Medulla Help Manual

Second Life (SL) is an Internet-based virtual world. It is an interactive environment which enables different users across geographies to interact with each other. Users can explore, socialize, interact, and participate in various group functions. They can go to various islands and discover new activities and people. This interaction is mediated through avatars.

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Medulla

Virtual environments like Second Life provide users with opportunities to collaboratively create cities organize them and even hold events in them. These also allow scholars across different disciplines to unleash their creativity and expertise to recreate lost civilizations and also share information with other users. Medulla is a collaborative framework that is designed to match the needs of learners who depend on internet for their learning requirements and knowledge enhancement. It acts as platforms for collaborative activities, immersion, interaction and information. This framework is available to the users on FAS island.

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How do I start in Second Life?

To start with Second Life, you need to go to http://www.secondlife.com You need to sign up with second life by clicking Sign Up. Fill the details in the Sign up form. You will receive a notification of your membership activation on the e-mail address that you provided in the sign up form. Click on the link provided in the e-mail. Download and install the Second Life application. To Log into Second Life, type the details you received in your e-mail, which includes your first name and last name. Type the password as provided in the Sign up form. Click Connect.

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What should I do after installing Second Life?

After you have successfully installed second Life, you need to go to the FAS (Federation of American Scientists) island where you can experience the Medulla Framework and contribute towards the virtual learning Environment.

1.Start the SL client by double clicking the Second Life icon on your desktop. This icon displays on your computer desktop by default.
2.Enter the appropriate authentication details. These should be same as filled in the SL registration form.

Note: If you do not have an SL account, click on the New Account button. This takes you the SL registration page, where you can register yourself.

3. Click Connect.
4. If you are logging for the first time you can choose to learn basics of Second Life on Second Life Orientation Island.
5. To go to the FAS World, click the Map button, and search for FAS.

6. From the list of lands, select FAS and click on the Teleport button.
7. SL environment teleports you to the reception area of the FAS world.

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How can I contribute?

You can start contributing to the Medulla Framework and to the virtual environment by becoming a “Resident”. Resident members have access to all the virtual cities that are to be built collaboratively. They can contribute to the planning, designing and development of the cities. You become a default resident if you choose to be a:

Developer
Role Player
Reviewer
City Manager

Developer
Developer can create in-world assets for any virtual city. This role is meant to aid the City Manager and others in realizing their design goals. Members of this group are 3D modelers, SL script writers, artists, and graphic designers etc. A developer can choose to contribute individually or work as a team member.

Role Player
Role playing users are the volunteers for hosting and organizing various in-world events in these cities. For example, they may like to host an in-world event and invite public to show contemporary rituals or festival customs. This event could be a day event that is publicized and organized by the role-playing member with approval from the City Manager etc. They can hold presentation within the island to tell the users about the city. They could also hold events where in the members can provide their feedback regarding a discussion.

Reviewer
Reviewers are Subject Matter Experts who examine the creation of the Workgroup members and decide on the authenticity of the virtual items created by others, mainly workgroup members. Specific examples may include making a decision on things like whether wooden or reed boats were used in the city in those times or what kind of pottery items were common etc.
A reviewer’s role is restricted to a particular city only because the expertise will be focused to one or a few specific things needed to build and expand a city. Also, another assumption is while one person may be an expert on the Indus Valley civilization, he or she may not be an expert on all ancient civilizations.

City Manager
City Manager manages the development of a city. A City Manager can own sizable property in SL based on the proposal submitted for the collaborative creation of a city. City Manager has to perform all vital roles starting from conceptualization, design, development and also promotion of the city. City Manager also decides the residents for his/her city. A City Manager’s role is restricted to particular city.

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How do I become a member?

Now, that you have decided the role, you need to register yourself and become a member. Once you become a member, you can start performing the activities specific to your role.

1. Go to the reception area of the city. If you are a first time visitor, you will be automatically transported to the Reception area of the Medulla. The reception area of every city differs.

2. Click on the Join Us button, which takes you to the registration link.

3.. Select the type of membership or role (described above) you want from the registration link. You can choose to be a:

Developer
Reviewer
Role Player
City Manager

4.Fill the required details in the form and click submit.

5. The City Manager receives your request for the selected role and takes a decision to approve or reject it .

6. Once approved, the notification system sends an approval note on your registered email address.
7.Click on Activation URL to activate the membership
8.You are required to open membership activation link as a token of acceptance and as part of system requirement.

