Mashups and virtual worlds are more and more a part of Web 2.0, and perhaps as an extension, part of social media. An example of a mashup that is social is on Nikeplus.com, where I can map out running routes using Google maps. The “mashing” is defined by me, a user, using Google maps to customize the running routes around my neighborhood, and sharing them with others in the Nikeplus community.
Another example is Twitter meetups – where someone on Twitter just says a place and time and anyone can show up.
Virtual worlds, such as Second Life, are already part of technical communication for training delivery or for virtual meetings. Training organizations are already finding the value in offering training programs on Second Life, where people can gather with avatars that represent their personalities online.
Here’s a term that was new to me – machinima, a mashup of machine and cinema. Machinima is a recording of Second Life’s environment. In Second Life, you can build any visual you need. Avatars can be used to do corporate training – apparently John Hartman experimented with this idea a few years ago.
For a final real-world-online-world mashup, take a look at chorewars.com. It’s a great example of how real life social and computing are merging. Around Austin, startup companies sometimes save money by crowdsourcing the janitorial work for a small office. Corewars is a perfect solution for that scenario. If you are parenting teenagers or cleaning up at a startup, it just might work well in your life.