Transcript of June 30, 2009 Second Life Roundtable Discussion
Topic: International Perspective
Links Mentioned:
AJ Brooks: So - lets get started
AJ Brooks: Hi everyone, and welcome to this weeks SL Education Roundtable.
AJ Brooks: These meetings are made possible by the Office of Information Technology at Montclair State University.
AJ Brooks: We meet here each week at 2:30pm SLT for an hour. Our topic today is "International Perspective".
Margaret Michalski: Fine! Considering the size lately of the group I did not know how well it would be to manage.
AJ Brooks: This is a public meeting, so we do keep a transcript of what is said in local chat.
AJ Brooks: For a copy of older transcripts, please visit http://sler-transcripts.wikispaces.com and for more recent transcripts, please visit http://www.virtualworldsedu.info/slroundtable/
AJ Brooks: Special thanks to our resident scribe, Iggy Onomatopoeia, for taking care of this. If you've not seen the transcripts, you should check them out - they are a great information asset.
AJ Brooks: and to Margaret for filling in for Iggy while he is on vacation
AJ Brooks: For information on FUTURE MEETINGS, there is a notecard giver on the West wall of the Amphitheater.
AJ Brooks: The SL Education Roundtable meeting happens each week and we are looking to develop a community of educators from around the world with a variety of thoughts, needs, and ideas.
AJ Brooks: Please join the SL EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE group. If you have problems finding it in search, just outside this amphitheater you will see several displays. By clicking the appropriate one you can join the group.
AJ Brooks: As the group grows, there will be announcements, surveys, and decisions made that will be exclusive to the group.
AJ Brooks: Speaking of announcements, there is a new addition for educators to the CHSSSouth Amphitheater.
AJ Brooks: Just outside the Amphitheater, to the east side of the stairs (to the right as you head out), is a bulletin board.
AJ Brooks: Educators are welcome to add notes about events and other short term items to the board.
AJ Brooks: Click the top notecard giver to details and important instruction to follow on how to leave a note for others.
AJ Brooks: Aside from the island we are currently on, Montclair State University also has two other educational islands adjoining to the north.
AJ Brooks: There are also numerous learning areas on these adjoining islands, Montclair State CHSS and Montclair State CEHSADP, which is home to The Theorist Project and Wilber Middle School Library. Wander around and enjoy.
AJ Brooks: If you are on Facebook, please join our group there - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44078263753&ref=share
AJ Brooks: Thanks to Olivia Hotshot for putting together a Flickr group for the SLER. I encourage everyone to join the group and to take pictures from our meeting and add them to the group. Its a great way to show, and grow, our community.
AJ Brooks: Finally, if you have Mystitool on, or other similar tool, please put it to sleep or detach it for now. :-) It tends to lag things.
AJ Brooks: As a hint, it is better to have "local chat" open for these meetings, it will help you follow the conversation better.
AJ Brooks: You can find local chat by clicking COMMUNICATE in the bottom navigation bar and you'll find LOCAL CHAT as one of the tabs at the bottom of the Communicate window.
AJ Brooks: Why don't we get started they way we usually do, by introducing ourselves. No need to wait, go ahead and type who you are, where you are, and your ties to education into local chat.
AJ Brooks: I am AJ Kelton, Director of Emerging Instructional Technology for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Montclair State University
AJ Brooks: and the Coordinator of the Second Life Project for the College of Education and Human Services, also at MSU. We're located in northern New Jersey, just fourteen miles from midtown Manhattan.
Profdan Netizen: I'm Dan Holt, Lansing Community College, Lansing, MI. I teach fy comp and creative writing--have taught online for 12 years, this fall will be my first use of SL with a class.
Alan Sandalwood: Alan Haywood. Education and Technology ccbeuc Campinas
Katie Fenstalker: Katie King, women's studies, University of Maryland. I do work in femininsm and new media. Teaching a class partially in SL in the Fall.
Margaret Michalski: Margaret Czart, Research Information Specialist at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Anetha Gyranaut: I'm Anthea Fraser Gupta, School of English faculty, University of Leeds, UK. I am a sociolinguist.
