RubyConf in Second Life?

Ruby
21

Hi –

On Wed, 9 Aug 2006, John L. wrote:

in helping to set this up.

I don’t really know my way around Second Life all that well, and I
know that there are some Ruby folk who are already hanging out there -
perhaps we could marshal our forces to make this happen?

Thoughts would be welcome,

I tend to agree with Jim W. that I’m not clear what the advantages
are. I should probably state a couple of things, from the organizers’
perspective – which I hope will help, though please keep in mind that
I don’t really know what Second Life is. (I’ve tried to learn a little
since getting your email [which is why I hadn’t responded to you] but
I’ll go ahead and answer in ignorance :slight_smile: So I’m reacting to the kind
of thing I think it is, and the issues I think it would raise. If
I’m wrong, please fill me in.

We’re almost certainly not going to want AV feeds, other than the
official conference ones, set up during the conference. It’s
logistically difficult, and would also raise the issue of allowing
another feed for another purpose, and another, and so forth. We’re
not in a position to go down that path, I’m afraid.

The bandwidth issues that Jim W. raised are also a concern. Getting
connected at conferences is always a challenge… and the lower the
ratio of bandwidth to constituency served (e.g., with IRC), the
better.

In general, we want the in-person conference experience to be the full
in-person conference experience. Again, I’m saying this based on what
I think SL might be, rather than what it actually is or isn’t… but
my concern is that the expectation would be raised that whether you’re
at the conference or not, you’re fully participant in the Q&A sessions
and so forth. We don’t want to raise that expectation. We may handle
Q&A by having people queue up for a microphone, or by raised hands, or
questions submitted in advance by attendees, or whatever – and those
logistics are going to be handled based on the in-person event and the
people who are there.

That’s my current take on it – with the important disclaimer about my
ignorance included :slight_smile:

David

22

John L. wrote:

I think that if we do go ahead with this that it will have to be in
such a way that we set realistic expectations for folks attending in
SL as well as working within the constraints of the technology.

I’m still wondering what exactly the SL folks will be getting out of the
conference. I’m assuming there will be an audio feed. Will there be a
video feed as well? How about slides, will they be visable? What kind
of interaction will there be between attendees and the SL folk? Between
presenter and SL folk?

– Jim “planning on attending the SL Ruby meeting next week” Weirich

23

Jim W. wrote:

of interaction will there be between attendees and the SL folk? Between
presenter and SL folk?

– Jim “planning on attending the SL Ruby meeting next week” Weirich

I’m wondering the same.

Also: When/where’s the meeting? How do I find it?

Hal

24

For another look at how things happen in Second Life, check out this
movie of John Hockenberry of The Infinite Mind with Suzanne Vega
performing live in Second Life: http://www.blip.tv/file/57262

I spent some time walking around the offices of The Infinite Mind -
they’re floating 602M above ground. A Second Life resident gave me a
lift up there on his jet plane / flying saucer thing.

I’m spending way too much time in here already … :slight_smile:

-John

25

John L. wrote:

For another look at how things happen in Second Life, check out this
movie of John Hockenberry of The Infinite Mind with Suzanne Vega
performing live in Second Life: http://www.blip.tv/file/57262

I spent some time walking around the offices of The Infinite Mind -
they’re floating 602M above ground. A Second Life resident gave me a
lift up there on his jet plane / flying saucer thing.

I’m spending way too much time in here already … :slight_smile:

Omigosh. Do you know what a huge Suzanne Vega fan I am?
Thank you for pointing me to that.

Hmm. Now I’ll be spending time here, too. :slight_smile:

Hal

26

Hi –

On Thu, 10 Aug 2006, Jim W. wrote:

John L. wrote:

I think that if we do go ahead with this that it will have to be in
such a way that we set realistic expectations for folks attending in
SL as well as working within the constraints of the technology.

I’m still wondering what exactly the SL folks will be getting out of the
conference. I’m assuming there will be an audio feed. Will there be a
video feed as well? How about slides, will they be visable? What kind
of interaction will there be between attendees and the SL folk? Between
presenter and SL folk?

I think we’re just going to be recording the event, not streaming it.
(See my other post regarding not having extra sets of AV equipment in
the venue.) As for interaction between people who are there and
people who aren’t: the whole thing is conceived and planned and
executed as an in-person event (a format we do not consider obsolete
:slight_smile: and we’re really not looking for ways to make it transparently
available in real time to people who aren’t there. I could imagine
planning a “virtual” gathering, and that it could be quite
interesting, but RubyConf isn’t it.

David

27

Hal F. wrote:

…
Hmm. Now I’ll be spending time here, too. :slight_smile:

Is the book done?

:slight_smile:

–
James B.

“Inside every large system there’s a small system trying to get out”.
- Chet Hendrickson

28

James B. wrote:

Jim W. wrote:

As I said, the SL idea sounds cool, but I’m not sure what the
advantages are.

?? Advantages? It’s a COOL TOY!

Gosh Jim, what else is there?

And coming from a guy that used Zelda to teach
us continuations no less!

29

I think you’re probably right about this David. The bandwidth
requirements of SL are really high. It would be hard to have RL
participants interacting with SL participants - it would become much
more of a ‘broadcast’ medium.

That said, playing recordings of RubyConf in SL would be a realistic
option, right? So while not simulcast, it could be a time-delayed
event in SL. Based on feedback from that we could see whether it would
be effective to try a simulcast sometime in the future (from someplace
with effectively infinite bandwidth like a University).

Cheers,
-John