Zzomg! is the diversion of John Jainschigg (aka John Zhaoying), metaverse developer and (in daylight hours) Director of Ziff Davis Enterprise's Internet and Community Laboratory -- an incubator for new online and social media technology and products. Opinions, projects, and other ephemera expressed and described here are John's own, reflecting in no way the opinions, concerns, or priorities of ZDE, or of the Laboratory.

As Executive Director of UBM Metaverse, John created the virtual worlds consulting business for United Business Media and founded Life 2.0 Summit, the leading virtual event for virtual world developers. A 25-year veteran of online software development and media, his career spans roles as print and/or online Editor in Chief of award-winning B2B technology publications such as Teleconnect, Computer Telephony, Communications Convergence, and Dr. Dobb's Journal, with stints in online software development and custom media and market consulting for diverse clients including Atari, General Electric, CTL Telematique and (post-scandal) Global Crossing. A leading virtual worlds visionary and popularizer (but not, confirms Prokofy Neva, to an extent that makes people cringe), John speaks frequently at industry events. He is a graduate of Columbia University.

John is Chairman of the advisory board of World2Worlds, an independent consultancy offering a broad pallette of services to businesses seeking deep customer engagement (and qualified leads) through immersive virtual events. Their direct and indirect client roster includes Sun Microsystems, Intel, Cisco, IBM, Microsoft, and other technology leaders.

The phrase "Zzomg!" (spelled various ways) is a textual emoticon used in MMORPGs and virtual world environments, conjoining the particle 'Zz' (connoting sleep) with the acronym 'omg' ("Oh my God!"). "Zzomg!" thus describes a sudden transition from dozy distraction to extreme wakeful engagement -- shorthand for the effect we seek to produce in highly immersive environments.