Robin Mochi: Robin Ashford in RL Reference & Distance Services Librarian, Portland, Oregon USA...in SL Karuna Island Consumer Health Librarian
Firery Broome: University of Delaware, Delaware US, IT-faculty support, run the islands
lizit Cleanslate: Liz Thackray - Associate Lecturer and teaching Fellow at the Open University, UK and DPhil student at University of Sussex
Stan Frangible: Steve Taylor, Academic Computing Director at Vassar College
Teri Boxen: Teri Lind nurse educator, Calfironia
Rachelle Munro: Rochell McWhorter, PhD student, Texas A&M University
Geoff Lumley: is Geoff Barker-Read from the University of Leeds, UK. Used to be an engineer
Xann Kanto: oh-oh
Xann Kanto: was afk
Fli Nurmi: Hilary Mc Loughlin, Technology and Learning, Trinity college Dublin Ireland, i 've been teaching preservice teachers in here for a couple of years
AJ Brooks: anyone not gone yet?
Kali Pizzaro: Evelyn McElhinney from Glasgow Caledoinian University School of Nursing
Iona Igaly: Gayle Burns, Cal State Long Beach
Jarrad Voom: willie Jackson Pierce college
Zotarah Shepherd: I am a MA in Education (technology and psychology) student at Sonoma State University in northern California working an a curriculum project: Teaching and Learning Life-Skills in Second Life. I am working on an Immersive Interactive Educational build about Life-skills.
AJ Brooks: Greak UK presence here today, I guess thats a product of the time of the meeting
Xann Kanto: Ann Randall, Distance Ed Faculty Development Coordinator, Boise State
AJ Brooks: its much later the more east you go
SDF Unplugged: Solen, from MN State University, Mankato
AJ Brooks: anyone else?
AJ Brooks: going once
AJ Brooks: going twice
AJ Brooks: Sold to the vampire in the sunglasses
AJ Brooks: :-)
Teri Boxen: lol
AJ Brooks: ok - so...indulge me for a second
lizit Cleanslate smiles
AJ Brooks: please, one more time, just type the COUNTRY you are in.
Fli Nurmi: Ireland
lizit Cleanslate: UK
Robin Mochi: USA
Margaret Michalski: USA
Rachelle Munro: USA
Alan Sandalwood: Brazil
Anetha Gyranaut: England
Xann Kanto: USA
Teri Boxen: ISA
Stan Frangible: USA
SDF Unplugged: USA
Katie Fenstalker: USA
Iona Igaly: USA
Geoff Lumley: UK
Profdan Netizen: USA
Kali Pizzaro: UK
Firery Broome: usa
Zotarah Shepherd: USA
Kali Pizzaro: Scotland to be precise
AJ Brooks: ok - so about 8 from the US and 6 from outside the US
AJ Brooks: not bad
Jarrad Voom: USA
AJ Brooks: even tho there are 24 people here (and only 14 response :->)
AJ Brooks: so - those OUTSIDE the US
AJ Brooks: what is teh #1 challenge you face?
Anetha Gyranaut: money
AJ Brooks: explain pls
Jarrad Voom: time
AJ Brooks: ok - we'll get back to time in a bit
Alan Sandalwood: Convincing colleagues its worth investing time in IT skills for their teaching.
Anetha Gyranaut: lack of funding for universities in general
Rachelle Munro: helping group members overcome the learning curve in SL
Anetha Gyranaut: is this in general or in developing SL?
AJ Brooks: lets start in general
Margaret Michalski: I am from the US BUT when I attended the conference in Poland they mentioned that keeping computers updated is too expensive for them.
AJ Brooks: so far, the only one specific to SL was the time factor
Kali Pizzaro: IT
AJ Brooks: all the others are fairly universal problems
AJ Brooks: is there a way that those main problems (except time) are unique outside the US?
Profdan Netizen: Though money for computer upkeep is more severe with SL than other 2D choices, AJ.
Anetha Gyranaut doesn't understand the question.
AJ Brooks: ok - so margaret brings up the technology hardware, ok
Fli Nurmi: i'd second that
AJ Brooks: right - so money for hardware upgrades and time - lest set those aside for a second
Profdan Netizen: But that's a US problem as well.
AJ Brooks: worse outside the use Dan
Kali Pizzaro: we do not have the same overall usage in the public domain as others. therefore many folk have never heard of SL
AJ Brooks: much more so
Margaret Michalski: graphics cards to be specific
Margaret Michalski: so only one professor does anything in SL
AJ Brooks: so - Anetha, let me explain the question as I meant it and probably bumbled it
lizit Cleanslate: It may well be universal, but I think one of the biggest challenges I find is developing the skill set for working effectively in SL and having a peer group to learn with
Kali Pizzaro: therefore many have never heard of it and are confused
Zotarah Shepherd: I would think available bandwidth would be a problem for some.
