From SimTeach

LEVEL 1 MODULE: COMMUNICATING: CHAT - OVERVIEW

As in real life, chatting is a primary way to get to know others and exchange information. Chatting in Second Life, however, refers to typed messages exchanged between at least two avatars. In this module, you will learn how to chat, both publicly and privately. You will also learn how to save and view a record of your chats.

Learning Standards Addressed
McRel Learning Standards
Language Arts'	Writing: Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing; Uses a variety of techniques to convey a personal style and voice (e.g., stream of consciousness, multiple viewpoints)
Technology'	Knows the characteristics and uses of computer hardware and operating systems; Uses a variety of input devices (e.g., keyboard, scanner, voice/sound recorders, mouse, touch screen)
21st Century Student Outcomes
Learning and Innovation Skills'	Creativity and Innovation
Information, Media and Technology Skills	ICT (Information, Communications and Technology) Literacy

POWER-UP:

(What you will learn) By the end of this module, you will have the following power(s):

• Communicating with other Second Life residents
• Sending and receiving instant messages
• Reading your chat history

You will demonstrate your new powers by:

• Chatting with a few residents in Second Life
• Sending instant messages to a few people
• Posting a part of your chat history on a blog or email

Do you have these powers already? Skip ahead to the ACTION PLAN section below.

PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE:

(What you need to know to learn this power) Before learning this power, you need to have completed the following levels/modules:

• None needed

MATERIALS:

Item Location Log Chat Edit > Preferences > Communication Log Instant Messages Edit > Preferences > Communication

ACTION PLAN

Before you begin any missions, let's see if you've already developed any of these powers. If you can complete the following activity successfully, you can skip this module! If not, complete the missions and learn how to do it.

TAKE ACTION:

• Find someone to interview in Second Life. Ask them the following questions through public chat.
  • What is something you would like to see changed in the world?
  • What can people like you do to better the situation?
• Now ask the same question to someone else through IM. Use chat history to copy your

conversation.

SHOWING OFF YOUR NEW POWER:

Tell others about your conversation and encourage them to view it on the internet. (As described below.) Post a copy of the conversation on a blog or other shared internet source. But before you do that make sure you ask for permission to publicly post their comments. That is just basic blogging and internet etiquette. Always good to keep in mind!

Contents 1 The Basics 1.1 Instruction 1.2 Practice 1.3 Action Plan 2 IM (Private Chat) 2.1 Instruction 2.2 Practice 2.3 Action Plan 3 Chat History 3.1 Instruction 3.2 Practice 3.3 Action Plan

The Basics

LEVEL 1 MODULE: COMMUNICATING: CHAT - MISSION 1

There are so many interesting avatars around. Wouldn't you like to meet some? Learn how to communicate with them. Find out what they are all about, share thoughts, opinions and learn how to say "Hello".
See the Torley video Chatting.

Instruction

Text chat is one of the main ways to communicate with other residents in Second Life. Anyone within 30 meters of your avatar can see what you have to say and respond. It is like talking to those around you in real life. And what would you do in real life if you wanted people further away to hear you? Yes, you can shout in Second Life too.

Practice

TRY THIS:

Step 1: Chat bar
You can chat with people around you using the Chat bar. Toggle the Chat bar on and off by clicking the blue Chat button at the bottom of your screen. You can also press Enter for the chat bar to appear and Esc for it to disappear. Try it now: Toggle your Chat bar.

Step 2: Chat
When the Chat bar is visible, type your message in the space provided and press Say or Enter. The residents nearby will see your chat text appear on their screen, preceded by your name.

Step 3: Shout
If you want your message to go a longer distance, press Shout. It is the button next to Say. You can also press Ctrl+Enter for the same result. Shouting has a range of 100 meters.

Step 4: Animation
When you begin typing your chat message, your avatar will begin a typing animation. This lets others know that you are about to speak and similarly you will also know when they are about to speak. Try it now: Type a chat message to say something. Type another one to shout it!

Step 5: Chat variations
If you start your line of chat text with a forward slash "/", the typing hands animation and typing sound will not occur. This can be very useful if you are listening to music or are in a group setting and find the typing noise distracting. Try this now: Type a line of chat with "/" at the beginning. Now try starting your message with "/me". For example, "/me is very happy!" Press Enter. Did you notice the message that appeared included your name? This is one way for your avatar to emote through a line of chat text.

