I have just attended a planning session about using the virtual world Second Life for activism which took place, quite appropriately, inside Second Life itself. The picture here (click for larger version) shows a few of the Second Life activists who met up an ornate virtual meeting room. That’s me with the grey hair and t-shirt.
Second Life is getting a lot of attention these days, and there are all sorts of different marketing and promotion pieces popping up in this virtual world - from international NGOs, to political candidates, to progressive magazines and book clubs … Our meeting was to look at the best approach to Second Life for an international activist organization.
Here are some of my notes from the session:
- Our activists and volunteers are already starting to set up their own things here, so we should try to help and guide them. We’re considering holding regular virtual meetings inside Second Life for volunteers who want to help out.
- Building permanent structures (buildings. kiosks, virtual offices, etc.) can be risky - either they end up being empty most of the time, or they can be defaced. See: here and here.
- Holding virtual events could be an easier place to start - they are more fun, more campaign focused, and offer greater chances for interactivity with visitors than a few brochures sitting on a virtual table. Ideally we should choose a campaign event that is already planned to happen in the real world, and then organize a parallel event in Second Life - that way we can benefit from all of the other promotion and marketing.
- Virtual clothing, such as t-shirts, are a great way to give people something that promotes our presence in Second Life. (in the photo, I’m wearing an IFAW virtual t-shirt - perhaps they should consider putting their logo on both sides …)
- We might want to use the approach of street canvassers, at our own or other events, and try to engage people to talk about our campaign or organization. We could ask people to sign up for our enewsletter (maybe a special Second Life edition?) and to make a donation. (The American Cancer Society has made virtual donation boxes to collect contributions in Second Life)
By the way, if you are looking for me in Second Life, my name is Shaker Otoole.