Note: : In case you do not get the activation mail or you lose the mail, you can click on My Profile icon on the Members' Kit and select activate your profile link.

On rejection, the notification system sends a rejection note to on your registered e-mail address.

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What are my tools for creation and contribution?

Once registered, you have an immediate access to tools required to build the city. You have:

Members' Kit
Warehouse
Development Icons

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What is Members’ Kit?

Members' Kit presents in-world menu for a list of web forms such as digital source & metadata upload, production request, quality control and search functionalities that you require for creation of city assets. This kit is is equipped with all the necessary steps you need for contribution. To access the Members' Kit, you need to:

1. Go to the reception
2. Click Get Kit from the Members' Kit pillar
3. Click accept on the notification message you get on the top right corner of the screen
4. This adds the copy of the Kit in your inventory
5. Find the folder named Medulla Tools & Assets for Members in the inventory
6. Right click on Medulla Members' Kit icon and select wear

7. The members' kit displays on the top right corner of the screen.

Note: Only the registered Medulla members have access to the Members’ Kit.

How Do I use Members’ Kit for creating a workflow?
Once you have the access to the members' kit you can start the sequence of creating city objects. You can also use Members' Kit to monitor workflow of city creation.

The Members' Kit contains various menu options that help you create and maintain city objects. There are different menu options you use for creating, searching and managing city assets. These include:

Digital Source Data & Metadata Upload
Production Request
Quality Control
Search
My Profile

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Digital Source Data & Metadata Upload

Reference material provides authentication to your work and contribution. For example, if you want to create Ziggurat, you need to mention some details regarding it. You need to mention references or source material that justifies the look and feel of ziggurat, the material used, the era etc. This information uploaded by you will be useful to other users if they want to search for your object and take further references from it.

You can upload any reference material for creation of an object by using the Source Data & Metadata upload option. This material is uploaded on a database connected to the web-application and is referred to as source upload.

1. Click Digital Source Data & Metadata Upload option from Members' Kit
2. This opens Upload data web form.
3. You can upload reference data and metadata for desired object.
4. Successful upload generates production request automatically and sends corresponding notification messages via e-mail to respective City Manager

Note : The field labels have been referenced from Dublin Core standards. in case if you have any doubts regarding information upload against the mentioned field names, you can refer to the Dublin core standards by clicking the link provided on the top of the page.

Note : Currently, the highlighted file formats in the table below can be opened with browser or browser plugins.

Reference Data	File Formats	Metadata	Source
Pictures	Jpeg, gif, bmp, tif, png, tga,	Title, Description, Subject, Resource Type, Origin/Owner (Author/Creator), Political Era, Age, Date of creation, etc.	Self-created, Proprietary Repositories, Online
3D Models	3ds Max, Maya,
CAD Data	AutoCAD, Pro/Engineer
Architectural Data	Sketch Up, AutoCAD
Animation	Gif, Flash, BVH, etc.	Title, Subject, Activity/Content Description, etc.	Self-recorded, Proprietary Clips, Online, Movie Clips, Songs Clips
Video You tube	Avi, Mov, MPEG	Title, Subject, Activity/Content Description, etc.
Voice Over	MP3,wmv,	Title, Subject, Content Description, Author, etc.
Audio Clips	MP3,wmv,	Title, Subject, Content Description, Author, etc.
Text	Txt, doc, pdf, rtf, ps, html	Title, Description, Subject, Resource Type,Owner,etc.	Articles, Novel, Poems, Essays, Wiki, Encyclopedia
Question & Answers for a chatbot	XML (AIML) format used by ALICEBOT™	Title, Description, Subject, Resource Type,Owner,etc.
Foreign Language Material

Note: You can browse and upload the saved files (formats mentioned above) from your computer. You can even provide URL links to the files available on the internet, for example you can provide a link of a video uploaded on Youtube or a pdf uploaded on yahoo etc. You can also use other file formats but you need to have the relevant software installed to view them.

Once the reference material has been uploaded the City Manager assigns the location for object creation. The City Manager also types the expected results of production, so that any contributor who volunteers for an assignment is exposed to the anticipated results.

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Production Request

Now, that you have successfully uploaded the reference material, you need to Volunteer for object creation (for example Ziggurat). You can even Volunteer to create objects name mentioned by other users. You can view the reference material uploaded by them and start building and object mentioned by them. However, you can only create objects that hold a Volunteer request for them. The objects mentioned closed are the ones that have been already allocated and created.

