Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

CyberTown

CyberTown was launched on , 1995, as a text-based online and acquired by Blaxxun Interactive in 1996, which developed its three-dimensional () environments initially known as Colony City. It combined text-based and environments to enable social interactions, virtual home ownership, and a powered by in-world currency called CityCash. At its peak in the early , the platform attracted over 1 million registered users, with 350 to 500 individuals online simultaneously, fostering a vibrant sense of digital citizenship through customizable avatars, job simulations, and community events. The service experienced a decline following the introduction of a subscription fee in 2003, which reduced accessibility, and ultimately shut down in 2012 due to technological obsolescence and waning interest amid the rise of more advanced virtual platforms. Despite its closure, Cybertown left a lasting legacy as one of the web's first fully realized digital cities, influencing subsequent virtual worlds by demonstrating the potential for persistent online social spaces. In 2019, a grassroots revival project known as Cybertown Revival (CTR) was initiated by former user Lord Rayken, who rallied a community via Discord that grew to over 300 members, including a core team of five developers and additional contributors focused on reconstruction. Technically, the revival leverages original VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) files rendered through modern JavaScript engines, replacing the outdated Blaxxun Contact plugin, though features like the original chat system and economy remain under development from scratch. As of April 2024, the project launched officially online with desktop and mobile access, welcoming users to an accessible version of the platform; by 2025, it supports active community interactions including elections and virtual news publications, with ongoing efforts to restore elements such as house customization and multiplayer interactions.

Overview

Core Features

CyberTown provided users with a blend of text-based and immersive graphical interactions, enabling in a urban environment. The platform featured 2D chat rooms for straightforward text conversations, accessible via Java applets in web browsers, which allowed quick interactions without additional software. These rooms supported features like whispering and private messaging, facilitating casual or targeted discussions among participants. In parallel, CyberTown offered environments built using , which enabled users to navigate immersive spaces through web browsers with the Blaxxun Contact plug-in. These low-polygon worlds depicted a virtual city with navigable areas, where users could explore in real-time and interact spatially. Voice chat options were also available in mode for those with sound cards, enhancing the sense of presence. Central to the user experience was avatar creation and customization, where individuals selected 3D graphical representations of themselves, including human figures or whimsical objects like animated trees. Customization extended to clothing, accessories, and animations via tools like the Blaxxun Avatar Studio, allowing personal expression during navigation and social encounters. Users could import custom avatars to further personalize their digital identity. Virtual homes formed a key personalization element, consisting of customizable apartments or houses that users could own, decorate with furniture and objects, and invite others to visit. These spaces served as private rooms and boards, organized by , neighborhood, block, and house addresses for easy location. included adding virtual pets, creating intimate venues within the broader city. Social hubs anchored community activities, including the central Cybertown Plaza for general gatherings, nightclubs like the 3D Black Sun Club for events and dancing, shopping malls for browsing, cafes, water parks, and movie theaters. These areas encouraged group interactions, club formations, and public events, fostering a sense of virtual urban life. Membership tiers structured access and privileges, progressing from visitors with limited exploration rights to members who could build and own homes. Citizens, numbering around 409,000 at peak, gained full participation in colonies themed around , , sci-fi, and virtual worlds, including and job opportunities. Higher tiers like mayors handled tasks such as council decisions and home moderation, while elders represented the most experienced stratum with enhanced community roles.

Technological Foundation

CyberTown's technological foundation relied heavily on Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), a standard for creating interactive 3D vector graphics optimized for web-based environments, which enabled the modeling and navigation of virtual spaces. Developed and popularized through tools from Blaxxun Interactive, VRML allowed users to explore persistent 3D worlds via browser plugins, supporting features like object manipulation and spatial movement within bandwidth-constrained networks. The platform integrated 2D HTML-based chat interfaces with 3D VRML plugins to create hybrid environments, where users could switch seamlessly between text-only discussions in standard web pages and immersive 3D interactions. This approach leveraged for lightweight, accessible entry points while the 3D layer added visual depth through plugin-based rendering, accommodating the era's limited computing resources. Server infrastructure was built on Blaxxun's multi-user server technology, which handled synchronization of user positions and interactions across distributed clients, supporting up to thousands of concurrent users globally despite 1990s dial-up connections typically limited to 28.8–56 kbps. These servers optimized data transmission by prioritizing low-bandwidth updates, such as avatar coordinates and text, to minimize on analog phone lines and ensure stable sessions for multi-user navigation. Central to the system was Blaxxun Contact, the primary client software for and community management, which acted as a browser plugin to load worlds, manage avatars, and facilitate proximity-based chats within virtual spaces. This tool integrated directly with the web ecosystem, allowing users to enter CyberTown via standard while handling the computational demands of on period hardware.

