INSTANTIATING MEDIA INTO A VIRTUAL SOCIAL VENUE TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS

1 . A method for instantiating two-dimensional media content into a three-dimensional platform and sharing it with others within the platform, the method comprising:

providing a user with an interface comprising a virtual three-dimensional space;

connecting to one or more social networks to which the user belongs, each social network providing a social graph with a list of friends of the user;

leveraging the social graph to enable the user to invite friends from the one or more social networks to participate in the virtual three-dimensional space;

providing a virtual screen, window, or other viewing surface within the virtual three-dimensional space;

providing an open media repurposing browser plug-in represented by a browser interface icon, wherein the browser interface icon is not native to the web page displayed in the browser;

automatically identifying streaming media content, if any exists, in a web portal represented by a web page displayed in the browser;

in response to user selection of the browser interface icon, instantiating the selected streaming media content onto the virtual screen, window, or other viewing surface; and

displaying the selected streaming media content to the user and participating friends within the context of the virtual three-dimensional space.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing the streaming media content to be placed into a queue for later presentation within the virtual three-dimensional space, before streaming the media content to friends participating in the virtual three-dimensional space.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual three-dimensional space comprises a virtual three-dimensional representation of a structure accommodating a large seating or standing area, the method further comprising populating the seating or standing area with representations of friends participating in the virtual three-dimensional space.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the virtual three-dimensional space includes a virtual representation, within the virtual three-dimensional space, of multiple screens, billboards, windows, or other viewing surfaces, a selectable one from which the streaming media content is presented.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing the user and each participating friend with a unique seating or standing location within the virtual three-dimensional space; and

displaying the selected media content to the user and each participating friend with a yaw and pitch consistent with relative differences between the user or participating friend's position and orientation and a position and orientation of the virtual screen, window, or other viewing surface.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

enabling the user and each participating friend to navigate the virtual three-dimensional space; and

to each user or participating friend who navigates the virtual three-dimensional space, updating the display of the virtual three-dimensional space to provide a field of view consistent with the changing position and orientation of the navigating user or friend within the virtual three-dimensional space;

wherein if any portion of the virtual screen, window, or other viewing surface is still within the field of view of the navigating user or friend, then that portion of the instantiated streaming media content continues to be displayed to the navigating user or friend.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising enabling the user to interact with the instantiated streaming media content from within the virtual three-dimensional space.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the instantiated streaming media content is a web page having a text field, the method further comprising enabling the user to type into the text field from within the virtual three-dimensional space.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing the user and each participating friend with a three dimensional avatar, each avatar being operable to navigate through the virtual three-dimensional space, each avatar also being operable to be animated with arm and leg movements and emotional expressions; and

displaying the avatar within the context of the virtual three-dimensional space.

9 . A method for sharing media content with users from one or more social networks, the method characterized in:

providing a virtual social venue comprising a virtual three-dimensional space;

enabling a user to invite contacts imported, via a social graph, from one or more social networks to participate in the virtual social venue;

admitting participants into the virtual social venue;

providing a virtual screen, window, or other viewing surface within the context of the virtual three-dimensional space;

selecting one of the participants to be a host having host privileges to select media content to share with other participants in the virtual social venue;

providing the host with an open-media repurposing browser plug-in, represented by a browser interface icon, that is operable to identify streaming media content, if any exists, in a web portal represented by a web page displayed in the browser and instantiate the streaming media content into the virtual social venue, wherein the browser interface icon is not native to the web page displayed in the browser;

in response to selection of the browser interface icon, instantiating the streaming media content onto the virtual screen, window, or other viewing surface; and

displaying the instantiated streaming media content to each of the participants within the context of the virtual three-dimensional space.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

providing each participant with a three dimensional avatar operable by the participant to navigate through the virtual three-dimensional space;

enabling each participant to express animated emotional responses to the media content through avatar movements and emotional expressions; and

displaying the avatar within the context of the virtual three-dimensional space.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing a selection tool to enable a participant to call attention of other users within the social venue to a particular portion of the social venue.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the selection tool comprises a virtual laser pointer that provides a stream of light.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising causing the media content to be placed into a queue for later presentation within the social venue, before streaming the media content to the multiple users participating in the virtual social venue.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the virtual three-dimensional representation of a structure accommodates a large virtual seating or standing area, the method further comprising populating the virtual seating or standing area with representations of participants in the virtual social venue.

15 . A method for sharing a web page with users from one or more social networks, the method characterized in:

providing a virtual social venue comprising a virtual three-dimensional space;

enabling invitation of users from the social network to participate in the virtual social venue;

admitting participants into the virtual social venue;

providing a virtual screen, window, or other viewing surface within the context of the virtual three-dimensional space;

providing an open media repurposing browser plug-in represented by a browser interface icon, wherein the browser interface icon is not native to the web page displayed in the browser;

in response to user selection of the browser interface icon, instantiating the selected web page onto the virtual screen, window, or other viewing surface; and

displaying the instantiated web page to each of the participants within the context of the virtual three-dimensional space.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

designating one of the participants as a virtual disc jockey;

enabling the virtual disc jockey to interact with the web page from within the virtual three-dimensional space.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein if the instantiated web page has a text field, enabling the virtual disc jockey to type into the text field from within the virtual three-dimensional space.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein if the instantiated web page has a link, enabling the virtual disc jockey to select the link from within the virtual three-dimensional space.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the virtual three-dimensional representation of a structure accommodates a large virtual seating or standing area, the method further comprising populating the virtual seating or standing area with representations of participants in the virtual social venue.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

providing each participant with a unique position and orientation within the virtual three-dimensional space; and

displaying the web page to each participant with a yaw and pitch consistent with differences between the unique position and orientation provided to the participant and a position and orientation of the virtual screen, window, or other viewing surface.