1. Select the Production Request from the Members’ Kit. This opens Production Request web form.
2. You need to Select a City wherein you want to volunteer for creation and contribution
3. After you select the city, you can view the current Job Assignment status. You can volunteer to contribute in open assignments by clicking Volunteer. You can also search the Objects by title or by name of the user.

4. Once you click Volunteer, you will be directed to a web-form wherein you have to briefly describe the role you shall take on the assignment and provide an estimate end date. You can also view the expectation of the City Manager if mentioned. The expectations help you understand the view point of the City Manager regarding that assignment

5. Once you complete the details, click on save button. Your name will appear in the Assigned Job list. The status of the assignment also changes to Assigned for creation You can then view reference material for the item and start creating the object using references.

Note: You have to add the standard policy framework scripts on the completed object. These scripts will help the reviewer to indicate the object status or to access the object web form. You can access these scripts from the Medulla tools & assets folder in the inventory. Besides the script you need to submit the completed object for Quality Control and later transfer it to the Warehouse.

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Quality Control (Q.C.)

After you have completed the object, you need to submit it for Quality Control. The Quality Control is an essential step that ensures that your object meets the required quality standards. Q.C is carried out by Reviewers and also by the City Manager.
1. To submit your object for Q.C. you need to click on the Quality Control option in the Members’ Kit.
2. After you click the Q.C. option it takes you Production Request web form where you have to click on the object name from Assigned object list in order to open quality submission form.
3. After you click on the object, Q.C. forms appears where you have to update in-world screen shots of completed object. This provides a quick reference to the work that you done.

4. After you have submitted the object for Q.C. the status of the object changes to "submitted for quality check"

Note: Objects can go through multiple reviews or can be reviewed many times. Since each city may have multiple reviewers, a disagreement about quality status for an object may arise. In such a scenario the City Manager acts as the final arbitrator.

Once the Quality Control web form is updated, an automated notification is sent to all the reviewers of the city.

1 The Reviewers click on the link provided in the e-mail to reach and review the object.
2 Reviewer then provides review comments and approves or rejects the quality control

3. Once the object is approved, the object creator receives a notice through e-mail about the completed quality control.
4.If the reviewer wants to suggest revision the reviewer will send a revision note (email) to the contributor of the object with review comments and suggestions.

Note : A reviewer, if present in the virtual world, can Invoke the Production request page from the Member's kit and review the object for Quality control. The reviewer can click on the object name and directly go to the Quality Control page.

What happens after Quality Control is approved?
Once you have submitted the object for Quality Control, a system generated mail is sent to the Reviewers. The City Manager has the final authority to approve or reject the quality check. The City Manager updates the item status to transfer the ownership of the object and you receive intimation through e-mail about the ownership transfer of the object. You need to transfer the ownership to allow other users to view and use your object for creating other city assets. When you transfer the ownership, you provide rights to the other users to use your object.

You have to visit in-world and set the object permission properties. In order to transfer the ownership of the object you need to follow the collaborative policies that require you to:

1.Share with group
2.Allow anyone to move
3.Set all the permission for Next owner
4.You also need to change the item status in the Q.C web form to ‘submitted for ownership’. Once the permissions are set, you should take the copy of the object in your inventory. You can use Right-Click Pie menu or select from the Tool menu to take the copy of the object.

5.You should then locate the Object Drop area in the city reception and Drag-Drop the copied object on to it by pressing the CTRL key simultaneously.

Note: If you do not transfer the ownership, the other users will not be able to use or share your object.

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Warehouse

A Warehouse in Medulla Framework is a repository that contains all the approved city objects (for example, images, scripts, 3D objects etc.). It acts as a doorway to access and view all the approved objects so that you can view them for reference. You can access and search the Warehouse by clicking search on the Member's Kit.

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The search feature has been especially incorporated in the Medulla framework. It allows you to find any available and approved resources or objects related to a city. Moreover, the search feature also includes the details of the objects for example, creator of the object, date of upload etc. You can invoke the search feature by clicking search on the Members' Kit. This opens up a web-form wherein you can search for an object using pre-fed conditions and criterion.

When you click Search on Members' Kit, a web form appears automatically authenticating your Second life ID against the database. If authenticated then a welcome page for FAS Warehouse appears. The welcome page contains the available inventory catalogs categories by city era and city name along with search functionality to search the inventory.

