Virtual World sig

Hello Virtual World SIG members.
March is shaping up to be a very active time for virtual world events.
We thought you might like to know about 2 additional events besides our regularly scheduled Virtual World SIG on March 23 (http://www.sdforum.org/vwsig).  Listed below in chronological order.

Hope to see you at the SIG and some of these other events!

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Monday March 9   5:30-7:30PM

“Virtual Worlds: The Hype, The Reality, The In-Between”

The emergence of social virtual worlds as a cultural and business phenomenon has astounded and mystified some, and excited and profited others. In these trying economic times, people are escaping to fantasy lands and adopting new online personas, businesses are profiting from the upsurge of people actively participating at many creative levels, investors are looking carefully at the returns for existing companies, and corporations are wondering how virtual worlds will make them money, while providing better service for their customers.

So what’s the hype, what’s the reality, and what’s the in-between, as this industry emerges?
Panel will feature:
Facilitator Glenn Von Tersch, Partner, TIPS Group
Panelist Anne-Marie Roussel, Microsoft
Panelist Robin Harper, Former VP of Marketing and Community Development, Second Life, Linden Labs
Panelist Steve Nelson, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer, Clear Ink
Panelist Susan Stucky, Research Manager, IBM
* Location: Microsoft, Galileo Auditorium. 1065 La Avenida, Building 1, Mountain View
* Event produced by:
http://www.fountainblue.biz/hightech.html

* Event page:  registration FREE through March 6  for SDForum members:
http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=162327

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Monday March 23   6:30-9:00PM

SDForum Virtual World SIG:  “Women at Work in Virtual Worlds”

A joint program of SDForum Virtual World  SIG and the SDForum Tech Women’s Program featuring a panel of women who build, create, and work in virtual worlds.
Panelists  will discuss their work in virtual worlds, commenting on how their perspective may differ from that of their male colleagues.  We are excited about the range of work these women represent including:
K. Estelle Dodson, NASA CoLab, on virtual worlds in science collaboration and education. Her work at NASA Ames Research Center in virtual research institutions includes telepresence, hyperwalls and meetings in Second Life and Qwaq.

* Orna Michael, Arts Devt. Director at Sims Studio  at  Electronic Arts, will discuss art and game development for the “Sims”, which is a simulation game of family, personal, career and personal development.
* Mary Duda,  CEO/President of VirtuePlay Inc. which is releasing a game  called “The Lunar Racing Championship ” (LRC) in late Spring 2009.
* Martha Russell, Associate Director of Media X at Stanford University.
* Robin Harper, formerly of Linden Lab

* Location:  Pillsbury Winthrop Office Silicon Valley  2475 Hanover Street Palo Alto, CA 94304-1114

* Event produced by:
This is the SDForum Virtual World SIG meeting http://www.sdforum.org/vwsig

* Event page:
http://www.sdforum.org/vwsig

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Monday March 30    7PM

“Virtual Worlds, the Origins and Evolution of a New Medium”

Like the invention of the motion picture in the late nineteenth century, the virtual world of the late twentieth century is a new way of human interaction. Of course, the Virtual World diverges from the medium of film in many important ways particularly in that it is not a passive medium, but is instead interactive and immersive—in which everyone is an actor.

For this special evening panel we have convened an in-person group of avatars of the medium of Social Virtual Worlds, in which the users create most of the spaces and interactions within them.

Organized and led by Bruce Damer,  Virtual Worlds pioneer, visionary and historian, and Virtual World SIG presenter!

* Location: Computer History Museum    1401 N. Shoreline Boulevard   Mountain View, CA 94043

* Event produced by: Computer History Museum

* Event page: http://www.computerhistory.org/events/index.php?id=