Mini-Project #2

DUE: Thursday February 3rd, before the start of class

The purpose of this project is to invite students to explore Second Life and document their journey in a way which clearly explains this voyage.

Students should create a Second Life character by joining Second Life at their website. After a character has been created, the student should download the free Second Life client to play the game on their computer, or do their work in Second Life on one of the computers available in the computer lab on campus. All the Macintosh computers should have Second Life pre-installed.

After spending some time familiarizing yourself with the world, its controls and the Welcome Island, the student should begin to document encounters with three (3) unique real Second Life inhabitants. Pick a spot on one of the two main continents in the Second Life world map and transport there. Then begin to walk and -- using your mini-map as a guide -- begin a conversation with three (3) inhabitants in three (3) different areas. While you may want to fly or teleport, for this project you should resist this urge and walk where you want to go.

As you talk with people, ask them questions like:
"Who are you?"
"How long have you played Second Life?"
"Why are you in Second Life?"
"How often do you come to Second Life?"
"What are your favorite places to go in Second Life?"
Copy the conversation down. Using print screen or Apple's Grab software, take screenshots of the places and people you meet.

With this material, you are required to do one (1) three paragraph write-up. In each paragraph, you will describe one inhabitant you met, what you learned from your conversation and where you went. This three paragraph entry should be posted as one (1) new entry on our class blog and should following a design format which you have selected to present your material.

For this project, you should not select bots, persons in sex or dance clubs, casinos, or persons in shopping areas as your conversations to document.
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READING RESPONSES 1-3

What are New Media?
Reading Responses:
1: As We May Think
2: Language of new media (only pp. 43-70)
3: We Have the Information You Want

Please read each of the (3) three articles and create a new post for each article by Tuesday, February 1st. Each essay should be no less than two paragraphs in length and summarize the main points of the articles read. It should also include any personal thoughts you had in relation to the reading. Title each entry as "Reading Response" followed by the sequential number of the article; your entry on As We May Think would then be titled "Reading Response 1"
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