Facebook/Meta's Horizons Planned to Shut Down VR Option, Then Changed

 

Some Second Life users may remember Horizons, the virtual world created by Meta, the company behind Facebook. Announced in 2021 as the effort of Mark Zuckerberg's company to "build the Metaverse." But there was skepticism from the start as it's avatars had nothing below the waist, which was fodder for a number of jokes, including a few from Linden Lab and others in Second Life. As time went on, it became clear it was not attracting many people, and Meta netted only a fraction of the money it put in. Among the signs things weren't right, unlike Second Life, the people who worked on it did not spend time in the virtual world when off the clock. 

 

Earlier this month on March 17, it was announced that the software to use Horizons on VR headsets would no longer be available at the end of the month, and in June it would be taken offline. “We are separating the two platforms so each can grow with greater focus, and the Horizon Worlds platform will become a mobile-only experience,” the company stated on a community blog. The move came just weeks after Meta laid of a thousand workers from Reality Labs in January, the part of the company that works on it's virtual world. Besides VR, the virtual world can be accessed through a mobile app, which was remaining up. 

But a few days later, Meta backtracked, it's CEO announcing, “We have decided, just today in fact, that we will keep Horizon Worlds working in VR for existing games to support the fans who’ve reached out.” But, VR won't be the main focus, "Most of our energy is going towards mobile and the Meta Horizon Engine there."

Commentary: In Second Life, and Discord channels with SL users, yours truly heard several residents bring up Meta's decision to close Horizon's VR option, and react with smugness. The feeling was a multi-billion dollar company had gone up against the much smaller Linden Lab and the people behind VR Chat, and it couldn't even begin to compete with them, the company Mark Zuckerberg created losing big. Second Life, for all of it's Linden blunders over time, remains the champion virtual world. And a startup like Resonite can do more with a few people, a few dollars, and a little elbow grease and imagination, than a billion dollar megacorp that is all dollars and no brains and bare-bones effort. 

 

Image from Techcrunch 

 

Sources: Wired, Meta, PC Gamer, CNBC 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

VWPBE Conference Ends (Officially)

 

 After three days of discussions, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference, the VWBPE officially ended on Saturday evening. The closing ceremony was at 5PM and an evening dance from 6 to 8 PM. But there were a few events on the program afterwards, including March 27 and 31. There's also one on April Fools Day. 

 

While the Newser could not be at all of the Discussions, it was at some, such as "Catching Up With The Lindens." We'll report more when time permits.

 

For those who want to visit the grounds, including some activity areas, https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23 .

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Philip Linden Gives VWBPE Keynote Speech, Takes Questions

 

Yesterday, Thursday March 19 at 12 Noon, The Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education held it's Keynote. The man giving it was someone familiar to every longtime Second Life resident: Philip Linden, aka Philip Rosedale, the founder of Linden Lab, the company behind this virtual world.

 

Today, we have the distinct honor of hearing from a man who actually made gatherings like this one possible. Our keynote speaker is a physicist turned coder turned visionary,  someone who looked at the early internet and saw not just a network, but a world waiting to be built.
 

 He founded Linden Lab and created Second Life, the virtual world that has been home to educators, artists, researchers, and dreamers for over two decades. He has since explored spatial audio, open-source VR platforms, digital currency, and even the frontiers of machine consciousness. And in October 2024, he returned to Second Life as CTO, bringing fresh energy and new ideas to a platform many of us call home.

Someone was saying close to a hundred people were in the area the event took place, an intersection of four sims, Philip on a small cliff overlooking the crowd, "I feel like a king standing on a high rooftop *laughs* I see people I recognize, it's the magical things about Second Life." He thanked the educators for their work in this virtual world. He would talk about AI and how it was impacting society, saying at one point a comparison could be made to the Industrial area when machines did the work of the muscle power of many men, "Now we have gone much father with replicating how our mind works. ... the progress was very quick lately ... we are living in strange times- there are tremendous risks, there are more bad than good impacts at the moment."

