AltspaceVR

AltspaceVR, https://altvr.com/, is a free social media platform in virtual reality. The program can run on a computer as a 3D PC world like SecondLife. It can run on most all the VR headsets, too. The community is active with over a dozen events every day. Language classes, meditation groups, VR developer meetings, concerts, movie and game nights, and more fill the schedule. Each event happens in a world. More worlds are available just to hang out and visit. Worlds are made by community members. Some are public and some are private; some have activities, some are just places to gather.

While I have only had positive experiences interacting with others in this space, AltspaceVR does give the user the ability to mute or block any other user. Muting renders the person's avatar inaudible and blocking renders the person's avatar inaudible and invisible. The program also gives users an easy way to download and save or completely delete all of their data from the platform.

AltspaceVR provides some basic tools for building custom worlds and hosting your own events. Ready-to-use worlds are available for common types of events, like lecture halls, conference rooms, and game halls. These template worlds are not persistent; you schedule a time for them to be active. The software integrates with Unity, though, for anyone interested in making a completely custom and persistent world. Check out Mark Gill's "Building Worlds in AltspaceVR with Unity3d" video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8xgR3cDMjk for more details about making your own virtual world.