Margaret Michalski: I would like to make an additional point for Poland
AJ Brooks: The issues that were brought up, university buy in, lack of funding from the university (not just for hardware), convincing colleagues it worth it. These are problems we face in the US also.
AJ Brooks: ok - bandwidth
AJ Brooks: time, hardware, bandwidth
AJ Brooks: great
AJ Brooks: still - lest set those aside for a minute
Margaret Michalski: By Law, they have to prove that online courses (blended) are just as good as face to face.
AJ Brooks: lizit - great point
Margaret Michalski: As we know there is not much on SL
Alan Sandalwood: Learning curves are too long for most tools.
AJ Brooks: that ties to time zone issues
Katie Fenstalker: wow!
Xann Kanto: reliable internet connection in a country of some interest to me.. Tanzania
Zotarah Shepherd: Some studies show online classes to be MORE effective then face to face classes
AJ Brooks: ok - so laws governing schooling
AJ Brooks: so - now we have a good set of things to work with
AJ Brooks: laws, hardware, bandwith, time zones
Margaret Michalski: they would like to do things but the law and graphic cards issue prevent them from doing stuff in SL
Robin Mochi: recent research from USA dept of educ has shown online education can be more effective than face to face
Zotarah Shepherd: Ok I will have to fish them out of my papers and send them later. SLED sometimes mentions some of them
Katie Fenstalker: @ Margaret, the law issues seems a pretty heavy bar.
Alan Sandalwood: Here, the problem is computer access for people outside of the middleclass.
Margaret Michalski: But them e-learning is still at the beginning steps in Poland
Anetha Gyranaut: what are the legal issues?
Kali Pizzaro: i can not use it at my desk and i am one of only a few who are doing anything in Sl
Margaret Michalski: that's why the law comes into play.
Kali Pizzaro: very frustrating
Rachelle Munro: Zo, Can you post the references for the papers to the Facebook group?
Robin Mochi: I have link to that research if anyone is interested, just IM
Margaret Michalski: can you put it into the chat for IGGY
AJ Brooks: can you put it into chat, so we can have it for the transcript
Zotarah Shepherd: Sure
Anetha Gyranaut: I can't use it at my desk because of graphics card and old computer
Kali Pizzaro: aj i have im you an link if you want to put it out there
AJ Brooks: you can toss that into chat, kali, thats find
Kali Pizzaro: cheers
Geoff Lumley: That's common across the campus Anetha. And the institutional firewall is another problem
lizit Cleanslate: We had fun getting SL access when we did the ReLIVE 08 conference - the university was paying the bills and sponsoring the conference, but it was like getting blood out of a stone to get a computer room with computers that could run SL
Kali Pizzaro: http://virtualworldwatch.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/snapshot-six.pdf
AJ Brooks: ok - firewall
Margaret Michalski: @ kaili- thanks
Kali Pizzaro: this is the uk snapshot report of sl usage
Fli Nurmi: firewall's a massive problem - a constant battle
Kali Pizzaro: yes
lizit Cleanslate: At the same time, we had no problem using the uni guest network for access
AJ Brooks: firewall, hardware, access at all, time zones, bandwidth
Kali Pizzaro: i get my it warning if i search
Kali Pizzaro: IT
AJ Brooks: oh - and laws, left that one off
Robin Mochi: enough asked, I'll copy my tweet from last week here: US Dept of education comprehensive report on distance education-2009 Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning http://tinyurl.com/mbf8zc
Geoff Lumley: I have to run SL from a USB stick because I can't have administration rights for my desktop computer. Alternatively, wifi access from a laptop
Kali Pizzaro: wifi does not work in our place!!
Anetha Gyranaut: on the other hand, in the same univ as Geoff, I have admin rights but a feeble computer
AJ Brooks: wifi and sl don't get along, usually
Kali Pizzaro: haha
Kali Pizzaro: surely not
Profdan Netizen: Another link of the Dept of Ed research on online ed: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/29/online
AJ Brooks: Firewall, hardware, access at all, time zones, bandwidth, and laws.....is that our list?
Katie Fenstalker: TY Robin and Profdan.
Margaret Michalski: I think so
AJ Brooks: ok - lest start with laws
lizit Cleanslate: skillset too @AJ
Katie Fenstalker: (I"m on a laptop with wifi right now.)