The search functionality has the following options to search the warehouse inventory:

Search by object name
Search by object Type & Kind
Search by the political/archeological period to which the object belongs
Select by Place of origin

You can select the appropriate search option or the combination of options and invoke the search functionality.
You can click on the image of the result set to find detailed information about the object.

Transfer from Warehouse to Inventory

You can also transfer objects from Warehouse in your inventory.
1. You can access the warehouse by clicking on the Search option from the Members’ Kit.
2. The Search web form will open
3. Fill the form with details and search for the desired object.
4. You can click on the image of the result set to find detailed information about the object
5. Then click the Transfer object button to transfer the object in your inventory.

Note: Transfer confirmation message is displayed on the screen after you click the transfer Object button. If your Avatar is in the busy mode, then the transfer gets declined in SL.

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Development Icons

Medulla offers Development icons to its members. You can use these icons to incorporate and indicate features like annotations, chatbots etc. The icons include:

Annotation icon
Work in Progress Icon
Chat-Bot Icon

Annotation Icon
You can use Annotation icon for quality approved assets in the city. You can place the icon near a desired site for user comments.

1.Locate a folder named Medulla Tools & Assets for Members in your inventory
2.Drag the Annotation icon from user Inventory and place near the desired site.
3.In order to associate object or scenario with this icon, you need to change the object_name parameter. It is available in the configuration note card in the content property tab of this icon.

4.Once associated this icon gets linked to the web form where user can place their comment for object or scenario

Work in Progress Icon

Work in progress icon is used for on-going production in the city. City Manager uses this icon to indicate the assigned location for production of a new object and empowers the users to comment on an object even under construction.

1.Locate a folder named Medulla Tools & Assets for Members in your inventory
2.Drag the icon from user Inventory and placed near the site of construction.
3.In order to associate under construction object with this icon, change the object_name parameter available in the configuration note card in the content property tab of this icon.

4.Once associated, this icon gets linked to the web form where user can place their comment for on-going production.

Chat-Bot Icon
Chatbot icon is used for theme base interaction in the city. You can integrate a manually trained chat-bot with a city object and make it interactive for the users.

1.Locate a folder named Medulla Tools & Assets for Members in your inventory
2.Drag the icon from user Inventory and place it near the desired location.
3.In order to associate object or scenario with this icon, change the chatbot_id parameter available in the configuration note card in the content property tab of this icon.

4.Once associated, this icon gets linked with the chat-bot created on pandora bot site and allows user to experience interaction in the city.

Currently these Chat-Bots have been created using the experimental software robot hosting service called Pandorabots. You can create and train your own chat-bots
1. Visit www.pandorabots.com
2. Register yourself by providing your details in the web-form.
3. Once registered, log-in to the website by typing your e-mail address and password
4. Click on Create Pandorabot to create your new chat-bot
5. You can then train your chat-bot by clicking the training option
6. You can also modify the answers by clicking the say instead option
7. The updates get saved in the default file names as update.aiml
8. Once the training is complete you can publish your chat-bot and use the link for integration with the application.

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My Profile

You can view and update your membership details in My Profile section. You can also click Activate you're my profile link, in case you have not received the mail regarding membership activation.

As a City Manager, you have access to the menu link in the My profile Page. The menu link contains further sub- links to:

1. City Info
2. Update Place of Interest/Event
3. Registration Approval Requests
4. Create Annotation

City Info
City Info link takes you to the City Detail page where you view City Info, name, era, period, origin and blueprint etc.

Update Place of Interest/Event
This link takes you to a web-form where you can update the name and location details of various Places-of-Interest/Events

Registration Approval Requests
You as a City Manager can directly approve/reject the membership of any user using this option. The link takes you to a list of a membership requests submitted by the users.

Create Annotation
City Manager can create annotation on any object or scenario in the City. This links opens up the annotation page where you can provide your comments.

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Collaboration Policies

Residents cannot use island properties for commercial purpose.
You must not delete or modify an object created by another user. However, you can enter your comments regarding the object in the annotation.
When there is a concurrent involvement of multiple individuals in collaborative creation activity, you should work on mutual understanding and consultation with each other on Quality Control and Object Ownership Transfer.
If you are a City Manager or a reviewer, you should send a notification to user that object is slated for deletion.
You should not buy any object from the land.
Once your object has been approved for Quality Control, you have to:

Sell the Original object; and
Set all the permission for Next owner

You should protect the privacy of others.
You should protect and respect your intellectual property and maintain the same for others.
All business transaction should happen outside collaboration framework.
Your Appearance should be neat and appropriate. It should not seem offensive to other users.
You can complain about inappropriate behavior of any user to SL Admin.