History

Founding and Early Years

CyberTown was founded on April 19, 1995, by individuals known as and SFX (their names), who established it under the initial branding of a pioneering online . The platform launched that year primarily as a 2D chat-based environment with early experiments in 3D elements, emphasizing text interactions among users in a nascent digital social space. In its formative period from 1995 to 1996, developers focused on building core chat rooms and rudimentary systems, enabling participants to create basic personalized representations and engage in conversations within structured areas. These features laid the groundwork for , drawing early adopters interested in collaborative online experiences amid the expanding landscape of the mid-1990s. This growth reflected the platform's appeal as an accessible entry point into virtual socialization; as of 1998, CyberTown received over 14 million hits per month. Parallel to these developments, in 1996, the Colony City project was initiated as an experimental extension sponsored by Blaxxun Interactive, employing early VRML prototypes to develop immersive environments and multi-user navigation capabilities. This initiative served as a showcase for advanced technologies while complementing CyberTown's established framework. (Note: Some sources retrospectively refer to the 3D aspects as formerly Colony City.)

Expansion and Merger

Following the acquisition of CyberTown by Blaxxun Interactive in November 1998, the company integrated it with its ongoing Colony City project, culminating in a full merger by mid-1999 that unified the communities under a rebranded . This consolidation dramatically expanded the user base from initial participants to several thousand active users, leveraging Blaxxun's technology to create a more cohesive . By 2001, CyberTown had achieved a peak of nearly 500,000 registered members, supported by daily active users in the thousands—typically 350 to 500 online at peak times—reflecting rapid driven by the merger's enhanced features and community integration. The merger enabled the introduction of advanced worlds, expanding beyond basic chat spaces to include themed districts such as for urban social hubs and Suburbia for residential-style explorations, which allowed users to navigate customizable, immersive environments with greater interactivity. In 2000, CyberTown marked significant milestones with its first large-scale virtual festivals, including music concerts and dance parties that drew hundreds of simultaneous participants, alongside the establishment of dedicated clubs that fostered ongoing narrative-driven interactions. To fuel this expansion, Blaxxun pursued aggressive marketing efforts, such as partnerships with tech magazines like for featured articles and early web-based advertisements targeting internet-savvy audiences.

Acquisition, Peak, and Shutdown

In 2002, Blaxxun Interactive sold CyberTown to Integrated Virtual Networks (IVN), a move intended to sustain the platform's operations amid shifting market dynamics, though development under the new ownership focused primarily on maintenance and minor updates rather than major innovations. IVN introduced a monthly subscription fee starting in 2003 to support ongoing costs, marking a shift from the earlier free-access model. CyberTown reached its operational peak in the early , with over 1 million registered users and typical concurrent activity of 350 to 500; activity stabilized somewhat through the mid- before further decline. The platform refined its through balanced citizen levels and property systems, while hosting regular community events that fostered engagement in its futuristic . This era represented a period of relative stability, with the VRML-based environment continuing to attract users interested in social interaction and world-building. However, CyberTown faced mounting challenges in the late 2000s, including declining interest as broadband internet became widespread, enabling competitors like —launched in —to offer more graphically advanced experiences that drew away users. Escalating maintenance costs for the aging infrastructure, combined with the impact of subscription fees on retention, further strained operations. In late 2011, IVN announced the platform's closure due to financial unviability, with servers shutting down permanently in February 2012. As the end neared, community members proactively archived data from their local installations, preserving files for avatars, objects, and custom builds, along with records of in-world interactions and events to document the platform's history.

