The Chilbo Road Press

January Chilbo Town Hall meeting..

In Attendance: Fleep Tuque, Kristine Kristan, Corcosman Voom, Lizzette Zenovka, Malburns Writer, Tara Yeats, toster Oh, Tomkin Euler, Rachel Corleone, Maddog Easterling, SunHi Mistwalker, Sabia Innovia, mac Haustraun, Desdemona Enfield,  xjj Hax, Economic Mip, Chavez Lefevre (Emru Rau stopped by afterwards..) 

First-time Attendees (please friend!): Maddog Easterling, SunHi Mistwalker, Sabia Innovia, mac Haustraun, xjj Hax, Chavez Lefevre

Linden Lab Community Partnership Program – Proposal PASSED

The Chilbo Community votes to submit a proposal to join
the Linden Lab Community Partnership Program

We worked on the draft of our proposal to join the Linden Lab Community Partnership Program for nearly two and a half months before putting it to a vote in the community.  After a two week voting period, the proposal passed overwhelmingly!

Read the final draft document to be submitted Linden Lab

Related to agenda item 2, we’re going to add a bit in there about the Route 9 paving, but otherwise our proposal is good to go.  Fleep Tuque will be contacting Blondin Linden to set up a meeting time to discuss the proposal.   Since scheduling things can be difficult, anyone interested in attending the meeting should let Fleep know so we can work out a time.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed, commented, voted, and helped get this proposal ready for submission!

Route 9 Construction

Route 9 back to bare grass while we wait for Linden Lab to
pave the road.  We’ve waited for 3 years so far…

We got a note from Guy Linden chiding us for the prims overlapping the Route 9 roadway that goes through Achado, Madhupak, Soyeonpyeongdo and other sims in Greater Chilbo.  Fleep sent out a notice earlier in the week asking everyone to pick up their prims, in the hope that this means Route 9 will FINALLY be paved.

Many expressed some frustration that LL is giving us a hard time for making the roadway more visually appealing and connected to our community, especially considering they’ve not done a darn thing with it in four years and we actually LIVE here.  But in the interest of trying to be cooperative, we’ll remove our stuff and hope that means they’re going to pave the roads.   We’ll insert a bit about this in the Partnership Proposal and request that they use the same texture on Route 9 as was used on Route 10 through the Mangyeong, Chilbo, Kuwol, and Mindulle sims..

Chilbo Community Annual Resident Census 2010

Fleep Tuque completes the Chilbo Annual Resident Census for 2010

It’s that time of year again!  The annual census is when we do an official headcount of our active members and get feedback about community services and facilities.

All members of the Chilbo Community must complete the census to remain in good standing in the group.  Those who do not complete the census will be placed on inactive status, and eventually removed from the group altogether!

The survey only takes about 5 minutes to complete, and we use the information gathered to ensure that Chilbo is meeting the needs of our members.    

To take the survey on the web, see:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PX5NTQ6

We hope to have the numbers crunched and data analyzed in time for the annual State of the Community address at the February Town Hall meeting.

Community Liaisons and Regional Annexes

Chilbo residents reach consensus on the musical discussion board
at the January Town Hall meeting.

As we discussed at last month’s Town Hall, doing community outreach to neighboring sims has become too much for any one person to do, or even one or two people.  As the boundaries of Greater Chilbo expands, it would be nice to have someone be the point-of-contact in each sim, and a facility in each region to host servers and information about the Chilbo Community for those who might want to become involved.

Throughout the discussion, we tried a new method of “voting with our feet” using a sound enhanced discussion board (thanks Kristine Kristan for donating the walkable xylophone!) – basically you “take a stand” on the issue being discussed by moving your avatar to stand on the statement that reflects your opinion.  Though it ended up being a bit chaotic, it was kind of funny to see everyone milling about instead of sitting primly in our chairs. 

Based on the discussion, we decided to call the new facilities a “Chilbo Annex”, as in, Chilbo Annex in Kuwol, Chilbo Annex in Mindulle, and so on, and that the facilities should have a footprint no larger than 10×10.   Builders in the community are invited to help us design the new facility by putting up models in the Mad Sandbox.  We’ll also place items we think should go IN the new facilities down in the sandbox, and take a field trip after the February Town Hall to haggle out the details.