After the keynote, Philip took questions, and there was talk about not just AI, but other topics such as Second Life, "It's interesting to reflect on the fact that SL hasn't grown as rapidly as we thought or liked." One subject was about how people often rely on facial expressions, hand movements, and other cues in real life but that was absent in Second Life and other virtual worlds. It was also brought up that being hired to correct an AI could be a roundabout way to do the job of a programmer for a fraction of the cost. Someone also joked it AI had an alignment, it would be "Chaotic Neutral." It was also brought up that there hasn't been a real-life Second Life Community Convention since 2011. Philip Linden did wonder if the possibility of doing another deserved some thinking about. 

 

The conference was broadcast live, and may be available to see later on the VWBPE Youtube channel later.  

 

*Addition*: It's available now.  

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

VWBPE Conference Starts Today

 

 Today is the first official day of the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference for 2026. A few events actually started earlier, but the keynote is today at 12 Noon SL time, given by Philpi Rosedale / Philip Linden. 

 

 From today to Saturday March 21 will be a number of discussions. There are also some exhibits and a few activities. 

 

 For more information on the conference, go to https://www.vwbpe.org/  .

 

SURL to entrance:  https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23

Schedule: https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe26-program 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Press Release: VWBPE 2026 Conference INSIGHTS 19-21 March 2026 in Second Life®

 

 

The 19th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference, beginning on Thursday, March 19th, 2026, will be an online distributed conference happening in multiple virtual spaces. This conference focuses on the use of immersive virtual environments for educational purposes, including virtual and augmented reality. 

This year we are returning to our Earth build. Each region represents a different terrestrial biome, including wetlands, desert, badlands, grasslands, and forests. Conference attendees will be able to explore 3D immersive virtual representations of these biomes.

The conference regions will be open to the public on Sunday, March 15th at 9:00 am SLT (Second Life Time / Pacific Daylight Time).

**VWBPE 2026 GATEWAY** 
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23 

To the best ability possible, VWBPE provides educational and networking opportunities that are relevant to educational curriculum development utilizing virtual environments and “best practices”. These include

helping to build community through extension of learning best practices to practical application of those ideas and techniques;
providing networking opportunities for educators and the communities that help support education; and
providing access to current innovations, trends, ideas, case studies, and other best practices for educators and the communities that help support education

One of the key challenges faced by the educational community is how to make the best use of new immersive technologies in a way that is sustainable and accessible based on limited budgets available to both instructors and students. Platforms that are free or open source, or that can be shared across a broad audience, are showcased, including methods and research around best practices in their use and applicability.

Our theme for this year is Insights.

The 2026 theme, “Insights”, invites us to look deeper—beyond the tools and platforms—toward the lessons, challenges, and opportunities that are redefining education in an age of rapid technological transformation. For more about the theme, see the blog post here: https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-news/welcome-to-vwbpe-2026-insights.

Join us as we all share experiences and successes in how virtual technologies used in the classroom have helped shape education for the better.

This year's keynote speakers are Philip Rosedale, Ryan Schultz, and Mark Childs. Invited speakers include representatives from Linden Lab, and many of the Thinkerer Award winners. 

The VWBPE conference keynote speakers and their respective presentations are featured on the conference website (http://vwbpe.org), along with a program of exciting presentations, social activities, and networking events that will set extraordinary discussions in motion.  

The VWBPE Immersive Experiences showcase unique and interesting work being conducted across the metaverse. We invite you to join us as we explore eleven interactive and engaging locations across five virtual environments. The Immersive Experiences are scheduled from March 14th through April 1st (exclusive of the conference dates). Details and access instructions for the experiences are found at https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe26-program.   

Additionally, this open and free conference would not be possible without the generous contributions of our VWBPE sponsors. https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-2026-sponsors.   

The Rockcliffe Registration Portal is open for people to register new Second Life® avatars and find out more about the VWBPE conference in-world. Go to https://www.enroll.onl/secondlife.php . The instructions are there to get you and your friends started at this educator-friendly newcomers’ region in Second Life®.

The full conference program is online here: https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe26-program. 

You can also view presentations live on YouTube at http://vwbpe.org/watch. 

All of the conference events will be in Second Life® this year, and the locations are included in the listings. When you click on a conference event and click Add to Calendar, you can add the event to your own calendar (Google and more).