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Visitors’ Kit

Visitors’ Kit is readily available to all the non-members of Medulla. In case you just decide to take a tour of the city, you can use Visitors’ kit to know about various places and events in the city. You can also interact with chat-bots for general information about the city.

Visitors’ Kit primarily includes:

Chat-Bots
Places-of-Interest
Places-of-Events

Chat-Bots
A chat-bot is a computer program developed to create an intelligent conversation with one or more humans through auditory or textual methods. Medulla Framework has incorporated this feature in virtual environment for you to interact with various city assets like fisherman, chess players, grain sellers etc. These assets have been manually trained to reply to visitors’ queries and give comprehensive information about the city and their activities. You can recognize the active chat-bots in city, if the following dialogue icon is situated next to it.

These chat-bots will be updated on regular basis to provide you with better and effective information all the times. Every chat-bot has a dialogue box icon attached to it.

You can access chat-bots by following the steps mentioned below:
1. Enter the reception area of a city
2. Go towards the Visitors’ Kit
3. Click “Visitors’ Kit” to accept the copy in your inventory
4. Find the object from the Medulla tools & assets folder in inventory and select wear
5. Visitors’ Kit appears on the screen
6. You can then rotate Visitors’ kit to get to the chat-bot menu
7. Right click the chat-bot you wish to interact with
8. The menu teleports you that chat-bot available in the city.

Note: You can initiate the chat with any chat-bot by typing “\chat” in the chat window. You can also choose to end chat by typing “/chat”.

Places-of-Interest (POI)
Place of Interest is a menu that holds information regarding places and objects (in city) of specific importance. You can click on POI and get information about the places you can visit and explore the city.

You can use the POI menu :
1. Enter the reception area of a city
2. Go towards the Visitors’ Kit
3. Click “Visitors’ Kit” to accept the copy in your inventory
4. Find the object from the Medulla tools & assets folder in inventory and select wear
5. Visitors’ Kit appears on the screen
6. You can then rotate Visitors’ kit to get to the Places menu
7. Right-click the place where you intend to go
8. A World Map appears with destination location
9. Then click the teleport button in the World Map to go to that destination.

Note: POI gets updated with new POI additions in the city.

Places-of-Events (POE)
Place-of-Events is yet another comprehensive menu designed to inform you about various events that are happening in the city. This menu will also inform you about the upcoming events that might take place on the land.

You can use the POE menu:

1. Enter the reception area of a city
2. Go towards the Visitors’ Kit
3. Click “Visitors’ Kit” to accept the copy in your inventory
4. Find the object from the Medulla tools & assets folder in inventory and select wear
5. Visitors’ Kit appears on the screen
6. You can then rotate Visitors’ kit to get to the Places menu
7. Right-click the place where you intend to go
8. A World Map appears with destination location
9. Then click the teleport button in the World Map to go to that destination.

Note: POI gets updated with new POI additions in the city.

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Annotations

You as a Visitors or residents can comment on any aspect or object of a city. You don’t necessarily have to be a reviewer for annotations and it is important for the City residents and City Managers etc. to look into your comments and maybe even reply to them. You can annotate by left clicking the following icon situated next to an object in the city.

You will be prompted if you want to comment on this object. If you select yes, then the following form appears and you can provide your comments.

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Information Sign

Information Signs have been designed to give you brief overview of various objects and places that belong to the Medulla. The Information Signs provide you with notecards that contain information about the city objects.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1 What details should I fill in the Key Skills section?
A - In the key skills section, you must mention your main skills that make you the best choice as a resident. For example, as a resident your key skills could be the ability to contribute various materials which can enhance the development of the island.

Q 2 How do I obtain information about the city manager?
A - To obtain information about the city manager click the ‘View City Manager Profile’ link given towards the end of the registration form for city managers.

Q 3 Can a visitors re-submit their applications for membership even after one rejection?
A - Yes, visitors can re-submit their applications for membership even if they have been rejected once. When a user re-submits the form the web form that was filled previously appears with all the details. The user must verify these details and then re-submit the application.

Q4- What happens if the City Manager rejects the Quality Check?
A - If the City Manager rejects the Quality Control, you will receive a notification of removal of the object from the land. You will also be given a time period in which you have to remove the object, otherwise the City Manager will have the authority to remove it.

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