Speaker
Signup is now closed, but you can read about the process and discussion
rooms below
A great way you can get involved in Avatars99 is to become
a speaker. How can you speak at a conference held inside virtual
worlds on the net? Picture yourself standing in a 3D custom-built
"virtual discussion room" (VDR) 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
formats and topics. 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.
When you are approved to present, you will gain entry to our brand
new meeting space booking system where you will be able to
design your own VDR presentation pod!
Recommended
Topics and Past Speakers
If you are visiting these pages, you probably have some
opinions or even passions about a greater 3D
inhabited cyberspace beyond 2D document webpages. In
the past two years, over 350 speakers
have presented their views at our conferences. See the program
for Earth to Avatars 96 and program
for Avatars97 and speakers
at Avatars98 (our first all-cyber conference), for their
topics, views and biographies. Here are some suggested areas
of interest to the greater online world audience:
Cyberspace
Topics
- Learning
using shared virtual worlds (the VLEARN
track)
- 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 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?
General
Topics
- How can cyberspace
be used to help your local community?
- Politics
- Sports
- Your Art (which
might be shown in our Art Gallery)
- Your job, your
projects, your career dreams
- What is happening
in your country
- Your culture,
your language
- Your pets, your
home life, your hobbies
- Money and investing
- Love and romance
- Travel: your favorite
places
- Anything else
that might interest a general online audience
Getting
set up with Active Worlds and the VDR
If you sign up as a speaker for the December 4th event you will
be expected to download and install Active
Worlds, (Windows only but runs well on Windows emulators
on other platforms). Once your session is accepted and you gain
entry to the special speaker booking system you will be able
to customize your own VIRTUAL DISCUSSION ROOM (VDR).
This custom area 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. In addition bots will be able
to assist your session by recording your words and activating
room services.
What
will happen on the big day?
On the big day, December 4th, 1999,
you will enter the VDR built for your presentation at your set
time and and hold your session, either by typing or speaking
live if you have set up a voice source (we recommend real
server or GTS (www.graham.com).
Your session will be posted on a Big Board schedule at the VDRHUB
world which lists all speaker 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 Avatars99
pages. You should feel free to send out our press
release. Remember, this is an experimental medium 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 Avatars99 hosts and peacekeepers
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 fill out your session
submission form below. We highly recommend you download,
install and learn how to use Active Worlds 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.
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