Fictions.

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The panel consisted of Dr Richard James Allen , Dr Karen Pearlman, Gary Hayes and Story Consultant Jacqueline Turnure and the discussion was moderated by Christy Dena and audio streamed. Around twenty-five people sat in-world on the discussion with lots of questions around the translation of the story into SL, the collaborative process that allowed the project to succeed and the potential for such projects to increase the engagement of the wider community with SL as an entertainment medium.

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Check out Thursday’s Fictions in-world

(For more pictures: go here).

Relay For Life commences

The SL Relay for Life is in its third year, and this weekend is the culmination of months of work and promotion.

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Spread across four sims, the course has some great sights, music on tap and a bunch of entertainment and commemorative events scheduled (SL Insider has the full schedule listed). There are different themed areas such as Pinocchio and Tomb Raider to walk through in addition to chatting with other participants.

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Like the Australian Relay For Life, groups have set up camping areas and the whole thing has that similar community spirit. You can even enjoy the sight of yor hair disappearing as you cross sims on the walk.

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Do yourself a favour and do at least one virtual lap and donate some money for cancer support and research. Check it out in-world.

Wolfie’s Rez-Day

Kookaburra Pub on Eragon was the scene for widely known Aussie SL resident Wolfie Rankin’s ‘rez-day’. Well over forty people turned out for the surprise party:

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I asked Woflie what has meant the most to him in his first year of SL residency:

“I think getting Eragon and finding so many lovely friends and supporters, everyone in their own way helped me in so many ways and I’m extremely grateful”.

More photos of the party at: http://flickr.com/photos/quadrapop/

Party time for ABC’s 75th Anniversary

A bunch of Australian SL users organised a party on ABC Island as an impromptu celebration of the ABC’s 75th anniversary:

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Stalwart ABC Admin Wolfie Rankin was a key organiser, helped out by a number of other active community members.

Second Fest

Second Fest is on this weekend and it’s very Australia-friendly with Day 2 kicking off around 9pm AEST (4am SL time). The rumours about an avatar appearance of the Pet Shop Boys are probably nothing more than that, but hey those guys were avatars fifteen years before SL so it’s an obvious fit.

The Intel sims are spacious to say the least with multiple viewing locations:

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Check it out in-world

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