Experiencing NPC's Mentors Central as a Presenter

"Real to Virtual": SarVana and Sally

What a week in real life and in-world! Since I am totally a "virtual being", I will let my "human ego", Sally S. Cherry tell you about the real life stuff. As the in-world "consultant", I am pleased to share virtual-based programs, activities, and information maintained or supported by Cherry Consulting Network. Our primary program, "Real to Virtual; Virtual to Real" focuses on marketing; networking; training; and capacity building through social media and virtual worlds. 

Entrance to Plush NPC Amphitheater

So, it was indeed a pleasure to be the Mentors Central presenter at the January 18th meeting of Nonprofit Commons in Second Life (NPC) sponsored by TechSoup Global. Mentors Central is a regular agenda feature of the weekly meetings. During Mentors Central, the Mentors present various relevant topics to share with the community; announce upcoming collaborative opportunities; or discuss requests for assistance. This network weaving avatar (that's me, SarVana) is honored to be part of the Mentors Central team. What an amazing, collaborative group of virtual-focused professionals!

Visualization of Collaborative Spirit

If you are not familiar with this virtual-based community, you may ask... "What is Nonprofit Commons?" "What's Second Life?" No problem... those are questions regularly asked of Sally about our virtual-based communities and activities. Please allow me explain a bit later while I continue with my comments about the recent NPC meeting and Mentors Central. I must stay focused... The excitement and awesome learning points of the meeting still have me flying high. Oh, yes... flying but flying is no big deal in Second Life nor in OpenSim virtual worlds. Flying is an alternate mode of in-world transport and the preferred mode of transport for this little "walking-challenged" avatar. You just have to watch out for tall structures, flying objects, and any other flying residents. Thanks to the help of several NPC Mentors including Buffy Bye (Bridges for Women) and Gentle Heron (Virtual Ability), my "walking" skills are much improved but are still need a bit of "fine-tuning" (smiles). Hence, the main reason for my excitement... the opportunity to learn and share information within this collaborative community of practice as well as its Mentors Central is indeed a capacity building experience for any virtual-focused professional even a computer-generated professional!   

Before Mentors Central meeting

As a member of the NPC community, I always welcome an opportunity to exchange information with my virtual-based friends and colleagues. That is why I need Sally in real life and why Sally needs her little avatar(s) in-world. Just knowing that behind each avatar is an human being with an fascinating inventory of real life experiences, skills, talents, and ideas heightens the excitement of  learning and sharing. At this week's meeting, I presented information about another Second Life/OpenSim grid client for Android smartphones and tablets... the Lumiya Viewer. The review of 3-D viewers and other related tools is essential to the ongoing learning process. Since most NPC in-world presentations are delivered via text, being a "Mentors Central Presenter" definitely enhances the virtual learning experience.

Fleep Tuque presents at NPC Meeting

Speaking of experience, the highlight of this week's NPC meeting was the information-packed presentation, 'Moving Beyond Second Life: Opportunities for Education, NonProfits and Healthcare in the Wider Metaverse' delivered by the featured speaker, Fleep Tuque (RL: Chris Collins). Woot, woot! What a real life and in-world highlight! 

It is my understanding that Chris started in Second Life during the beta period in 2003 and her avatar, Fleep Tuque was not even born until around 2005. Fascinating... Fleep was exploring the Metaverse even before Sally created me in the 2D virtual world of Metaplace and definitely before my migration into Second Life. I applaud Chris and Fleep for their use of virtual worlds, social media, and augmented reality in higher education. After many challenges while educating others about 3-D virtual worlds, the presentation and group discussion were indeed affirmations that 3-D virtual worlds are major collaborative workspaces for education, healthcare, and nonprofits. Our virtual-based research and projects will continue in Second Life and/or OpenSim grids such as Kitely and JokaydiaGRID. As I reflect on the meeting, an article from Maria Korolov' s Hypergrid Business comes to the forefront...  "Second Life is Not a game".

The level of learning and sharing within this 3-D collaborative community of practice for nonprofits  is definitely Not a game even though there is much fun to be enjoyed when the time is appropriate.  Kudos to Susan Tenby for the vision of Nonprofit Commons inSecond Life. Susan is TechSoup's Online Community and Social Media Director. She founded and manages Nonprofit Commons in Second Life. What an awesome vision!

National Health Blog Post Month: 30 Days; 30 Posts 03 – “Don’t Know but I would like to Know"

Yes, I am still a bit behind schedule but I wanted to share that… “I don’t know a lot about how people with disabilities are using virtual worlds but I would like to know.”

