Tag: Misc Events

February 14th: will you be a hugger, a dunker or both in Second Life?

Posted on by Inara Pey
Isle of View
Isle of View

The Isle of View, the “official” destination for Valentine’s Day reappeared on the grid earlier in the month, and on Tuesday February 14th, the Lab will be host a “Hug and Dunk” session wherein people visiting the isle can opt to either hug a Linden – or dunk them in the water (or both!).

The event forms part of the ongoing in-world meet-ups between Linden Lab staff and users, and will take place between 10:00am and 12:00 noon and 14:00-16:00 SLT on Valentine’s Day. As well as hugging and dunking, expect some music and dancing and lots of conversation!

The get-together was  announced on February 10th in a blog post from Xiola Linden, which reads in Part:

Bring your friends, bring your family, bring your one and only – when else are you going to get the chance to cosy up to a Linden or send one shrieking into the depths of a dunk tank? An opportunity like this comes around about once a year — so don’t miss out.

Love is a complicated creature — inspiring poetry, prose, songs, and art of all kinds since the beginning of time. Despite her many facets, love still trumps the alternative — and there is no better place to appreciate the beauty of amor than at the Isle of View.

Isle of View: will you be a hugger ...
Isle of View: will you be a hugger …

The Isle of View covers four regions, forming a classic love heart and offers opportunities for walking, taking a romantic boat ride, dancing – and even sending a gift of virtual roses and chocolates to that special loved one.

To join in with the hug and dunk session, just make your way to the Love Pavilion (following the illuminated signs). You’ll also find the gift kiosk there as well.

Isle of View: ... or a dunker?
Isle of View: … or a dunker?

SLurl Details

Isle of View (rated: Moderate)

 

SOS: supporting Medecins Sans Frontiers in Second Life, 2017

Posted on by Inara Pey
Image courtesy of SOS
Image courtesy of Spoonful Of Sugar

In September 2016, the team of Spoonful Of Sugar (SOS) held their inaugural event aimed at raising money for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Also known as Doctors Without Borders, MSF is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation delivering emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters, and exclusion from healthcare. They provide assistance and medical care to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

That SOS event raised over L$3 million (US $11,118) for MSF, an incredible total for a first event, and the organising team are hoping to beat that total in 2017. Work is already progressing on the Spring 2017 Spoonful Of Sugar festival, which will take place between Saturday, March 18th, 2017 and Saturday, April 1st, 2017 inclusive.

The 2016 Spoonful of Sugar event hub
The 2016 Spoonful of Sugar event hub

Through the two weeks of the event, there will be live performances and DJ sets, dance troupes and tribute acts. And there will be designers and creators from the worlds of fashion, home and garden, and breedables on hand, all of whom will be both sponsoring the event and offering a range of items specifically to help raise money for SOS and MSF.

Right now, sponsorship spots for creators and designers are available in all three categories – fashion, home and garden, and breedables – but slots are filling up. If you are a creator  / designer in any of these categories, and you would like to support SOS / MSF, please visit the SOS sponsorship page to find out more about the various levels of sponsorship currently available, and how to apply.

the 2016 Spoonful Of Sugar Breedables fair
The 2016 Spoonful Of Sugar Breedables fair

SOS are also looking for bloggers to cover the event. If you are a blogger, and would be interested in doing so, please see the SOS blogger application page.

To keep up to date with Spoonful Of Sugar, make sure you visit and bookmark the festival website, where you can also learn more about the work of MSF.

The Future of the Metaverse: Blueprints for the Evolution of Virtual Worlds

Posted on by Inara Pey

On Sunday, September 18th, Will Burns (Aeonix Aeon in-world), Vice-Chair IEEE Virtual World Standards Group, authority on virtual domains, author of the thought-provoking Andromeda Media Group blog, will be presenting The Future of the Metaverse: Blueprints for the Evolution of Virtual Worlds, a joint session with ALA Virtual Communities in Libraries, which will be held at the CVL Auditorium.

The presentation will provide an overview of the history of virtual worlds and phases of development, offering a definition for the “Metaverse” and a glimpse into the future of virtual worlds, and will include interoperability and other key elements of design. It will last for around an hour, and will be followed by a further hours for questions and answer and general discussion.

The CVL auditorium
The CVL auditorium

This will be an informative event, offering a unique perspective on virtual worlds and their future from a man who has been offering insights, observations and helping shape the metaverse since its inception.

Join librarians, educators, and anyone interested in virtual worlds and the future of immersive learning.  The session is jointly sponsored with the ALA Virtual Communities in Libraries Member Initiative Group.

A Spoonful of Sugar in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Spoonful of Sugar: hub region with gacha and silence auction
Spoonful of Sugar: hub region with gacha and silent auction

Currently open through until September 25th, is the 2016 Spoonful of Sugar event, aimed at raising money for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Also known as Doctors Without Borders, MSF is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation delivering emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare, providing assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

Established by Ever Courtois and Angelique Wickentower, Spoonful of Sugar (SOS) aims to raise money for MSF as a part of the organisation’s Vital Pact Campaign. In 2015, MSF carried out 450 projects in 69 countries, as well as conducting a range of search and rescue operations. These activities included (and continue to include, in many cases), bringing medical assistance to the civilian citizens of war-torn cities like Aleppo, Syria; providing on-the-ground medical support for outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, measles and meningitis, kala azar, sleeping sickness, Chagas disease and ebola; and providing a full range of relief activities for natural disasters such as the Apirl 2015 earthquake in Nepal. 

