The day is done

Events organised: 4 (good); Events taking place: 4 (good); No. of lines types into ISTE IM rather than local chat: 12 (approx) (bad)

Had long day in SL, since today was the information literacy mini-festival. List of things done includes:

- Presentation slides converted into jpegs, renamed, uploaded to SL and copied into presenter: 26 (actually uploaded them twice, so is 2x26, since first time forgot to make thge jpgs full perms and this was quicker than changing 26 permissions by hand)
- Customised teleporters created (with links to 4 venues and 1 tour site): 1
- Boards with notecard containing programme: 1
- Customised teleporters and notecard boards placed: 6 of each, at actual venues, and 2 key landing points
- Notecards created for own presentations: 2
- Posters created with weblinks: 2
- No. of notices and IMs sent out advertising events: lots

- Time spent deciding on conference outfit: suprisingly little, which is perhaps why ended up with something of a Scottish Widows look.

Anyway all was ready by 7am SL time which is when own presentation on "Information Literacy for 21st century Life" started. Had also had nice conversation with someone who was at the INFORUM conference but who hadn't talked to in RL. Audience included people from good number of countries including Italy, Poland, USA, UK and Czech Republic.

Low point was start. Whereas in RL when giving presentation have some moments to gather thoughts and ready self for speech, in this case was worrying til last moment about whether everyone had found the venue, could get notecard etc. etc. Anyway, introduced self and mini-conference in text chat, but had been rattling on for some time when had gentle IM which alerted me to fact that had been typing away into the ISTE group chat, rather than local chat. Mortification. ISTE has about 5000 members so that is a lot of potential spam, although at least at that time of day there are fewer people inworld.

Anyway, things could only brighten up after that. Was basically giving this presentation, minus a few slides to make sure it was within time, and it seemed to go ok. Afterwards some people continued on to Sakura House where talked about some other sessions at the 2 RL conferences had been at.

Pi Illios' health literacy sessions (in Spanish at 9am and in English at noon) were successes: I joined in the English language one only, since my Spanish is confined to words like "Hola" "Gracias" and "Merluza a la plancha" (grilled hake), though I also know the Spanish for information literacy.

Relaxed at end of day by sitting in my 60s home, buying some parasols (from a gatcha, so cheap) and posing in one of AM Radio's installations. Finally did some tidying up on Infolit and changed the advertising board for the next multi-event, on 19 June. So soon will be hey ho for another round of advertising and goody bags. Have already collected something that gives you a wearable balloon in the shape of a cherry blossom, sure that will go down a treat with delegates.

Eyes redux

Eyeballs reappearing: 2 (v. good)
Happy news, but makes me look rather an idiot (hey, nothing new there). After handcrafting previous post on sad loss of Indigo eyes, logged in and - they aren't lost any more! When I wear them, they appear! Which is great, but doesn't explain why they didn't work (and I tried them a few times) yesterday. Thinking about it, there wasn't the "missing from the database" message I got with "My Body Small Feet", so evidently wasn't a missing texture problem.
Anyway, here are both the Miriel Winter eyes (which you would have been hard pressed to see properly in my last pic) on the left, and the Miriel Indigo ones, on the right. As you can see, they are both very attractive. It is a shame Miriel decided to retire.

Back to work, hurrah (or not)

Talks given about SL: 1 (good); Weeks since operation in RL: 8 and a bit (good); Hours spent using SL with a mobile 3G stick: several, but not whilst attending Eduserv/CETIS conference in case it sucked all the 3G goodness out of Andy Powell's stick

Is in fact now just over week since gave talk at Eduserv/CETIS event on Maximising the effectiveness of virtual worlds in teaching and learning. This was held at Strathclyde University in Glasgow and was first time had been more than 2 miles away from home in London for 7 weeks, so was Big Adventure. Felt knackered the next day, but was glad had gone as good event with lots of people there. Powerpoints and (when possible) audio was streamed into Eduserv conference centre in SL. In pics above you see me there after the event. To see what it looked like at the time, see http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=cevw09

In SL had dressed in fetching blue garb for conference, but
a) failed dismally in changing Internet Options so as to pick up the Strathclyde University wifi signal on my laptop;
b) even if had succeeded, was instructed that using SL via this wifi was forbidden;
c) noticed that Eduserv whiz Andy was using a 3G mobile stick to stream stuff into the SL Eduserv, and did not wish to disrupt this, so refrained from using my own 3G device. Noted in passing that his stick is bigger than my stick, so perhaps his would have won anyway in competition to suck up all the 3G signal (can see that my understanding of how mobile phones work is at sub-bluffer level).

Am now in Sheffield, bit of a shock as instead of e.g. partaking of exquisite lunch prepared by better half and then settling down for quiet doze whilst listening to Radio 4 or watching the 2.30 from Lingfield*, I am now having to revise module outlines, chair Teaching Committee, mark dissertations and circulate guidance on wordcounts for individual and group work for both 15 and 20 credit modules in line with university recommendations as stated on the E1 form. Yay.

Anyway, scarcely need to say much about the Eduserv/CETIS event as all you might need to know is on the wiki at http://wiki.cetis.ac.uk/CETIS-Eduserv-VW2009 , including my own powerpoint and voicecast that have not yet dared to play. At least with an audio file you can't see me waving my hands around as if fending off attack from demented bats. However, having said that, I did take some notes, so will recount these in subsequent entry.

Got own talk over with unexpectedly early, since Silversprite, due to speak first, was taken with a RL nosebleed that did not stop. He arrived at lunchtime so were able to swap medical stories. Discovered that I was nervous about speaking, so actually relief to get it over with. Met a couple of people that had previously only met in SL, e.g. Fire Centaur, and also a North American colleague who had not seen for years and who is spending a sabbatical investigating virtual worlds which sounds fun. Will leave any description of actual content of presentations to next posting. May blog a few non-work items in between.

* Lingfield is a RL all-weather racecourse, BTW, where racehorses of generally moderate ability compete for risibly low prize money.

Merry Xmas

Journeys outside house in RL in last month to visit hospital/nurse: 6 (bad); Other journeys outside house: 0 (v.v. bad); No. of vists to SL: 4 (sad); No of dresses bought in SL: 2 (good going, considering)

In RL am recovering from appendix operation but taking ages to heal and therefore still pootering about like lame duck. However last time nurse said wound was granulating, which appeared to be positive thing so soon may be hey-ho for non-medical perambulations (hurrah) and then hey ho for return to work (hmm).
Have had a few brief forrays into SL and in last ones purchased 2 Christmas dresses, a set of antlers and a flopsie shoulder rat plus grabbed a freebie Xmas stocking. Here I am in one of the dresses and clutching the stocking (from Schadenfreude, v. good value and when you or anyone touches it it gives v. jolly gifts, and it is colour change too).
So, a slightly belated Xmas to all, and a happy 2009.