Vue Regional Planning Authority (VRPA) Meeting 1 - 23-April-2007 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Attendees: ---------- Aghlab Al-Attili (Edinburgh Stanford Link and Entrepreneurship MSc) Ian Graham (Management School) Fiona Littleton (E-Learning, Higher and Community Education) Hamish Macleod (Centre for Teaching, Learning & Assessment, Education) James Stewart (Research Centre for Social Sciences) Austin Tate (Informatics and AIAI) Morag Watson (Information Services) Objectives ---------- To act as a coordinating group for the development of the shared Virtual University of Edinburgh Second Life Vue island and surrounding areas. To promote the facilities to the wider University group interested in virtual worlds for education, research, knowledge transfer and collaboration. News and Progress ----------------- 12-Mar-2007 - Vue group established and decision to acquire an University of Edinburgh island in Second Life. Join in free here and come visit one of the existing Vue project locations in Second Life. 18-Mar-2007 - Vue Mailing List - University of Edinburgh staff, students and visitors may join in the initial mail group. For now, send a request to be added to the list to Austin Tate. 26-Mar-2007 - Top level University domain name vue.ed.ac.uk assigned to group. 29-Mar-2007 - A Vue Wiki is to be created as a pilot project under the University of Edinburgh Central Wiki Service which uses the Confluence Wiki Software. Initially, it will be run for the group by Anne-Marie Scott and James Stewart. 11-Apr-2007 - Second Life island with name "Vue" now available with Fiona Littleton of Education making the arrangements. 20-Apr-2007 - Initial meeting of the "Vue Maintenance Group" to begin development of the Second Life Vue island. 23-Apr-2007 - Initial meeting of the "Vue Regional Planning Authority" to discuss initial uses of the Second Life Vue island. Membership and Democracy ------------------------ Initial membership is largely self selected to begin the development process. It comprises a single representative (along with potential alternates) of the schools or offices most likely to be active in initial shared developments. Other members are those most likely to be able to assist in the early phases of the development of the Vue island. Initial Membership of Vue Regional Planning Authority is: Sian Bayne (alternate Fiona Littleton) (E-Learning, Higher and Community Education) Aghlab Al-Attili (Edinburgh Stanford Link and Entrepreneurship MSc) Ian Graham (Management School) Hamish Macleod (Centre for Teaching, Learning & Assessment, Education) David Richardson (Informatics Commercialisation) James Stewart (Research Centre for Social Sciences) Austin Tate (Informatics and AIAI) Morag Watson (Information Services) The plan is that in early 2008 a more democratic and representative arrangement for membership of the Vue Regional Planning Authority will be put in place. Island Managers One island "Owner" formally owns the island and handles billing from Linden Labs and any permissions needing charging, and "Estate Managers" can transact a number of management items related to use of the estate. Owner: Fiona Littleton - avatar Frank Lassard Estate Manager: Hamish Macload - avatar Kimberley Pascal Austin Tate - avatar Ai Austin Vue Maintenance A "Vue Maintenance" group has been formed to perform shared area terraforming and building to involve those people actually doing the initial shared island construction and zoning. Initial Vue Maintenance Group membership is: Aghlab Al-Attili - avatar ESLink Voom Fiona Littleton - avatar Frank Lassard David Richardson - avatar Davie Munro Austin Tate - avatar Ai Austin Budget and Financial Arrangements --------------------------------- The initial purchase of the island (US$1695 with 50% educational discount) and maintenance fees (currently $295 per month with 50% educational discount) for 12 months (to 10th May 2008) has been funded by Information Services (budget holder Nora Mogey). The island is "owned" in Second Life by Fiona Littleton - avatar Frank Lassard. Annual maintenance billing after the initial payment is to be handled via avatar Frank Lassard, who can request a purchase order instead of a credit card payment by e-mailing concierge@lindenlab.com one month in advance. The agreement with Nora Mogey is for Information services to fund maintenance of the island for 3 years initially to 10th May 2010. The maintenance arrangements will be reconsidered annually (by the VRPA) and rolled forward for further years with the agreement of Nora Mogey. If funding is terminated for any reason, the VRPA will seek an appropriate continuation strategy for anyone still actively interested in the facility. A further budget of $200 is available from Information Services. Requests for Plots on Vue Island -------------------------------- Island area 65,536 sq.m - possibly 32,768 sq.m could be built upon with a mix of low and high density developments. 15,000 primitives limit. For each plot the following headings were used for requests: Name: Avatar responsible: Avatar or Group owner name: Description of use: Area: Primitives Limit: Positioning: core island shared zone, rural area, enclosed classroom/box space, skybox, sandbox, off-island Type of building: high density/rise, low rise Height Restriction: height in metres above ground level. See the current list of requests at http://vue.ed.ac.uk/sl/vrpa/vue-plot-descriptions-2007-04-23.txt Plot requests were discussed and locations on the island for them considered. All requests as at 23-Apr-2007 were considered to be valid uses, including those for home offices and with external associates. But if pressures on usage change in future they may have to be reconsidered. The initial proposal for plots is shown at http://vue.ed.ac.uk/sl/vrpa/vue-plan-2007-04-23.jpg Plans for Vue Island -------------------- Initial terraforming, allocation to initial groups and set up of temporary plots for experimentation to be first priority. Have an initial Group Plot Developers Meeting in June to exchange experience, discuss constraints, avatar capacity, primitives use, build guidance, etc. Review arrangements in 2007. Use Vue Wiki to share experience and plans. Vue Usage Guidelines for Group Plots ------------------------------------ Shared island, always open, PG, no use of no entry areas, may block specific avatars causing grief, 5 minute object return for "all residents", no terraform Regional Development -------------------- The 8 adjacent island squares are only available to uses permitted by the owner of Vue. Currently, island are likely to be purchased by: a) Edinburgh-Stanford Link - within 2007 b) Alumni & Development - May 2007 - One island and 4 Openspace areas An outline plan of development would allow for: Informatics related areas to go to the NW Education related areas to go to the SW Management School related areas to go to the S Development and Alumni areas to go to the E Information Services, Support Groups, Library and Central University Offices to go to the SE Next Steps ---------- Initial terraform Make initial allocation of plots to individuals Experiment with numbers of concurrent people able to be supported on the island Arrange meeting in June 2007 for plot developers to exchange experience Review arrangements in September 2007 Encourage use of Vue Wiki Date of Next Meeting -------------------- To be arranged by e-mail.