Free tshirt to anyone who posts their SL avie name here!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Merry Xmas & a SLappy New Year from Cybergrrl Oh!
Free tshirt to anyone who posts their SL avie name here!
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"
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
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.
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.
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.
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