Singapore Second Lifers meetup in Real Life @ Idea Factory

The folks at Idea Factory hosted a few Singaporean Second Lifers (SG SLifers) tonight, at their premises at Goldhill Plaza. During the session, they shared that Linden Labs was interested in setting up a Singapore office, as well as recruiting developers from Singapore. Idea Factory brought in Cory Ondrejka (CTO Linden Labs) previously, so they should know. Btw they said it's not confidential information but should be noted that things are subject to change.

The SG SLifers in RL
I'd missed the last SL Singapore meetup (in SL) so decided to attend tonight's one in Real Life. Vanessa's post mentioned some of the attendees -- Rinaz ("where did you learn about my video?", Benjamin, and Alvin (the guy who started SL Singapore). Other attendees included Preetam, Coleman, Andy (creative director of thinc, who's started a cafe in SL), Jason (NUS student doing a research project on motivations in virtual worlds), Kayoko, Biaogang, and Jacky.

BTW, my SL avatar is "Ivanchew Link". Feel free to look me in up SL.

And surprise surprise, my colleagues from NLB's Corporate Communications department turned up for the meeting as well! Does that mean NLB is going in to Second Life? Your guess is as good as mine, heh. (Actually, it just means they are interested and are trying to understand more about it).

Structured or unstructured approach to promote SL?
The things we discussed included whether there should be a structured attempt to promote and publicise Second Life to Singaporeans, or to leave it to natural demand/ Supply forces. Most agreed the latter approach was

I feel there's no harm in publicising more about Second Life, though i was quick to point out that if Linden Labs does hold a talk or workshop, it should be pitched at a more pragmatic level, using examples (about SecondLife) that participants can relate to (in Real Life).

I gave the analogy of the library conducting a talk on using the online catalogue (OPAC). If we only talked about the features of OPAC and the search syntax etc, some users might get it but most users (from my experience) would not know how to apply it in real life -- unless you provide the context and/ or an example they can relate to. A better way would be to talk about OPAC features using a real-life example, e.g. "Using OPAC to search for library materials for your vacation in China". The session would still cover OPAC features and search syntax, but people are more likely to be able to relate -- and hence apply -- what you're trying to explain.

A Singapore Island in SL?
On a whim, I posed this question to the group: "If we want to accelerate the exploration of SL by Singaporeans, should we start a Singapore Island?" (I think some agreed, while there were some who weren't quite sure about it).

My view was that if you want accelerate the exploration (and indirectly the adoption) by Singaporeans to SL, then it's useful to let them start at a place where they have some sense of familiarity. Singapore is an Island Nation, so an SL Island couldn't be more appropriate (BTW, think of an "island" in SL as a "server").

This "Singapore Island" would be funded, perhaps in part by corporate and government agencies (some costs can be recovered by renting out parcels of Singapore Island). Currently, the startup and recurrent costs for maintaining the island is not something than any individual or informal group can afford.

But apart from corporate and government seed funding, there should not be any rules or restrictions other than those already imposed in Second Life. Andy reinforced the point by saying, "We should not start painting yellow boxes and demarcating 'No Smoking Zones'". Well, I think some rules and demarcation is important, but what's more important is that those rules will be drawn up and enforced by the SL Residents, and not some regulatory body or agency. If the principle of community-policing works for Wikipedia, then it will work (and has worked) for SL.

Purpose
This Singapore Island in SL would serve as a virtual meeting place, like a 3D nation-wide Bulletin Board/ Meeting Place. It will also be a logical place for non-Singaporean SLifers to drop by, if they hope to meet more Singaporeans or Singapore residents.

The Singapore Island could also be a Singapore Sandbox (either Preetam or Coleman who said this). A "Sand Box" in SL is where people can learn how to build objects and scripts; like a virtual playground. Sure, there are other sandboxes but they are owned by others and somehow it seemed more apt to have a Singapore Island showcasing works by Singaporeans or Singapore residents.

Rinaz cited how she learned more about Amsterdam, and met people who actually lived in Amsterdam, by visiting a place called Amsterdam Island in SL (basically a virtual island that replicates some aspects of Amsterdam). That's a great idea -- imagine Singaporeans building the landmarks of Singapore, in a collaborative fashion, in SL. And this is NOT something STB (a government agency) can drive. They probably can support it, but it will have to be initiated by Singaporeans. I'm confident there will be people willing and able to do so.

