The Metaverse Tribune: Interview with Glitteractica Cookie on Nonprofits in Second Life Interview with Glitteractica Cookie on Nonprofits in Second Life ================================================================================ Nazz Lane on 01 August, 2008 05:32:00 "Hello Nazz and welcome to our meeting. Please, have a seat and listen in. It's an open meeting and everyone in SL is welcome." Glitteractica said and then continued: "You're the reporter who had left me an IM wanting to do an interview, is that right?" "Yes it is, perhaps we chat for a bit after the meeting." I replied. She agreed and then turned her attention to greeting the arriving meeting attendee's. The session started promptly at 8:30 PDT (SLT) and at its peak, thirty-five participants, representing primarily North American and European organizations were in attendance. The general theme of the meeting is one of information sharing, learning and activity coordination between the nonprofit representatives in attendance and the TechSoup management team. Glitteractica and her assistant Penguin Kuhn facilitated the nearly hour and a half meeting, deftly working through each of the agenda items. After the meeting, she and I exchanged dates and times for an interview session. The meeting with Glitteractica occurred on Tuesday the 29th and like the weekly NPC meeting, we began promptly on time at the TechSoup Headquarters in Second Life. Having seated our virtual selves, I began the interview with my first question. NL: How was it that you'd come into SL? GC: I started in SL a few years back, in fact it's going on three years now and my first introduction was as a focus group participant with Linden Labs. I'd been an on-line community manager in San Francisco with TechSoup and when introduced to SL, I thought this is where I want to be. At that time, I didn't see where nonprofits in SL were being effectively managed and coordinated. I realized some one should do it in SL and I volunteered. It was a weekend job at first, but has evolved into a full time one now. NL: What is your role with TechSoup? GC: I've been with TechSoup for about nine years as Senior Manager for on-line communities. In SL I am the TechSoup Group Owner and I manage the Nonprofit Commons organization and SIM's. Let me pass you two note cards Nazz, they'll tell you more about TechSoup and what we do here. People are free to stop by anytime and pick them up to find out more about us or they can visit TechSoup's Web site and the FAQ's page which will explain all of what TechSoup does in SL and why we do it. By the way our www.nonprofitcommons.org gets on average of 1,615 unique visitors a month. NL: I did want to compliment you on your facilitation of last Friday's meeting. I thought it very well run. How long have the meetings been going on and what representation have you had from outside of North America and Europe? GC: The meetings have been an ongoing part of our operations here since we started. We've had over two hundred and ninety four avatars attend them with the average attendance being forty. The avatars come from across the world including: Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Japan and South Africa. The meeting record, which is the chat history, we make available on-line for those who couldn't attend or for those who are just interested in what nonprofit commons is doing. NL: I met with Ronnie Rhode and Anika Pastorelli a week ago, Anika had mentioned doing a study for TechSoup, what was the motivator for doing the study? GC: The study is an impact analysis of what is going on with the Nonprofit Commons. Anika volunteered to do the study for us. She has done some similar work in RL for the Giving Circle Network so she has the skills to do it. I'm looking forward to seeing and using the results for our ongoing plans for serving the nonprofit community in SL. NL: What would you say have been your key successes? GC: Good question. I'd have to say that obtaining the donation of SIM's would be one of them. I met Anshe Chung at an SL Conference and I gave my vision speech and the response was "What if I gave you an island." This SIM, NPC 1 was donated by Anshe Chung Studios. We have a third SIM coming soon, it will be sector specific, all environmental nonprofits and be called "Eco Commons". Having the islands has enabled us to concentrate the nonprofits in a central location and facilitates them meeting with each other to share and leverage knowledge and information. I've been managing on-line communities for nine years and this last year I've felt like I've learned so much. Another success would be in going to and testifying at a Congressional hearing, I spoke on the potential of nonprofits in second life. And lastly, McGraw Hill had approached me twice before about writing a book, the third time I've taken them up and am working on the proposal now. It's been a very interesting experience. The vision to enhance communication and augment learning is still the same. I've given dozens of conference presentations on the work here and we've held many mixed reality events. NL: If you had the opportunity to have done something different or better what would it be? GC: I would have liked to be able have had the resources to fund it properly. Having a paid staff to get things done, we could have accomplished more. We are working on funding for the work to continue and expand. I can't reveal the source of the funding at this time, but we should be able to make an announcement soon. I would like to be able to build in SL. We've had so many people contribute their skills to the effort here. My focus has been on managing the community. Also, I wish I'd have had the time to document what was and is going on here.