Margaret Michalski: I just found the law thing interesting
Kali Pizzaro: eh folk in the Uk never heard of it
Fli Nurmi: yup me too Katie
Kali Pizzaro: me too
Anetha Gyranaut: yeah -- i don't understand the law thing
Margaret Michalski: I don't see why policies can not be at a University level
Kali Pizzaro: yeah bizarre
AJ Brooks: setting aside Poland, since we don't have anyone actually FROM there at the moment (sorry Margaret), what about the rest of you - laws get in your way?
Margaret Michalski: not a national level
Anetha Gyranaut: no
Fli Nurmi: no
lizit Cleanslate: no
Kali Pizzaro: not at the moment
Margaret Michalski: NP
Alan Sandalwood: No. Only acceptance of Sl as a serious tool and not a version of WoW
Rachelle Munro: I'm also on laptop with wifi....does fairly well
AJ Brooks: ok - so lets set laws aside for the moment then
Geoff Lumley: maybe
Anetha Gyranaut: what laws?
AJ Brooks: Firewall, hardware, access at all, time zones, bandwidth
Alan Sandalwood: sorry, offtopic
AJ Brooks: what problems do you have with firewalls and bandwidth? (non-US folks)?
lizit Cleanslate: seems to vary from institution to institution
AJ Brooks: k
Anetha Gyranaut: as i can't use sl at work I dunno
Fli Nurmi: firewall in college doesnt allow students to access SL - or most of faculty- makes it difficult to get interest /.acceptance
lizit Cleanslate: at Sussex I have no problems but the uni just down the road couldn't get the techs to sort out the firewall
Kali Pizzaro: NHS firewall may be a problem for me anyone tried that
lizit Cleanslate: in the OU, SL is accessible on guest network but not on main network
AJ Brooks: ok - so its not a UK policy on firewalls, its just an IT department thing
Fli Nurmi: yup
lizit Cleanslate: yes
Anetha Gyranaut: yes
Kali Pizzaro: yep
AJ Brooks: ok - so lets drop firewalls from our list
Geoff Lumley: Institutional firewall is an issue - uses a proxy server so there is no direct contact between the client and the Linden servers. I had to negotiate a bespoke port so the link can be direct
Anetha Gyranaut: there is no national policy
Marc Rexen: Yes.
AJ Brooks: since that happens in the US also
AJ Brooks: bandwidth
Kali Pizzaro: np for me
Fli Nurmi: not a problem
Anetha Gyranaut: i have to use sl at home
lizit Cleanslate: can be difficult for students at a distance - we still have a lot of dial up in UK
AJ Brooks: who has problems with bandwidth - not a slow machine
AJ Brooks: dial up, really?
lizit Cleanslate: on campus not a problem
Marc Rexen: UK is behind for 1/3 of the country.
Kali Pizzaro: yeah some remote places have no access
AJ Brooks: how so marc
lizit Cleanslate: yes - we can't make SL a compulsory part of OU courses because of bandwidth and hardware issues
Anetha Gyranaut: and some not very remote areas
AJ Brooks: well - that is also true in the US - especially in the midwest
Kali Pizzaro: islands of scotland
Marc Rexen: Two-thirds have pretty good to excellent access.
Kali Pizzaro: ok
Marc Rexen: 1/3 is not profitable commercially.
Kali Pizzaro: yep
Xann Kanto: bandwidth is a problem in Tanzania and probably other developing countries
Alan Sandalwood: In the middleclass neighbourhoods there is nbroadband , outside, very little.
Geoff Lumley: you got electricity there yet Kali?
Margaret Michalski: @ Aj second that
Anetha Gyranaut: in uk it is more urban/rural than class related
AJ Brooks: lol @geoff
Marc Rexen: There is talk of a 6 surcharge to feed money to the remote areas for access.
Kali Pizzaro: may change bwith digital Britain report
AJ Brooks: ok - so the bandwidth issues seems to be somewhat similar also...hmmm
lizit Cleanslate: but some rural areas are better off if they can prove using computing to enhance local economy
Kali Pizzaro: haha geoff we invented it
Xann Kanto: i will check to see what the situation is at the Univ of Dar later
Alan Sandalwood: Class = big income difference = profitable for telephone/cable coimapnies
Marc Rexen: Australia (G'Day mates) will be like Korea within a few years.
Kali Pizzaro: and the tv telephone etc etc etc lol
AJ Brooks: ok - so whats left
lizit Cleanslate: I had a friend living on a welsh mountain who got her own cable because she was providing employment to local community
AJ Brooks: hardware, access at all, time zones
Marc Rexen: ...and Iran...if they don't get their Politicians under control.
