Ontario Public Service Careers

Gosh, it's a very long time since I posted anything about the public sector in Second Life. And almost certainly the first time for the Canadian public sector. So without further ado, I give you Ontaria Public Service Careers, on the OPS Careers sim. OK, now while the Canadian public sector is (I think) a first for Slambling, it is most definitely NOT the first time I've looked at virtual recruitment. In fact, regulars are likely to be aware that I've covered many recruitment sims in the last year or so.

For reasons which in large measure escape me, virtual worlds are proving popular as potential recruiting grounds. I am not convinced, personally. Sure, the 'received wisdom' is that Second Life is great for recruitment - but that doesn't make it so. Despite having written optimistically in the past about using SL in this way, I now think differently. I was happy to go with the 'received wisdom' because it suited my hopes and aspirations to do so. However, I'm struggling to see how this is ever going to be anything more than a gimmick. By all means give it a go, and prove me wrong. I know my own company's efforts at inworld recruitment did actually lead to at least one person taking up a position. However, I do not believe that Second Life was pivotal to recruiting for that position. I would say that it can, however, provide a canvas for promoting your organisation and the roles that may be available.

But what about this site?

Broadly this seems to be the route being taken by Ontario Public Service (OPS). There is information relating to jobs in a number of areas, such as healthcare, science and business. Each area has its own building, with viewing rooms, some form of interactive activity and interview rooms. All the buildings also have kiosks with links to the OPS careers website. At the centre of the sim is an 'airport, which provides your arrival telehub. Basically, the site employs the device that you have just flown in and are now standing in the arrival hall, wondering where to go. Teleports will transfer you to your preferred location - or you can make your own way.

Nowee.org built the OPS website and according to information on their own website: "The Ontario Public Service(OPS) simulator in Second Life, built by our partner Architecture and Associates for the SL Agency provides the SL visitors with various activities meant to inform towards a panel of jobs offered by the OPS."

In terms of the build, I suppose I'm jaded after travelling for so long. The build quality is fine, but unexceptional. The tie-in with the website is good, and there are some nice touches, but it didn't have any 'wow factor' for me. One problem I did notice (at least at the time of writing) is that the general public seem to have 'object create' rights across the sim. As far as I could see, there were just a few plywood boxes lying around, but this could lead to bigger problems if not addressed.

Here's a few snaps for your perusal:

Second Astana - Virtual Kazakhstan Part 2

Following on from my post about Kazakhstan I thought I should see if I could track down Second Astana. As you will see from the picture show below, I was successful. In fact, it spans two sims: Astana and Astana City.

It still looks to be early days to me. Sure enough, the advertised Bayterek and Palace of Peace and Reconciliation are there, together with a domed palace (or is it a goverment building?) and a couple of pseudo-Stalinist concrete polit-buildings. By way of contrast, to show the Kazakhs' humble but proud beginnings, there is also a yurt and some horses. The pictures of rugs in the set below, come from inside the yurt.

In terms of interest and interactivity, the Bayterek tower offers the most. You can teleport to the top and experience a 360degree photo-panorama as seen from the building in the atomic world. Probably the closest I am likely to come to "being there". A rather unusual feature of the real building is a handprint of President Nazarbayev. Visitors to the tower are encouraged to place their palm against this handprint, as a metaphor for friendship and a sense of commonly shared humanity. Well... you can do the same here, if you climb the stairs to the top of the tower. The other buildings are just shells - with no access inside and, indeed, no insides to access.

But enough of such bagatelles - here's the photostream:

At the moment the site is more of a curiosity than anything else - but it will be interesting to see how it develops. I noticed that there is also a teleport to a range of Russian islands from here.

Icarus

As a Second Lifer who is also addicted to twitter ("I am Al Kronos, and I am a twitterholic") I find that I am in good company. Twitter seems very popular with SLers, for reasons I cannot fully fathom, though my theory is: it is not a microblog (as often portrayed) but rather a group of Special Interest Groups. Thanks to twitter (and more latterly Jaiku) I have met a number of people with SL interests, and this has translated into SL itself, where these same folk are now my friends in the virtual 3D world.