This is not to say Singapore Island is only for, and by, Singaporeans. Just like how Singapore operates in Real Life (and pretty much how SL currently works), Singapore Island in SL will openly welcome the contributions of anyone who has the time, intent, skills and passion.

[For another supporting reason for Singapore Island, scroll to the last paragraph of this earlier post.]

To build or not to build a library in SL?
Incidentally, Ben asked me if I was contradicting myself when earlier in the conversation, I remarked that "the NLB should not build a library in SL" but later I advocated a Singapore Island. I'm not sure if I clarified enough, so here's a more detailed explanation (for Ben, if you're reading this):

It all depends on the objective we're trying to achieve.

If the library were to build a library in SL for the purpose of providing library services like in Real Life, then it should not build virtual structures that resemble real life physical structures. E.g. Don't build a bookshelf in SL, where users have to virtually open a book to access the content. If you've tried this in SL, you'll know it's rather cumbersome. We should allow people to checkout Heads-Up-Displays (HUDs) and download content instead.

If the library were to build a SL Library for the purpose of orientating users, then it makes sense to duplicate your SL library like how the Real Life library looks like in form and structure.

Maybe that's another reason why we should have a Singapore Island in SL -- because it's a good excuse for libraries in Singapore to establish their presence and provide services.

Or is it the other way round? :)

Technorati Tag: second life

Why do we use water to bathe? (or, "The Librarian & the Advisory & Enquiry Service")

Some people might think this is a silly question.

I think not.

You might or might not have sought help from a librarian for a question. I don't know about other libraries in Singapore or overseas. At the NLB public libraries, we actively encourage people to ask anything.

Some people (librarians included) question the logic in encouraging people to "ask anything". What if they ask "stupid questions"?

I'd say the REAL question is, "What is a Stupid Question?"

It's my sincere belief that there is no silly question; not if your intent is sincere. Granted there are people who make statements disguised as a question, or that their intent in asking the question is suspect. Nevertheless, I believe a truly competent librarian can take on any question and use it as an opportunity to advise, educate, and promote the library's service and collection.

Librarians need to tell their customers, "It's OK to ask anything".

Questions are sometimes not asked the right way, but I don't think it's right for librarians to consider any question stupid or silly.

The worse thing that can happen is when the library customer (particularly a child or young person) asks a question with sincere intent, only to be met with scorn (in words or subtle action) by the librarian who thinks it's a "silly question". That's akin to professional suicide. It's likely that the child or young person would never ask a question to any librarian, ever. Then libraries would wonder why enquiries aren't forthcoming. Library administrators would start asking if hours or staffing headcount ought to be reduced since the enquiry service isn't in demand.

Here's another way of looking at the "silly question" issue: if it's true that "one person's poison is another person's food", then I say one person's silly question is another person's enlightenment.

HBO acquires rights to George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Fire & Ice Ice & Fire" series

[Update 22/3/2007: Header corrected; series title should be "Song of Ice & Fire" and not the other way round. Hat-tip to "The Stark in Winterfell", who left this comment.]

The moment I read this news from none other than George R. R. Martin's blog, I decided to post it at High Browse Online myself, rather than wait till Monday for my colleague to blog it. Yeah, I was that excited!

From Variety.com (16 Jan '07):
HBO has acquired the rights to turn George R.R. Martin's bestselling fantasy series "A Song of Fire & Ice" into a dramatic series to be written and exec produced by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss... ... The series will begin with the 1996 first book, "A Game of Thrones," and the intention is for each novel (they average 1,000 pages each) to fuel a season's worth of episodes. Martin has nearly finished the fifth installment, but won't complete the seven-book cycle until 2011.

[Read the rest of the post at High Browse Online]


Don't know who's George R. R. Martin?

[Image from Wikipedia.com; Wiki entry last accessed on 10th Feb 2007]

Check out his official website. I like reading his blog (called "Not A Blog") better. The frustrating thing is that I have to wait till 2011 for the entire series to be complete. Arrgh!

