Kiva in Second Life

[Guest]

.

[Diane R]

Although SL is free to join, it is also possible to upgrade to a paid account and to use a credit card to load cash into your account.  This entitles you to use in-world currency to purchase land, clothing, houses, pets, good hair , and other for-sale objects and services.  It is also possible to earn in-world currency by selling such things (or by doing what's called "camping": being paid a pittance to sit or dance in one place so as to make that location seem more popular and draw more crowds thereby bringing more paying customers to that location for its owner).  The currency exchange allows you to take real money out, at the current exchange rate.   

And then give it to Kiva! 

--Diane.

[Julia]

Dottie - you can convert virtual linden dollars for US dollars (and vise versa). There is actually a stock market and the rates fluctuate.   The money comes out of second life via a paypal account.

Diane - I sent you the landmarks.  One piece of land is 512, the other 3584. We should get 3-4 loans ($75-100) but I'm guessing on how much its worth. Diane, I really need your input on how to price the land.

I can buy the 512 piece now without problem. Perhaps I should resell it to you and have you sell it?

I only have 736 left till the next tier. I am proposing finding people(s) who can buy 3584 of MY land and hold it for a bit while I buy and sell the other land. Obviously it will have to be someone I trust, which limits the field.It doesn't have to be just one person, but that would make it easier.  I am asking some of my friends at teachsoup. They are running the non profit sim and are responsible. Even if they do look like pink cats.  What do you think of this idea? Do you trust anyone who might be able to help?

I don't know how long it will be till the land sells. I know if we price it low enough it will sell faster. 

[Julia]

I bought the first of our donated land (for 1 L) and put it for sale for 6800L, 200L less than the exact same-sized plot next door. That's about $26 US.

 I figure that since this happened once it might happen again and hey, we should start doing it regularly, so I made a sign that says "Charity land for sale, this land was donated to kiva.org. all monies form the sale will fund loand to developing countries http://kiva.org/lender/secondlife1494.   we're using lindens to change lives.  Kiva in sl accepts donations of lindens, land and items for resell.  Join group kiva.org Fund."  And our land comes with a free Kiva display full of free kiva things and info about kiva.  Its modifiable in case they don't want it taking up most of the land!


I am trying to find trustworthy people to hold my land so I can buy the other land for sale.

Kiva in SL is now into real estate!

boggles the mind it does.

[Julia]

I'm sorry to say I can't figure out a way to purchase the ~3500 area land by Monday, so it will be abandon.

Diane, I am going to ask them to break it up and put 512 of the best spot for sale to you, (1L), and to anyone else who responds to me from Tech soup.  We'll take what we can get.

If anyone one else has a premium account and does not hold land for their tier and is willing to buy a spot and sell and donate to kiva, please let me know ASAP.

I have a call out to the lindens and Ansce chung and have tried all the avenues I can think of.

[Julia]

Crises over, I found someone to buy the land, and then they decided to just keep it and pay us for it.

We got a 512 area for sale still.

And I'll be asking if our new friend wants to be our kiva land queen.

we're turning virtual land into real loans!

[Diane R]

VERY cool!  How much did we get for it? 

If you need me to hold the 512 until it sells, just say the word.

--Diane.

[Julia]

Some News from Second Life.
I made this display to show how we are turning linden (money used in second life) into loans.  I made this picture in photoshop and made the doorway 'clear', so you can walk through it in second life. Very strange to make pictures and then walk in them. Very Mary Poppinish (reference to old movie). The box is a donation box, you can drop lindens it. The lindens then go to our SL group, to slexchange, to paypal, to our Kiva lenders group, to loans.  (we have 19 currently). 


I also got a really cool Info display from Techsoup.org (for FREE!).  This one lets you go through images (using the arrows at the bottom) and if you click on an image it sends you to a web site.

This display is going to be how you can help Kiva in real life. So the purple tech soup image will say something like 'helping Kiva in real life'

As you can see, we already have one of the most important things, the igive site.

I also made a graphic for translators

and if you click on it you go to the kiva volunteers page.  I am planning on having more of a translators needed display in our office also.   (still no firm date on when the new sim will be created where our office will be, I'm guessing within a month).

DOES anyone have any time to do any photo shopping?  I am a bit ovewhelmed, I'm making a book with all our 19 loans (sl group) and its 2 pictures per loan...

I need pictures of the real life stuff for this display. Like the igive one.  things we want to link to like 'kiva on Amazon', 'kiva on myspace', 'kiva on facebook', 'kiva yahoo group', etc..  I also need ideas and links - where people can go to help kiva.  Anything where kiva gets part of the profit is fine.

So far the only links I have are to the igive store, translators, and kivafriends.  *.jpg are great, and even just merging logos is fine.
If anyone is interested in helping me with some photoshoping on a regular basis please let me know. I always have more ideas than time.

[Wood Fairy Glenda]

This is all so great, Julia!  Thank you for all your fine work in this crazy stuff  and apologies  for being totally unable to participate.  Keep it up!

[Julia]

Here are some new pictures.  Joe and I posing for a picture for the UN website (coming soon)


and here we are hanging around (placed in 'pose balls') in the Non Profits Commons photoshoot.

[Julia]

The rumours are getting pretty strong that the new non profit sim (with our new office) will be up and running within a month.

I've made quite a few displays over the last months, having a blast.  I've been playing in my Kiva sandbox.




We have a 200 primitive (block) limit for the office, so I'm keeping track.
Here's a list of what we have so far (with the number of prims beside it).

kiva tv   - displays kiva videos 2
seats in front of tv   3

yunnis displays - quote from flyer and with Nobel prize and book 'banker to the poor'   3

elizabeth in frame   2
kiva info (map) from flyer in frame   2
what does kiva mean picture in frame   2
bbc quote in frame   2

helping in real life display (pictures and web links to places like KSC)   6

turning lindens into loans door frame display with donation box and picture of loan 3
sl group loan book (pages showing the loan and the journal N=21 so far) with display   11
new loan display showing our latest SL group loan   5
loan summary picture   1

welcome to kiva in sl   hand note explaining all that's going on. 1
newstand hands note for news and links to newsletter (when we get one)   1
mailbox/mail basket for people to leave us a message   1
flag tree 1
flag (german, french, spanish, portegeuse, japanese, finish, hungarian ...)   each flag gives a welcome note info about kiva in that language would love to get 20 languages. So far we have English and german 20

computer - cycles through pictures of kiva clients   6
computer - cycles through pictures of the mfi logos   6
computer - cycles through pictures of kiva friends   6
table the computers are on   5

kiva fellows program display - blog, meet the fellows, FAQ displays (all with specific links)     4

freebie tree - tree with free things like Kiva tshirts, jean jackets, wristbands   14
kiva display - display that hands out free stuff people can put on their own land or store   2

second life shops - display and links to our kiva shops in second life, we currently have 5 stalls where 100% of the sales goes to the SL Kiva group.  They are run by Elron, Sal, and Illzy.     7

first life aid   - link to the kiva booth in first life aid. 1

MLF MicroInvest Display   -2

display for sl places that have kiva displays   5

kiva translators/ Rosetta stone   2

sandwich board   - free to wear and advertise kiva 4

    
kiva gift certificate on present. hands note saying how you can give kiva gift certificates.   2

kiva picture photoop snapshot display- you can put your avatar in a pose and look like you're in a picture with a kiva client, and then email the picture to your friend (including the blurb about kiva we give to include in the email).  4
donation boxes at each door   2
    

total    138