Google Testing "My World" Second Life Rival?

Tjeerd writes "Rumors of Google's plans to create a virtual world that rivals that of Second Life have popped up once again over the weekend. The company could now be collaborating with Arizona State University to test the 3D social network, which may be tied into Google's current applications of Google Earth and Google Maps."

My World Museum Future Tour

[eldavojohn]

The year is 3007. A tour guide is moving people in futuristic suits along a wall containing ancient artifacts--some over 1000 years old.

Tour Guide: What you see before you on this wall is the registration page of "My World" which was a mediocre success from the once successful company Google ...
Tourist 1: You mean the religion Google?
Tour Guide: No, this is before Google was technically a religion, although leading theorists are still in hot debate over whether or not they ever exhibited non-religious behavior.
Tourist 2: So is this the "MySpace" that almost lead to the completely downfall and lack of productivity of the users?
Tour Guide: No, this is a sad an unfortunate result of the ignorant times of the beginning of the fourth millennium when companies copied each other in naming conventions. Unfortunately this lead to confusing statements such as "You can find it on my MySpace profile." or "I like your My World house." Remember this after the point in time when everything had an e- appended to the front of it to raise more money due to reasons not yet understood ... although this is before the time of the iCar, iHome, iWear & iMarthaStewartBedSheets.
Tourist 3: So pre-iGod era?
Tour Guide: That's right, prior to the death and rebirth of Steve Jobs.
Tourist 4: What's this ancient script here on this page?
Tour Guide: That is a dead dialect of someone criticising another user's "My World" and it reads as such, "J00 need a life, ur MW site is teh ghey." Scientists suspect this sort of talk was indicative of people who had experienced full frontal lobotomies or spent more than 10 minutes on a (now banned for obvious reasons) cell phone. The criticizing user is unimpressed with the amount of memory a plain "My World" consists of and seems to be demanding that more objects, backgrounds, dancing jesuses and flying toasters be added to the 'ghey' user's page.
Tourist 5: What was the point of all of this?
Tour Guide: Again, a much debated topic although the currently accepted belief is that these sites were often a strange mating ritual as many of the once private messages are now public and indicate that sex, hooking up or unspeakable acts were highly sought after from other users.
Tourist 6: I can't believe I evolved from one of these 'people.'
Tour Guide: Indeed, we have come a long way. It is too bad it took a thousand years and the complete eradication of all Microsoft products to return our productivity to nominal levels.

won't work

[192939495969798999]

Everyone will put down that they live at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, and the servers will asplode!

Not news

[Mordok-DestroyerOfWo]

What does any of this have to do with the iPhone? If I want non iPhone news I'll ask for it!

Re:My World Museum Future Tour

[omega_dk]

Your precognition intrigue me, and I would like to know more. For example, are there holy wars between those who follow the great Google, and those who worship the iGod? Also, there are these private messages asking me for sex, hooking up, or unspeakable acts? Oh, right, I read slashdot. Well, I would still like to know about the religious dynamics of this world. Is there a subculture of people what worship Microsoft and wear red, blue, green, and yellow colored clothes? Is Ubuntu Christian Edition *really* what jesus would download? These are questions that need answering, man! I need to go ahead and start these religions now. I mean, hey - it worked for L. Ron Hubbard...

Ah, great....

[dr_labrat]

If it ties up with google maps and earth, then I can only assume that given where I live my avatar will be really, really blurry and be wearing flares.

new Google rumor

[khallow]

I hear that Google is going to make this awesome search engine and make $$$ from the sale of relevant text ads using search engineer queries. Pretty clever!

Re:My World Museum Future Tour

[sepluv]

Tour Guide:Research suggests that the origin of this, as well as many other phenomena designed to cause confusion, was a software company called Microsoft.

Tourist:You mean the satanic religion that worshiped the one known as Bob?

Tour Guide:No, this is before Microsoft was technically a Satanic religion, although leading theorists are still in hot debate over whether or not they ever exhibited non-Satanic behavior. They produced operating systems, of which Bob was one that had a very short life after no one bought it. Anyway, following the demise of Bob, Microsoft caught on to the idea of forcing all new computers to come with their new window-based operating system (known confusingly as "Windows") which caused hours of torment by doing the opposite to the user's wishes and constantly succumbing to what was known as the Blue Screen of Death.

In order to patronise and confuse their users (or The Used as Microsoft worshipers preferred to call them), they labeled everything in their operating system with the prefix, "My" (e.g.: My Documents, My Computer), thus causing many suicides in tech support call centres after the staff tried to explain to callers what they meant by "Can you open your My computer on your computer's desktop?"

