Christmas Day gathering on Intersections - 25 Dec, 12 noon

[Dot Matrix]

On Friday December 25th, you'd be most welcome to join us at Vespers Lodge on Intersections for a chat over a turkey meal, or a fireside conversation, or even to play traditional board games -- Spades (a card game for four players), chocolate checkers, chess, ludo, snakes and ladders, four-in-a-line.

To get to the Lodge from the initial landing spot, click the linking book and choose "Vespers", then click the book again.

I'll be there from about 12 noon PDT -- perhaps see you then!

If others would like to coordinate gatherings to cover different timezones, do feel free. Another possible meeting spot is Skysong Castle Keep, with similar facilities. Choose "Skysong" on any linking book to get there.

Also in the planning is a short, layperson-led service of Christmas Day Prayers, based on material from the Church of England's Common Worship: Festivals book. This will be held in the little church just across the way from the Lodge -- walk east from the Lodge's main entrance, and north-east across the stone bridge. Details are still being finalised, so please watch this thread for further announcements.

HG address: grid.kitely.com:8002:Intersections

[Shandon Loring]

oh this sounds grand Dot! will try to be there, would like to very much, if even briefly.
all depends on family.
thank you for inviting us all!

[Selby Evans]

Dot - a while back we talked about a blog article on Intersections. You did not think the place was ready then. Intersections seems to be developing well. Is it ready for a article now? Would you like to write an invited article, probably focusing on the people part? You would probably want to encourage other people to come there. That would fit well with one of my themes: Virtual worlds are about people.

You can respond here or directly to me.

[Deuce Halsey]

Thanks for hosting, Dot. I expect to be there, internet access willing.

[Dot Matrix]

Thanks, all, for your replies -- hope to see you tomorrow!

A bit more about the short service of Christmas Day Prayers:

This will be held at 11:30 am, so half an hour before the gathering officially opens. The service is on a notecard; when you first go into Vespers church, click the prayerbooks on the sideboard on your left to get the notecard.

The plan is to read the service in voice and in text, including the responses. Possible ways of joining in are:

• quietly read/think the response
• copy/paste the response in text chat
• say the response where you are, without using a mike
• say the response using voice.

This is a big experiment, so please be patient if it anything goes wrong!

[Dot Matrix]

Virtual Christine and Tosha helped test things for tomorrow's service -- thanks, both. Their comments helped me fine-tune the service's structure.

One practical key point that we learned: To use voice in this context, you must have a headset (headphones + mike). If using the computer's speakers rather than headphones, any mike will pick up that sound as well as the sound of your own voice and re-broadcast it to all listening, creating an echo effect that makes it difficult to distinguish what is being said.

[Shandon Loring]

Hi Dot,
Having had some experience with Voice inworld one thing you will want to note, and probably already aware of...
for some reason often times when folks HG in to Kitely their Voice stops working, so they can't hear.
Easy fix is usually just to have them refresh Voice in their preferences. If you like I can post specific directions.. at least for FS. It may take 30 to 60 seconds after they refresh for Voice to start working.

I am so pleased you are doing this service! Thank you!

[Dot Matrix]

Thanks, Shandon. Advice on using Voice would be welcome, especially given your background!

Oh, and Happy Christmas, everyone, from the UK!

[Deuce Halsey]

I don't have access to a headphone with a microphone. So I can hear voice chat, but not participate in it myself.

While not particularly religious, I would like to attend the services tomorrow and just quietly observe. I hope
that isn't a problem for anyone.

Meanwhile, Merry Christmas to all!

[Dot Matrix]

That's not a problem at all, Deuce. You will be very welcome.