Caledon Oxbridge Q&A for 2016-07-24

15:00 Carl Metropolitan Welcome to Q&A With the Deans. This is our weekly open forum/staff meeting/question and answer period about Oxbridge. We can take any questions you have about Oxbrige, Caledon, and Second Life in general. We start by asking the various deans here if they have anything they need to share with everyone. Let's start with Phyrnne.
15:00 Phrynne I have a few things today
15:01 Phrynne First, I've adjusted the campus trees for midsummer -- some were set for an earlier season. And added a tree where it looked like we could use one, behind the entry building, with two cushions to sit on under it.
15:01 Rowan Entilles (rowan900) cool
15:01 Carl Metropolitan More trees are always cool
15:02 Phrynne I sent out notecards to last year's donors for the Advent Calendar, asking if they might be thinking of us again, and will follow that up soon. The theme is Home -- anything going in a house or yard -- but a few other things will fit into the list also. If you have ideas, please contact me.
15:03 Phrynne I'm also continuing to work at updating notecard for the FAculty Information Kit -- a lot of this is reference material about places to suggest to visitors, so the landmarks need frequent updating and checks.
15:03 Phrynne And along with these, I've been on the plaza helping people who come in. That's it for now
15:04 Carl Metropolitan Thank you Phrynne. That last part is a lot of work. I am copied on all the complete jerks she and her team have to ban every week!
15:05] Phrynne: Larky and I estimate that it's 2-5 people a week who are enough of a pain to need a vacation from Oxbridge.
15:05 Wordsmith Jarvinen A vacation not being forever.
15:05 Phrynne Fortunately, there are so many more who are a delight./
15:06 Phrynne No, not generally forever.
15:06 CaledonianNights hello dear. would you like a cookie? Just click my plate.
15:06 Phrynne I keep a calendar of people to unban after various lengths of time.
15:06 Menta Black (mentadent) lol
15:06 Carl Metropolitan In related news, our newbie flow seems to be continuing to trend down according to Marion Questi's stats.
15:07 Carl Metropolitan I'm going to give it a few more weeks, then consider some sort of active marketing for us.
15:07 Wordsmith Jarvinen Sometimes based on school vacation terms, sometimes on estimated memory/interest span.
15:07 Phrynne And summer vacations
15:08 Phrynne What sort of marketing, Word?
15:09 Carl Metropolitan That was my suggestion.
15:09 Wordsmith Jarvinen That was Carl.
15:09 Phrynne sorry
15:09 Carl Metropolitan I am thinking of possibly trying to locate posters for us at areas near where new users often rez
15:09 Phrynne asks the cat to get off the keyboard, please
15:10 Agatha Macbeth ^.^
15:10 RainyDayRecess :)
15:10 NERDGHOST (bla8z) :D
15:10 Wordsmith Jarvinen (and got back on the hot tin roof)
15:10 Phrynne Oh no! And burn her little pink paw pads?
15:10 Phrynne It's in the 90s out there.
15:10 Carl Metropolitan Another alternative, which would be a huge pain in the ass to do, but highly effective, would be to steal my own idea from NCI and create Oxbridge "InfoNodes" (i.e., mini-campuses) scattered around the grid to both provide help and bring new people here.
15:11 Elfbiter Skysmith (elfbiter) http://www.bitboost.com/pawsense/
15:11 Andrea Jones (andreajonesms) likes that idea
15:12 RainyDayRecess I like that idea too :)
15:12 Carl Metropolitan It is a good idea. I've done it before, so I know how much work it is!
15:13 Carl Metropolitan But it is something to consider if we need it.
15:13 Wordsmith Jarvinen Does that involve buying parcels Carl, or just posting signs in front years when no one is looking?
15:15 Andrea Jones (andreajonesms) the info hubs i saw were on land and large
15:15 CaledonianNights hello dear. would you like a cookie? Just click my plate.
15:15 Rowan Entilles (rowan900) hmmmm itinerant tutors at large?
15:15 Carl Metropolitan Buying parcels or managing donated land.
15:15 Carl Metropolitan https://mistletoeethaniel.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/petal_73_hanson_infonode_001.png
15:15 Phrynne Do you mean something more like a kiosk, Carl?