One such person is TerryAnn Antonelli. She has been posting "tweets" about the build work she and her partner, Deeeep Witte, having been doing at their home island: Icarus. I have read these with growing interest, since it seems they're doing some cool stuff - and I finally got around to paying a visit today.

There is a lot here for the visitor to take in, but you can ease yourself into Icarus by taking the guided tour aboard a metallic dragonfly (room for 2 apparently). This will take you on a leisurely tour of the main points of interest - but you might need to rummage on your own to get down into Hades, or indeed locate Heaven... (just like in RL, some might say)

This is a fascinating place - with so much happening in it. Yet it is a private build, part-funded by renting. The vast majority of the island is open to ramblers and rummagers, and handsomely repays the time you put in. Thanks to TerryAnn and Deeeep for their patience in answering my meandering questions - sorry I have not got round to mentioning: the Tree; the Holodeck; the VR room; the 3 suns; the main island itself. (But now I have... so that's OK) There's loads more I've missed - but then I don't intend to visit just the once - unlike certain commercial builds I could mention! So those things I have missed I will track down on future visits.

Anyway - enough rambling - here's the pictures:



Your hosts, one of the floating platforms, and a looming angel thingy:



In Heaven...


In Hell:


The route to Heaven or Hell can involve a resting place a bit like this - though hopefully not quite so Gothic in my case:

Hamburg Chamber of Commerce

You may have read recently that in April more Germans accessed Second Life than Americans. I have already noted on many occasions the number of Dutch builds in progress - and I have been particularly intrigued by the arrival of Dutch towns, such as Zoetermeer of Koolhoven. Well, not to be outdone by the Dutch, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce has decided that German towns also need representation in Second Life and have acquired an island. It is being constructed by German build company Metaboys - a new-looking 4-man team from Hamburg.

To quote liberally from the notecard I picked up:

• Hamburg Chamber of Commerce is one of Europe's oldest chambers of commerce, with a wealth of experience in international relations, commercial know-how, and democratic culture. And one of the youngest and most dynamic in terms of commitment for its members. It is the voice for the Hamburg business community and a partner, facilitator and representative for some 139,000 companies, that is a total workforce of about 849,000 people... [It] is the first chamber worldwide in Second Life.

Although the build remains at an early stage it is apparent that the island is divided into 2 principal areas - the Chamber of Commerce and the "Hamburg @ Work" initiative., which seemingly aims to bring together media, IT and telecommunications companies - although to what end remains something of a mystery to me.

Anyway... here's some piccies of progress to date:

Incidentally, this seems to be another of those sites that has been officially launched, even though it is a long way from completion. Why do people do that?

Music and Politics

The island of misneach is owned by SL group Four Winds Entertainment, who describe their mission as "to provide quality entertainment to SL residents." The island is under construction, but already has areas set aside for 2 bands:

• First up are The Invaders, a Milwaukee-based Ska band; I would never have associated Ska with Wisconsin.

• Then there is On A Sun, also from Milwaukee, who specialise in a blend of electronica and rock.

Beyond that, the island has a multi-floored dance block, a couple of outdoor screens and a beach area for more relaxing pastimes. Presumably as a bid to cover some of the expense of running an island, there is a small number of shops for rent. You are also invited to leave a tip in order to cheer up Sad Bob.

The build, which has a look of the able and enthusiastic amateur about it, clearly has a number of weeks before it is completed.

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Progressive Island is home to a number of... well... progressive organisations. It is the place to sign up for the YearlyKos Second Life convention in August (blogged before). It also hosts IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare); the Wes Clark 2008 election group; NTEN (Nonprofit Technology Network); Trellon - "a political consulting firm specializing in the Internet and New Media" - and a number of other, smaller micro-sites.

