Saturday, December 22, 2007

Late November, Early December in Second Life



End of November, meeting with powerwomen and friends Sophrosyne Stenvaag and Alanagh Recreant. Brainstorming about Uthango, the FreeRice contest and fundraiser, Virtual Africa...


Sitting on a MillionsofUs panel with Celebrity MillionsofUs moderating and special guests including the incomparable Starr Sonic.


Making new friends - and learning about the needs of tinies at events such as special seating. Trying to make my venues more friendly for diverse avatars.


My latest line of tshirts is The Seven Deadly Sins. Next up: The Seven Virtues.


Soph & Grace speaking at an Extropia event.


Grace McDunnough plays at Extropia. First time I saw her play. Gorgeous singing voice! She is awesome!!


Me drinking a lot of wine at the Roligt! store opening. Well attended by fashionistas and fashion fans alike. Rolig Loon, proprietor, is in yellow and green.


Me the morning after the Roligt! party, still with a wine glass in my hand.


The beautiful Chel Pixie.


A power meeting with powerwomen Tynan Clary, Reese Lewellyn and Chel Pixie. Contemplating world domination!


Ziggy Figaro of Information Week speaking at my Writers Wednesday group.


Writers Wednesday with Ziggy Figaro, guest speaker.


Space Junkeys (sp?) concert.


Me just standing around listening to the music at the Space Junkeys concert.


Drummer of the Space Junkeys.


Another Orange event. Can't remember the topic, but I do like going to them.


My book agent Jacky Sachs from Bookends LLC guest speaking at my final Writers Wednesday group meeting.


The last Writers Wednesday meeting. I've since moved on to a new group: Second Life Writers Club.


Cybergrrl Oh looking feminine in a lovely Last Call ensemble.


Attended the Joysco Winter Fashion Show. Still looking for professional business suits. This one certainly does not fit the bill but it is a cute babydoll dress.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Athena Isle Calendar of Events - Jan & Feb 2008!

I can't contain my excitement about next month's scheduled guests for the new groups we've formed. Most events will take place on the top floor of my 3-tiered meeting space but if we get bigger turnouts, we'll move to my little outdoor venue and stage.



So without further ado, here is what you can expect in January on Athena Isle!

01/04/08 COMMUNITY BUILDERS - guest Sophrosyne Stenvaag, co-creator of Extropia

01/08/08 ENTREPRENEUR CLUB - Alan Behr, partner Alston & Bird LLP – Electronic Entertainment Group, "Protecting Your Intellectual Property in Second Life"

01/09/08 WRITERS CLUB - Lexa Dryke, publisher, The Looking Glass

01/18/08 COMMUNITY BUILDERS - Thinkerer Melville, Arts Patron & Owner of Cookie Island

01/22/08 ENTREPRENEUR CLUB - Elzbiet Meili, SL content creator; “Building Basics for SL Entrepreneurs”

01/23/08 WRITERS CLUB - Janet Rosen – book agent, women's market, "Writing for the Women's Market"

01/29/08 WOMEN'S CLUB - Susan Shapiro Barash, author, "Tripping the Prom Queen: The Truth about Women and Rivalry"

01/30/08 WRITERS CLUB - Penny Sansevieri – "Marketing for Authors"

And in February on Athena Isle!

02/01/08 COMMUNITY BUILDERS - Selina Greene, co-creator of Book and Publishing Islands

02/05/08 ENTREPRENEUR CLUB - Richard Laermer, Punk Marketing

02/19/08 ENTREPRENEUR CLUB - Rachel Allstart, author and marketer, "Evolving Your Brand in 3D Worlds & Social Networks"

Monday, December 17, 2007

Second Life Harassment - Caged!

I was minding my own business, perusing a great SL newsstand on Paradise Island when suddenly, a guy came up and demanded Linden from me. He claimed I needed to pay him to be on the island. (Transcript at bottom of post).

At first, I pretended not to understand and spoke to him in Spanish.