NOTE: Daylight Savings Time
In most of the United States and Canada (and in Second Life), Daylight Savings Time is in effect as of 8 March 2026. In Europe, Great Britain, and many other locations, DST is in effect as of 29 March, 2026, after the conference begins. Check this page to find out when (and if) a time change is in effect for you: https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/2026.html.


**VWBPE 2026 GATEWAY**
SLurl: 
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23 

**VWBPE 2026 SOCIAL VISITOR CENTER** http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Wetlands%20Marsh/175/158/21 


**KEYNOTES**
https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe-2026-keynotes  

KEYNOTE:
Philip Rosedale / SL: Philip Linden
CTO, Linden Lab
Thursday 19 March 2026
12:00 pm noon SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium

KEYNOTE: 
Ryan Schultz
Science & Agriculture Librarian, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
Friday 20 March 2026
9:00 am SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium

KEYNOTE:
Mark Childs / SL: Gann McGann
Senior Learning Designer, University of Durham (Durham UK)
Saturday 21 March 2026
9:00 am SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium


**INVITED SPEAKERS**

ABOVE THE BOOK: Catching Up with the Lindens
Host: Kevin Feenan / Phelan Corrimal
Linden Lab Guests: TBA
Friday 20 March 2026
1:00pm SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium

ABOVE THE BOOK: Catching up with the Thinkerers
Lynne Berrett / Lissena (Wisdomseeker)
VWBPE 2021 Thinkerer
Saturday 21 March 2026
3:00 pm SLT @ VWBPE Auditorium


**WEB PAGES**

Conference Information: http://vwbpe.org 
Program: https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe26-program   
Registration: http://vwb.pe/register  
Sponsors: https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-2026-sponsors 
Rockcliffe Gateway to Second Life®: https://www.enroll.onl/secondlife.php 
Watch VWBPE Livestream: https://www.vwbpe.org/watch 

**MAJOR SPONSORS**

Linden Lab
https://www.lindenlab.com/

Rockcliffe University Consortium
https://urockcliffe.com/ 

Knomaze Corporation
https://knomaze.com/ 

Virtual Ability
https://virtualability.org/ 

Agile Dimensions
https://www.agiledimensions.com/blog/ 

Whole Brain Health
https://www.agelessmindproject.org/  


**CONTACT**
Bevan Whitfield
VWBPE Communications Chair
marketing@vwbpe.com 

Netflix Buys Avatar Maker For VRChat, Smaller Worlds

 

There's been a development that will likely make it more difficult for people in VRChat and similar virtual worlds to get new avatars. According to an article in Techcrunch, Netflix has purchased the program "Ready Player Me." For those who haven't heard of it, it's an avatar-creation platform for various virtual worlds and games.

 

Ready Player Me was founded in 2014 in Estonia. Over the past decade it has raised over 70 million US dollars from investors.  It has a staff of twenty, who will all be joining Netflix. It's services, including Player Zero, will be going offline on Saturday January 31st. 

 

The Techcrunch article stated Netflix "plans to use the startup’s development tools and infrastructure to build avatars that will allow Netflix subscribers to carry their personas and fandom across different games." 

 

Scott Hayden in "The Road to VR" called the purchase "a blow to one specific group of people, namely VRChat users." Ryan Schultz felt while this would inconvenience users of the popular next-generation virtual world, at least it had a Marketplace for avatars for people to chose from. From his point of view, it would be the users of smaller virtual worlds that would truly be hurt as those platforms, "which wholly rely on Ready Player Me’s services ... are now going to have to scramble to find and implement a replacement in very little time."

 

Hat tip: Ryan Schultz

 

Sources: Techcrunch

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 

Saturday November 1

 

    ~*~

 

    At 10 AM PST   

Virtual Worlds in Education and Museums III: Triassic Dinosaurs

https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/triassic-dinosaurs/

 

Dr. William Schmachtenberg

 

Auditorium 

 

    ~*~

 

    NOTE: Non-members required to register once

    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

╚══════════════════════════════ The Science Circle (72,129,30) ═╝  

 

 

 

 

More on Mal Burns' Passing

It's been a couple days since word began going around about Mal Burns, who has been writing and doing videos about Second Life and other virtual worlds, suddenly passing away. The cause of death is not yet widely known, though the first few people who found out kept quiet about it for a short time until his family in England were contacted. 

