social networks

Google’s launch of Lively, it’s entry to the 3D Web, ends months of speculation and at first glance is both a disappointment and a pleasure, but certainly doesn’t advance the underpinnings of the metaverse, not yet at least, and can hardly even be called a world at all.

Lively is a social networking play as compared to a virtual world play. Their goal is to try to embed 3D spaces within social networks, link it all up to youTube, and then serve ads into the space. And maybe ads in a 3D space will have more traction than the stuff you ignore when you watch a youTube video.

Combine it with context-specific search and you’re off to a branded 3D Web future - depending on the content of your room, its name, and the context of the Web site in which it’s embedded, link it to your Google profile and your search history, and Google will have a pretty good idea who you are and what ads and advertiser-supported content will interest you.

In fact, the Terms of Service lay this out quite nicely:

17.1 Some of the Services are supported by advertising revenue and may display advertisements and promotions. These advertisements may be targeted to the content of information stored on the Services, queries made through the Services or other information.

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