Spoonful of Sugar: the breedables fair region
Spoonful of Sugar: the breedables fair region

The SOS event is spread across five regions in Second Life, comprising a central hub, two regions supporting fashion, together with regions respectively devoted to home and garden region, and to a breedable’s fair. Given the French angle with MSF, several of the regions have a decidedly cosmopolitan look and feel, with tall buildings and broad boulevards – which makes the Home and Garden region intriguing, with some of the buildings landscaped from within.

Donation kiosks are also available within the regions, for those wishing to donate directly to SOS
Donation kiosks are also available within the regions, for those wishing to donate directly to SOS

A full shopper’s guide is available on the Spoonful of Sugar website. Participating creators have items on sale via special SOS vendors, with between 50% and 100% of proceeds of sales being donated to SOS.

In addition, details of music entertainment can also be found on the SOS website,  and the central hub region features a silent auction and special gacha area. Also to be found there is the SOS raffle, featuring a fully furnished home which will go to one lucky winner.

The house is a large converted barn designed by Barnesworth Anubis (visible on the right side of the banner image at the top of this article). It has been furnished throughout by many of the creators supporting and sponsoring the event. Tickets are priced at L$100 each.

Supporting a very worthy cause and open through until Sunday, September 25th, Spoonful of Sugar makes for a very worthwhile visit.

SLurl And Webs Details

Pulse SL event: L$5.5 million for Orlando victims and families

Posted on by Inara Pey
Pulse
Pulse event information on Flickr

I’ve just caught Strawberry  Singh’s Google+ note that the Second Life fund-raiser for the victims of the horrific shooting at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub in June has now closed.

The in-world event, organised by Casper Warden of Caspervend, Skye Everidge, and CerberusXing, closed its doors on July 12th having raised L$5.5 million since June 28th. That’s around US $21,400 raised for  the Pulse Victims GoFundMe Page established by Equality Florida, the state’s bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organisation, with the aim of providing financial support for the victims of the shooting and their families.

The fund-raiser was organised by Casper Warden, Skye Everidge, and CerberusXing
The fund-raiser was organised by Casper Warden, Skye Everidge, and CerberusXing

“I’m absolutely dumbfounded and warmed by the way that the Second Life community has come together for this cause,” Casper told me when I contacted him after reading Berry’s note. “It shows the compassion and generosity of our community has no limits. It’s incredibly touching.”

The funds will be donated to the Pulse Victims GoFundMe Page following withdrawal from Second Life, with Casper also stating, “I’d also like to mention that I will be lodging the donation on behalf of ‘The Second Life Community’. I won’t be giving my own name or CasperTech’s.

While the in-world event has ended and the donation kiosks are now closed, anyone still wishing to donate to Equality Florida’s fund-raising drive can still do so via the GoFundMe page which, at the time of writing, sat at just over US $7 million of the target $10 million.

In addition, Hands, a musical tribute to the 49 victims of the shooting has been produced. Patience Carter, Tiara Parker, and Angel Anthony Santiago, survivors of the shooting at Pulse Nightclub, appear in the lyric video of the song, together with members of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles and digital creators from all walks of life.

The song is available through iTunes, and proceeds from sales in the United States will benefit Equality Florida Pulse Victims Fund, the GLBT Community Centre of Central Florida, and GLAAD. You can find out more on the Equity Florida Facebook page, and on the song’s YouTube page.

Pulse: supporting Orlando victims in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Pulse
Pulse information on Flickr

Earlier in June, and following Strawberry Singh’s lead, I posted about the fundraising kiosks created by Casper Warden to specifically to raise money for the victims of the horrific shooting at Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub. Now Casper, in partnership with Cerberus Xing and designers from across Second Life are taking things further in support of the victims and their families.

Pulse
Pulse event

The Pulse Fundraising event opens its doors at 11:00 SLT on Tuesday, June 28th. It features over 100 designers, is sponsored by CasperVend and held on a region donated by  CerberusXing, with the intention to support the Pulse Victims GoFundMe Page established by Equality Florida, the state’s bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organisation with the aim of providing financial support for the victims of the shooting and their families.100% of all proceeds from the event will go to the campaign, which in turn promises that:

Every penny raised will be distributed directly to the victims and their families. We are working with a team of attorneys and experts, including the National Centre for Victims of Crime, which deployed funds in both Chattanooga and Aurora, to ensure funds are distributed correctly.

Pulse
Pulse event

The event will run through to Tuesday, July 12th. Participating designers include Blueberry, Little Bones, Moon, Birdy, Addams, Exile, Cyberus Xing, Pixicat, Reign, and more, who will be offering new or discounted items.

As a part of the event, there will be a raffle for one year free at Bella Pointe (valued at L$77,948) from Bella Gacha. Donation kiosks are also available for those who wish to show support for the Orlando victims without necessarily making any purchases.

SLurl Details

With thanks to Strawberry Singh for the pointer to the event Plurk.