Thing 23 Second Life

Here is an article written for an unnamed unpublished student magazine - it summarises my thougths about Second Life quite nicely.

The Law Library Goes to Second Life.
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The Vice Chancellor John “Yo” Yovich announced today that the Law Library (South Wing Level 3) has been completely uploaded to Second Life. All books, journals, computers and other resources including primary and secondary legal materials will be wholly and exclusively made available within Second Life Law Library (SLLL). Staff of the library are now Avatars based on known personality correlates. Anne GreenDragon roams the SL site as a fire breathing, statute burning dragon. Ian LeeChSlug appears as a misshapen troll who lives in the compactus and eats government publications and explanatory memoranda for breakfast, leaving a trail of slime. The now redundant physical space will be converted to a café and 10 minute massage zone. Shiatsu available by appointment. Pilates classes on the half hour. Equine horse chiropractic available Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Styling his own avatar after the Gangsta Rapper 50 cent (in an ironic tilt at his own salary) Yo had this to say following the momentous and historic announcement “Wass up Dog..if yo don’t study hard in d Second Life Lawbrary I am gonna slap yo silly and put a caplet of worming vaccine in Yo ass” (Although now a Vice Chancellor, Yo finds it difficult to completely dissociate from his veterinary roots.)

Really interact with your lecturers in Second Life Law Library. In real life you wouldn’t dream of dancing (Don’t ever confuse dancing with lap dancing or pole dancing. Not the same thing. But the goal can be the same.) with your lecturers. It could lead to all sorts of awkward legal discussions. (Including talks at the CSA)

In Second Life Law Library you can learn a lot while you dance with you lecturers. You can browse for books while you Boogaloo with Beven. Having thrown off the inane limitations of physical reality you can do the Mashed Potato with Mugambwa. And simultaneously and at the same time access digital journals and electronic periodicals and virtual serials.

It’s fun to do the Macarena with Moens and GoGo that extra mile. In SLLL check out the New Journals Display while you Shimmy with Shaw. Line dance with Lewins and learn lots about legal research. In a virtual law library doing the Hustle with Hall isn’t illegal, or even just in bad taste, it’s fun and educational. You can hustle and hunt through Hein-o-line. If you want, you can Tango with Thomas, whilst talking trash about legal citation technique. ChaCha with Charles while you certify yourself in Chinese law.

In a virtual Law Library virtually anything goes. But these things are off limits – uploading to Flickr any of the following photographs; sniffing a chair in the Law Library – sniffing your own armpit while reading case law (with the speech bubble saying “which one of these stinks?) – sniffing your mate’s armpit while thumbing through law reform commission reports – sniffing reprints of legislation and saying “Acts like Troy”.

In SLLL you can get a Facebook account. Spend a lot of time friending people you know, and strangers. Ignore some and stalk others to add spice to your relationships. Kudos (Kudos Scent Pour Hommes) to be the first to add Patty Chong as a Facebook friend. But remember if you ever do anything newsworthy, the West Australian will publish all of those things you wrote on friend’s walls drunk at 3.00am. Keep in mind, this is not UWA. You will need all the friends you can get when you want to get articles.

You know that peer reviewed journals are an anachronistic and outdated mode of publishing your thoughts. While in Second Life Law Library start Blogging. Let the world know your thoughts and more importantly your feelings. Blogging is a great way to prove to a wider audience not only what you know about law, but also what you don’t know about law.

In SLLL visit all of your favourite legal resources Lexist Sexist, Worst-A-Law, Hymn-On-A-line, Debased-A-Case, First-A-Punt, Dum-Law. These are all available 24/7 in SLLL.

It is all there is Second Life Law Library. No need to get out of bed. To paraphrase Timothy Leary, Turn on, Login in, Drop out.

Here’s two things you need to remember while in SLLL. Firstly, you can’t rely only on Wikipedia or Google to do your legal research. Secondly, even in Second Life Law Library, ironical is not a mineral supplement.

Thing 22 - Gaming - Gamizing Information Literacy

How we might we adapt our instructional material to better engage digital natives?

Heres one idea. Change the language used to more closely reflect that which is used by hard core gamers. Here is an example;

Original (taken from Guide to Legal Research).

How do I carry out effective legal research? (Original and really boring)

In order to carry out effective legal research, you need to know what resources are available, and when and how to use them. This guide will introduce you to the main types of materials found in a law library, concentrating in particular on Australian Legal resources.

Legal materials are divided into two types: primary and secondary sources. When carrying out legal research, it is generally better to start with the secondary sources. These will lead you to the main goal of your research, the relevant cases and legislation.

How do I max out my Score on effective legal research? (Gamed Version)

In order to carry out effective legal research, you need to know what health, weapons and ammo you have are available, and when and how to use them. This cheat will introduce you to the main types of friendlies and aliens found in a law library, concentrating in particular on paramilitary tactics to take out and neutralize Australian Legal resources, plus trolls, Morlocks and Boogers.

Legal materials are divided into two types: primary friendlies and secondary hostiles. When carrying out legal research, it is generally better to start accumulating ammo so you have as much firepower as possible. These will lead you to the main goal of your research, which is to kill or be killed and have fun along the way. Remember in cyberspace no-one need hear you scream. The relevant cases and legislation, probably don't apply in an interplanetary jurisdiction..

Thing 21 UBIQUITOUS VIDEO

Well UBIQUITOUS VIDEO is just about everywhere these days.


I did watch Jason Griffey bigwig showcase 2008 - video 2.0 which I thought was really quite clever in the style of presentation. Apart from the rather creepy background music that made me wonder if I was watching Darth Vader meets Silence of the Lambs. Sorry I'm so old.

So Blip.tv looks worth looking at.







Ustream
Well managed to drop into a basketball game by the Ouachita Christian Athletics... which was kind of weird. A lot of the content seems predominantly enter-tain-ment. Which makes for a big trawling job. And a lot of advertising. Nasty.

I seemed to have missed the Ustream tick off boat but am ticking off before I get ticked off.

Thing 18 Twitter

Well I can't recall who coined the term - I wish it was me - but digital diarrhoea about sums it up.

I suppose you could use it to get immediate feedback about how well (or badly) your class is going or do stream of consciousness research - oooh bad choice of words.

Computer says NO!

Thing 20 YouTube and Slide Share (comment)

Yes jolly good. That seemed rather easy - apart from having to squint to find the embed code in Slide Share.

In theory this should be really useful. In practice it should be really useful as well. But the key might just be well designed content, that is relevant and availablized to the right students. And finding a way to compete with the flotsam and jetsam of the internet. Information hides within itself.

Thing 20 YouTube and Slide Share

Here is a ABS video I found on YouTube - gosh it's educational - should be more of that





OK now to find a Slide share and stick that in

Opening Up Government Data

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: abs statistics)

Things 16-17 - Join Facebook, add Facebook friends

Facebook

I've had a FB account since the last 23 things. I don't have a lot of friends but a respectable number. Call me antisocial but it really doesn't do much for me. Perhaps I'm just not that interested in what others are doing. And as for being sent stuff - good grief!

It would however make a great sociology thesis.