Virtual Worlds Forum

eWeek has a long article on the convergence between virtual worlds and social networking services, leading on the news that IBM is integrating virtual worlds with its Lotus Connections social computing product. It certainly sounds forward-thinking, judging by the example scenarios described by IBM's VP of social computing Jeff Schick. “For example, avatars would pop up filled with content from real employees' Lotus Connections profile, displaying their experiences, skills and interests, as well as the projects they worked on. A Lotus Connections blog expressing a user's opinions would be exposed on a billboard or a wall in the virtual city. Or, avatars might walk into a virtual library and access Lotus Connections social bookmarks through a card catalog.” This is all experimental stuff for now - IBM doesn't have a release date for these virtual plug-ins for its software. eWeek also picks out Unisfair, a company looking to merge social networking tools into virtual conferences for businesses. There's also a reference to Second Life Link, the consumer-focused Facebook application that lets people link their Facebook profile to their Second Life avatar. (via eWeek)