AJ Brooks: lest start with ACCESS AT ALL
Alan Sandalwood: @Marc 100mbs?
AJ Brooks: Alan, want to speak to that in Brasil
Marc Rexen: For Australia...that this their stimulus goal.
Alan Sandalwood: wAIT A SECV
Alan Sandalwood: Better
AJ Brooks: ?
Alan Sandalwood: Brazilis heavily divided by income. Plus all IT stuff is phenomenally expensive
AJ Brooks nods
AJ Brooks: VERY expensive
Marc Rexen: Yes, they emigrate to the US (we have one on staff).
AJ Brooks: a computer costs 3x what it does here
Alan Sandalwood: For example, I earn 8-10 times more gross than the cleaning lady
Kali Pizzaro: probably the same here
Anetha Gyranaut: do students have their own computers in Brazil?
Alan Sandalwood: A typical consumer computer is about 4-5 times the gross salary of over half the population
Marc Rexen: Wow.
AJ Brooks: ok - so the issue is having the access to the technology - but is that just at home Alan or even schools?
Alan Sandalwood: A terrible computer at that
Geoff Lumley agrees with Kali
lizit Cleanslate: that makes it very difficult at those costs
Alan Sandalwood: Both.
Anetha Gyranaut: But even if we earn 10x more than the cleaner, the base line in Brazil is lower
Alan Sandalwood: Private schools have access in wealthier cities, but otherwise its poor.
Kali Pizzaro: yep
Marc Rexen: Then why is Brazil so well-represented in SL?
AJ Brooks: ok - is it like that with anyone else here, other than Alan in Brasil?
AJ Brooks: good question, Marc
Alan Sandalwood: I know of a Moodlecourse for nurses where the school had to subsidize the sts use of a local intenet cafe to do there work
AJ Brooks: brasil represents the 5th largest population by country
Kali Pizzaro: oh my
Marc Rexen: Constant stream of them...it's my most used landmark (even above Italian).
Alan Sandalwood: @Marc. The middle class, especially teens and tweens are very IT aware. Brazilian creativity and hard work.
Kali Pizzaro: we have probably 5000 computers for use by students or at least 3000
AJ Brooks: the brasil orientation area is very popular
Alan Sandalwood: However, the majority of the popn are not middleclass.
AJ Brooks: there are 189 MILLION Brasilians
AJ Brooks: thats a lot
Anetha Gyranaut: can you assume your students have a personal computer?
Kali Pizzaro: indeed
AJ Brooks: not in brasil, no
Robin Mochi: AJ, do you have the other stats? what country is first, 2nd, 3rd & 4th?
Alan Sandalwood: My EFL schoolcharges 50% of the minimum salary and most people earn less than 2 minimum salaries.
AJ Brooks: i'll have to dig it up, and even if I do, my starts are old, just remind me robin
Robin Mochi: ok, thanks
AJ Brooks: i think its Germany, Italy, and France - behind teh US of course, at about 41%
lizit Cleanslate: What kind of figure is minimum salary in Brazil?
Anetha Gyranaut: I think there is a big difference if you are in a situation (as we are) where it is pretty well certain all students will have a computer of their own.
AJ Brooks: just remind me, though - I'll find it
Kali Pizzaro: mm i am not sure they do
AJ Brooks: ok - so - outside of Brasil (and the US) is access to technology at all an issue?
AJ Brooks: with anyone here?
Kali Pizzaro: yes in the lower classes
Marc Rexen: Remember that student that present a couple of months ago...he had to do his work from school (Brazil).
lizit Cleanslate: Quality of technology yes - access in general no
AJ Brooks: we're getting to the former next
AJ Brooks: :-)
Anetha Gyranaut: i agree with lizit
Kali Pizzaro: yeah me too
AJ Brooks: so, its not an issue (access at all) for anyone else here other than Brasil?
lizit Cleanslate: those students who cannot afford computers can get grants for them from the OU
AJ Brooks: OU?
Kali Pizzaro: yeah our uni does a hire a laptop very cheap
lizit Cleanslate: Open University - all our students are distance and required to have access to computer
Kali Pizzaro: or maybe at no cost
AJ Brooks: what is OU?
