I’m Stefan Geens (email), I work at the Swedish Institute, and I’m managing the building of Sweden’s virtual embassy in Second Life. This blog is about what we’re learning in the process.
This blog serves a couple of specific purposes
- To keep you informed about events and developments at the Second House of Sweden.
- To look at what works (and what doesn’t) elsewhere in Second Life, and hopefully learn from others’ experiences.
- To chart the technological progress of the Second Life developer community, with a view to embracing the most compelling new tools.
- To explore some of the broader implications of this budding metaverse, both in-world and in real life.
About me
I’ve been waiting for immersive virtual worlds to arrive on my computer screen since I read Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash in the early 90s. When Google Earth was released in 2005, I started Ogle Earth, a blog charting Google Earth’s impact on how we navigate and visualize information. Around that time I also started checking out that budding multi-user virtual world Second Life, to keep tabs on its development and to better grasp its implications.
This background came in handy when the Swedish Institute began to explore new mediums for its message. The metaverse is the obvious place to go.
I lived in Stockholm from 2002-2007. In March 2007, I moved to Cairo. Before I lived in Stockholm I lived in New York City, but I’m actually Belgian.
About the Swedish Institute
The Second House of Sweden in Second Life is conceived, directed and funded by the Swedish Institute. Here’s how the Swedish Institute describes itself on its about page:
The Swedish Institute (SI) is a public agency established to increase knowledge of and interest in Sweden worldwide.
Through active communication and the promotion of broad cultural, educational and scientific exchanges, the SI establishes relationships between Sweden and other countries. It also supports Swedish language instruction at foreign universities.
The SI’s operations are carried out in close cooperation with Swedish and foreign partners, as well as with Swedish embassies and consulates around the world.
