A world not so f
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r from our ownWhether taking the lead or being dragged along behind, businesses are fast discovering the need to enter a virtual 21st century. Exec jumps into the Metaverse to find out moreWritten by Gary ChambersIt is with a sense of cynicism and even trepidation that many people approach the subject of virtual worlds. A far-off land that rolls out from the imagination of its many participants was once the domain of the gamer. The image reserved for this kind of interaction was unkind, perhaps even ignorant. Frequenters of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) were branded geeks, uncool, incapable of real human interac-tion 8211 the scourge of a society growing less healthy, less sociable 8211 and fatally, less interesting.The creation of Second Life was perhaps the first major milestone in their redemption, the first real indication that the tide was turning. And the reaction to it was predictably mixed. The introduc-tory videos were little more than teaser trailers, artistic rather than informative, depicting a dolphin gliding across a lake before transforming into a seagull and flying off into the deep orange virtual sunset. Investors confessed to being confused, not sure what it was they were being shown. 8220That8217s fine, but how do you kill it?8221 said one.This all happened back in 1999, developer Mike Oldfield pitching his idea of a future unbound by social restric-45technologyVirtual worlds promise unparalleled online interacti
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