The Association of Virtual Worlds has released a free publication for download called ‘The Blue Book: A Consumer Guide to Virtual Worlds’.
You can get it here and it comes in at 41 pages. The bulk of that is a listing of the more than 250 virtual worlds launched or in development. Lists like these already exist, but the relatively new Association is committed to keeping it updated and its format is useful – although a full online version would be a great future addition.
The publication’s release isn’t all about altruism – there’s plenty of links to the Association and virtual news website iViNNiE – the same site that touts itself as the ‘Number One Virtual Worlds News Network’. I think there’d be a site or twenty with greater traffic and equal output and commitment to quality that may disagree with that claim. That said, the guide is a commendable addition to virtual world information out there.
The Association of Virtual Worlds needs to work a little on their definition of exactly what a virtual world is.
Is LinkedIn a virtual world? Multiply?
Um. no.
Just to correct the record slightly:
1. By my count, iVinnie.com is referenced three times in the BlueBook, each time inviting the reader to check there for updates on virtual world development and status. We have tried to keep the publication free of any distractions and have received no support whatsoever from any of the environments listed in the directory.
2. The BlueBook never identifies LinkedIn or Multiply as a virtual world. In fact, the BlueBook says that some of the top social networks are included and designates them as such. It also designates certain virtual worlds as social networks.
Thanks for the opportunity and for sharing our publication news with your readers.
Hi Dave,
Thanks for dropping by and for your comments.
On iVinnie, it was more their claim of being number 1 – number 1 in what? 😉
I look forward to the Associations ongoing work.