We hope to have a Community Liaison in each sim, and the goals for the position are:

- Active outreach to landowners and residents in the area to invite them to join our community, connect with sidewalks, etc.
- Point of contact for questions about Chilbo Community (ambassador role)
- Experienced in land management issues to assist residents in the sim with issues, questions, or problems
- Responsible for maintaining and updating the Regional Office (or whatever we call them)
- Provide updates about happenings in the region at Town Hall meetings

In addition, the Chilbo Annex facilities will give us a location to do more outreach:

- Public facing purpose is to provide info about Chilbo Community – what is it?  why should people join?  what services do we provide?  what are the benefits of joining?  Sort of a satellite Town Hall for that sim?
- Also should have an office/contact info for the Community Liaison to meet with folks in the region, host maps and other planning docs, etc.
- In terms of functional purpose, will also host servers, gadgets, region audio changers, and other script based servers, scanners, or monitors that must be located in the specific sim to function.

Fleep Tuque will work on modifying the Volunteer form to include a place to volunteer to be a Liaison, and we’ll work out more details about the facilities after the February Town Hall.

Open Air Market in Kuwol Commons

Kuwol Commons – A site for a new open air market?

Kristine Kristan raised an idea that Chibi Lexenstar and MS Hakwer have been thinking about, to put the land in Kuwol Commons to good use.  Chilbo previously had a Farmer’s Market that we eventually took down due to disuse, but Chibi and MS are thinking an Open Air Market might be a good idea to try.   Town Hall attendees voted in favor (with their feet!) and Kristine will talk with Cosimo Urbanowicz about using the land for that purpose.

Since the previous Market idea didn’t go so well, we’ll decide on a specific time period (6 months maybe) to try to Open Air Market and see how it goes if Cosimo likes the idea.

Revamping the “Tour Chilbo!” Bike Tour to include Madhupak (and maybe other?) Sims

The “Tour Chilbo!” automated bike tour will be expanded to
include more sims and locations in the community.

Fleep Tuque and Toster Oh will be working to update the automated bike tour that starts outside the Town Hall in the plaza to include new locations.   Newcomers SunHi Mistwalker and Maddog Easterling both said the tour was very helpful to them when they first came to Chilbo, and everyone thought the tour could be extended a bit without being too long.

Toster Oh volunteered to help write the text of the tour, and asks that anyone who wants to contribute a landmark and text about their location should send him a notecard.  He’ll work things up into a coherent script and Fleep Tuque will work to re-program the bike.    We may not be able to get everyone’s locations on the tour, but we’ll do the best we can!

Other?  Announcements?

The Kidd-Hax Estate in Anma has amusement rides, clothing stores, and more!

New member xjj Hax invites the community to visit her location in the Anma sim. The Kidd-Haxx Estate has a terrific assortment of fair rides, including a merry-go-round, roller coaster, train ride, and much more!   Her clothing store has fashion for men and women (including kilts!) and it’s all set in a beautiful park-like setting.   Be sure to visit her in Anma!  SLurl:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Anma/163/82/64

Malburns Writer suggests that we should also have a Chilbo Annex on Reaction Grid, and to be sure to include it in the list of Annexes whenever we get to that point.  Good idea Mal!

Meeting was adjourned.   Next meeting is scheduled for February 13, 2010 at 11AM SLT.

The Chilbo Community welcomes three new members and their businesses to Route 10!

Cinematize, featuring distinctive Southern California Photography on display. Contact Sydney Etoile to purchase some of her works!

Riall’s Emporium has Art, Flowers and Homes for sale, all created by Riall Caproni.

Foxglove’s Finest, where you can find some lovely dresses by Foxglove Foyston,  including stunning gowns in time for all the upcoming holiday parties.

So next time you are looking for some of these items, or just have the urge for some retail therapy, please visit these and the other businesses on Route 10 in Chilbo!

Chilbo residents at the Hanja Welcome Area

On October 24th, Chilbo residents met to discuss the Linden Lab Community Partnership and our intention to submit a proposal. Fleep presented a first draft document that incorporated nearly all of the initial suggestions and brainstorm results from the previous meetings. It should be noted that this document was merely a first draft and that it did not/does not reflect the views or consensus of the Chilbo Community.  Indeed, there were  strenuous objections to some sections of the document.   Nevertheless, in an effort to be transparent about our process, we post the original unedited first draft for archival purposes.

Current Status: Based on our discussion at the meeting on the 24th, a second draft version of the document is in the process of being created.  The second draft is available for revision, commenting, and editing by members of the Chilbo Community.  Members of the public and other Second Life residents are also invited to watch our progress there and submit comments or feedback as a reply to this post.

Fleep intends to set up a special kiosk in the Chilbo Town Hall with transcripts of our previous meetings and the relevant web links later today, and will send out a group notice in world when it’s set up and ready.  (Apologies for the delay, I’m in the process of helping my mom move today!)

