Nota Bene: A Virtual Notary
office and community area
Supporting the Community
The build itself has served as a meeting place to discuss the construction of civic and legal structures, both in theory and in practice. One such group has already established a presence in the notary: the SL Mediators, who hope to make mediation a viable method of dispute resolution with virtual space.
Going forward, the notary hopes to provide an open forum for the evolution of virtual civic structures, both as a focal point of discussion, and as architectural place for meeting.
Roofs
The original design of the notary had no roofs at all, allowing complete access from the air. However, in early testing it be came clear that users were uncomfortable signing a document in open space. Here is an example where the architecture of virtual space must bow to emotional response. The added glass roofs, despite their transparency, gave enough added enclosure to make the signing process feel safe.
While one needn't bow to the requirements of engineering in a virtual world, one does have to contend with the limits of the underlying software. In this case, Second Life doesn't allow the creation of single objects as big as required for the roofs or glass side walls, nor can such curved pieces be joined seamlessly if transparent. Hence, the metal spacers are there to hide the joins. As an added benefit, from the air they form a recognizable visual pattern.