For decades, a virtual reality version of the internet has been a staple of science fiction. The metaverse is the latest iteration and it has the potential to become something more than a new gaming platform. But years before Facebook changed its name to Meta and launched huge investments into the space, Philip Rosedale was experiment ing with many of these same ideas in the virtual world he helped create: Second Life. In a conversation with Wall Street Journal reporter Christopher Mims during the WSJ Future of Everything Festival, Rosedale shared his vision for a metaverse where data privacy is more important than advertising, and our online and offline lives intersect in a healthier way.

Further reading:

 

From the Wall Street Journal:

Meta-morphosis or More Pain? Possible Futures for Facebook’s Parent Company | Christopher Mims

Second Life Founder Returns to Take On the Metaverse | Meghan Bobrowsky

The Facebook Files | WSJ Investigations

How TikTok's Algorithm Figures Out Your Deepest Desires | WSJ Investigations

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