Virtual worlds are a bit strange really! I've seen it on programs like CSI where people's characters kill other people's characters and end up dead in real life and where people get married to other characters... seems it can be a bit all-consuming if not self regulated but i'm intrigued to see how this can fit in with the library side of life...
Ok the links from this course seem to focus on Second Life mainly which I've heard of but never been particularly interested in. It says that there is an Information Archipelago which contains 12 libraries although in the game, there are over 500 librarians and over 60 colleges have appearances in the game. I can see why it is useful to have a presence since some people spend a lot of time in these virtual environments so all ammenities are covered.
However... our college is a small, local, mostly vocational college and apart from the IT students, I can't imagine that many of our students have heard of second life or any of the other virtual worlds.
I quite like what the BBC has to say about it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8367957.stm
Youtube has some decent tutorials...
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/b72CvvMuD6Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The Time article is pretty funny really:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570827-2,00.html
The tutorial says it may be worth us siging up for a free basic account but my interest for Second Life stops at actually joining.
Virtual worlds may be the way that social intereaction is heading but for me, for now, no thnaks!
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