Construction is still in progress, mainly under Nobody Fugazi, with one building (at least) still to be be completed. The island is group owned by Team Trellon.

Cool Koolhoven

Well it looks like I'm back on a Dutch riff again. While pottering about tonight I came across the island of webattach and assuming I'd happened upon some kind of new media company, flew in for a closer look. It transpires that the island actually belongs(?) to the Dutch town of Koolhoven - which took some finding on the internet. Given the oddities of a Babelfish translation, my assumption is that the town is intended to appeal to nature-lovers and those of a green persuasion. In any event, I was able to work out that it has 2000 houses, and boasts good communications and sensitively combines public parkland with the housing.


The build is still in progress, with most houses now constructed (though looking rather bare). Towering behind the houses is a skyscraper that seems to boast just 2 floors. The ground floor provides information in Dutch about Koolhoven, while the first floor is home to a sparse board room.

Anyway, apologies for the brief nature of this posting. I will need to rely on my Dutch chum at Mindblizzard to actually make more sense of it!

In Search of Gold

During my recent trip to Sprint Center I noticed a curious building, looking like a cross between a ziggurat and a favela, on a adjacent island. My curiosity got the better of me and so, having hoovered up the info at Sprint, I flew over for a closer look.

The island is called Eldorado, and is dedicated to Latin American culture. The "ziggurat/favela" is hollow, and floats above a plinth, at the heart of which lies a set of video screens, showing short movies from across Latin America. As the supplied notecard put it: "journey through the pyramid and enjoy all the treasures of the Hispanic culture. View some Latin American aspirations and realities in these awarded shorts, created by the emerging film talent from México, Perú and Argentina. Brought exclusively to you by Cinema Tropical and The Vidal Partnership."

Outside, in the luhs tropical gardens, you will find a number of sculptures. The inspiration comes from the “Ruta de la Amistad”, the world’s largest corridor of sculptures in a public space, where artists of the five continents created 19 imaginative art pieces for the “Mexico 68” Cultural Olympics. (Unfortunately, I have not been able to track down a website that gives much information about the original sculptures)

I was particularly taken with the pyramid textures, which were worth the trip on their own. Hopefully the proximity to Sprint Center will encourage the curious to make the short hop and find out more.

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And just a quick "thank you" to Adri at Metaversality for the invite to last night's " KRTU Jazz for the Metaverse." KRTU , on 91.7 FM, provides jazz for San Antonio from Trinity University. Here's Adri grooving to Ella Fitzgerald:

It seemed to become a bloggers and twitterers convention - as often seems to happen to me these days! Unfortunately, I had to bow out early - the time difference between UK and Texas took its toll in the end - but not before I added some new SL friends and Twitter chumz.

Al goes Dutch

The Netherlands, with a population of 16.5million, are ranked number 5 in the latest statistics for SecondLife users released by Linden Labs. This disproportionate interest is reflected in the dizzying number of Dutch sites currently opening or under construction. I have already covered a number of these sites in this blog, so I will leave you to use the "Search" facility if you want to find out more. However, in my most recent rambles along the highways and byways of Second Life I have unearthed a few more sites, and some updates. After all, it's Springtime... ideal for pottering about among the tulips.

First off, the town of Zoetermeer has now opened its island. There is still space for some new features, but the structure is largely in place. There is a Stadhuis where visitors can browse and access a number of web pages, though my non-existent Dutch is not up to the job of figuring out what these are! Presumably, though, they reference the services and facilities offered by the town. There is also a meeting centre, offering a streamed video showcasing the town. The next feature of the island is a snow-clad mountain - not something you expect to see in Holland! However, this serves to promote the town's winter sports activity centre, SnowWorld. The last of the main features is an exhibition hall, featuring immersive, 360degree panoramas of various wild terrains - forests, mountains, lakes and glaciers. I'm not sure why it's there, but it's a cool place to visit (use "Mouselook" to get the most from it).

