Virtual world invites parents and kids to meet the people behind the magic
What if you went to Disneyland and Mickey Mouse took his head off, shook your hand and said “let me tell you about what we are doing here”? That is exactly what the kids virtual world Webosaurs will be doing today during a live event held inside the world.
As Webosaurs founder Jacques Panis plans to embark on a journey to South Africa with Webosaurs spokesperson and BBC wildlife expert Nigel Marven to film educational videos for the site, Webosaurs has invited children and parents alike to an in-world party where they can interact with artists, developers and the child safety experts from Metaverse Mod Squad.
Metaverse Mod Squad CEO Amy Pritchard and Chief Moderator Susan South will be among the attendees at today’s party, promoting the safety aspects of the site and interacting with the children along with other Webosaurs moderators that will be on-hand.
Pritchard believes the party will be important because, “from a parent’s perspective, their kids are in a real place with real people that care about them. It’s not just a cartoon game.”
Panis agrees.
“Tying in Metaverse Mod Squad is crucial to today’s event because we are showing parents that behind all of the beauty and fun there are real people who are very concerned about their family’s safety and online experience. These people are at the forefront of safety and security of online properties,” he said.
Since its inception, Webosaurs has promoted an environment where creators and users can interact and share their investment in the world. Panis, known in-world as “Flyboy,” is a regular fixture at Webosaurs events and makes daily visits to meet and talk with the children. Metaverse Mod Squad moderators are in-world just about every hour of the day guiding and helping the users while utilizing best practices to provide constant protection. I’m also a regular fixture in-world as my avatar “Rex,” listening to the users and attending to their needs directly rather than waiting for a customer service email.
In addition to these attendees, Art Director Justin Harder and Lead Developer Diego Cibils will be at the party as “JuiceKing” and “Colegate,” respectively. The event this evening will provide parents and children alike a chance to meet and talk to these people along with other Webosaurs artists. Panis believes this level of interaction is unlike any other found in virtual worlds for kids and he hopes today’s event will raise the bar on what Webosaurs provides to its users’ experiences.
“We see what the kids are doing out there with their blogs and the things they create. We want to inspire and show them that anything and everything is possible,” he said.
Creating a successful and engaging virtual world for kids is as much about pushing the level of interaction as it is about the “physical” product presented. While Mickey Mouse may never take his head off, Webosaurs is happily opening its doors to let parents and children see and meet the people behind the magic.
-Chase
Chase Straight is Metaverse Mod Squad’s Head of Community for Webosaurs. For more details on today’s event such as time and place, please visit the Webosaurs blog which is also maintained by Chase.