User credential verification indication in a virtual universe

A system for user credential verification indication in a virtual universe, the system comprising at least one computing device comprising:

• a verifier for verifying a credential of a user of a first avatar in the virtual universe, wherein the credential is selected from a group consisting of:
• an occupational position, an occupational certification, an education level, an employment status, an income, a social security number, an age, and a driver's license;
• and
• a zone establisher for establishing a zone that causes an indication of the credential of the user of the first avatar to appear in response to an action being taken relative to the zone, wherein the zone is a graphical area in the virtual universe and the action includes the first avatar being placed in the graphical area, and wherein the indication of the credential appears only while the first avatar is in the graphical area, determined through a three-dimensional spatial location within the virtual universe, and wherein the indication of the credential is selected from a group consisting of:
• a text window, a change in an appearance of the avatar, and a visual indicator.

A program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, which when executed, performs a process comprising:

• verifying a credential of a user of a first avatar in the virtual universe, wherein the credential is selected from a group consisting of:
• an occupational position, an occupational certification, an education level, an employment status, an income, a social security number, an age, and a driver's license;
• and
• establishing a zone that causes an indication of the credential of the user of the first avatar to appear in response to an action being taken relative to the zone, wherein the zone is a graphical area in the virtual universe and the action includes the first avatar being placed in the graphical area, and wherein the indication of the credential appears only while the first avatar is in the graphical area, determined through a three-dimensional spatial location within the virtual universe, and wherein the indication of the credential is selected from a group consisting of:
• a text window, a change in an appearance of the avatar, and a visual indicator.

A method for user credential verification indication in a virtual universe, comprising:

• producing computer executable program code;
• storing the code on a computer readable medium;
• and
• providing the program code to be deployed and executed on a computer system, the program code comprising instructions which, when executed on the computer system, cause the computer system to:
• verify a credential of a user of a first avatar in the virtual universe, wherein the credential is selected from a group consisting of:
• an occupational position, an occupational certification, an education level, an employment status, an income, a social security number, an age, and a driver's license, and
• establish a zone that causes an indication of the credential of the user of the first avatar to appear in response to an action being taken relative to the zone, wherein the zone is a graphical area in the virtual universe and the action includes the first avatar being placed in the graphical area, and wherein the indication of the credential appears only while the first avatar is in the graphical area, determined through a three-dimensional spatial location within the virtual universe, and wherein the indication of the credential is selected from a group consisting of:
• a text window, a change in an appearance of the avatar, and a visual indicator.