 

It is with a heavy heart that I am sharing the news that our dearest Mal Burns has passed away this week.

 

He has been a cherished friend, trusted colleague, and a vibrant voice in our virtual and real life community for over 20 years.

 

We met through a shared passion for virtual worlds, and that connection blossomed into decades of collaboration, camaraderie, and friendship. 

 

Mal was an avid reporter, an insightful storyteller, and a tireless advocate for truth in all its digital forms. His work helped shape how many experienced and understood online spaces — always with integrity, always with flair.

 

For two decades, we shared laughter, many conversations, and a passion for exploring both the fun and serious sides of life — especially in the evolving landscapes of virtual worlds. He was more than just a show host or fellow journalist; he was a pioneer, a storyteller, and a sharp observer of the digital age.

He had that rare gift — the ability to make you laugh with his wonderful humour even when the subject was complex or challenging. 

 

He brought so many people together, sparked meaningful dialogue, and gave voice to stories that might have otherwise gone unheard. His dedication to journalism and his unrelenting curiosity helped shape the way many of us see and understand virtual communities.

 

His absence leaves a space that words can hardly fill. But the legacy he leaves behind — in friendships, in stories, and in the memories we carry — will continue to inspire.

 

Rest well, my wonderful Grumpy Old Avatar, my Metaverse TV colleague, My Metameets buddy and my dear funny friend. Thank you for the years, the wisdom, the laughter, and the journey.

 

There were numerous comments on Facebook and some in Discord expressing sadness at his passing, some in a new Facebook group "Friends of Mal."

 

"I am broken hearted with the loss of such a wonderful and charming man. He was so much fun to work with, funny and patient. I very much enjoyed working with him and talking with him and joining him on Inworld Review. My condolences to his family and close friends may God grant you peace and comfort in this time of loss and sadness. Blessings and much love to all." 

 

"Incredibly sad to hear you have passed away. I hope you are at peace . We never know what to say truly in times like this but rest well. Condolences to those that knew you so much more." 

 

"I am devastated. I loved and respected Mal, and I will miss his friendship and spending time with him, as we all will. ... I am honored to have photographed him and had the opportunity to know him. It's a lot, and there are many more, as I enjoyed taking photos of him. I couldn't narrow it down any further, so here they are. Rest in Peace, Dear Friend. Until we meet again." 

 

"I just learned of Mal’s passing and it truly feels like the light in SL has gotten a little bit dimmer. He was a constant source of inspiration during the many years I was part of large events. He was a thoughtful and encouraging man who was a shining force all his own. Rest well, Sir, you have earned it."

 

"I am sorry, Mal Burns passed away. A voice unmistakable among all, a considerable and inexhaustible flow of words. A burst of laughter, frank and infectious. An endearing personality, mixing curiosity, humor and sharing. The OpenSim community will miss him so much; he put so much energy and investment into it; it's a great loss for all of us. My condolences to all his loved ones, as well as to the HIE team." 

 

"This breaks my heart, he was such a wonderful and charming personality, intelligent and funny and always interested in what people are doing to make Opensim an enjoyable and educational place to be. He will be greatly missed and forever loved. My sincerest condolences to his family and loved ones."

 

"I will miss his infectious wit and candor. A long standing fixture in the opensim and a few other communities, he was always a gentleman and diplomat. Mal's voice and presence set a good example of how we could engage and inspire each other, to create freely and try our best, to be collaborative, and share openly. Of course he will be fondly remembered and sorely missed. Safe paths, my friend." 

 

"Here in Craft-World we are deeply saddened to hear of the unexpected passing of Mal Burns, a cherished figure for all the OpenSimulator community and the voice behind the long-running YouTube talk show Inworld Review.Mal was a passionate advocate for the open metaverse. Through Inworld Review, he brought together voices from across OpenSim - creators, developers, dreamers - giving space to dialogue, inspiration, and that friendship spirit that makes OpenSim a special place. His commitment to documenting and discussing the evolution of virtual worlds made him a cornerstone of our shared digital culture....His presence, insight, and dedication will be sorely missed. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and to all who knew him and collaborated with him. The entire Craft-World team, and the broader OpenSim community, mourn his loss. Farewell, Mal. Thank you for everything you gave us. The metaverse is quieter without you."