15:15 Carl Metropolitan http://s3.amazonaws.com/everystockphoto/fspid31/27/52/96/6/everystockphoto-2752966-o.jpg
15:15 Carl Metropolitan https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sluniverse.com%2Fsnapshots%2F257690.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sluniverse.com%2Fpics%2FSearch.aspx%3Ftag%3Dnci&docid=q27gKapGn3t_eM&tbnid=Xgd938wtjoNgdM%3A&w=1024&h=768&itg=1&safe=off&bih=816&biw=1247&ved=0ahUKEwinqN3sj43OAhVk3IMKHQkKDOwQMwgdKAEwAQ&iact=mrc&uact=8
15:15 Rowan Entilles (rowan900) i have seen those
15:16 Carl Metropolitan Those are links to three of the old ones.
15:16 Carl Metropolitan I think they are no longer active.
15:16 Carl Metropolitan NCI let the system kind of decay after I left.
15:16 Carl Metropolitan So they don't have nearly as many as they used to.
15:16 Andrea Jones (andreajonesms) i have seen a small kios sized one
15:17 Carl Metropolitan They varied in size depending on the land available.
15:18 Wordsmith Jarvinen I remember exploring a few, back when.
15:18 Carl Metropolitan Most were originally placed near LL InfoHubs and LL new user rezzing points.
15:19 Wordsmith Jarvinen Thinks of an Oxbridge airport lounge. Freshly baked information, steaming hot gossip...
15:20 RainyDayRecess :D
15:20 Carl Metropolitan Those have greatly changed, and LL moved towards having new users show up on areas they had full control over for the most part. So it would take research on the front end, too.
15:20 Carl Metropolitan Anyway, let's give Wordsmith a chance to talk now :)
15:22 Wordsmith Jarvinen Have mostly had an "away week", although some regular discussions with the Deans of Commons (i.e. Larky and Phrynne) on keeping the Oxbridge plaza at a learning ambiance.
15:23 Wordsmith Jarvinen Welcoming, but not let to go into chaos and too much background noise. Something we hadn't had to think of too much until recently.
15:24 Wordsmith Jarvinen Other efforts are staying out of world and catching up on commitments.
15:25 Wordsmith Jarvinen Related to Caledon and Oxbridge.
15:27 Wordsmith Jarvinen Phrynne might concur (or not) but we do have hours that the influx is smaller and for which we don't have tutor coverage. Right now, that's just a fact.
15:27 Phrynne I would agree.
15:29 Phrynne takes another cookie.
15:30 Wordsmith Jarvinen Seems time for questions.
15:30 Jorge Serapis What's the status on the CAT scripts, Word?
15:32 Wordsmith Jarvinen I just that the engine one I have is the one currently in the COLT, went through and reviewed what I'd done on the watchtower (made a few slight changes), feeling awake and alert to hit the rest later today.
15:32 Rowan Entilles (rowan900) cool!
15:33 Jorge Serapis ETA, then?
15:33 Wordsmith Jarvinen That's one of the major "commitments".
15:33 Rowan Entilles (rowan900) soon i can ride on it and take memorable photos
15:33 Carl Metropolitan That's great news.
15:33 Carl Metropolitan Next question?
15:33 dartfelddragoon Are you guys the head people of SL?
15:34 Wordsmith Jarvinen Let me answer that for you Tues morning after I've hit the other scripts. They seem simpler to manage than the watchtower.
15:34 Wordsmith Jarvinen No, only of Oxbridge.
15:34 Jorge Serapis Tueday morning it is, then.
15:35 Wordsmith Jarvinen Sorry for the delays Jorge. It has not slipped my mind.
15:35 Carl Metropolitan Second Life is run by Linden Lab, a company based in San Fransisco California
15:35 dartfelddragoon I am not not sure if this a question to be asked hee but do you know of anyone hiring?
15:35 Carl Metropolitan We are just ordinary residents like the rest of you all.
15:35 Carl Metropolitan http://www.lindenlab.com/
15:36 Wordsmith Jarvinen Hiring in SL or RL?
15:36 dartfelddragoon SL
15:37 Phrynne We don't generally recommend getting a job in SL. The pay is terrible.
15:38 Carl Metropolitan The people who make money in SL are skilled content creators (clothing, houses, furniture, shoes, jewelry, etc) or large landowners.
15:38 Carl Metropolitan Most SL businesses are only hobby level; many don't even break even.
15:39 Wordsmith Jarvinen A good scripter teamed with a clothing or other creator might do well. Otherwise it's pretty much an artisan economy.
