Updating data stores of virtual worlds based on data stores external to the virtual worlds

A computer system to update virtual worlds, the computer system comprising:

• a processor, a computer readable memory and a computer readable tangible storage device;
• first program instructions to receive from a user a specification of a data store of the user, the data store external to a virtual world, wherein the first program instructions comprise program instructions to receive a specification of one or more of the following types of data stores:
• bookmarked web sites;
• recently visited sites;
• RSS feeds;
• blogs;
• social networking sites;
• integrated e-mail alerts;
• calendar entries;
• encrypted vaults for passwords;
• cookies;
• form-fill information;
• documents;
• spreadsheets;
• data bases;
• music files;
• videos;
• pictures;
• and
• other media files;
• second program instructions to automatically gather data from the data store of the user based upon the specification of the data store of the user;
• third program instructions to generate a representation of the data;
• fourth program instructions to transmit the representation of the data to the virtual world;
• and
• fifth program instructions to update a data store of the virtual world based upon the representation of the data;
• and
• sixth program instructions to display the data store of the virtual world in a personal area of the user in the virtual world in response to updating the data store of the virtual world based upon the representation of the data, wherein:
• the data store of the user and the data store of the virtual world comprise data stores of the one or more types of data stores;
• the data store of the virtual world comprises an object of the virtual world;
• and
• the sixth program instructions comprise program instructions to display an icon representing the data store of the virtual world in the personal area of the user and program instructions to keep the data store of the virtual world private to the user, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable tangible storage device for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.

A computer program product to update virtual worlds, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable tangible storage device;
• first program instructions to receive from a user a specification of a data store of the user, the data store external to a virtual world, wherein the first program instructions comprise program instructions to receive a specification of one or more of the following types of data stores:
• bookmarked web sites;
• recently visited sites;
• RSS feeds;
• blogs
• social networking sites;
• integrated e-mail alerts;
• calendar entries;
• encrypted vaults for passwords;
• cookies;
• form-fill information;
• documents;
• spreadsheets;
• data bases;
• music files;
• videos;
• pictures;
• and
• other media files;
• second program instructions to automatically gather data from the data store of the user;
• third program instructions to generate a representation of the data;
• fourth program instructions to transmit the representation of the data to the virtual world;
• fifth program instructions to update a data store of the virtual world based upon the representation of the data;
• and
• sixth program instructions to display the data store of the virtual world in a personal area of the user in the virtual world in response to updating the data store of the virtual world based upon the representation of the data, wherein:
• the data store of the user and the data store of the virtual world comprise data stores of the one or more types of data stores;
• the data store of the virtual world comprises an object of the virtual world;
• and
• the sixth program instructions comprise program instructions to display an icon representing the data store of the virtual world in the personal area of the user and program instructions to keep the data store of the virtual world private to the user;
• the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth program instructions are stored on the computer readable tangible storage device;
• and
• the first program instructions, second program instructions, and third program instructions comprise program instructions to:
• tag the records, thereby designating records to be used to update the data store of the virtual world;
• select records of the data store of the user, the records tagged for updating the data store of the virtual world;
• generate a representation comprising a difference between the records tagged for updating currently in the data store of the user and the records tagged for updating previously in the data store of the user;
• and
• transmit the representation to the virtual world.