Well, as it turns out, this Linden Lab alternative is in fact pretty spot on when it comes to knowing what inworld users crave. In this case: relevance, reliability, and security.

Philippe Pascal from SpotOn3D visited the Nonprofit Commons last Friday, Jan. 30^th to explain how each of these three pillars play into the evolution of their product:

Relevance - For each new feature created, relevance to the target group is an absolute priority. We had the option to go full-out for Mesh-implementation, or to create a higher level of accessibility by allowing our target audience to log in through their trusted social networks. We strongly believed that creating an easier way of accessing our Web Worlds was more relevant, and have in meanwhile proudly launched our World on a Webpage.

Reliability - Not just for 30 people per region, but a steady, scalable and reliable solution for up to 125 avatars per region. Our cloud-serviced products (BoostCloud) are one of our flag ships, and are continuously being improved. But, reliability also in the sense of automated back-ups, and making sure that even in worst case scenarios, we have built-in damage control.

Security - Not only for our users, but also for copyrighted materials. SpotON3D does not only have strong built-in protection for intellectual property, but we're also proud to mention we have an exclusive agreement with virtual courthouse.com. This allows us to mediate and arbiter using "brick & mortar" professionals for very affordable pricing for all parties. 

The “main course of this presentation” as Philippe called it, explored SpotOn3D’s features, products, and services for Nonprofits; the most exciting of which seemed to be the World on a Webpage app that allows visitors to log-in from the social networks of their choice without the need of a standalone viewer. According to Philippe, “this application will in the future also be made available as an embeddable object for your own websites, allowing your users to log in directly from your website using their favorite browser.” Cool stuff.

The coolest feature to report back however, is the built-in Web Window that keeps you from having to switch screens to view certain content on the internet. When a link in SpotOn3D’s Web Worlds is clicked, a fully functional browser will open within the viewer software. It was this feature that collectively wow-ed the Nonprofit Commons, and is continuing to wow organizations like Fearless Nation PTSD Support. So much so that Fearless Nation has recently moved their operations from Second Life to SpotOn3D.

Colleen Crary from Fearless Nation happens to be the guest of honor at this week’s NPC meeting where she’ll discuss how her organization provides education and support to PTSD sufferers and their families, as well as how Fearless Nation uses the latest technology in social networking to share educational information to empower participants to recover from trauma by leveraging the power of virtual world technology. This is truly tech for good.

See you at the Nonprofit Commons, this Friday, Feb. 3^rd, at the Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater in Second Life.

The fearlessness behind Fearless Nation PTSD Support, Inc. explained

Oftentimes people say and do things in cyberspace that they would ordinarily refrain from in our face-to-face world. Perhaps it’s the perception of anonymity that allows individuals to open up, feel more emotionally uninhibited, capable of expressing themselves more intimately. Researchers call this the online disinhibition effect. As the founder of Fearless Nation PTSD Support, Inc., Colleen Crary calls it just another day at work.

Last Friday, Colleen stopped by the Nonprofit Commons to discuss how her organization provides education and support to a multicultural community of PTSD sufferers, directly from SpotOn3D’s virtual facilities inworld. By harnessing the power of online disinhibition for good, Fearless Nation is among a growing movement of mental health professionals who are leveraging virtual technology to provide necessary resources for therapy and self-help.

So what’s the appeal of non-face-to-face therapy? One of the powerful advantages of cyberspace, as compared to the face-to-face world when it comes to platforms for mental health services, is that geographic location literally makes no difference. Online communities such as such as SpotOn3D and Second Life have the capacity to make global participation and interaction between members significantly more fluid. According to their website, Fearless Nation claims, “experimenting with one's online identity and new ways of relating to others can result in insight and may help people work through personal issues. Under ideal conditions, those changes generalize to the face-to-face world.”

Fearless Nation PTSD Support, Inc. also offers creative services to their members. Individuals are encouraged to “explore your own imagination without boundaries, express yourself creatively like never before with this online medium. Recovery includes creative expression and we have many opportunities and several galleries dedicated to the art of our participants. Start a poetry slam, sing, play music, read your favorite poems, stories, or your own for a safe and accepting audience of fellow trauma survivors.” With many of their service offerings and channels going beyond static chats and photos, Fearless Nation provides ways patients can interface with “authentic interaction and shared experiences online - all in an immersive 3D environment where all interaction happens in real time, with real people.”

Would you go to virtual therapy?

For more information about Fearless Nation PTSD Support, Inc., please visit their website.

In the meantime, come visit us at the Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater tomorrow morning at 8:30am, where we’ll welcome Mr. Jeff Ramos, community and content manager of Games for Change.