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Right now, the metaverse is alternately a buzzword (most major tech companies are considering its potential) and a joke (images of Mark Zuckerberg hanging out in poorly rendered VR Paris didn’t seem like the future). . To better understand the nebulous phenomenon, I spoke with Matthew Ball, a metaverse evangelist whose writings are often cited by media and tech players. Ball, who was previously the head of strategy at Amazon Studios, is currently a managing partner at venture capital firm Epyllion Co. He frequently contributes to publications, including the Economistand recently published…