|
Read our explanation
or Jump to Speaker Signup
A great way you can get involved in Avatars98 is to become
a speaker. How can you speak at a conference held inside cyberspace?
Picture yourself standing in a custom-built "discussion pod"
in cyberspace, managing discussion with friends or colleagues while
avatar guests flow in from around the globe. Sound complicated? Well,
we are making it easy for you! Simply fill
out the form below and tell us about yourself and what you would
like to speak about. You can choose from several types of session
format, including a debate, group discussion or interview. Our conference
program committee will review your request against the schedule and
get back to you on whether your session is appropriate to the program
and can be fit in.
Recommended
Topics and Past Speakers
If you are visiting these pages, you probably have some opinions
or even passions about a greater inhabited cyberspace beyond
webpages. In the past two years, over 150 speakers have presented
their views at our conferences. See the program
for Avatars97 and program
for Earth to Avatars 96 for their topics, views and biographies.
Here are some suggested areas of interest to the greater world audience:
- How to design
virtual worlds worth visiting
- The art of
creating and nurturing virtual communities
- Technologies
behind multi-user worlds
- Stories from
life in digital space
- Digital biota/artificial
life and amazing behaviors in cyberworlds
- Virtual worlds
for learning, working, healing, entertaining
- I-commerce
frontiers in inhabited cyberspace communities
- How to earn gainful revenues from
and to fund cyberworld communities
- The societal
impact of these worlds
- and finally...
Why are we doing this?
In which world
will you present?
Views
of a discussion pod in Active Worlds
Depending on which virtual world you select below, you will be expected
to download and install the software for that
virtual world and carry out your own rehearsal (use it) to familiarize
yourself with its interfaces and customs. If you select Active
Worlds, we can build you a custom speaking
area in the Av98 world. This custom area
is called a discussion pod
and is a 3D auditorium where you will stand, surrounded on three
walls by your words, web page links, and images. People will gather there
in the context of your talk and be able to listen to your words, read
your resources, and discourse with you and other attendees. You might
be able to have a custom area built in another world platform other than
Active Worlds (note that Active Worlds is Windows
only) if you make arrangements with their owners or communities
ahead of time.
What will happen on the
big day?
On the big day, November 21st, 1998, you will enter the
proper spot in the virtual world of your choice to hold your session.
Your session will be posted on the Big
Board, which lists all activities
for the day. We will do our best to promote your session in advance,
to ensure you will get folks online and in place for your time. To really ensure a good turnout, you should also
take some initiative -- email
friends and colleagues and point
them to the Avatars98 pages. Remember, this is an experimental
medium, and it's the first time an event of this scope has been carried
out inside these worlds, so your patience and diligence is appreciated.
Additionally, as these are open, public spaces, all kinds of behavior
can be expected from attendees. No screening of attendees will be
done beforehand. We expect most guests to be civil, interested in
what you are saying, and willing to participate. If there are problems,
you will be able to contact Avatars98 hosts for assistance. More guidelines
on community netiquette and on presenting in-world will be posted
closer to the event date.
How do you get signed up?
You will select
your world platform when you fill out your session
submission form below. We highly recommend you download,
install and use the world of your choice well before the day of
the event. Please
fill out the form below. Items in bold are required. If you
have any problems or questions, contact Speaker Chair Bruce
Damer.
|