Revival

Launch of Revival Project

The CyberTown Revival project was initiated in 2019 by former users of the original , including longtime community members who sought to restore the following its shutdown in 2012. Led by Lord Rayken, a veteran CyberTown resident, the effort began with outreach via online forums and the creation of a dedicated server to reconnect alumni and gather archived data, such as original files and documentation preserved from the Blaxxun Interactive era. The CyberTown Revival team formed shortly thereafter, comprising a core group of about five developers and additional technical contributors drawn from the original user base and Blaxxun-era enthusiasts. Key figures included project lead , who oversaw coordination, and lead coder , both with prior involvement in the platform's ; the team leveraged their collective knowledge of the legacy technology to guide the reconstruction. By 2020, the project had advanced through internal planning and development phases, with volunteers contributing hundreds of hours to recreate foundational elements using open standards. This culminated in the public pre-alpha launch on January 14, 2022, featuring a basic recreation of the central CyberTown Plaza accessible directly in modern web browsers without plugins. The primary goals of the revival were to faithfully restore VRML-based compatibility for importing original 3D assets and environments while modernizing the for HTML5 rendering and support, ensuring broader accessibility without compromising the nostalgic essence of the virtual experience. Initial funding for the project came entirely from community donations and voluntary contributions, reflecting its grassroots, non-commercial origins, with no subscription fees required for early access or participation.

Key Developments and Milestones

The Cybertown Revival project began gaining momentum in 2021 when founder Lord Rayken established a server to rally former users and enthusiasts, initially with just 5-6 members that grew to over 300 by the following year. In 2022, the team implemented using to process original files via , enabling browser-based access without outdated plugins like Blaxxun Contact. This technical foundation allowed the restoration of select districts, including the iconic Plaza, Bank of Cybertown, and jail, as part of the pre-alpha launch on January 14, 2022, which attracted around 200 early users. By 2023, the project reintroduced user accounts, preserving original usernames where possible, and added basic social features such as chat rooms and interactions powered by the X_Ite engine. In 2024, the revival hosted virtual festivals and events to foster engagement, alongside deeper integration with for real-time community coordination and announcements. These initiatives helped sustain momentum amid ongoing development. Key milestones in 2025 included the full relaunch of the Plaza in October, restoring it as the central hub for gatherings after years of partial . A major user gathering event was held on February 22 in the Plaza, aiming to recreate the bustling atmosphere of the original world and draw crowds from the growing user base. As of October 2025, the platform was reported as fully restored, including features such as a mayoral race to engage the community. The project's roadmap also outlined expanded home ownership features, allowing users to claim, customize, and decorate personal spaces as a core progression toward full platform maturity. Throughout the revival, developers faced challenges in securing legal clearances from original IP holders at Blaxxun Interactive, relying on community-driven efforts without full access to proprietary source code. Technical compatibility issues with modern devices and browsers required iterative updates to ensure seamless 3D performance, often addressed through volunteer contributions and open-source adaptations.

Economy and Society

Virtual Economy Mechanics

The virtual economy of CyberTown revolved around its proprietary currency, CityCash (CCs), which users earned primarily through participation in simulated in-world jobs such as or , introduced as part of the platform's core features following its launch. These roles simulated real-world , allowing citizens to engage in community activities that generated income within the . The job system enabled users to select positions, complete work shifts, and receive payments in CCs, with earnings varying by role and performance; higher-level positions offered increased compensation to reflect career progression. Users typically accumulated over time through consistent participation, which could then be managed via the in-world Town Bank or invested in the CyberTown for potential growth. CCs were spent on essential virtual goods and services, including the purchase or rental of customizable 3D homes—ranging from basic apartments to more elaborate structures—as well as furniture and avatar clothing available at shopping malls and flea markets. This spending system encouraged personalization of living spaces and avatars, fostering a sense of ownership and economic activity within the community. A key aspect of the economy involved , where citizens created and sold VRML-based objects, such as custom furniture or decorations, through dedicated markets, incentivizing innovation and content proliferation. Officially, CyberTown prohibited any real-money trading or conversion of to actual currency, maintaining a closed-loop system to ensure and focus on in-world interactions.