 

Mal had been the main host of the Youtube broadcast "Inworld Review." July 13 would be the first show without him, and the people did it in his honor.

 

Rest in Peace

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Breaking News: Mal Burns (Malburns Writer) Has Reportedly Died

Some sad news for those for fans of Mal Burns, known as Malburns Writer in Second Life. Word has been going around today that he has suddenly passed away.

 

Mal was not known to be in ill health, and last posted on his Facebook in June, his last Youtube being on June 22. As of the writing of this article, his Discord icon shows while inactive, his computer remains on and connected to the Internet. 

 

Mal wrote about Second Life much in the early 2010s, since then moving on to virtual worlds in general, but still occasionally touching on SL. 

 

Stay tuned for more information.

 

Hat tip: Oldesoul Fairelander 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Exploring Creativity and Scientific Inquiry Through the Metaverse: Our Journey in the Student Building Challenge

 

Among those at the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference was Marcel Mosswood. She came back from her hiatus from the Newser to report on one of the events there, in which she guided three groups of students on three different projects. So what did they accomplish?

 

Read Marcel's article in People.

 

Virtual World Best Practices in Education 2025 Conference

 

Tomorrow at 8:30 AM is the start of one of the more educational yearly events in Second Life, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference, or VWBPE.  It is "a global grassroots community event, which focuses on education in immersive virtual environments." This year's theme is Transitions. Dancerina Starlight wrote about the event for the Newser.

 

Read Dancerina's article in Events. 

 

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 

Saturday December 14

 

    ~*~

 

    At 10 AM PST   

    SC Field Trip: Virtual Worlds Education Consortium

    https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/field-trip-vwec/

    By Meryl McBride

    VWEC Eduverse (188/145/31)

      

    ~*~

 

    NOTE: Non-members required to register once

    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

╚══════════════════════════════ The Science Circle (72,129,30) ═╝

 

Club Furzona to Move Out of Second Life

 

A few years ago, the Newser would write a few stories about a club in Second Life, Furzona. Since our last article, Furzona would occasionally get our attention when one of it's DJs would send us a video about a noted event  But recently after hearing some chatter, we found out the club's owners plan to move the club outside Second Life, shown a video where they announced it. 

Exactly where outside Second Life the club is moving to hasn't been announced. While VRChat comes to mind, the lack of an inworld economy would make tipping DJs problematic. While Sansar has made a little news as being a good place to hold a virtual party, it has gotten close to shutting down, and isn't exactly the best virtual world to get a nonhuman look. 

More on the story later.

Bixyl Shuftan

Ryan Schultz to Stop Blogging

 

A few days ago, Ryan Schultz, a noted blogger about Second Life and other virtual worlds and VR technology, announced there would be no more posts on his blog. 

I’ve had a good run, but it’s time for me to close this blog after a little over seven years and three months. It’s time.

Please know that it has been an honour, a joy, and a privilege to write about a subject that I loved: virtual worlds, social VR, and the metaverse, plus virtual and augmented reality in general. This blog has opened many doors for me, and I am truly grateful for the experiences I have had.

Thank you for your comments, suggestions, encouragement, and feedback throughout the years. I have made many friends and acquaintances in many virtual worlds, and I hope that our paths cross again soon, either via the metaverse or in real life.

I will be offline for a while, but I hope to be back soon. I doubt it will be a blog, though. Perhaps something different; I don’t know what yet.

Be well. Keep each other warm in a cold world. I love you all.

In his post before, he stated was staking an indefinite break, saying he was too busy with the demands of real-life. In the post before that, he had stated his job at a university has undergone quite a bit in recent months. His last post about technology was on October 1, with two posts in August. On July 4, he announced there would be fewer posts "for the forseeable future" due to his job.  