In Attendance:  Fleep Tuque, Tara Yeats, Olando7 Decosta, Malburns Writer, Kristine Kristan, Monday Jinx, Rachel Corleone, Corcosman Voom, Skyeranger Pinion, toster Oh, Gem Blue,  Emru Rau, Gann McGann

Welcome ELEVEN New Residents

(HOLY COW and send a friend request!)  Kristine Kristan, Monday Jinx, toster Oh, MS Hawker, Mariya Maruti, Liam Gunes, marque Broadfoot, Nuro Enyo, Farzaneh Eel, Bobkoe Nirvana

Public Safety & Prim Report

Rachel Corleone, Director of Public Safety & Prim Management reports that Chilbo has not been actively griefed in over a year!  Litter has been scant and we have over 20% free prims in Madhupak and 9% free in Chilbo proper.

Arts & Entertainment Report

Corcosman Voom, Chair of Art & Entertaiment, reports that the next museum exhibit in the Chilbo Museum Center will feature works from artist Cecilia Delacroix, when Misprint Thursday’s “Gossamer Logic” exhibit finishes its run.  Cecilia is also the offical Poet Laureate of Chilbo, and she may be doing a poetry reading in Chilbo soon!  Stay posted, more details to come on both the museum exhibit and the poetry reading.

Fleep sent a quick IM to Ryan Snook about the planned avatar exhibit but hasn’t heard back yet, thinking that will be a good project for the Chilbo Summer Faire in August.

Kristine Kristan is hosting Featured Artist Ronin1 Shippe at the K2 Gallery in Madhupak, stop by and check it out, half of the proceeds of any sales will go to VAI, where Ronin1 volunteers.

Commerce Report

Commerce Chair Tommy Brouwer was absent from the meeting, but there were a few other updates.

Fleep Tuque has opened the Chilbo Novelty Shoppe on the main street (Route 10) in Chilbo.  The shop features a few items created for Chilbo and other miscellaneous things.  Items for sale are also listed on XStreetSL.

Emru Rau is making good progress on the new commercial building on the north side of main street (Route 10), and is looking for folks who want to sell things.  Fleep encourages everyone in Chilbo to contribute something to the new store!  If anyone needs help learning how to package items, set up vendors, or make listings on XStreetSL, just let Fleep know.

Monday Jinx has opened up a new magic shop along Route 10 in the Kuwol sim, Sleightly, Purveyors of All Things Arcane and Mysterioso, stop by to see the latest razzmatazzle offerings!

Corcosman Voom rented the Commercial #1 space on the main street (Route 10) in Chilbo.  He’s selling artworks and images at Corcosmia Gallery, another great place to explore.

Fleep forgot to report that the Germelshausen Coffeehouse & Bakery is now open in the lovely adobe building in Madhupak sim.  MS Hawker and marque Broadfoot are the proprietors, stop by to say hello!

Olando7 Decosta wondered if the flagging world economy is having any impact in SL.  Several residents said certainly is affecting them in RL, Fleep reports that more residents seem to be interested in renting than donating tier, and some who were donating tier had to either reduce or remove their tier donation – all cited RL economic concerns.

SkyeRanger Pinion raised the issue of splitting proceeds of some sales from vendors in Chilbo to support the community, but Fleep responded that she’s not interested in taxing sales in Chilbo.  For now the community’s economy and coffers seem to be doing ok. 

Education Report

Gann McGann has contacted folks down in the Education Village in Madhupak and continues to support educational projects and activities in the community.  There are still homes, offices, and stores available in the Education Village, if anyone has a friend or colleague who is interested, they can check with Gann or use the rental vendor in the Town Hall to see what’s available.

Olando7 Decosta wanted to know if the Connectivism class taught by George Siemens and Stephen Downes would be held again this fall.  Fleep said she thinks so, but doesn’t think she’ll be running/organizing the SL Cohort this year.  If anyone wants to take charge, the Chilbo community can donate space/land to the endeavor.

NonProfits Report

Lizzette Zenovka couldn’t attend the meeting today, but the SL HIV Education & Prevention Center has expanded to a second floor with a lovely balcony!  Stop by to see the new space.

Fleep forgot to report that new resident Bobkoe Nirvana has opened up an office for the Levittown Historical Society & Museum down in Madhupak, right across from the SL HIV Center.  Bobkoe is rather new to SL, but wants to expand the RL presence of the Levittown Historical Society.

Activities & Events Report

Monarchy Republic had RL duties to attend to, but will be scheduling upcoming events.

Rachel Corleone will be sending an announcement soon about an upcoming poetry reading by Chilbo’s Poet Laureate, Cecilia Delacroix.

New Move-In Process for Chilbo Group Land

Fleep reported that all available properties owned by the Chilbo group are now set up with rental boxes to make things easier for everyone.  If you have a friend or know someone who wants to move to Chilbo, all they have to do is pay the rental box and fill out the forms that should be inside each location.  No need to wait on Fleep, just move right in!  A vendor is located inside the Town Hall Annex with a list of available properties.

