Network Culture Challenge

by Jessica Holyoke

Cory Ondrejka and Doctor Ludovico recently announced the Network Culture Challenge from the International Island sim.  The University of Southern California's Network Culture Project, in conjunction with the MacArthur Foundation, is inviting the residents of Second Life to imagine new ways that virtual worlds can be used to make contributions to the public good.

The Network Culture Challenge is currently accepting proposals from groups, organizations, or individuals for projects that show how Second Life can enhance, develop, or sustain the public good. The best submissions will be selected based on how well they demonstrate the significance of virtual worlds for making an impact on society or culture.

Up to three finalists will be selected by a community vote. The finalists will be provided with a $100,000L per month building stipend (and land, if required) for three months to execute their proposal. The projects will be showcased on October 16th, 2008 at the State of Play conference to be held in Chicago.

Projects may address any social need and could include conservation, human rights and international justice, global peace and security, reproductive health, digital media and learning, or juvenile justice. Proposals should provide a clear description of how the project uses the abilities of Second Life to advance the project goals and should provide clear metrics for assessing the success of the project.

Proposals should include:

· a completed application form
· a budget of in-world resources required to complete the project within a three-month time frame
· a time line for completion including milestones and metrics for success
· a listing of team members

and as resident Valiant Westland said, "be brief, be brilliant, be gone!"

While Second Life was mentioned as the main virtual world to be used, with L$100,000 per month in stipend money, places like OpenSim were also mentioned in the discussions.

Proposals may be submitted to networkculture@gmail.com by June 1, 2008 for consideration.

For more information, visit www.networkculture.usc.edu or visit an information session on May 12th 9PM PST Information Session for Community Challenge (Asia/Europe/Africa/Pacific) or May 15th Noon PST Information Session for Community Challenge (Europe/Americas).

Comments

[Lord Kamina]

It won't be long before someone builds a gigantic dogcock statue representing Second Life's one true currency.

[Marc Woebegone]

In light of the Electic Sheep Company debacle, musn't one now ask whether that "donation" is taxable as a gift? Unless it's perhaps too a non-profit, and then, will the proper IRS forms be filed? What of the "employees" that build the project proposed, if not volunteers? Will proper withholding be done and the IRS and state employee proection laws observed or disregarded? After all, SL is just a game.....

If I report those that win as having received income and not reported it, will I get a reward?

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=176632,00.html

Procedure Unveiled for Reporting Violations of the Tax Law, Making Reward Claims

IR-2007-201, Dec. 19, 2007

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today outlined ways informants can report violations of the tax law and possibly claim a reward based on the amount of additional tax, penalties and interest that is owed.

http://secondlife.typepad.com

Marc Woebegone.... of the voluntarily cancelled account "group"

[Ann Otoole]

"Procedure Unveiled for Reporting Violations of the Tax Law, Making Reward Claims

IR-2007-201, Dec. 19, 2007

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today outlined ways informants can report violations of the tax law and possibly claim a reward based on the amount of additional tax, penalties and interest that is owed."

So we have allowed this government to become what the Nazis and East German Stazi were. How nice that US Citizens are so utterly stupid to allow this government to continue it's absolute rule.

Maybe a suggestion will be put forth top form a real planetary union to work to overthrow military dictatorships and bring the planet uner one form of government that puts people first.

[GreenLantern Excelsior]

"For more information, visit www.networkculture.usc.edu..."

Take the "www" out of that URL and it will become clickable. ;)

[Cai Pirinha]

Ann, do you really think that a planetary union will be enough? Shouldn't we rather form a kind of United Federation of Planets to fight against the IRS?

Please share with us your thoughts on this.

[me]

@Mark

ESC got in trouble because they were paying their greeters an actual USD wage. Direct deposited in their employee's RL bank accounts, no less.

A "Linden Dollar" stipend is no more taxable than our weekly stipend is. Of course, I'm sure that won't stop you from submitting the form anyway. Just sucks you're wasting my tax dollars making some IRS employee process a frivolous claim.

[Needs Moar Anarchy]

The problem is not that we dont have a good planetary government, its that we have TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT AT EVERY LEVEL. Get it through your thick heads people. Government is the problem, not the solution.

SL ran fine without government for years. Its taught a lot of us (apparently not enough of us) the importance of self rule, self responsibility. Now its the responsibility of everybody to put a bullet in the head of the next IRS agent to show up in SL.

[IntLibber Brautigan]

from the quoted site: "To be eligible for an award under the new procedures, the tax, penalties, interest, additions to tax, and additional amounts in dispute must exceed $2 million for any taxable year and, if the taxpayer is an individual, the individual’s gross income must exceed $200,000 for any taxable year in question. "

That excludes this case, and pretty much 100% of SL business transactions. So solly, try bawwing on something else.

[Corona]

why would you need a united federation of planets to fight the irs
could not the amercians just do it anyway

remember their power comes from your obedience