Then suddenly, he rezzed a cage around me!



Now, if I were a newbie, I'd be pretty distressed, but I figured I could TP out of it to anywhere else. I was about to do just that when he caged another female avatar, this one quite new to SL. She was pissed but didn't know what to do.

I gave her instructions, filed a harassment report, and told both of them what I was doing. I then TP'd out of the cage. Cage Boy began back peddling and accusing me of harassing him. Rich. I wonder if Arthur Sklar, maker of the cage, knows what this guy is doing with the cages.

After that exchange, I TP'd away. I wonder how many people actually payed the jerk.







16:45] Doctorboom Fall: u need yto pay to be here
[16:46] You: sorry
[16:46] Doctorboom Fall: pay or die
[16:47] Doctorboom Fall: pay me
[16:47] You: Que dices?
[16:47] Doctorboom Fall: 20L$
[16:47] You: Porque?
[16:47] You: Para que?
[16:48] Doctorboom Fall: its my land thats y
[16:48] Doctorboom Fall: pay me
[16:49] You: que rico
[16:49] Can't reposition -- permission denied
[16:49] ASUSA Breck: u want ue ass kicked
[16:49] Doctorboom Fall: lets make a sexyntime
[16:53] You: Don't worry, I reported the abuse and am putting an article about him online.
[16:53] You: just teleport out to another location
[16:53] Doctorboom Fall: u guys are mean
[16:54] You: jerk
[16:54] You: hey, just teleport out anywhere
[16:54] You: it doesn't really trap you
[16:54] Doctorboom Fall: sry gosh i was just joking and you guys just cant take a joke
[16:54] You: this guy is a newbie
[16:54] You: or at least a new account
[16:55] Doctorboom Fall: what ever i may be but you know wat the proper term in noob
[16:55] Doctorboom Fall: that makes u a noob
[16:55] You: yeah, keep talking.
[16:55] You: I'm taking notes for my report
[16:55] You: You can't even spell
[16:56] Doctorboom Fall: wht ever you guys r abusing me you r harassing me and its not fair

Friday, December 14, 2007

Who Owns What You Create in Second Life?

I've been struggling lately to understand how to properly protect the intellectual property I create within Second Life. Here are some of my thoughts and questions. I would love to hear about your experiences and opinions.

1. If someone owns a sim and you rent from them, who owns what you create?

I think this is a no-brainer. As a renter in SL like in the real world, everything you bring to the land is yours. Everything that was there when you got there belongs to the owner of the sim - unless there is a contract you have signed that states otherwise.

Technically, can a landowner take possession of, move or destroy the belongings you place on their land? I'm not totally sure but I believe the only things they can do is return all items to your inventory. Is this correct?

2. If someone manages a sim for a larger entity, who owns what you create on the sim as a renter?

Again, I think this is also a no-brainer. The parent company only has ownership over their land and assets and as a renter, you retain ownership of yours assets - unless there is a contract in place that you've both signed that states otherwise.

3. If you work part-time in SL for the manager or owner of a sim, who owns what you create?

Now this sounds like a tricky one, but it should be straightforward. Without an actual contract designating what work is considered "work-for-hire," the assumption would be that what you create as a direct part of your job responsibilities is property of the employer.

What you create separately (for another job or business) is not the property of that employer. Perhaps if you create it while on the employer's land and during the time you are supposed to be working for them, then it could be perceived that what you create is theirs.

But if you create something not connected to the sim or during your part time hours and then bring it to the sim, it should be your asset. But how do you protect your asset? What if your employer claims it is their's by default?

4. How do you protect intellectual capital and intellectual properties versus SL objects that you bring to someone else's land?