New Resident Directory on the Web

To help Google better index Chilbo residents and locations, Fleep has been working on a new directory website.  This directory will also be terrific for helping new and old community members find other folks in Chilbo who share common interests!   See the new directory (in progress) at http://chilbo.org/directory – if your listing needs any corrections or is missing relevant tags, let Fleep know.  Fleep would also be very grateful if anyone wants to help with the data entry!

New Land Purchase, Chilbo Sandbox Moving

Fleep reported that the Chilbo Community now owns the large plot in Madhupak formerly owned by SunQueen Ginsberg and the Pastafarian Collective.  SunQueen ended up buying the land she used to rent in Linda sim for her store.

After some discussion, it was decided that the new land was larger and flatter than the old Chilbo sandbox, so the new land will become to the new sandbox for the community.  Fleep will move the tutorials and other things in the old sandbox sometime this week.

Metaverse Week in Review

Malburns Writer and Tara Yeats continue to broadcast their weekly webcast, Metaverse Week in Review,  on Sundays at 12PM SLT.  The show features news, videos, clips, discussions, and live guests, all covering the emerging metaverse (SL and beyond).  Fleep and Corcosman agree, it’s a must see weekly event!  The live chat draws residents from all over the grid, and Mal and Tara do a great job summarizing what’s new in the metaverse from the past week.   Mal reports that they now have increased capacity to do live broadcasts from within SL, so maybe a Chilbo focused show should be in the works?   Mal also offered to run any machinima clips created by Chilbo residents!  Have questions about how that works?  Talk to Malburns Writer or Tara Yeats.

Chilbo Public Library Needs You!

The Chilbo Public Library was created to fill a niche, currently there are no libraries in Second Life that focus specifically on Second Life, the Metaverse, Virtual Worlds, and Web 2.0.  We have the opportunity to create a rich repository of books, newspapers, magazines, research articles, journals, and other resources related to virtual worlds and the emerging metaverse – a service for all the residents of Second Life, and educators and students too!   To contribute to the library, you can either take one of the blank books and customize it yourself (add a picture/cover, rename the object, and edit the script inside with the appropriate URL), or click the sign at the front desk to suggest a URL to have someone else create the book for you.  Chilbo residents can access the suggestions list and help stock the shelves.

SkyeRanger Pinion has a book viewing item that he will donate to the library (coming soon) and he suggested that a single master list of all the library’s holdings be collected and displayed or linked to from the front desk.  Fleep added that to the To Do list.

Fleep suggests that if you add a new book, you might want to link to the book’s listing on http://worldcat.org instead of linking directly to the amazon.com or other commercial site.  Worldcat.org will show readers where they can check out the book at a RL library OR purchase the book.  The site also has reviews and comment fields, so readers can learn more about the book before pursuing a RL copy.

Downstairs, there are collections for “Chilbo Recommends” – add a book if you have a recommendation, “Chilbo Authors” – add a book, journal article, newspaper story, whatever you’ve written!, “Second Life” – add books or other media related specifically to Second Life, “Metaverse, Virtual Worlds, & Web 2.0″ – add books related to those topics, and upstairs is for academic papers, journals, and research related to these topics.  If you have category suggestions, let Fleep know!

Miscellaneous/Other

Gem Blue wants to know who all from Chilbo will be attending the Second Life Community Convention in San Francisco this year (August 13-16).  SLCC is in her hometown, so let her know if you plan to go!

A free Chilbo skateboard is available in the Chilbo Town Hall.  We all used it to skate down to the library.   Feel free to pick one up!  =)

Meeting was adjourned.  Next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, June 13 @ 11AM SLT.

Full transcript is available in the Chilbo Town Hall.

Bigger is not always better.  This certainly applies to land use when planned and developed with thought and care.  Discovering ways to maximize and economize land use is a strategy of good design.  As a new Chilbo resident I have been enjoying exploring places that exemplify this idea. What strikes me the most about Chilbo is the thoughtful use of land and how it flows.  I enjoy the variety and mix of the small parcels as well as the central areas like the Town Hall. 

In contrast to Chilbo’s land economy with thoughtful design, many land owners have taken advantage of the parceling strategy in conjunction with ad farming.  I was pleased to see that Linden Labs is starting to look at the issue of land cutting.  In several weeks, according to the official SL blog it will be a policy “that makes the deliberate and extensive cutting of land a violation”. 

You can read about the post and more details here.

Pictured here is a “starter” residence in Chilbo.  The parcel is 192 square meters with a cottage of 25 prim.  The parcel will support about 50 prim or so.  This kind of economy affords many residents an opportunity to share space in Chilbo.  

Economy of land use in Chilbo