15:40 Carl Metropolitan Also, 95% of all clubs in SL lose tons of money.
15:40 Carl Metropolitan Even adult clubs.
15:41 Wordsmith Jarvinen (wonders if gold dust seeps through the floor boards....)
15:41 lovejoy2199 Paint Your Wagon
15:42 Jorge Serapis Any word yet from Lindal about the tutorial textures?
15:43 Carl Metropolitan I thought you were in touch with her? Did that fall through?
15:43 Wordsmith Jarvinen We were discussing that in email between the deans this morning. Multiple ones of us have asked that it be done.
15:43 Jorge Serapis I've sent several Ims and emails to her. no reply.
15:43 Phrynne So have I.
15:44 Wordsmith Jarvinen I'll catch her "in person" again and "ask" again.
15:44 Carl Metropolitan I have asked her too
15:44 Carl Metropolitan In person (SL) and via email
15:44 Carl Metropolitan I'm not sure what is going on.
15:45 Wordsmith Jarvinen Were you getting any responses, Carl?
15:45 Carl Metropolitan I got a response via email that she was going to send them to him
15:46 Jorge Serapis .. and when was this missive dated?
15:47 Carl Metropolitan At least a month ago.
15:47 Wordsmith Jarvinen My discussion was a few weeks back. I'll include trying to find out what's going on.
15:49 Badass Fae (larkylouz) The project she was doing where there were books summarizing the orientation? I may have that wrong? She was working with a woman who wasn't on staff to do that? I thought it sounded like a good project. Is that inplace?
15:50 Wordsmith Jarvinen We haven't had much information from Lindal recently at all. I don't know.
15:51 Carl Metropolitan She was on today
15:51 Carl Metropolitan She's been doing her classes.
15:51 Carl Metropolitan I just sent her an email
15:51 Carl Metropolitan Lindal,

I need to get copies of your source files (PSD, PSP, AI, etc) for the Oxbridge Tutorial Textures you have created, as soon as possible. We are going to have them translated into Spanish and Portuguese for new users. We also need to have copies to update if something were to happen to you.

If there is an issue preventing you from handing out copies, please let me know so we can work out a solutions.

Thanks,

Carl
15:52 Jorge Serapis The multilingual kiosk project, Larky.
15:52 Carl Metropolitan Deans were CCed on it.
15:52 Badass Fae (larkylouz) That *was* related to what you've offered to do? I thought so. For what it's worth, I really want to see that happen and I thank you for doing it.
15:53 Elfbiter Skysmith (elfbiter) RAvelli was scripting some of it, I think
15:53 Carl Metropolitan I am sorry. I thought you had them over a month ago.
15:53 Phrynne Having the tutorial in Spanish and Portuguese would be wonderful for the tutors and others helping people on the plaza -- because there are fewer help areas in those languages thanthere used to be, and most are not General. We cannot send younger visitors - under 18 years - to Moderate sites.
15:54 Jorge Serapis I'm working on the Spanish translation, and a RL Portugese friend has offered to help with the Portugese translation.
15:54 Wordsmith Jarvinen And the ones that do exist aren't stable.
15:54 Jorge Serapis Ravelli has geared the kiosks to be language adaptable.
15:55 Jorge Serapis All that's holding things up is Lindal.
15:55 Wordsmith Jarvinen They are rather like quantum particles that only locate in a particular place when observed.
15:55 Phrynne Virtual Spain, for instance, is listed as General but is Moderate -- it was bought by someone else as a real estate project, and now has no help area at all.
15:56 Phrynne Ajuda SL Brasil has moved repeatedly; it is now Moderate, though a General area is nder construction.
15:56 Andrea Jones (andreajonesms) The Patron Program. How many people do we need to fill in the ranks again?
15:56 Badass Fae (larkylouz) I think Ajuda SL Brasil is working on a comprehensive General orientation. Last time I checked it was still closed
15:56 Andrea Jones (andreajonesms) The Patron Program. How many people do we need to fill in the ranks again?
15:56 Badass Fae (larkylouz) I think Ajuda SL Brasil is working on a comprehensive General orientation. Last time I checked it was still closed
15:59 Andrea Jones (andreajonesms) and may i ask on how the search is going for people to fillthe deans positions here?
