Virtual World - Where Art Thou..

Tim O'Reilly has a very interesting discussion on the new Google Earth and what it is potentially becoming. In simple terms.. and with a little free extrapolation - we are looking at the creation of something mindbogglingly interesting. Google seem to be stepping away from merely amassing the worlds information and making it available to us all - they are now creating a world where you and I can add our own information. The implications are limited for the non-visionary, however if you add a touch of foresight - and look at how habbohotel and its many companions are starting to interest people - then add user generated content, throw in a mix of yelp, myspace, dodgeball (last one already google-owned) and maybe a little mobile community as well .. and you have a fully integrated on-line existence in the real world .. we will have marketing and advertising, products and services (millions of real dollars are changing hands in virtual worlds already), love and war, rich and poor - everything we know in our daily lives .. well, except this one lives on googles servers.

But hey - in the long run, that's where we'll all end up anyway. And then Googles charter will be complete.

... wake up, Neo ...