VI: Marriages — Chapter 1 | Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow • SparknotesAI

VI: Marriages — Chapter 1

Mayor Mazer, stylized as grunge-era rock star, acted as the welcoming figure for new visitors to the virtual world called Mapletown, spanning 2,000 acres of willow woods, with a population of over 250,000 users within two months of launching.
The avatar of Mayor Mazer was modeled after Sam, the game's developer, complete with his distinctive cane, a recognizable limp, thick black glasses and a chevron moustache.
Mapletown was a virtual town, complete with shops, forests, currency and commodities. Mayor Mazer's job was to guide users through their initial steps in the town, giving away "Maplebucks" to newcomers.
In 2009, Mayor Mazer was ranked seventh in AdWeek's list of most recognizable branded characters of the new millennium, lauded for being part of a game that encouraged conservation, had progressive values, and mined data like everyone else. He personified the progressive, utopian vision and lifestyle of Mapletown.
On or about the tenth year of Mapleworld's launch, Sam gave a TED Talk on "The Possibility of Utopia in Virtual Worlds." He argued that virtual worlds can be better than the actual and should strive to be more moral, just, progressive, empathetic and accommodating.
On various occasions when the site crashed due a server overload, a screen showed Mayor Mazer saying, "Looks like the weather’s bad in Mapletown. Grab your umbrellas, and we’ll be back real soon." This message was eventually turned into an Internet meme expressing frustration and boredom.