While rambling I also noticed a new island beloging to Sogeti Netherlands. The group website describes Sogeti thus: "We provide information technology services to businesses and public sector organizations. Sogeti employs about 15,000 employees in France, Belgium, Danmark, Luxembourg, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the international Capgemini organization, one of the world's leading providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services." The island appears to be at an advanced stage of construction, but is not open to ramblers. It is possible that this is intended as a private research island, for company use only, as Sogeti Netherlands have a strong involvement in web2.0 development and research.

Not to be outdone by ING and their Virtual Holland space, Dutch bank ABN Amro is expanding its presence in SecondLife. They are in the process of adding 2 employee islands, a seminars island, an events island and something called "ABN AMRO Beleggers." I put this into Babelfish, but got nothing for my efforts. The closest I can find through Google would suggest this means "investors" - which would make sense. Here's what investors will see:


But that's not the end of the ABN Amro story. There is a cluster of 6 islands labelled "0031", which turns out to be a new, and entirely virtual Dutch town called Schoondamme. It opened about a week ago, and is full of new residents building a typical (if stylised) Dutch small town. I've found some references (in Dutch) such as this. The town is a joint investment by ABN Amro and Randstad Uitzendbureau. Most of it is accessible (just follow the green dots on the map) , search for "0031" on the "map". A pretty place at the moment, but it helps if you are Dutch...


Finally, there is a Dutch-related piece of news from earlier in the week. The Amsterdam island, which has proved one of the most popular in SecondLife (hmmm... I wonder why?) has been sold on eBay for $50,000 - that's USD, not Lindens - here's the Reuters report. [I know it's not a Dutch build - but how could I ignore it?! ]

The Dope on Virtual Holland

Holland, what does it mean to you? Dope and red lights? Tulips and windmills? Well as you can see below, it is the latter of these stereotypes that has won the day in Our Virtual Holland. This newly opened collection of islands is a joint venture between the Dutch ING Bank and British virtual worlds building consultancy, Rivers Run Red. Incidentally, is ING ever going to open their own island to the rambling public? It looked complete months ago, but I've not been able to go there for ages. Thinks: maybe it's just me.... paranoid?... comes of smoking too many of them tulips.


The plan is for Our Virtual Holland to evolve into a virtual mini-state, and to this end they have been offering free parcels of land to would-be residents. Don't all rush to the website though - the offer closed on 21st March. Rather than churn out all the details here, I would refer you to this page of their website, which tells you everything you need to know (if not, try their FAQ). As is usual with SL that magic word for 2007, "Innovation", looms large. I will be interested to see what emerges.

Here is a map of the main land mass. The sim on the right is carved into plots of varying sizes (the circle indicates the windmill pictured above). I assume these regimented rows are for the use of new residents. Today, they are awaiting their new owners, and are largely bare. Many seem very small, and will surely push the inhabitants' ingenuity and innovation!

The central sim features a large building that in RL is presumably an apartment block. I feel I should recognise it - but I don't. If you know what it is, let me know and I will update this entry.

The central sim feature a large building that is a replica of the Amsterdamse Poort Office, a former ING head office located in Amsterdam Zuid-Oost [thanks for the info, Marcel]. In SL, this block contains a meeting/dancing area and an art gallery. There is a rooftop patio, for alfresco dining and escaping the hubbub in the dance area below.


Further to the West is an area of waterways, cycle paths and houseboats. On another sim there is a huge tulip (d'oh!) field. You can rent a strip of it and grow your own tulips for a small fee that goes to charity. I suppose advanced hydroponic greenhouses would not really fit well with the (slightly twee) image of The Netherlands being conveyed here. Oh... and of course, there's numerous bike hire stands.

The last sim currently resembles a map of Northern Holland and contains an office and the start of an orientation environment, still under development.

