The term “metaverse” might sound like some over-hyped trend to you. Fair enough: it’s been everywhere lately, and Facebook’s recent unveiling doesn’t make it easier to understand. Still, beyond the buzzword, there’s a quality about this term that asks for greater consideration and contemplative understanding. If the ‘mediaverse’ surrounding the metaverse sounds like cacophony, go beyond the madding crowd and unpack the term and its origins and deeper meaning by using the following three resources, which I’ve curated to shed light on a naturally perplexing term:

1: How to Explain the ‘Metaverse’ to Your Grandparents

(And by grandparents I mean MBA classmates who keep asking me what it is)

by Aaron Frank, Jan 9, 2022, 18 min read

https://medium.com/@aaronDfrank/how-to-explain-the-metaverse-to-your-grandparents-b6f6acae17ed

2: Beyond Meta: The Seven Verses

by Avi Bar-Zeev, Nov 10, 2021, 11 min read

https://medium.com/predict/beyond-meta-the-seven-verses-974cc0e27b4d

3: Series of Tweets about Metaverse Definitions

by Kent Bye, Nov 10, 2021, 11 min read

1/ I agree with @washingtonpost tech journalist @WillOremus that we haven't achieved an interoperable Metaverse yet, but I disagree with his assessment that we won't anytime soon as it depends on how you define a minimal viable Metaverse.

TREAD comparing Metaverse frameworks 👇 https://t.co/RV4wuZokKr pic.twitter.com/Q4cNnD6QXE

— Kent Bye VoicesOfVR (@kentbye) December 30, 2021

I’ll be developing my interpretations of each of these resources soon. For now, digest away, and reflect! We’re engaging in a conversation about how to shape an interoperative system, and/or a complex network of systems, in a way that involves humanity and ethics. It’s a privilege and a challenge to be at this stage, regardless of how we term it.