In my work with Cornell's Metanomics last year through the now defunct
Metaversed (now changed it's stripes with a Zebra incarnation which is not so uncommon in Second Life) it was easy to see the glitches that presented themselves
when mixed reality presentations happened - or didn't happen.
As time went on, with participation in events at Doctor Dobb's Island, particularly hosted by Mitch Wagner in his Ziggy Figaro incarnation, then Metaverse events based at Stanford including fascinating evenings hosted by smart and personable Henrik Bennetsen, one including Jamais Cascio, one the authors of the Metaverse Roadmap, the glitches got less pronounced at each meeting but still one had to be prepared for the technology to just fall apart at any time.
Oh sure it usually came back online eventually but we've learned that
not everything in Mixed Reality can be scheduled. And all we can count
on is that there WILL be some sort of glitch at some point.
But looking back through Beth Kanter's Blog where she recalls a mixed reality event in 2006 I'm reminded that in these things we are really pioneers and have to see ourselves as that, accepting the challenges as opportunities.
Beth says:
"Second Life requires a significant time investment to appreciate the potential. A time investment of more than a few hours .... And, it helps to be guided or you will ask what's the point? As Jeska Linden, Community Manager, for Linden Labs, said in her recent interview with me, "This isn't for all nonprofits."
No kidding. It's not for all people period, not just organizations. Putting in the time to learn the technology is tough unless you see the payout at the end.
And
it's tough to see the payout when you can't get your 
hair on straight
and continue to walk into walls.
Beth points out accurately that what we're doing "is experimentation to understand the possibilities and potential of virtual worlds as an educational, instructional, therapeutic, marketing, and/or collaboration medium."
When she wrote her piece there were 320 individuals on the Second World Education list and 20 universities that had built virtual campuses and were offering educational activities in world. At this date, two years later that list has grown exponentially.
Once the initial hurdle of learning the system is overcome it's not that much effort to work in an immersive 3-d environment IF one takes as a given that there will be glitches. So Jeska is so right when she says this is not for everyone.
If we have the ability to think of ourselves as explorers, we may be half way to winning the battle of being able successfully teach, hold seminars, run group meetings, and provide services in Second Life that are helpful to people in their physical lives.
That's my hope at least. To provide a meaningful way to help others and be of service while doing what I can with the rest of the life I've been given.
