An open-source timeline of the virtual world

By Eric Reuters

The history of virtual worlds is still being written, and artist Annie Ok wants everyone to participate.

On Sunday, Ok set up the virtual worlds timeline, an interactive widget where people can contribute entries related to the development of the Metaverse. Users can register on the site to be an “editor,” and add important events alongside “Tron (July 9, 1982)” or “Neal Stephenson publishes Snow Crash (1992).”

“It’s very similar to a Wikipedia entry where anyone can edit and it’s free and open to everyone,” Ok said.

While not the first timeline of its type (Bruce Danner created vwtimeline.org in 2006) Ok hopes the open nature of her project will help keep it going even as she works on other projects in the years ahead. While the site is only two days old, already 14 editors have contributed dozens of entries.