FRIENDS TOOLBAR FOR A VIRTUAL SOCIAL VENUE

1 . A social media platform for sharing streaming media with friends, the social media platform comprising:

a virtual social venue comprising a virtual three-dimensional structure accommodating an audience of people;

a user interface;

a window in the user interface that displays the virtual social venue to a user;

a data interface to a social network containing profiles, including profile images, of friends; and

a friends toolbar in the user interface populated with selectable profile images of friends, wherein selection of a profile image enables the social media platform to send an invitation to the corresponding friend to join the virtual social venue.

2 . The social media platform of claim 1 , further comprising a graphical representation of the user in the virtual social venue.

3 . The social media platform of claim 2 , whereupon acceptance by a friend of an invitation to join the virtual social venue, a graphical representation of the friend is displayed within the three-dimensional context of the virtual social venue.

4 . The social media platform of claim 3 , wherein the accepting friend's profile image is superimposed upon the accepting friend's graphical representation.

5 . The social media platform of claim 1 , wherein the data interface is operable to automatically extract the profile images of friends from the social network.

6 . The social media platform of claim 1 , further comprising an attendee toolbar, separate from the friends toolbar, that lists profile images of friends who accept invitations to join the virtual social venue.

7 . The social media platform of claim 1 , whereupon hovering of a selection tool over a profile image of a friend in the friends toolbar, the friends toolbar presents a popup that presents the friend's name.

8 . The social media platform of claim 1 , wherein the invitation is sent through a messaging service of the social network.

9 . The social media platform of claim 1 , further comprising:

a virtual representation of a viewing surface within the virtual social venue for sharing streaming video, wherein the virtual social venue provides a three-dimensional context within which to view the streaming video and share the streaming video with friends.

10 . The social media platform of claim 1 , further comprising:

a client module that provides the user interface to the user, the client module communicating with a third party streaming video content provider to receive streaming video that is synchronously shared with friends admitted to the virtual social venue; and

a first server module that transmits the virtual three-dimensional structure of the virtual social venue to a plurality of client modules, enabling the virtual social venue to be displayed to a plurality of users;

wherein the client module is operable to rotationally transform the streaming video and assemble it with the virtual three-dimensional structure of the virtual social venue in order to present the streaming video to the user within the three-dimensional context of the virtual social venue.

11 . A method of creating a social context for the sharing of media, the method comprising:

creating a virtual social venue comprising a virtual three-dimensional structure accommodating an audience of people;

providing a user interface;

providing a window in the user interface that displays the virtual social venue to a user;

interfacing with a social network containing profiles, including profile images, of friends;

extracting profile images of friends from the social network;

providing a friends toolbar in the user interface;

populating the friends toolbar with extracted profile images of friends;

enabling selection of the profile images in the friends toolbar; and

sending an invitation to selected friends to join the virtual social venue.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising displaying a graphical representation of the user in the virtual social venue.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising displaying graphical representations of friends who join the virtual social venue within the three-dimensional context of the virtual social venue.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising superimposing extracted profile images upon the graphical representations of friends who join the virtual social venue.

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising listing profile images of friends who accept invitations to join the virtual social venue in an attendee toolbar that is separate from the friends toolbar.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising presenting a name of a friend when a selection tool is hovered over a profile image of the friend in the friends toolbar.

17 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising sending the invitations through a messaging service of the social network.

18 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing a virtual representation of a viewing surface within the virtual social venue for sharing streaming video, wherein the virtual social venue provides a three-dimensional context within which to view the streaming video and share the streaming video with friends.

19 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

providing a client module to provide the user interface to the user and communicate with a third party streaming video content provider to receive streaming video that is synchronously shared with friends admitted to the virtual social venue; and

providing a first server module that transmits the virtual three-dimensional structure of the virtual social venue to a plurality of client modules, enabling the virtual social venue to be displayed to a plurality of users;

wherein the client module is operable to rotationally transform the streaming video and assemble it with the virtual three-dimensional structure of the virtual social venue in order to present the streaming video to the user within the three-dimensional context of the virtual social venue.