Second Life Heroes Launch Event Tomorrow

I regret not giving this event more coverage on my blog, but late is better than never (right?). Tomorrow, Saturday, April 26th, in the vast realms of Second Life, Microsoft and the Second Life .NET User Group are putting on a virtual Heroes Launch. You may have seen Heroes Happen Here Launch events in the "real world" over the last few months. They are being organized all over the globe to help get people introduced Visual Studio 2008, SQL Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008. And now they're even being organized "out of this world" and in the virtual realms of Second Life.

All of the action will kick-off tomorrow at 9:00 AM SLT (Second Life Time = PST) and run 'til about 5:00 PM. To join the fun, all you need to do is make sure you've downloaded and installed Second Life (it's free), created a goofy avatar (as in silly, not the Disney character...though I guess you could do that, too), and then transport on over to the new Microsoft User Group Island. It really couldn't be easier and it is a great way to get involved in the launch events if you've been unable to attend one in RL (real life, for uninitiated).

For a complete and detailed schedule of tomorrow's events, visit the Second Life DNUG website. It looks just like a real world conference schedule- the only difference is you can attend this one in your PJs. So get everything setup tonight and then come on out to the event tomorrow! If nothing else, I'll be at the event for a while and would love to meet you- look for the very normal avatar sporting the Telerik t-shirt and going by the name Bluelaser Hax.

Telerik supports successful C# Day 2 in Second Life

Building on the success of the first C# Day held back in December of 2007, the Second Life .NET User Group, Microsoft, and InnerWorkings organized another very successful C# Day this past Saturday. A C# Day is an interactive experience that challenges attendees to explore the C# language and teach each other how the language works. The events have been conducted in "real life" for some time, but Second Life is enabling a whole new audience from around the globe to participate.

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the event in person and instead spent the weekend moving heavy furniture (since our house has finally sold). But, all the reports are that a great time was had by all and that the Second Life environment is continually becoming a better learning and interaction tool for .NET developers. Telerik was also a proud sponsor of C# Day 2 and all attendees that completed the challenge received free Telerik t-shirts (in Second Life, of course). Videos of the event should be available soon on the SLDNUG website.

If you're still on the fence about the value Second Life offers to .NET developers, hopefully events like C# Day and presentations like mine are starting to change your mind. Telerik is dedicated to supporting .NET efforts in Second Life and we think it is a great new way for developers around the world to connect. So stop scoffing from the perimeter, create your crazy Second Life avatar, and join us at Visual Studio Island!

Silverlight presentation in Second Life available on-demand

If you missed my Silverlight presentation in Second Life this Saturday, you really missed an experience that was out of this world! Okay, bad pun. But in all seriousness, the presentation was a lot of fun and we had a great turn out from the .NET denizens of Second Life. The crew from Microsoft and the Second Life .NET User Group have done a great job building and improving the tools for presenting in Second Life, and I must admit the experience was a lot more like presenting to a "real life" audience than to a normal web cast- complete with a hand raising system to ask questions!

For those of you that couldn't make it to the live show, the SLDNUG recorded the presentation "in world" and have posted the video to their website (using Telerik's Silverlight media player, no less). The presentation system is still evolving, though, and you may find the audio hard to hear on the linked video. The SLDNUG is actively working on publishing another version of the video with better audio timed to my slides, so check back for updates later this week or next. While you're at the SLDNUG site, you'll also find copies of my slides and links to download JPEG versions of my slides (if you don't have PowerPoint 2007 handy).

Enjoy the on-demand resources and watch for future Second Life presentations in the coming months. If you ever wondered if Second Life had any purpose, presentations like this are definitely it.

Reminder: Second Life Silverlight presentation tomorrow

Normally I refrain from doing "reminder" posts, but since this event is both unique and on a Saturday and on a hot topic, I thought I'd break with tradition. So once again, tomorrow I'll be delivering a talk in Second Life on Microsoft's Visual Studio Island covering Silverlight. We'll cover everything from the roots of Silverlight to how you build a simple Silverlight application in VS 2008 to how UI components will make Silverlight development fun. There will be plenty of "pseudo demos" (Second Life doesn't accommodate live screen casts...yet), so this is a presentation you don't want to miss if you're interested in Silverlight. Besides, what better way to get out of doing your Saturday "honey-dos" than telling your significant other that you've got an important meeting to attend in a different world! Well...it may not save you from all of your chores, but at least it will break up the day. See you tomorrow at 12:00 PM Second Life Time (3:00 PM EST, 2:00 PM CST).

Join me in Second Life for Silverlight presentation

If you've already retreated from your first life (or are considering it) to join the ranks of the growing Second Life community and are concerned you'll miss great .NET events, fear not. The Second Life .NET User Group has got you covered. That's right. There is a sizable (and growing) community of .NET developers in Second Life that meet regularly for digital socialization and to listen to great .NET speakers. The group meets every other Saturday at 12:00 PM SLT on Microsoft's Visual Studio Island (that's Second Life Time - synced with Pacific Time for the uninitiated).

This coming Saturday, January 26th, I have the privilege of joining the group to deliver a talk on Silverlight. My talk will be broad, covering everything from Silverlight's roots to how to build a basic Silverlight application in VS 2008 to how you'll be able to use UI components to enhance your Silverlight development. So if you're at all interested in Silverlight, mark your calendars and set your Saturday alarms for this unique presentation. An on demand version should be available shortly after the event for those of you that can't join us in world for the live meeting. See you there!

P.S. My in world identity is Bluelaser Hax. Look for the guy with the Telerik t-shirt on.