user 2-way status bundle for second life

linden labs would like some documentation of a project we are submitting for a prize, and since a blog was acceptable, i’ve decided to use it.

i think the easiest way to document the user 2-way status bundle (what a mouthful) is to write up a use scenario.

i’m sitting at home one day, working on building new tools to help teachers inside second life. my second life office is a close replica of my real office, except i can fly between desks. all of the desks in our e-office also have pictures of their occupants hanging above it, and text underneath the picture showing their latest twitter status.

back to me… i’ve been stuck on a problem for an hour now, with no solution in sight. to my (virtual) left, i noticed something has changed. sam’s picture suddenly became much brighter, and his twitter status has changed from “changing diapers” to “just got to the lab.” just the person i’ve been looking for! i walk over to his desk and click on his face, and immediately get notified that an email has been sent to sam, asking him to join me in SL.

it doesnt take long before sam arrives right next to his desk. i give him an e-wave, plug in my microphone, and do what most people do when they hit a problem they cant solve: pass it on.

awareness and notification are 2 HCI concepts that must be properly addressed when designing any new system, especially one that is an entire virtual world. what the user 2-way status bundle does is provide both to SL users in-world, bridging them to their friends and peers in the real world.