Back from Beijing (Part 6) - My misconceptions about the Great Wall

[From: Part 5 - Walking on the Chinese Wall]

As far as scenic views go, there isn't much to see at the top of the Juyong Guan wall. There wasn't meant to be. The wall was built for defense.


Prior to visiting the Great Wall, I used to have this mental picture of Emperor Qin Shi Huang standing on top of a hill, looking down on the wall being built by slaves, who are falling to their deaths by the thousands.

Blame it on some ill-conceived illustration in a school text book in Primary School!

I now know (from the tour guide and the books I consulted after the trip) that:
(1) The wall was not always a continuous structure;
(2) Its construction started before Qin Shi Huang came into the picture;
(3) No sane ruler, especially one who could unite China, would depend entirely on slave labour to build something as important as a wall for defense.

OK, I'm not too sure about the last part. It might have been conscripted labour, or a mix of conscripted labour, soldiers, paid craftsmen. I'm sure there's some scholarly article about its construction in some library somewhere.



In reality, the "Wall" was built in parts by earlier dynasties, throughout their rule. It dates back to the Warring States Period (453 - 221 B.C.), built as defensive measures against rival kingdoms. It was Qin Shi Huang who had all sections connected after he unified China (see this page for reference as well).



There are different sections of the wall that is open to public. The one my wife and I visited was at "Juyong Guan". Other sections (at some distances away) are at locations like Ba Da Ling, Jin Shan Ling, Mutianyu, and Simatai -- all which I've not visited, in case you're wondering.


The Juyong Guan wall is also famous for a building called "Yun Tai" or "Cloud Platform", a base for a temple (see this reference). Unfortunately it was closed for restorations and I wasn't able to get a decent picture from the outside.

The Yun Tai's significance, as pointed out by our tour guide, was that it housed the (lost) script of the Xi Xia language.

Xi Xia was a relatively small state that was eventually conquered and whose written records were deliberately destroyed by Genghis Khan's armies during the 14th century. In essence, the Xi Xia race ceased to exist. Literally wiped off the face of this earth.

Genghis Khan's armies wasn't the first to deliberately destroy a people's recorded existence -- and they certainly weren't the last.

Aside: Imagine all of the human race's records and heritage stored on digital devices. Then we either run out of power, or the technological know-how to retrieve that information. Eventually the physical equipment deteriorates and all stored information is lost.

Hmm... Perhaps that might indirectly account for some of the words, symbols and names carved onto the Wall -- the equivalent of "Killroy was here". I noticed quite a bit of that. Some are obviously quite recent. Maybe deep within our subconscious, we humans are wet-wired to leave some physical mark just to prove that we exist.



Uh, no -- I didn't leave any mark on the wall.

[This is the last scheduled post regarding my Beijing vacation. I've more pictures and stories but I won't be blogging about them. My wife and I plan to visit Beijing again, and most certainly China. Wonder how much China will change by then.]

Back from Beijing (Part 5) - Walking on the Chinese Wall

[From: Part 4 - Up the Great Wall of China]

"Walking on the Chinese Wall
Watching for the coins to fall"

Anyone recall Philip Bailey's "Walking On The Chinese Wall"?

Lyrics here; scroll down this page for the song preview.

"Walking On The Chinese Wall"
Words & Music: Roxanne Seeman & Billie Hughes
Source: www.noanoamusic.com

Butterfly
Spread your painted wings
For an answer from the Ching

By the stream
Stretching in the rocks
Tiger on the mountaintop

Walking on the Chinese Wall
Watching for the coins to fall

Now the sun
Is rising in the East
Looking for my golden fleece

Ivory skin
Scarlet color deep
Lips that burn but do not speak

Three misty nights
Waiting by the shore
Maybe that my lover comes no more

Red Chamber Dream
From the sky above
Ancient tale of hidden Chinese love

On the Chinese Wall
Watching for the coins to fall

Blue red silk
Burning on my chest
Go to sleep but not to rest

Stepping stones
On the Yellow Sea
Dreaming she’ll be there for me

Walking on the Chinese Wall
Watching for the coins to fall

Come down the clouds
To the sea of flames
From the mountain hear the cry of pain

Red Chamber Dream
From the sky above
Ancient tale of hidden Chinese love

On the Chinese Wall...

