In this week's Tech Weekly with Aleks Krotoski ...
We've been to Edinburgh, we've been to Manchester, now we take a trip to Azeroth. That's Azeroth, Second Life ...
If you've heard of Azeroth you'll be familiar with the concept of virtual worlds – the online communities that have continued to grow in acres and miles, spreading like a digital virus through almost every online interaction we have today. To discuss developments and predict the virtual future are two experts in this area: The Guardian's Vic Keegan, and Ren Reynolds, curator of Virtual Policy 08 and founder of the Virtual Policy Network
We're ignoring the dramatic headlines about the real world riches to be made in these spaces and the well-publicised depravity lurking under the pixellated bedclothing, instead looking at the ways virtual worlds are being integrated into the decisions politicians, policy makers and the legal system are making.
We also explore the implications of the growing number of virtual environments aimed at children under 11 years old, from the BBC's forthcoming Adventure Rock to the education-oriented Moshi Monsters, to the overtly commercial Disney Magic Kingdom.
There's the usual news with Jemima Kiss, including updates on Carl Icahn and Yahoo, Steve Jobs and Apple, Erik Huggers and the BBC, plus the hottest conversations going on in the blogosphere – with discussion of the equivalent of a virtual world moon landing, and the finding that "Google may be taking over the data of the world, but it's making sex boring."
