Betterverse: Nonprofits in the Virtual World

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• 15:48 RT @virtualafrica:all our Linden Lab fees for 2009 paid! final payment of 798 USD made 7.10 am SLT today

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• 14:26 RT @slhamlet:My top 4 real world applications of Second Life/OpenSim for 09: bit.ly/7Jg3Uq #SL
• 14:58 Xeko & Elf Island Virtual World Merge to Connect Youth & Nonprofits bit.ly/7ZWx37
• 21:28 The 2009 Ten Best Public Good Projects in the Metaverse bit.ly/4MQTwV

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The 2009 Ten Best Public Good Projects in the Metaverse

In 2009, I launched Betterverse as a means of chronicling and highlighting the ways that virtual worlds were being used to promote the public good in the real world.  I was led by the hypothesis that the metaverse as an imagination space was fertile ground for supporting the public sector, charitable work, and social justice causes.  In the brief amount of time that I've been reporting on this space, I've found a remarkable number of innovative projects and initiatives.  

In no particular order, here's are my Top Ten best public good initiatives in the virtual world...

Xeko & Elf Island Virtual World Merge to Connect Youth & Nonprofits

We got the news that the youth oriented virtual world of Elf Island and the eco-toy company Xeko are combining forces to deliver a range of media properties aimed at fostering youth engagement with nonprofit causes and issues. 

Elf Island is a web-based tween-based world that uses "Good Quests" as a means of getting kids to learn about and contribute to worthwhile cases.  Xeko provides a range of products related to ecology and animal protection, including plush toys and a card game. Sounds like a potentially powerful partnership to educate youth about various real world issues and charities using an online game space.  I'll be interested to see what they come out with next!

The press release follows after the jump...

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• 05:05 Poptropica Virtual World for Young Kids Unveils "Counterfeit Island" With Edu-Games bit.ly/5KIjH0
• 14:15 Games 4 Change hiring a project manager for STEM project #g4c tr.im/IrWD
• 14:17 RT @Dusanwriter: The Emphemeral Build: Metaplace Closing: I’m saddened that Metaplace is closing... bit.ly/91SQAO (good VW analysis)

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• 23:22 Report on State Dept Event on Virtual Worlds as Green Workplaces (video) bit.ly/65p45F
• 10:32 RT @virtualafrica:1/2 way to raise enuf funds before end of Dec for fees on 2 homesteads in #SecondLife. (donate at tr.im/Ifos)
• 19:29 RT @cuppy:Metaplace.com is closing on January 1 - www.cuppycake.org/?p=1066
• 19:51 Metaplace Closing on January 1st: a Major Blow to Open-ended Virtual Worlds bit.ly/4AJG0b

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Metaplace Closing on January 1st: a Major Blow to Open-ended Virtual Worlds

I'm very sad to report that effective January 1st, 2010, the virtual world of Metaplace will be closing its doors.  According to Raph Koster, Metaplace founder, "it has become apparent that Metaplace as a consumer UGC service is not gaining enough traction to be a viable product." I.e. an open-ended virtual world platform built open user-generated content is not economically profitable or sustainable.

For nonprofits interested in exploring virtual worlds for their causes, this is a major loss.  Metaplace combined a rich toolset, open environment, and possibilities for broad-based participation and collaboration that was unmatched.  Several nonprofits and causes had begun very interesting experiments using Metaplace over the past year.  And the staff of Metaplace were very supportive of all the public good applications of their platform.

So I'm very upset to see Metaplace go away. And I wish those let go at Metaplace, Inc. all the best.

The full message from Raph follows after the jump...

Report on State Dept Event on Virtual Worlds as Green Workplaces (video)

My buddy Draxtor files another machinima reportage, this time on the US State Department event on "Virtual Worlds as Green Workplaces that happened earlier this month.

I was there, along with a smart crowd of avatars, talking with a range of experts in using virtual worlds as collaborative green(er) workplaces.  I was particularly impressed by how IBM has been thinking about and using virtual environments to support their tens of thousands of employees around the globe.  Among the applications that they have innovated are using virtual worlds for new worker orientation, collaborative meetings of R&D teams, and training in how to use new software applications.

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• 09:43 Good times at Holiday Frim Fram last night. Paying for it now.
• 16:28 RT @cuppy:The Border House is Recruiting Writers! (Please RT) bit.ly/8ixzCh

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• 10:29 Wizards101 Players Support Two Charities through Virtual Tigers bit.ly/7y9OMl
• 10:50 BBC: Students can enter virtual world to test school design news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8414600.stm
• 10:54 Youth oriented VWs Xeko and Elf Island Merge xeko.com/pressrelease-2009-12-05
• 11:01 RT @pfanderson: Holocaust survivor interview in Second Life www.pookymediafilms.com/2009/12/document-of-time-interview-with.html

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