Next: Clearing my misconceptions about the Great Wall

Back from Beijing (Part 4) - Up the Great Wall of China

[From: Part 3 - Inside the Forbidden City]

While approaching the Wall at Juyong Guan by car, it didn't appear all that impressive.


The walk up the wall would be a piece of cake. It's gonna be a breeze to get to the top most guard tower, I thought. Ah, my city-bred cockiness knows no bounds, heh.


All sense of cockiness quickly vanished as took the stairs (it felt more like a climb). The thinner and colder air, along with the biting wind, soon had me panting and sniffling. Each step became slower and stiffer.

You're not supposed to suffer on a vacation! What was I thinking of, climbing the Great Wall? It seems my wife and I just like to subject ourselves to physical exertion while on vacation.

The guide later told us that each time he brought vacationers to the wall, 80% of them never make it past the first guard post (which was maybe 50 to 100 steps). They all chose to turn back and wait in the bus.

Thinking back, I can understand why. You're lulled into a sense of complacency as you start your walk up the wall. You see steps and handrails, and you wonder how hard it would be to walk up a flight of stairs. You tend to underestimate the effort required.

I think most overseas vacationers (like myself) fail to take take into account the wind, the cold and slightly thinner air. But what is first to go aren't our muscles but our mental strength.

About 50 steps up the wall, I haboured thoughts of turning back. I was making excuses why there's no point trying to make it up to the top. Where was the top anyway? There's nothing to see but dull coloured hills.


But my wife and I decided to continue. We walked and rested as much or as little as we wanted. Much of the walk up the wall, all I saw was this.


All I heard was my breathing, the wind against my windbreaker, my shoes on the stone steps (that were quite worn out on the side where there were railings, which made me wonder just how many feet it required to wear out the step like that).

At one point, I looked back and saw this.

Might as well just keep going up.

The walk became easier. I was able to moderate my exertion (reminding myself I'm not the 19 year old anymore). Winter was an off-peak tourist season so there weren't large crowds to contend with. I was able to take in and enjoy the sights.

It's not a contest.


Next: More pictures and learning points from Walking the Chinese Wall.

Back from Beijing (Part 3) - Inside the Forbidden City

[From: Part 2 - Entering the Forbidden City]

Our tour guide, a Beijing resident who has about 15 years of experience in the business, could easily rattle off the names of the halls and courts we were in. I certainly cannot. As I look through the photos, I have trouble remembering where is what.

This should be the "Hall of Mental Cultivation" (as verified from a picture found at this page; see also the map of the palace).

I took this shot as I wanted a picture of the huge bronze urn. Such urns could be found throughout the inner court. Apparently, in the old days, they were filled with water and were they functional equivalent of fire-hydrants. If fire broke out, the palace staff would obtain water from the urns to douse the flames.

According to this same page, this hall has a series of smaller rooms/ buildings where the emperor summoned individual officials to discuss state matters (like modern day conference rooms?)

This room was where the Empress Dowager Cixi "ruled behind the curtain". Her story is the stuff of soap operas and dramas (many Hong Kong serials have been produced over the years, btw). You'll notice two seats with yellow cushions. The seat nearer to the left was where the emperor sat as he discussed matters with court officials. Behind that was where Cixi sat, with the yellow veil/ curtain dropped down.

In a nutshell -- as the child emperor was too young to rule over the state, Cixi (as queen mother) effectively directed state matters. However, for the purpose of keeping up with appearances, she had to do so behind the curtain.

The imperial palace is marked by the 'Outer Court' and the 'Inner Court'. The former was where the emperor and the court officials held their official business. The latter was where the living quarters of the royal family (court officials, I was told, had their residences located outside the palace, within the city). Leading in and out of the inner and outer courts are corridors like this one.

To get a sense of how wide the corridors are, try spotting the three tourists in the picture.

What was it like back then? Were corridors like this bustling with activity, with court and palace officials hurrying about? Did soldiers patrol the place? Or was it deserted, cold and forbidding?

***

Everything in the Imperial Garden looked brown, bare and grey to me (it's winter!)


We saw these old gnarly trees, some of which sported coloured metal tags. The different coloured tags denoted the age of the trees. I think they ranged from 100 to 300 years old, if I remember correctly.


