Neowin.net

We covered this along time ago; There.com is something a bit alike the sims, but based online. They have just sent out beta nomination emails; however, you can still sign up below ( at their site). Thanks to DJ Mulefire for the info!

"Congratulations! You are invited to join the There Beta Test! Sign in this week and you will become an official member of the "Class of Crete"! You and your fellow class members will be getting to know your way around There together. There will also be hosting class reunions and other fun events just for you and your classmates, so be sure and remember your class name. "

Press read more for the rest of the email, and further information.

View: What is There.com?
View: Beta Sign-up

WHAT ARE WE TESTING?

This Beta Test is a bit unusual. Instead of asking you to find bugs, we'd like
you to try and make your own fun. What does that mean? There has many different
things for you to do. There are no monsters to slay, but there are new people to
meet, games to play, and places to explore. There is "simply" a place to hang
out online and have fun with friends. Like the real world, you get to choose
what you want to do, and who you do it with.

If you're expecting a traditional MMPORPG, or a 3-D chat room, There is a little
different (you be the judge). The best way to get started in There is to click
on "What's Happening Now" when you arrive in There for a guide to the fun
activities that are going on. Or jump on a hoverboard and explore the world at
high speed. Pretty soon, you'll find people you like, probably join a club, and
figure out how to make your own fun!

In addition to having fun, we hope you'll help us tune the economy, since it's a
core part of There. Unlike most games, where "money" and "jobs" are purely
pretend, the money in There is based on the U.S. dollar. We are experimenting
with a new business model. Instead of asking you to pay a lot up-front for a
game you may not like, and then a monthly subscription fee for something you
don't play that often, we are taking a different approach: pay for what you
like. And don't forget, when you arrive, you will receive 10,000 Therebucks
(which is worth $5.60 U.S.) in your Therebucks account.

You are free to use that money to buy anything you want--clothes, a cool jet
pack, a pet dog, etc. You can buy from the online catalog, or in-world shops, or
via auctions. When and if you run out of money, you have four choices. You can
return items for a partial refund (think of it as renting something to try it
out), you can buy more Therebucks with a credit card, you can set up an event
and sell tickets, or you can simply continue to enjoy There without spending a
penny. It's that simple.

We know it's unusual to see if people will pay to play a game during Public
Beta. If that bothers you, then don't spend any money. That's okay. If you do
invest in Therebucks, know that we stand behind our 100% guarantee--we will not
be "wiping" the servers at the end of the test. We have been selling Therebucks
in Beta Tests since October 2001, and are proud of the fact that we have always
preserved testers' investments in There.

One more note about the economy. Just like the real world, some people try to
take advantage of others by swindling people out of Therebucks. Please be on
the look-out. If you suspect that someone is acting dishonorably, please report
him/her immediately so we can take strong action. The good news is that these
swindlers represent a very small percentage of our membership.

Finally, There isn't finished; we are still in Beta. So when you run into
ANYTHING that doesn't work, please let us know by calling toll-free at
1-866-4U-THERE (1-866-488-4373). The only way we will finish There is to find
out what's not working (or isn't fun, which is the same thing to us!).

Read on to get started!

DOWNLOAD AND INSTALLATION

Just follow these easy steps and you'll be ready to log in to There:

1. Click here to access the download page:
***********************************************

2. Sign in to the download page using the same email address you used to sign up
for the Beta Test. This is very important.

3. Click on the "Download Now" button to download the There installer to your
computer. Please download on the computer you will use to access There. This
should take approximately 20 minutes with a typical broadband connection.

4. You can save the There installer anywhere on your computer, although we
suggest you save it to your desktop so it's easy to find.

5. Run the There installer. When the installer download is complete,
double-click the "Install There" icon to begin the setup process.The setup
process should take approximately 20 minutes.

6. When the setup process is complete, you will be prompted to click "Continue"
to register for There, and to create your avatar. Please note: You should only
click "Continue" if the current time is between Wednesday and Sunday, 5 p.m. to
11 p.m. PST. These are our hours of operation during the Beta Test. If you run
the installer outside of these hours, you will not be able to register. Please
return during our hours of operation, and click this link to register:
**********************************************

7. After registering, select your activity (Hang out, Play, Explore, etc.) and
have fun in There!