Now this is a doozy. In intellectual property law, it is clear that you cannot protect "an idea." But when does an idea move from the ethereal and unprotected to the concrete and protected?

a. If you come up with a trade name that can be trademarked (but no formal efforts have been made to trademark it) and used in business, is that name protected so that you can retain possession if you were to move on to a new job or business? Who owns that name and who has the right to use it?

b. If you design or pay for the design of a logo and bring it to a sim owned by someone else for use on the island, who owns that design and who has the right to use it?

c. If you conceptualize, organize and market an event and bring it to a sim owned by someone else to act as the host venue, who owns that event and the assets and intellectual property that goes with it?

Without a written contract to the contrary, I think the owner remains the creator of the intellectual property unless money was clearly exchanged for the ownership or rights to the intellectual properties. But if you do not own the sim, how do you get your intellectual property back, especially if the land owner will not return it?

I think the overall answer to all of my questions is: Whatever you do in Second Life, put it into writing and have it signed by the people behind the avatars who are doing business. That includes an employment contract, a rental agreement, a business partnership - anything where money might exchange hands and assets - including objects and intellectual property - are part of the relationship.

I'm not even going to delve into whether or not Linden Lab can lay claim to what we create. I just want to explore the microcosm of the land owner/manager and the resident employee or renter.

NOTE: I'm starting a series of events for entrepreneurs after the holidays and am hoping to bring Alan Behr of Alston & Bird LLP who heads up the firm's Electronic Entertainment Group to discuss intellectual property in Second Life. Join the SL group Second Life Entrepreneurs Club or IM Cybergrrl Oh if you'd like to be notified of the event.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Upcoming in Second Life!

I'm always chided that I'm not putting out a calendar of events so I'm working on it since I am getting more and more involved with event coordination in Second Life. Until I get the official calendar going, here are some things coming up this week!
3 Dec Monday - Sa Roligt! Store Opening, Elysian Isle - 6pm SLT

Stop by to meet designer Rolig Loon and see her lovely original flexi fashions.

SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Elysian%20Isle/145/76/33


Rolig in front of her shop

5 Dec Wednesday - Jacky Sach, book agent with Bookends LLC, Elysian Isle - 12pm SLT

Meet my book agent! She is JackySach Schmooz inworld and will be at Writers Wednesday to talk about book publishing and the role of the book agent.

SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Elysian%20Isle/230/135/25


My book agent Jacky

6 Dec Thursday - Community Building in Second Life, Athena Isle, 11am SLT

Join me for a roundtable discussion about what it takes to build community in Second Life. This will be the first official event held at The Clubhouse on my new land, Athena Isle. Hope you can make it!

SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Second%20Shores/54/49/23


Me standing in the outdoor theatre I'm setting up with the Clubhouse behind me.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Cybergrrl goes places & sees things in Second Life - Nov 1-15

It has been a busy couple of weeks. Here are some things I've been up to and people I've seen in just the first two weeks of November 2007...


Working at the Cafe des Amis on Elysian Isle. I've been doing this every Tuesday at 1pm SLT and have held impromptu chats, show and tell days, and more recently live voice readings of our writing. This was on a bad SL day where log ins were tough and getting Ruthed was common.


The Elysian Isle Book Group promotes Random House authors. This was the discussion for the book Night Watch. They are usually held in the Rose Garden but this is a much better location - right next to the book shop!


I made a promo t-shirt for the book and reading group. I'll be putting up vendors for all the promo tshirts I've made for the Book Group for book fans - but only for a limited time. Will probably be in or near the book shop on Elysian Isle. They'll be free of charge. Think of them as collectors items!


Just a shot of me and my sock monkey on Elysian Isle.


Starting to set up a gallery of Alaskan artists for a foundation to promote Alaska and Alaskan art. It will reside on Elysian Isle. More details to follow soon.


Rolig Loon is a new designer in-world, and I convinced her to open up a shop on Elysian Isle so go buy a beautiful outfit from her! I'd call her style very classic with a touch of the late 1950s.


I bought this outfit from Rolig and added my own Cybergrrl touch - the combat boots!


Some giraffes in Virtual Africa.


Meeting with the women from Uthango regarding volunteering to do PR for them.