AJ Brooks: AHHHH
Anetha Gyranaut: disabled students get help too
AJ Brooks: right
Anetha Gyranaut: OU is 'Open University'
AJ Brooks slaps palm to forehead
Anetha Gyranaut: It is a very special university in UK -- correspondence only and open to all
Margaret Michalski: @ Aj not tooo hard
AJ Brooks: lol
AJ Brooks: ok - so - hardware
AJ Brooks: lets tackle that monster
Kali Pizzaro: yeah we give our students computers with special sofware if they are dyslexcic
Marc Rexen: Yeah, but a computer without access...and the areas that might be best served by the OU?
Anetha Gyranaut: so do we. and even diabetic students get assistance. Any disability.
AJ Brooks: lets shift to actual hardware itself
Margaret Michalski: really?
Kali Pizzaro: yeah i think it is the same
AJ Brooks: who has problems with hardware that can't run SL?
Kali Pizzaro: ok sorry
AJ Brooks: and is that a unique problem to non-US students/users?
lizit Cleanslate: We seem to have students - and tutors - all over the UK including some places that have been described as not having access :-)
Kali Pizzaro: me on my desk!!!!
Anetha Gyranaut: i can't run it at work
Profdan Netizen: Do students have to pay tuition to public universities in countries represented here?
Marc Rexen: Raises hand...still a fight.
Margaret Michalski: are we still talking to non-US
Anetha Gyranaut: students would not be able to either
Kali Pizzaro: but works a dream at home
lizit Cleanslate: we also have students in war zones and other inhospitable places and all seem to be able to get access to hardware and internet
Alan Sandalwood: No problems running SL, home or worl\k except for its crashing once or twice an hour
Anetha Gyranaut: students pay fees in UK
lizit Cleanslate: the only ones that can't are those on long term service in subs
Kali Pizzaro: IT have looked and are puzzled
Geoff Lumley: A lot of the issues with hardware are related to the graphics card. SL doesn't like Intel integrated graphics - which is a popular means of keeping the cost down
AJ Brooks: so - hardware is NOT actually a problems?
Kali Pizzaro: not in SCOTLAND
AJ Brooks: ah - ok geoff
Marc Rexen: I had to install to test the 2100's...and then they're fighting me on testing it on Windows 7
AJ Brooks: graphics cards seems to be a universal problem
Margaret Michalski: agreed
Fli Nurmi: graphics card a big problem here
Anetha Gyranaut: yes
AJ Brooks: so many of my colleagues here complain about it
Robin Mochi: I run SL on wireless always from my university office with no problems...but students are all from a distance-they must meet the SL system requirements to take a class
AJ Brooks: so - OTHER THAN the graphics card
Geoff Lumley: To get anything like a decent frame rate you need a discrete card with at least 256mB dedicated memory
Marc Rexen: It is almost always the graphics card now.
AJ Brooks: do non-US folks see great problems with average hardware (other than graphics card?)
lizit Cleanslate: no
Alan Sandalwood: No
Anetha Gyranaut: no
Fli Nurmi: no
Kali Pizzaro: my computer has no card but runs it sometimes but then freezes IT and the local SL expert are puzzled
AJ Brooks: ok
AJ Brooks: so we're really down to two issues
AJ Brooks: access at all - and time zones
AJ Brooks: :-)
AJ Brooks: now - lets talk about TIME ZONES~!!!!!!
AJ Brooks ducks
Kali Pizzaro: oh timezones don't you just love em
Anetha Gyranaut: why is time zones a problem?
AJ Brooks: well - take this meeting for instance
Marc Rexen: They're not...you just have to decide to get up 4 hours early to see a different group.
AJ Brooks: don't you think we'd have had more people from eastern Europe if it was 2-3 hours ago?
lizit Cleanslate: well if everybody used GMT there wouldn't be a problem - hides quickly :-)
Kali Pizzaro: Anetha do folk not think you are mad it is 11.15pm
Margaret Michalski: @ Anthetha, I see SL as a way to meet people from all over. Time zones prevent that
Rachelle Munro: time zones are a problem if you are looking for a global or cross-country participation
Anetha Gyranaut: but that is not a sl problem -- it is the desire for international links
Marc Rexen: Yeah, well good luck getting everyone on the planet in the same time zone.
Kali Pizzaro: indeed
AJ Brooks: yes - this is not an SL problem, time zones
lizit Cleanslate: The biggest problem personally is remembering to log in to late night or early morning events
Anetha Gyranaut realises that people think she is mad in many ways
Geoff Lumley agrees with Anetha. My wife thinks I'm mad though. . .
