Metaplace - Online Virtual World Builder

I found this article on the BBC website - Virtual worlds opened up to all - 19 September 2007 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7002479.stm. This looks very interesting and potentially useful for End-User programming and E-Learning.

The link is Metaplace - http://www.metaplace.com/. I'm looking forward to building a virtual world, and to linking to other peoples' worlds especially if their world is useful for End-User programming and E-Learning and/or has a space or climate modelling theme.

This links with these aims -

Building Developer Communities - http://userdrivenmodelling.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_archive.html.

E-Learning Provision using Semantic Web Technologies - http://userdrivenmodelling.blogspot.com/2007/08/e-learning-provision-using-semantic-web.html.

Drag and Drop Programming - http://userdrivenmodelling.blogspot.com/2007/08/drag-and-drop-programming.html.

In the BBC article Metaplace say -

"We want to see 10,000 virtual worlds so that lots of wild and crazy stuff gets made because that is the only way it will advance as a medium."

So I would like to be part of this effort. If anyone at Metaplace, or who is developing a Metaplace world has something I can link to that would be useful for the above, could they please email me at peter2.hale@uwe.ac.uk.

I am also interested in this from the BBC article -

"As each world is based on standard web technology they can also be embedded in blogs, a facebook profile, myspace page or website."

How can I do this or link to other peoples' worlds.

I think to begin with we register at http://www.metaplace.com/. The release is due for Spring 2008 but perhaps registering will allow for earlier involvement. It's called Alpha Signup.

This looks like the best place to keep up with developments and a community of users/developers - http://www.metaplace.info/.