We made our way out by passing through the "Gate of Divine Prowess/ Might":


I thought I'd see the streets after passing through the north gate but there's still a long stretch. There's a mountain in the distance.

I mentioned in the previous post how the design of the palace was based on geomancy principles. Generally, it was deemed as auspicious to have "mountains behind one's back", taken to mean "having strong support" or "strong backing". My own understanding is that with mountains at the back, it meant that the palace was protected from enemies' attacks from the rear. Whether it's science or superstition, something must be working right for the palace to still exist after 500 years.

To the left and right of where we walked was the moat.


Walking out, my mind was still filled with a sense of the ancient. Meeting the first road upon exiting the Forbidden City, I tried to picture horses and carts instead of fuel-powered vehicles.


The road was not too congested on a Saturday afternoon. I'd expected more bicycles on the road. The tour guide said generally there were less cyclists because (1) it was winter, and (2) Beijing has grown so much over the years that it's become impractical to cycle long distances.

Next: Climbing the Great Wall at Juyong Guan

Back from Beijing (Part 2) - Entering the Forbidden City

[From: Back from Beijing (Part 1)]
The toll gates from the airport to the city gave a hint of the architectural designs one might get to see in Beijing, particularly the Forbidden City -- the imperial palace.

According to the Frommer's travel guide that I borrowed (2006; 4th edition; Call No. 915.155604 FB; under the Travel section in NLB libraries), "sourcing of materials for the original palace buildings started in 1406 and construction was completed in 1420".

What stood out for me was how the palace was constructed according to geomancy principles -- from the geographic location of the palace grounds, to the schematics of the buildings. Our tour guide did a wonderful job in explaining all that, at least enough for me to make some sense from what little I knew about geomancy. Unfortunately, I didn't take notes and can't adequately explain them here.

Anyway, you might make something out of these maps here, here and here (the last one is a satellite picture).

We started off at Tiananmen (天安門) or the "Gate of Heavenly Peace".
天 "Tian" = "Heavens/ Sky"
安 "An" = "Peace"
門 "Men" = "Gate/ door"



You step through the entrance (right under the portrait of Mao Zedong) and walk through...


... into this courtyard that's before the Duanmen (the "Upright Gate", which is in the distance).


Then after the Duanmen, you reach the Wumen ("Meridian Gate").


At this point, I lost track of what gate or location I'm at. I'm just following the guide absently, taking in the sights, wondering how it was like 500 years ago. The wind was biting. My hands turn numb as I kept taking and putting the gloves on and off to operate the camera. Basically, there's more walking and you have more gates to pass...


... before you reach where the emperor holds court.


Whew... talk about 'Red Tape'. LOL.


Next: More pictures from the Forbidden City.

Back from Beijing (Part 1)

[From: Off to Beijing]

Beijing was cold, and windy at times. It was winter after all.

Beijing is huge compared to Singapore. I was told that geographically it's 16 times the size of Singapore.

Beijing is predominantly gray in colour, and deliberately so. The tour guide explained that it was to ensure that the palaces of the emperor(s) remain the most outstanding features in the city, and the colour scheme has remained even till today.

Beijing is a modern city grown from and around an ancient one. Touring Beijing and the surrounding touristy sites -- including climbing up one part of the Great Wall -- has been educational to say the least. I can't help but feel it was like visiting a library of a different kind. The history is in its buildings, landmarks, handicrafts, its cuisines (although my impression from the tour was that modern Beijing cuisines are influenced by cuisines from other parts of China).




Will be posting more pictures later.

Off to Beijing

When I first started blogging, it always seemed strange to read bloggers who post things like, "I won't be updating my blog for a while 'cos I'm going off for a vacation in [list your country here]".

"Why would anyone care where you went?" I'd wonder.

However, after sometime, it didn't seem strange anymore. When I find that the blogger (whom I'm following via the feeds) have not posted for a while and didn't indicate if he or she is away, I'd wonder if anything happened.

Fact is, majority of the people who stumble to this blog won't care where I went, or why I have no time to update. But for the few friends (yes, friends) who follow this blog, it just seem like a natural thing to do.

So... I won't be updating this blog for a week, 'cos I'm going off for a vacation with my wife to Beijing. Incidentally, it means I'll be giving the LAS conference a miss. Well, either way, I'm going on a learning journey.