Author Archives: Namaara MacMoragh

A Little Green Living At Inspiration Island

Posted on by Posted in Etopia Updates

Have you ever wanted to visit a place in Second Life that was about health, but fun?

The folks at Whole Brain Health in Second Life have done just that at Inspiration Island. They have over 60 engaging and informative spaces on four different levels. Some of their activities are self-paced and others are facilitated. From discussions and hands-on building activities to workshops and regular music events you just might miss the fact that everything is focused on wellbeing and having a healthy brain. (Be sure to visit the Brodmann Brain … one of my favorite areas)

Wisdomseeker and her team use current research to improve day to day function of your brain and support its vitality over time. They know that exploring these ideas in a 3D space, like Second Life, allows a level of engagement that is unique to online brain-training programs. According to Wisdomseeker, founder of Whole Brain Health in Second Life, “When you move through space in avatar form, your interaction with what you are learning is very direct and powerful.”

At Etopia, we know this to be true, too. Teaching visitors to live more sustainably and in harmony with the world around them is what we do best.

 

Recently, Etopia was invited to build a sustainable living demo area at Inspiration Island. We couldn’t wait to team up with Inspiration Island and contribute some simple ideas that can make a big difference in someone’s quality of life. We even hosted a tour and some discussions.

There are several areas that address specific aspects of living sustainably. Each area has storytellers that share information and engage visitors to interact with different activities.

 

There’s an organic garden with tips and information along with planting and harvesting activities. You can even contribute your own ideas.

 

There’s a Farmers Market with storytellers sharing the benefits of buying local. Bring your sweetie over to the flower stand and buy get them a rose or take your turn at the potters wheel.

 

There’s even a “green” home with ideas on sustainable family living.

 

As Wisdomseeker says, “while your avatar is exploring locations on the island, you will be doing the most extensive form of brain training you can find online. Everything here is designed with that goal in mind. And what you try in-world can be carried out into the rest of your life, if you wish.”

50 Years of Earth Day

Posted on by Posted in Uncategorized

Make Every Day Earth DayThere are many concerns that going outside might infect us with the COVID-19 virus. That is especially true for close spaces with other people such as stores, offices, buses, planes, picnics, sporting events, and more. Not all of us can go out into the woods for a walk alone. Going for a walk in your neighborhood wearing a face mask and remaining at least 6′ (2 meters) apart may be okay, but feels uncomfortable for most of us. If you’re sick or someone in your family is sick we must stay at home.

Regardless of whether you enjoy an afternoon in your backyard or in your living room, there’s plenty to be thankful for this Earth Day.

For those of us under a stay-at-home lockdown order or those who are abiding by a stay-at-home guideline there’s still plenty to do this Earth Day.

If you’re home schooling your children here’s a list of engaging Earth Day activities with educational benefit from We Are Teachers; https://www.weareteachers.com/meaningful-earth-day-activities/.

These are just a few of the many online events and activities available for Earth Day this year.

Remember Earth Day is about taking care of our Mother Earth, our non-human kin, and each other. Be mindful. Stay healthy. And if you cannot go outside safely then stay home and enjoy some of these online activities.

 

Harley Quinn Stops Tooth Decay!

Posted on by Posted in Etopia Updates

Thanks to the vision of our “PersonNotInCharge”, Ginny, we have an add for the ever popular Ginny’s Floss. This mainstay product for all healthy Etopians – along with the Nougat Bar – is a must-have in any virtual bathroom cabinet.

 

 

Thanks to Ginny, Sol, and Moss for their humor, talent, and time.

Zoom Zoom? Nah.

Posted on by Posted in Virtual News

I know many of us were using Zoom for work. I wasn’t as excited about it as most folks, but I recommended it as an easy to use, stable video meeting platform. Until last week, that is.

If you’re not aware of the deep pile of virtual doo-doo Zoom found itself pretty much buried in a quick google search will fill you in. Suffice it to say I no longer recommend or use Zoom for connecting with clients.

So what do I use? I always recommend that clients join Second Life and take advantage of the robust environment and communication tools of virtual worlds. If that doesn’t work I use Skype.

Why virtual worlds and not just email or teleconferencing? Humans are social creatures. We love to be in the company of others. Also, visual cues are a large part of our communication with one another. That’s why video calls are popular; because we get to see one another. Virtual worlds offer a lot of the social connectivity we need in a fun and immersive environment.

Briefly, mirror neurons fire both when we perform an action and when we see someone perform an action familiar to us. That means, we experience seeing someone do something as though we were performing the action ourselves. That’s why we tear up when we see someone cry or wince when we see someone prick their finger with a pin. Many years ago I broke my nose and, to this day, when I see someone with a broken nose my eyes tear up and a familiar ache spreads across my face.

How does this apply to virtual worlds? A good example is when you watch your avatar engaging in conversation with another avatar mirror neurons tell your brain that you are in a face-to-face conversation with that person and you experience that virtual encounter as you would in real life.

This is one of the many reasons I recommend using virtual worlds for meetings. There’s also the creative aspect of virtual worlds that enhances teamwork. I use Second Life to work with clients. One of my most successful Board of Directors exercises is about building vision. This hands-on team project allows everyone to contribute their ideas and work together to build and then articulate a cohesive vision for their organization.

Another meeting tool I recommend is Skype. I’ve been using Skype since the 1990s and haven’t ever had a security problem with it. It’s also worked on every operating system and device I’ve ever owned. Though it’s now owned by Microsoft and brings with it the familiar MS baggage it’s still a robust and stable platform for one-to-one and group communications.

Using Skype for personal and/or business offers basic call and video options along with easy to schedule and join meeting features. It also allows for content and screen sharing. You can host meetings for up to 250 attendees and broadcast your meeting to several thousand attendees. From powerpoint to video presentations, whiteboard collaboration to polling, Skype has a broad range of features for your online teams and business presentations.

There are numerous other tools available for connecting with others. Some are free for individual users and others can be quite expensive. Think about what you want to accomplish. Write a list of what tools you need to communicate effectively. Then search for a platform that provides the features to support your objectives. Be sure to read reviews and learn about the security and privacy features of anything you consider using before you use it.

Always keep in mind we want to zoom to the finish line without crashing.