Ryan Schultz was a blogger about Second Life, often posting about mesh avatar accessories and outfits. But he didn't limit himself to Second Life, starting off as a blogger about Sansar when it was owned by Linden Lab, calling it the "Sansar Newsblog" at the time. But in January 2018, he briefly suspended writing following a dispute with Linden Lab about a story he did on one of Sansar's locations, later renaming it the Ryan Schultz blog as part of Linden Lab's complaint was about the blog's name. He would also write about VRChat and other virtual worlds, as well as VR Gear. 

Ryan Schultz did hint he would be back in some form. But it looks like he won't be with the blog he made a name for himself in Second Life media.

To check out Ryan Schultz's blog: https://ryanschultz.com/

Bixyl Shuftan

VWBPE - Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable

 

The Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference took place from Thursday March 14 to March 16. But not everyone could be there, and some who were could see only a little. But there were smaller events after the conference was officially over. One was a "roundtable" on Thursday March 21. Editor Bixyl Shuftan happened to be available, and dropped by.

Read Bixyl's story in Events.

VWBPE Conference Starts Today

 

 

 Today officially marks the start of the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference. This three day event will have numerous discussions and lectures on the event sims. 

The kickoff takes place at 8AM SL time at:

 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23

 

At 12 Noon SL time is "What's Up With The Lab," with Lindens (and maybe Moles) joining the host to discuss what Linden Lab has been doing lately. Almost certainly, the mobile viewer will be discussed, as well as PBR Materials,

 

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Rainbow%20Basin/232/247/21

 

Backup locations

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Canopy%20Point/27/243/21

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Floating%20Meadows/237/28/22

 

Press Release: VWBPW Conference 2024 - Mythic Orgins

 

 The 17th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference, beginning on Thursday, March 14th, 2024, will be an online distributed conference happening in multiple virtual spaces. This conference focuses on the use of immersive virtual environments for educational purposes including virtual and augmented reality.

This year we are returning to our Earth build. Each region represents a different terrestrial biome, including wetlands, desert, badlands, grasslands, and forests. Conference attendees will be among the first to be able to explore!

To the best ability possible, VWBPE provides educational and networking opportunities that are relevant to educational curriculum development utilizing virtual environments and “best practices”. These include

helping to build community through extension of learning best practices to practical application of those ideas and techniques;
providing networking opportunities for educators and the communities that help support education; and
providing access to current innovations, trends, ideas, case studies, and other best practices for educators and the communities that help support education

One of the key challenges faced by the educational community is how to make the best use of new immersive technologies in a way that is sustainable and accessible based on limited budgets available to both instructors and students. Platforms that are free or open source, or that can be shared across a broad audience are showcased, including methods and research around best practices in their use and applicability.

Our theme for this year is Mythic Origins.

Mythic stories can provide a way to engage students in critical thinking and analysis, as well as developing their creativity and imagination. Mythic origins can provide students with a deeper understanding of their own cultural heritage and how it has evolved over time. It allows us to explore the origins of our socially constructed myths and legends that have inspired educators and their various works.

Join us as we all share experiences and successes in how virtual technologies used in the classroom have helped shape education for the better.

This year's keynote speakers are Wagner James Au and Dr. Nellie Deutsch. Invited speakers include representatives from Linden Lab, and the 2020 Thinkerer - Renne Emiko Brock.

The VWBPE conference keynote speakers and their respective presentations are featured on the conference website (http://vwbpe.org), along with a program of exciting presentations, social activities, and networking events that will set extraordinary discussions in motion.  

The VWBPE Immersive Experiences showcase unique and interesting work being conducted across the metaverse. We invite you to join us as we explore eleven interactive and engaging locations across five virtual environments. The Immersive Experiences are scheduled from March 9th through 31st (exclusive of the conference dates). Details and access instructions for the experiences are found at https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe24-program.   

Additionally, this open and free conference would not be possible without the generous contributions of our VWBPE sponsors. https://www.vwbpe.org/vwbpe-2024-sponsors  

The Rockcliffe Registration Portal is open for people to register new Second Life® avatars and find out more about the VWBPE conference in-world. Go to https://www.enroll.onl/secondlife.php . The instructions are there to get you and your friends started at this educator-friendly newcomers’ region in Second Life®.

