Forgive us our local pride, dear readers. Millions of Us has the honor of facilitating a virtual conversation between San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Second Life‚Äôs Philip Rosedale/Philip Linden at 3pm PT tomorrow. Mayor Newsom‚Äôs appearance is related to his second inauguration on Tuesday, highlights of which will be streamed into the SL event venue prior to the conversation tomorrow. Newsom and Rosedale will discuss the parallels of managing two famously diverse and tech-savvy communities with global profiles: the City of San Francisco and Second Life. If you’re interested in attending virtually, please contact celebrity@millionsofus.com

It’s no surprise that a virtual community as creatively, technically and economically dynamic as Second Life was launched in San Francisco. Both the city and this pioneering virtual world share many traits that have cross-pollinated. These include a pervading sense that technology can be a force for good in pushing the frontiers of human cultural and economic development.

All that aside, Mayor Newsom enjoys broad support from San Franciscans for his leadership on a host of issues…and we hope his avatar can live up to his affectionate local nickname: “Mayor Dreamboat.”

We couldn’t be prouder to announce that we’ve helped the world’s leading
cable news service - CNN, naturally- to launch a hub in Second Life. CNN
will look to those most familiar with the virtual world - SL residents
themselves - to determine what constitutes news in-world. CNN’s presence
maps to its existing and very successful iReport initiative, in which
user-generated content submitted from cell phones, computers, cameras
and other equipment is solicited for distribution on TV or on CNN.com.

When Second Life residents observe an in-world event they deem
newsworthy, they can take snapshots, shoot video, or write a report
about the event and submit to CNN with a click. Submissions selected by
CNN iReport producers will go back into Second Life as SL iReports for
residents to view throughout the virtual world.

The in-world hub includes a news desk where weekly editorial discussions
will be held and an amphitheater for in-world events, such as training
sessions and appearances by CNN anchors and correspondents. During the
weekly editorial discussions, held each Tuesday at 5pm (ET) / 2pm SLT
(PT), one of CNN’s SL iReport ambassadors (CNN producers and editors
with experience in virtual worlds) will moderate a conversation with
residents about the prior week’s SL iReports and upcoming in-world
events that might be interesting to cover.

The hub will include CNN kiosks that supply residents with a host of
tools to help with gathering news in-world.

It’s an honor to be working with CNN. But will James Earl Jones’ voice
resonate quite as deeply in-world? You’ll have to see for yourself…