SXSW Interactive attendees are deep internet users. The web and mobile internet permeates their relationships, their professional histories, the story of how they found friends, found a reason to move to another city, or found something to do with all their twitchy energy.

How do you demonstrate your mastery of the web? How do you show people the far corners of your favorite internets? Can you demonstrate your talent for finding important/useful/so-hot-right-now sites before your familiars?

We wanted to fashion a game to allow just such a thing: a game that rewards smart web surfing, a game about skillfully wielding a web browser. The game is called PMOG: the Passively Multiplayer Online Game.

We call it passive, because unlike other rich, deep, social online games, PMOG can be played without playing. Install a Firefox extension and you will already be getting ahead in life. Earn points, leave traps or treasure across the web. Or just ignore the game after you install it, and let someone else online surprise you on your favorite online haunts.

A picture of the PMOG Toolbar installed in Firefox - to the left, my progress bar in the game of the web, and buttons representing my tools for making web mayhem or kindness on the right

We think this kind of passive play is a recipe for a good time. We also think we have a lot to learn from the smart folks at SXSW. If you want a chance to play before SXSW starts, and you haven’t gotten a PMOG beta invitation, please email justin at gamelayers d0t com, or call 888-840-PMOG (888-840-7664) and leave me a message with your email address spelled out, mention SXSW and I’ll invite you before the show.

Then come join our PMOG: The Web as a Play Field discussion on Monday, March 10th, 2-3pm, Room 8. We look forward to playing the web with you!