The full conference program is online here: https://www.vwbpe.org/conference/vwbpe24-program.

You can also view presentations live on YouTube at http://vwbpe.org/watch.

All of the conference events will be in Second Life® this year, and the locations are included in the listings. When you click on a conference event and click Add to Calendar, you can add the event to your own calendar (Google and more).

NOTE: Daylight Savings Time
In most of the United States and Canada, Daylight Savings Time is in effect as of 10 March 2024. In Europe, Great Britain, and many other locations, DST is in effect as of 31 March, 2024, after the conference ends. Check this page to find out when (and if) a time change is in effect for you: https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/2024.html.

=================================================
**VWBPE 2024 GATEWAY**
SLurl:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23

**VWBPE 2024 SOCIAL VISITOR CENTER** http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Wetlands%20Marsh/175/158/21

 

 

 

VWPBE Conference Starts Thursday, March 14

 

 

One of Second Life's big yearly events, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference, will soon be starting. Describing itself as discussing "the use of immersive virtual environments for educational purposes including virtual and augmented reality," the event will feature numerous discussions on a variety of topics. This will include talks with the Lindens about what's going on with Linden Lab, and more.

The kickoff event is on Thursday March 14 at 8AM SL time, at VWBPE Grasslands Gateway (128/123/23). Shortly afterwards at Noon SL time is "What's Up At The Lab?"

 

Officially, the conference concludes Saturday night at 6PM. But there were still be some events at the VWPBE for several days afterwards,and beyond. 

For a look at the schedule, Click Here. Already there are a few pre-conference events taking place. 

 

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 

Saturday January 12

    ~*~

    

    At 10 AM PST   

    University Response to Virtual Worlds

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    https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/university-vws/

 

    The Science Circle (72,129,30)

      

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╚══════════════════════════════ The Science Circle (72,129,30) ═╝

 

 

Facebook/Meta Quietly Leaving Virtual Worlds Behind

 

Last year, Facebook/Meta was really harping itself as the future of virtual worlds. It was touting it's Horizons as the up and coming brand new virtual landscape that the masses would want to join and experience. This year, they've been quiet about it. CEO and owner Mark Zuckerburg has gone from repeatedly promoting Horizons as the must be-in place online, to having stopped.

 

So what happened? Well, Horizons turned out to be a big money loser. Zuckerburg invested billions in his company's virtual world, only to get very little return for it in comparison. 

 

The number of people signing up was far short than the half million expected, and most didn't stay after their first month. It seems the "lack of realism" on the avatars, notably having no legs, was one of the big reasons. Of it's virtual worlds, only a handful were visited by more than 50, most not visited by anyone but it's creator. And unlike Second Life, which continued to do very well, Facebook/Meta workers didn't enjoy using the place on their free time "because it's riddled with bugs and other quality issues."

For all the money invested, Horizon's returns are small in comparison. It brought in 727 million USD in 2022, 17% less than in 2021. The result has been huge loses, losing nearly 24 BILLION dollars in 2021 and 2022, 13.7 billion in 2022 alone. Considering their overall income was 32.1 billion, the company had been continuing to spend and invest heavily after initial small returns, and was getting even less. So no wonder Facebook/Meta is cutting its losses.

Fortunately for Zuckerberg, technology tends have allowed him to quietly leave virtual reality behind: AI, which in recent months has gotten more attention thanks to programs like Chat GPT. An article on "The Street" stated in an announcement, he announced, "We're creating a new top-level product group at Meta focused on generative AI to turbocharge our work in this area. We're starting by pulling together a lot of the teams working on generative AI across the company into one group focused on building delightful experiences around this technology. ... In the short term, we'll focus on building creative and expressive tools. Over the longer term, we'll focus on developing AI personas that can help people in a variety of ways."

So it seems Horizon is being left behind, joining the ranks of the virtual worlds such as There and Blue Mars that had gotten plenty of talk but ended up falling short, while Second Life and to a smaller extent VRChat, continue to flourish.

 

Sources: The Street, Kotaku, PC Gamer

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