The Metaverse and You: What the REAL Metaverse Looks Like
In 2021, the CEO of Facebook (now Meta), Mark Zuckerberg, announced that they would create a virtual world named The Metaverse. This, by itself, was not surprising. Facebook is well-known for trying things within the social media space. Even with Facebook’s ham-handed approach to the announcement and Zuck’s Bill Gates impression giving people feelings of discomfort for years, they weren’t the first to have the idea. The idea and even the name was taken from the decentralized web (web3). And the idea is the complete opposite of what Facebook or any corporate overlord would want for the future of the internet.
Where Does The Metaverse Come From?
The term “Metaverse” is a strange combination of English and Greek roots. Meta in modern usage defines something self-referential (e.g., metadata or metaphysics). The verse has been the short form for “universe” since the 80s. However, the first person to combine these things into one word was Neal Stephenson in his 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash. The novel presents the Metaverse as a shared virtual reality that everyone can use for everything from parties to education.