This is just in.

[Spy der Mann]

It has been confirmed that Google will create a subsidiary named "The CC Company" and that their virtual environment will be called "The World". The project will be lead by Dr. Harold Hewick, an expert in A.I.

Rumours of beta-testers suddenly falling in coma after entering "the World" are completely unfounded.

Re:My World Museum Future Tour

[eldavojohn]

are there holy wars between those who follow the great Google, and those who worship the iGod?

No, you're confusing the Grand Search-quisition with the great Appleing. The holy wars from the former involved people being held down while their name was searched for on the all knowing search engine of Google. If it was found that they had died or where traitors to any of Google's causes, they were executed as witches. Truly an unfortunate time for people with common names, hence the beginning of middle, post middle, pre middle and ultra middle names in the western world. The great Appleing involved a band of VW bugs driving around the country, finding leaders of Microsoft & Google and pummeling them to death with Apples. We're still unsure of who was behind that, the iGod claims he never used the term 'open season.'

Also, there are these private messages asking me for sex, hooking up, or unspeakable acts?

Just claim to be a football player in your My World and then post a picture you find online of one. If it doesn't work, add "shirtless" to the search.

Is there a subculture of people what worship Microsoft and wear red, blue, green, and yellow colored clothes?

There are rumors of a sect that still survives the purging of Microsoft however, those who have witnessed a meeting have never survived the chairs of death that soon follow when they are found out to not fully endorse every Microsoft product. Ever seen a grown man cry his way through trying to use Windows 4? Not a pretty site.

Is Ubuntu Christian Edition *really* what jesus would download?

No, the third coming was a joyous event. Christ quickly became a hit at parties in his conversion of dust and water to cocaine and coors lite. He doesn't download much these days as he spilled coors all over his only computer.

3D social network?

[PPH]

What do they mean by "3D social network"? People aren't 3D. They are flat, made up of pixels, usually with a resolution of 1280x1024. At least that's all I've seen of them since the last time I came out of my parents basement.

Re:I don't understand.

[king-manic]

I don't understand how virtual realities like this have become popular. Do people's real lives suck so badly that they need to frivolously spend money to create their own little world where things don't suck?

some people knit. Some people have sex. Others create intricate simulated worlds... where they knit and have sex.

Re:Why?

[discord5]

it had potential that was killed by trolls

Welcome to the Internet.

Re:Integration With Google Maps?

[Kelbear]

I'm ashamed to admit that the idea excites me.

Re:Integration With Google Maps?

[incer]

And I've also been modded intresting.... My God.....

Re:Integration With Google Maps?

[skeevy]

I would have my virtual avatar use its virtual gPhone to call the pretty girl's virtual avatar's virtual gPhone. Then my virtual avatar would virtually chat up her virtual avatar, and both our avatars would virtually go out to play "virtual virtual ski-ball" (it's just like virtual ski-ball!)

Re:Hmmm...

[glindsey]

So, that would be right down the street from 742 Evergreen Terrace, then.

Re:My World Museum Future Tour

[Selfbain]

Bob was a false prophet. Clippy was our true savior.

Re:My World Museum Future Tour

[Eli Gottlieb]

Christ quickly became a hit at parties in his conversion of dust and water to cocaine and coors lite.

Coors Lite!? I knew there was a reason we killed that guy!

Re:3D social network?

[Anonymous Coward]

That's what I used to think too, back when all the girls I knew were related (they all had the same last name; Jpg. Some people have the weirdest names!). Now, I'm glad to say I know better - I finally took the initiative to get out of the house, to go out into the Real World (so to speak), went down to the closest mall, and discovered that yes, people are three-dimensional! They have feelings, emotions, complicated social interactions and needs and desires beyond just the Internet, beyond just computers and programming and Star Trek! And all it took was six hours playing The Sims! I can't wait to see what I find out next - some of my characters are getting all fat and pukey all of a sudden, wonder what that's all about ...

Re:Another VWorld?

[Anonymous Coward]

...so that they could have sex with virtual versions of their creations.

There, fixed that for you.

Re:My World Museum Future Tour

[Brad1138]

Is Ubuntu Christian Edition *really* what jesus would download?

Isn't that: Ubuntu 1007.08 LTS "Conservative Christian"

Re:My World Museum Future Tour

[hollywoodb]

There is only one true Bob [subgenius.com] !!

Slack on my brethren...

Yes there is a wikipedia article. No I won't link to it.
Some say believers were never meant for mass consumption. Too weird to live, too rare to die.