AJ Brooks: its a problem in using SL the way people want to
Kali Pizzaro: hehe
Zotarah Shepherd: I hear AJ typing
Anetha Gyranaut: exactly, Marc
Kali Pizzaro: or weird
AJ Brooks: LOL @ Anetha
Katie Fenstalker: AJ your mic is on.
AJ Brooks: not any more
AJ Brooks: LOL
Kali Pizzaro: tut tut
Zotarah Shepherd: hehe
Margaret Michalski: The issue of time zones is a problem for me in the sense that some groups have events that I can not attend to due to time.
AJ Brooks: glad I didn't say anything bad about Zotarah
AJ Brooks: ROFL
AJ Brooks: (just kidding Z)
Margaret Michalski: even though am in the US
Kali Pizzaro: oh cheeky
Robin Mochi: lol
Anetha Gyranaut suggests the flat earth society to solve this problem!
Marc Rexen: We just need more asynchronous storage...or something like Voice Threads.
AJ Brooks: second @Anetha
AJ Brooks: VOICE THREAD!!!!!!
AJ Brooks: LOL
Marc Rexen: ...SL threads...there's an idea.
Katie Fenstalker: one grp I'm in has events at 5 am SLT to accommodate Europeans.
Kali Pizzaro: we need more Uk meetings get the Americans up for a change lol
Alan Sandalwood: Ouch
AJ Brooks: thats 8am ET, very reasonable
Zotarah Shepherd: hehe
AJ Brooks: LOL - yeah, us lazy Americans
Anetha Gyranaut: But it would be in office time for us
AJ Brooks: the problem, of course, is that we (as users in SL) out number everyone
Anetha Gyranaut: so I would not be able to join in -- there is no win for everyone
Kali Pizzaro: inded
AJ Brooks: I'm running into this problem with my Quidditch group
Marc Rexen: Internationally agreed "discussion hours?"
Kali Pizzaro: haha good point
Zotarah Shepherd: I would have to move to Europe to go to early meetings.
Kali Pizzaro: come you will love it
AJ Brooks: the aussies, asians, and folks beyond the UK are being left out
AJ Brooks: because the majority has to rule
Katie Fenstalker: I would like to know what are good European "discussion" hours?
Anetha Gyranaut: They can stay up later...
Margaret Michalski: For a group from Poland has discussions and meetings when I am on my way from work.
Kali Pizzaro: nah they are easier to accommodate for uk
Marc Rexen: Agreed...shift your time, and you see a very different "view" of SL.
Zotarah Shepherd: I want to teach English in a foreign country someday after my MA is finished.
AJ Brooks: YES!!!!!!!! @marc
AJ Brooks: I log in at 3am ET sometimes, its wild
Margaret Michalski: no way to accommodate public transportation with SL
lizit Cleanslate: There is quite a chunk of time that works for UK and US - roughly 4pm - 10pm GMT which is 8am to 2pm PDT - but that doesn't work for Antipodes
AJ Brooks: I like Katie's question
Marc Rexen: Antipodes...nice...:)
AJ Brooks: wow - new word for me
AJ Brooks gives lizit a thumbs up
lizit Cleanslate smiles
Anetha Gyranaut: sl gives the opportunity for real-feeling meetings on an international scale -- time zone an inevitable difficulty
AJ Brooks: yes
Katie Fenstalker: I call a friend in Oz, Sidney, around 7pm EST to get her.
AJ Brooks: the committee to go over the scheduling for future meetings
AJ Brooks: spans 8 times zones
Kali Pizzaro: hey i am happy to stay up for the roundatable -
AJ Brooks: so we are having some troubles with all meeting
Kali Pizzaro: of course
Anetha Gyranaut: Now is 8 am ish in Oz -- a lot of people will be available
AJ Brooks shows love to Kali
Kali Pizzaro: oh i am am such a teachers pet
AJ Brooks: Oz?
Kali Pizzaro: yuck haha
AJ Brooks: lol
Anetha Gyranaut agrees with Kali
AJ Brooks: Oz?
lizit Cleanslate: Australia
Anetha Gyranaut: Oz=Australia
Marc Rexen: Australians...the folks I ask if it's going to be a nice day for me, because there's is done.
AJ Brooks: why?
Alan Sandalwood: For me there is no problem, here it is 7pm.So, there is a lot of wriggle room.
Anetha Gyranaut might start a course in UK slang.
Alan Sandalwood: I need a refresher.