Had a lot of fun taking snapshots of Alanaugh Recreant and Enakai Ultsch, the women of Uthango and Virtual Africa, for a CNN iReport news clip.


One of the outtakes from the photo session with Alanagh and Enakai.


Alanagh as a cute, cuddly warthog.


This is one of the African bikes being sold inworld to raise funds for an employment center in South Africa. IM Alanagh Recreant for more information.


I attended the Virtual Thirst competition unveiling. This is a shot of some of the gang from Crayon, Coke and my friend Emerie May, the winner.


Emerie and one of her winning Coke dispenser designs at the unveiling. MY ARTICLE: The Coca Cola bottle experience dispenser is here


Hanging with Soph at her place while trying on the t-shirt I made for her inworld project, Extropia.


Attended the Orange avie events and covered them for SLNN.com. Here are some of the avies attending the avie competition. Part of the Orange Identity Summit. MY ARTICLE: Orange Wants to Get to Know You Better


An avie showing off her accessories on Orange Island.


Trying on a new set of eyes.


Prepping for Music on the Isle, a live music event I started but am no longer running. Long, painful story. Hard lessons learned. (Note to self: Put everything in writing BEFORE taking a great idea to others.) I'm proud of what I created but saddened that it is now out of my hands.


Hanging with my new friends Kit and Charlanna at Music on the Isle where I passed out Music on the Isle t-shirts that I created. My sexy jeans are from my friend Chel Pixie who felt I needed to amp up my looks. She also took me shopping for makeup (before and after pics will be posted sometime). Partly to cheer me up over the Music on the Isle debacle and partly to improve my look. She thought I still looked way too noobish.


Covering Metanomics and Metaversed events now for SLNN.com. Watched the one with Ginsu Linden from a partner location via videocast. MY ARTICLE: Linden Lab is not the government or the god of Second Life


57 Miles of Metaversed.com doing last minute preps at a Metanomics panel. Behind-the-scenes shot!


Onder Skall of Metaversed.com stretching before a panel begins. Wrote about this panel for SLNN.com. MY ARTICLE: Thieves, Scammers and Fools in the Second Life Economy


My book agent, Jacky Sach of Bookends, LLC, was supposed to be a special guest for the Writers Wednesday group that I formed on Elysian Isle. Unfortunately, SL was unkind that day. But here is a shot of the avie I created for her on her first day inworld. She told me that she thought it really did look like her. I used a photo of her from her company site and gave her avie some of my clothes that I thought looked appropriate for her to wear. She'll be back on Wed Dec 5 on Elysian Isle at 12pm SLT. IM Cybergrrl Oh for info or join the Writers Wednesday group.


This is a sky view of the new CNN inworld hub - shaped like a letter "i" - where residents can get free CNN equipment and instructions for posting iReports, their inworld version of their citizen journalism project. MY ARTICLE: CNN Takes in Second Life


My favorite android - a helper on the CNN iReport project.


Me showing a friend how I can't get sit poses right for my floor cushions at the Second Life Women's Club clubhouse.


Taking a moment to relax at the Second Life Women's Clubhouse with two of my three hummingbirds. Tshirt (Must be the Lag) is one of my designs. Birds from Animania.


Me and the sock monkey again, hanging at the clubhouse wearing my Moms in Second Life tshirt. If you are a mom and in Second Life, please join our group!

Some of my other SLNN.com articles from November...

Thinkerer Challenge awardee builds outpost for English as a second language education
Paul Preibisch (Fire Centaur in Second Life) and the English Village project won The Thinkerer Challenge, receiving linden currency and land to build an outpost on Cookie Island.

Second Life musician set to release his first single
Jeff Krantz (Hep Shepherd in Second Life) quit his job, logged into Second Life, and before he knew it, started an in-world music career that has launched a real world one.

Flaws in security leave Second Life banks wide open to hacking this week
A hacker stole L$3.2 million from L&L Bank and Trust and several smaller banks earlier this week, all exploiting security weaknesses.