Seriously, What Does Metaverse Mean?

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Mentally replace the phrase “the metaverse” in a sentence with “cyberspace.”  That's what the folks at Wired magazine wants you to do.

Ninety percent of the time, the meaning won't substantially change. That's because the term doesn't really refer to any one specific type of technology, but rather a broad (and often speculative) shift in how we interact with technology. And it's entirely possible that the term itself will eventually become just as antiquated, even as the specific technology it once described becomes commonplace. 

CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg or Satya Nadella talk about the metaverse as the future of the internet. Or it's a video game. Or maybe it's a deeply uncomfortable, worse version of Zoom?

So, with all this in mind.  Seriously, what does Metaverse mean?

The Big Awakening Caused By Two Words: Transformation and Resilience

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Financial Times editor and founder of FT Forums, John Thornhill, spoke with Microsoft chief executive and the FT's Person fo the Year for 2019, Satya Nadella.  Below is the edited transcript of their discussion but here is a quick snippet of one of Satya's many comments:

These two words “transformation” and “resilience” through digital tech have [been] the big awakening . . . whether it’s a retailer or even a small retailer, who is able to now do curbside pick-up as a way to continue their business operations or a manufacturer or even a midsize manufacturer being able to do lights-out [fully automated] manufacturing.

Read the full interview here.