So what do I think? Well... the build quality is good, but more importantly, the idea is a novel one in SL, as far as I know. To lift a quote from their website: "OurVirtualHolland will be a place where people have the opportunity to create their own ‘Holland’. You can set up a small business, build a new house or design new products either on your own or together. We want to attract creative and entrepreneurial people and help you to explore the Virtual World. OurVirtualHolland will be a breeding ground for new ideas and initiatives on an international level. Communities will evolve, who will share experiences and work together."

You can read a list of planned resident ventures here, a report on the opening of the site.

No doubt old hands from Neufreistadt and other such venerable institutions will point out they've been doing this lark for ages. What I find interesting here, though, is that a large RL commercial organisation (ING) is driving this. In considering what they will get out of it, ING have already pre-empted my question: "ING is taking the virtual-world phenomenon seriously and expects that part of its future internet activities will become three dimensional... ING seeks to gain a better understanding of improvements it can make to products and services by assessing valuable feedback from inhabitants who will experience ING in Second Life."

So there you are. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.

NMC Meeting on 3D Net

Damn... I missed this: Daniel Reed, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, gave a live presentation yesterday on Computing the Future: The 3-D Net at the New Media Consortium in Second Life.

Fortunately for me and others who missed it, the presentation (a 32-slide deck) is available as a PDF file here, while there is also a set of pictures from the event on flickr. Also, you can download the mp3 of the presentation here.

Enjoy!

A Miscellany of News

Coming Soon to SL:
There's no convenient, catch-all header for these, other than they're all new islands in SL. I've got some stuff under development - but that won't post until tomorrow at the earliest. So I thought I'd better get these out into the blogosphere before I forgot about them.

Fiat Adventure
While tootling around the map to the East of BMW New World I spotted a trio of new islands, inaccessible to passing pedestrians and clearly not yet under meaningful construction: Fiat Adventure 1 & 2, and Fiat Brasil SL. A bit of Googling threw up this article and this one that may put some context around this. It looks like it is another instance of a manufacturer bringing a concept car into SL for our delight and delectation. Unless they have a horde of high-speed builders, I can't see it being ready in time for the Geneva Motor Show - but then, maybe that's not their objective. Anyway, I thought you'd like to know. The car was first shown at the Sao Paolo Motor Show in October 2006.

Vulcan SLU (South Lake Union)
A couple of new islands have appeared on the map as: Vulcan SLU and SLU2. These evidently belong to Vulcan - South Lake Union, a RL real estate company, based in Seattle. I must plead ignorance of the geography of Seattle, so I will have to trust to the SLU website when it tells me that SLU is one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Seattle, and is now occupied by all manner of hip people and organisations. And did you know? William E. Boeing flew the first plane he built over Lake Union. Yeah! Really!! Fact!!!

It will be interesting to see how this place develops. Clearly, it allows SLU to showcase their commercial and domestic properties - but whether that will get them sales is quite another matter.

Zoetermeer
I heard about this thru a Dutch colleague. Zoetermeer is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, with a population of around 120,000. It's name translates into English as "Sweet Lake". It has a history dating back to the 10th Century, and despite being a thoroughly modern city, it does retain some of the old village centre, including a clock tower dating back to the 1600's. Now Zoetermeer is claiming to be the first real city to set up a virtual counterpart in SL.

In their press release (in Dutch) the good burghers of Zoetermeer describe the intentions for their virtual city as including:

• Providing a place for citizens to meet and discuss


• The ability to offer city services after hours


• Increasing the “social cohesion”

There is more (in English) here. Incidentally, the island is open right now - but there is nothing there yet- which can only mean that the picture on the press release must be one of those "artist's impressions" :-)

NEWSFLASH: I've just scanned the new Eastern Continent - and another 20 sims have appeared! A quick reckoning puts it at over 110 sims now. Here's the unspoilt pastoral view in a sim called "Oathkeeper":