On the non-profit side we have spoken with representatives from charities about how they might better harness the power of the Web. One of those is Paul Lynch and his committee who organise the annual GOAL charity ball in Paris. This year they are using a wiki to organise the event rather than email. Ronan and Paul have revamped www.goal-ball.org enabling people to pay for tickets online, specify meal choices and pick tables. A group has also been setup on Facebook (GOAL Ball Paris) for attendees to join in the conversation.

Each of the above projects are good illustrations of the transition now taking place in social computing. The beneficial use of second generation Web tools is now moving from early adopters to mainstream users.

Rivers Run Red CEO Justin Boddington recently remarked that 60% of the queries they have received of late related to internal communication projects. Organisations cannot be something on the outside they are not already on the inside as many early entrants to Second Life have learned. With two of the Metaverse Development Company founders who brought many of the early entrants into Second Life awakening to this fact that is a very good thing.

PA Consulting and The Sunday Times recently teamed up to host a conference titled Getting Real About Business in Second Life. Claus Nehmzow of PA Consulting moderated a panel with Randy Sisks of Cisco, Pascal Spelier of ABN Amro and Dominic Rushe of The Sunday Times. The event was recorded and is viewable in four parts. Runtime for each video is under 10 minutes.

Part one and two provide business presentations from each of the panel on their experiences in Second Life todate. Part three covers the following topics from the Q&A – virtual worlds v video conferencing, partnering through Second Life, communication methods and integrate channels. Part four covers the following topics from the Q&A – entry costs, focus groups, confidential meetings, recruitment and the future of virtual worlds.

Over the next five years most businesses will have a virtual world presence just as they have a website today. As the above example demonstrates some of the more forward looking organisations are already experimenting with early virtual world offerings. While only at the very beginning of the beginning of our transition to a Meta Age virtual worlds represent a unique facilitation role for organisations of all sizes and sectors. Interesting times indeed.

CNN Future Summit: Virtual Worlds aired on June 13th on CNN International. Originating from Singapore and Palo Alto, California, the program features creative visionaries and entrepreneurs leading us into a new age of creativity and imagination.

CNN Future Summit : Virtual Worlds serves as a good primer for those new to the space. Kristie Lu Stout attempts to connect the dots by bringing together some of the leading thinkers from academia, gaming, social media and virtual worlds within this one hour special. It is now viewable online with the show broken down into 6 segments – Virtual reality, Communications, Movies, Connectivity, Creative talent and Virtual future. Recommended viewing and food for thought.

Legislators around the world are currently looking at Linden Lab and its creation Second Life to establish precedents. Todate Lewis PR has done a wonderful job positioning Second Life as the media poster child for Virtual Worlds. It now needs to switch gears and better educate local authorities before they begin regulating Virtual Worlds. Education before regulation.

Programs such as the recent BBC Money Programme special on Virtual Worlds and the upcoming CNN Future Summit on June 13th are all steps in the right direction. Tuning into the topics raised over on the accompanying CNN Future Summit Forums gives a taste for some of the social changes being heralded by the third wave of the Web. The Living Web is already making its presence felt.

Likewise internal governance issues within World of Warcraft, Eve and Second Life are receiving increasing mainstream media attention. Roles such as the current Resident Community Manager vacancy at Linden Lab are now key hires. Virtual Worlds seeking to become winners over the coming years need to significantly improve communications within their respective ecosystems.

Back in May 2006 Phillip Torrone wrote an article on the future of credit cards in Virtual Worlds over on MAKE magazine. One year on his predictions are beginning to materialize with World Of Warcraft (WoW) launching a Visa Rewards Card. Given Visa Europe’s recent announcement that it was taking up residence in SL and its appointment of UK agency Clusta to oversee its project one suspects a SL Visa Rewards Card offering is not too far behind.