AJ Brooks: well - alan, you are south and not east or west
Marc Rexen: Derky...
AJ Brooks: why is OZ = Australia - what is the genesis of that?
Alan Sandalwood: @AJ yes
AJ Brooks: well - a little east :-)
Marc Rexen: All the good letters were taken?
Anetha Gyranaut: Pronunciation, more or less. o as in 'off'.
lizit Cleanslate: sound of the first 3 letters
AJ Brooks: AH
AJ Brooks: got it
AJ Brooks: I was thinking because it is such a magical place
AJ Brooks snickers
lizit Cleanslate: not that Oz
AJ Brooks: ROFL
Marc Rexen: Australians are so nice.
AJ Brooks: yes, they are
Anetha Gyranaut: well, Australia is pretty magical too
Alan Sandalwood: I`m marrying one
Anetha Gyranaut: I'll be spending next year there
AJ Brooks: wow - excellent - for both of you
Kali Pizzaro: i am going in October and meeting a person i met in SL
Kali Pizzaro: ohhhhhhhhhh
Anetha Gyranaut: Australia for romance!!!
Kali Pizzaro: noo not that kind of meeting you do not need to buy a hat
Marc Rexen: I am surprised at how many of these cross-continent get togethers there are.
Geoff Lumley is getting just a little jealous. . .
Profdan Netizen: Agreed, Geoff.
Alan Sandalwood: Wait for the next generation
Kali Pizzaro: oh Geoff come and see us in Glasgow
AJ Brooks: Folks, I'm going to bring my participation in todays meeting to a close a little earlier than normal. Please feel free to stick around and chat and Margaret, please keep the transcript until 3:30pm, more if you want, but not necessary. Next week our SPECIAL FIRST OF THE MONTH meeting will be an OPEN FORUM - bring your thoughts ideas and questions - but this meeting is special because the whole thing will be in VOICE CHAT!!!!!!!
Katie Fenstalker: (Glasgow has a lot to say for it.)
Jarrad Voom: I want to go to Australia
Geoff Lumley: Hey - I was in Glasgow in January
Margaret Michalski: Sure
Alan Sandalwood: Bye AAJ. Thank you as always
Margaret Michalski: Go home
Marc Rexen: What I think they say is that there really is sufficient "emotional bandwidth" for people to connect.
Katie Fenstalker: Thanks AJ and all.
Robin Mochi: yes, a SL meetup in Australia sounds good to me :)
AJ Brooks: well - its not raining at the moment and we have another cell rushing in
lizit Cleanslate: Thanks AJ
Robin Mochi: thanks, AJ
Kali Pizzaro: Bye Aj
Margaret Michalski: Thanks AJ
AJ Brooks: so I want to try to beat the storm
Katie Fenstalker: take care.
AJ Brooks: please do come next week for our voice special meeting everyone
Anetha Gyranaut: does that mean AJ might have a tornado????
Kali Pizzaro: indeed take care getting home
AJ Brooks: you guys rock - what a GREAT meeting
Anetha Gyranaut: bye
Marc Rexen: I watched the SloanC archive on image perfect avatars, and yet again, thos that look like people, work.
Margaret Michalski: I have had my share of being stuck in storms
Robin Mochi: heh, AJ, I'm on vacation about 15 miles from you...can't believe the weather here just for my visit - LOL
Xann Kanto: bye AJ
Marc Rexen: Thanks AJ.
AJ Brooks: Robin, where are you?
Zotarah Shepherd: Thanks AJ
AJ Brooks: and how long are you here for?
Profdan Netizen: feels like fall in Michigan, only low 60s.
Robin Mochi: Blairstown, NJ
Kali Pizzaro: oh i feel another Sl rl meeting coming on
Anetha Gyranaut: 25-30 C here!!!
Kali Pizzaro: hehe
Marc Rexen: Summer forgot to visit the US this year.
AJ Brooks: well - thats bit more than 15 miles. :-) But still, close enough to get the storms. lets catch up later, I'm going to run
Anetha Gyranaut: Cross the Atlantic!
lizit Cleanslate: You're welcome to ours
Robin Mochi: okay, bye now...yes, storms!!
AJ Brooks: /waves
Kali Pizzaro: we are roasting in Glasgow would you believe iggy is getting great weather
(IggyÕs Note: Upper 70s and moderate humidity in Yorkshire; I was on a long hike in the Dales during this meetingÉ/me sticks out tongue at Kali and says "Glasgow in 2012, lassie!')