16:00 Wordsmith Jarvinen Ostensibly, with Brace as Dean of Development, the openings that remain are Dean ans Asst Dean of Engines.
16:01 dartfelddragoon And what do those positions requre?
16:01 Wordsmith Jarvinen Engines translates to infrastructure scripting.
16:02 dartfelddragoon oh I do not even know how to script period yet lol
16:02 Wordsmith Jarvinen Basically, inworld and web scripting plus a fair knowledge of Oxbridge.
16:03 Badass Fae (larkylouz) How does LSL compare to RL programming languages? Is it similar to say, Javascript or C+ or some other RL version?
16:04 Carl Metropolitan It is close to C
16:04 Wordsmith Jarvinen The syntax is in some ways "C" like, but event-based. It also lack things like direct indexing. of lists.
16:05 Agatha Macbeth never got further than ZX BASIC
16:05 Carl Metropolitan Keep in mind it was put together essentially over a long weekend by Cory Ondreku
16:05 Carl Metropolitan So it's not the greatest computer language ever :)
16:05 Badass Fae (larkylouz) Ah. Point taken. :^)
16:05 Elfbiter Skysmith (elfbiter) has forgotten most he knew about assembler...
16:06 Wordsmith Jarvinen And it's only way to "write" information is to upload it onto the web.
16:06 Rowan Entilles (rowan900) still remembers parts of z80 assembler
16:06 dartfelddragoon Would it be alright if I went brb or should I leave here?
16:07 Badass Fae (larkylouz) The meeting is almost over, Dartfelddragoon
16:07 Badass Fae (larkylouz) And you don't have to tell us if you leave.
16:07 Wordsmith Jarvinen But there are no rules as to coming and going.
16:07 Carl Metropolitan We are over the time limit anyway, so we can leave if you all like.
16:08 Wordsmith Jarvinen Thanks you all for coming. It would be dull without you.
16:08 Phrynne Yes, we would sit here telling dreadful puns.
16:09 Rowan Entilles (rowan900) good night elf!
16:09 Phrynne take care, Mr. Elfbiter
16:09 Elfbiter Skysmith (elfbiter) Okay, I think I have to try to get some sleep now
16:09 Wordsmith Jarvinen And listening to cricket boxes.
16:09 Rowan Entilles (rowan900) rest well
16:09 RainyDayRecess 'Night Elf :) take care
16:09 Badass Fae (larkylouz) Good night, Mr Elfbiter.
16:09 Elfbiter Skysmith (elfbiter) Be seeing you
16:09 Badass Fae (larkylouz) None of the puns in Oxbridge are dreadful! How dare you?
16:10 Badass Fae (larkylouz) snickers
16:10 Rowan Entilles (rowan900) they grow well at all times of the year
16:10 Phrynne Once there was a man who grew fruit, but could not pay his taxes...
16:10 Phrynne He tried to hide the best of his crop in a wagon -- one enormous piece of fruit ...
16:11 Phrynne But the tax man came, and found the wagon. The farmer, at wit's end, said, "Isn't that the biggest thing you ever saw? It won first prize at the fair!"...
16:11 Phrynne And the tax man said, "I come to seize your berry, not to praise it."
16:12 Rowan Entilles (rowan900) hahhahahhaah
16:12 Rowan Entilles (rowan900) bravo!
16:12 Phrynne goes back to hide under Shakespeare
16:12 Badass Fae (larkylouz) doesn't get it and thinks she needs her dinner.
16:12 Agatha Macbeth throws a bench@ Phrynne
16:12 Carl Metropolitan Goodnight everyone!
16:12 Wordsmith Jarvinen He was going to unberry the farmer?
16:12 Rowan Entilles (rowan900) from Julius Caesar
16:12 Badass Fae (larkylouz) LOL Carl
16:12 RainyDayRecess :D
16:12 Carl Metropolitan I'm off to hide in my office.
16:12 RainyDayRecess That was great!
16:13 Phrynne Marc Antony's speech over Caesar's body -- "I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him"
16:13 RainyDayRecess Oh, take care Carl :)
16:13 Rowan Entilles (rowan900) i think i'll go back to roma and shake my spear, or my Pilum
16:13 RainyDayRecess Ooooo, good one Phynne
16:13 RainyDayRecess *Phrynne
16:13 Badass Fae (larkylouz) Ok. I"m merely uneducated, not losing my grip on puns. Good one, Phrynne.