Nonprofit Commons Weekly Meeting

  Although I still have much to learn about the benefits of virtual worlds for people with disabilities, there is one thing that I have learned as a Second Life (SL) community member.  I know that one of the most active, hard-working, and productive residents is Gentle Heron, president and one of the co-founders of Virtual Ability, Inc. 

I believe that it was in 2009 when I met Gentle Heron at a weekly meeting of Nonprofit Commons in Second Life (NPSL), a virtual community of practice for nonprofits.  NPSL is managed by a community of volunteers under the leadership of TechSoup Global. Although NPSL community members are located worldwide, we meet and interact in real-time within a computer-generated 3-D environment known as a virtual world. While working at my computer in the east coast state of Maryland, it was in this “virtual world” where I met and interacted with the leadership of Virtual Ability, Inc. based in Colorado, USA. Technology is so amazing!

Virtual Ability, Inc. (Display by Zinnia)

  Over the years, Gentle Heron and other NPSL community members have graciously shared helpful information and valuable time as I learned about the diverse applications of 3-D virtual worlds. It has become quite evident that virtual worlds serve as alternate platforms for networking, information-sharing, training, and providing support regardless of physical location or physical abilities. 

In Second Life, Virtual Ability, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation is known as the “leading organization dealing with the support of people with real life disabilities”. Virtual Ability’s mission is to enable people with a wide range of disabilities by providing a supporting environment for them to enter and thrive in online virtual worlds. The Virtual Ability team has definitely established a supporting environment for real life people within a virtual world community.

Virtual Ability: In-World Tour

   During a recent visit to Virtual Ability’s HealthInfo Island, I walked the Path of Support which depicts the wide range of peer support groups in Second Life. The Path of Support provides information about the different health/disability peer support organizations and the various types of assistance available to disabled persons in Second Life. According to Gentle Heron, Virtual Ability has identified over 120 different peer support Second Life groups for various disabling conditions and chronic illnesses. Some support groups are big like the ones operated by American Cancer Society for survivors and for caregivers. Some groups are affiliated with real life national organizations such as the Autism Society of America and the AA weekly meeting groups. Others groups are small, mainly friendship support groups around a topic of common interest, and exist only in Second Life.  A few support groups in other languages than English have even identified.

Virtual Ability: Path of Support

Virtual Ability: Path of Support

   








As my learning continues, I applaud the entire Virtual Ability team. From the beginning, the three co-founders… Sodapop Heron, Superquiet Heron, and Gentle Heron focused on setting up a support community for real life people with real life disabilities. As many of our virtual world colleagues, the three visionaries never thought of themselves as “players in a game”. I share the same opinion of many virtual world users… “Virtual worlds such as Second Life are Not games”. 

 Virtual worlds are serious business; even life-changing business! That is why I would like to know about… how people with disabilities are using 3-D virtual worlds.

SarVana is back... Wishing you a Virtual and a Real Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to my virtual and real life friends

SarVana relaxing in Second Life

Greetings, First I must clarify a couple of things... I am an avatar with two last names, "Haalan" and "Cherry". While in Second Life, I travel as SarVana Haalan and in OpenSim (JokaydiaGRID, OSGrid, etc) I travel as Sarvana Cherry. Sometimes you will find Haalan in JokaydiaGRID doing quality control duty as "Inspector 12" or working on other projects. Regardless of my landing site, my virtual-based friends and colleagues just called me SarVana or "Sar". Second point of clarification... the real life writer, Sally Cherry relies on Sarvana Cherry and myself (SarVana Haalan) to help her explore and work virtually. In return, we rely on Sally to verbalize our words and "push the buttons" for a rewarding virtual experience (and project). You must believe me when I say that this little avatar SarVana Haalan virtually known as "The Networking Diva" has her own personality.

 Many apologies for my writing absence in 2011 but virtual explorations and real life can really keep an avatar busy.  No problem, we will bring you up to date. You are invited to freely browse my Flickr photo album where you will find many photos taken over the past years. News flash..  I will sharing more information and photos about my Second Life and OpenSim explorations and projects this year. So much is happening in the virtual world communities and I am just too thrilled Not to write about it.  So be sure to bookmark this blog, SarVana's Virtual Journal and teleport with us into the amazing world of virtual research, education, business,  health, and much more.

If you are a virtual resident, feel free to IM SarVana in-world or follow SarVana on Twitter. If you are not a virtual resident already, you can get started in Second Life here, and in OpenSim here. 

Virtual Traveler's Notes:

When you teleport into SecondLife or OpenSim,  please feel free to join us at: 

SarVana Business Centre @ Second Life

Cherry Network Centre @ Kitely

CherNetiva @ JokaydiaGRID

Nonprofit Commons @ Second Life 

 That's it for now. So, have a nice day and we hope to see you in-world.

SarVana Haalan