Action Plan

SHOWING OFF YOUR NEW POWER:

Want some extra practice? Try this:

Chat with a few residents in Second Life. Use the "/me" option to show how you are feeling. For example, "/me is very hungry!"

IM (Private Chat)

LEVEL 1 MODULE: COMMUNICATING: CHAT - MISSION 2

You have mastered one form of communication in Second Life - chatting. Now it is time to learn another way, one that will enable you to choose who you want to speak to without nearby residents listening in.

Instruction

Instant Message or IM is the other main way to communicate in Second Life. While text chat is public, i.e. everyone nearby can see what you are saying, IMs are more private and can be compared to telephone conversations in real life. An IM can be sent to a specific person or group. It is not necessary for the person to be anywhere near you. In this mission you will learn how to send an IM to an avatar near you.

Practice

TRY THIS:

Step 1: Sending an IM in person
Right-click (Cmd-click) the person's avatar and select Send IM from the Pie menu. A new window will open. Type your message in the space provided and press Enter.

Step 2: IM more than one person
You can IM as many people as you want by right clicking each avatar. All IM conversations appear in the same window. You can view each conversation by clicking on the tab with the respective avatar name. Try it now: Start instant messages with at least two people at the same time.

Action Plan

SHOWING OFF YOUR NEW POWER:

IM a few people around you and ask them to name a movie or song that inspired them and why.

Chat History

LEVEL 1 MODULE: COMMUNICATING: CHAT - MISSION 3

You now know how to communicate with other residents in Second Life. But while chatting you may notice that the chat text appears and then fades away. You may wonder how you could see what you missed if you had to step away from your computer for a few minutes.

Instruction

The Chat History window records all chat for the current Second Life session. From the moment you log in until you log out, everything is recorded. However, if you log out you will lose your chat history. This mission will show you not only how to see the chat you miss but also how to make sure it is saved so that you can view it even after you log out of Second Life.

Practice

TRY THIS:

Step 1: Viewing missed Chat
To view missed chat, click on the blue history button to the left of your Chat bar OR choose Chat History from the View menu OR press Ctrl-H.

Step 2: Saving Chat
The following setup will ensure that your chat history gets saved and can be viewed even after you log out of Second Life.:

• In the Edit menu, click on the last option called Preferences
• In the Preferences window, click on the Communication tab on the left
• On the right select the option Log Chat
• Click on Change Path and choose a location where you want the files to be saved such as a folder named "SL Chat".
• Press Apply and then Ok

Test this now:

Type a line in your Chat bar as a test, press enter and log out of Second Life. (If you find you do not have permission to do this on your computer, please see Note below for a workaround.)

Step 3: Viewing saved Chat History
Now look for the folder called "SL Chat". Within it you will find a folder with the same name as your avatar. Inside the folder you will find a text document. Try this now:

Click on it. Do you see your chat history? This is a more permanent way of saving all your chat. It is also useful when Second Life suddenly freezes or crashes on your machine.

Step 4: Saving IM
The following setup will ensure that your IM is saved along with your chat history and can be viewed even after you log out of Second Life:

• In the Edit menu, click on the last option called Preferences
• In the Preferences window, click on the Communication tab on the left
• On the right you will see that Log Chat is already selected
• Also select the options Log Instant Messages, Show timestamps in IM and Include IM in Chat History
• Press Apply and then Ok Test this now:

Send an IM to someone as a test and log out of Second Life. (If you do not have permission to do this on your computer, please see Note below for a workaround.)

Step 5: Viewing saved Chat History - SAME HEADING AS STEP 3
Look again for the folder called "SL Chat". Within it you will find a folder with the same name as your avatar. Inside the folder you will find a text document. Click on it. Do you see your chat history and your IM? Note: If you are on a computer with permission restrictions, such as a school lab computer, you might not be able to save conversations by using Second Life preferences. In that case, you can select the conversation by dragging over it to highlight, and then Copy/Paste into a document such as Word or TextEdit.

Action Plan

TAKE ACTION:

• Find someone to interview in Second Life. Ask them the following questions through public chat.
  • What is something you would like to see changed in the world?
  • What can people like you do to better the situation?

Now ask the same question to someone else through IM. Use chat history to copy your conversation.

SHOWING OFF YOUR NEW POWER:

Tell others about your conversation and encourage them to view it on the internet. Post a copy of the conversation on a blog or other shared internet source. But before you do that make sure you ask for permission to publicly post their comments. That is just basic blogging and internet etiquette. Always good to keep in mind!