Community Structure and Interactions

Cybertown's community was organized around a hierarchical structure that encouraged participation and . users, known as citizens, formed the , with the ability to own and customize virtual homes across ten themed such as Sci-fi and . Higher roles included mayors, who oversaw community operations, liaised with the platform's founders, and held veto power over decisions, as well as city council members comprising colony leaders, a chief guide, security chief, and founder liaison, who managed strategic planning and proposed community laws. Promotions to these positions were achieved through community voting, fostering a sense of democratic involvement among residents. Additional specialized roles encompassed city guides for assisting newcomers with tours and troubleshooting, world builders for expanding virtual spaces, security officers as moderators, block deputies for local oversight, and neighborhood leaders for maintaining specific areas. User-formed groups enhanced social cohesion through clubs dedicated to hobbies like art, music, and , which provided private spaces, boards, and hosting capabilities. These clubs allowed members to connect over shared interests, creating subcommunities within the broader virtual city. While guilds were not formally designated, the club system functioned similarly, enabling organized group activities and collaborative projects. Interactions adhered to strict norms emphasizing real-life manners, with prohibitions against , offensive behavior, sexual content in public areas, and to maintain a environment. Moderators enforced these rules through oversight and intervention, supported by anti- policies that promoted respectful discourse in text-based chats, spaces like cafés and plazas, and interactions. In the early , cyber-ethnographer Nadezhda Kaneva noted Cybertown's dynamics. The user base was diverse and global, drawing participants from various backgrounds in a non-discriminatory open regardless of , , , or beliefs, with colonies and clubs enabling exchanges through themed events and collaborative builds. Blaxxun reported over one million residents, reflecting broad appeal, though peak activity often centered in and due to the platform's origins and accessibility. Conflict resolution relied on in-world mechanisms, including a virtual jail for rule violators, temporary bans for disruptions like virtual disturbances, and structured appeals to security officers or the city council. Users could also mitigate issues by ignoring offenders, refusing private messages, or retreating to private rooms, with escalated cases handled by higher moderators to uphold standards. The served as a final arbiter in deadlocks, ensuring orderly social dynamics.

Legacy

Cultural and Technological Impact

CyberTown represented a pioneering effort in the development of communities during the mid-1990s, serving as one of the earliest platforms to integrate immersive environments with persistent social interactions accessible via web browsers. Launched initially as Colony City in , it was initially free to access, distinguishing it from some text-based MUDs, though a subscription fee was introduced in 2003. This model encouraged long-term user engagement through customizable avatars, properties, and community governance, influencing subsequent concepts in social by demonstrating how spaces could foster identity exploration and collective world-building. The platform's cultural footprint extended to generating user-driven phenomena that captured the exuberance of 1990s experimentation, including informal memes derived from in-world antics and depicting avatars in everyday scenarios. These elements, often shared via early web forums and chains, reflected the era's blend of and creativity, with users organizing virtual events such as dance parties and concerts. Media outlets, such as The Verge, have retrospectively highlighted CyberTown's role in embodying the optimistic, community-centric spirit of pre-social-media online culture, where over 1 million registered users formed tight-knit groups around shared virtual experiences. Technologically, CyberTown advanced the adoption of by leveraging Blaxxun's multi-user server technology to create navigable worlds within standard web browsers, predating the widespread use of . This implementation not only popularized for shared virtual environments but also contributed to the evolution of web3D standards through the Web3D Consortium's work on protocols for interoperable content on the , with Blaxxun as a charter member. By hosting persistent, multi-user sessions with elements like virtual economies and architecture, it exemplified early efforts to bridge web navigation with immersive interaction, laying groundwork for browser-based virtuality. Academic analyses have examined CyberTown as a case study in digital identity formation and escapism. Cyber-ethnographer Nadezhda Kaneva's 2007 chapter, "Narrative Power in Online Game Worlds: The Story of Cybertown," published in The Players' Realm: Studies on the Culture of Video Games and Gaming, details how narrative structures within the platform enabled users to construct transnational communities unbound by geography. Kaneva's work highlights the site's role in fostering emergent social dynamics, such as role-playing and conflict resolution, which mirrored real-world societal patterns while offering avenues for identity experimentation. These studies underscore CyberTown's significance in early scholarship on virtual communities, emphasizing its contributions to understanding how online spaces facilitate escapism and collective storytelling in the pre-Web 2.0 era. The nostalgia surrounding CyberTown endures as an emblem of early history, with its archived content preserved in the Internet Archive's , allowing researchers and former users to revisit snapshots of the site's bustling virtual districts from the late . This preservation effort highlights the platform's lasting appeal, evoking memories of a time when worlds represented boundless digital frontiers, and has fueled retrospective discussions on the innocence of online socialization.

Influence on Modern Virtual Worlds

CyberTown is widely regarded as a precursor to , launched in 2003, due to its pioneering implementation of a and models in the mid-1990s. Users in CyberTown could earn CityCash through community jobs and spend it on , homes, and services, while also creating and selling objects in marketplaces, fostering a player-driven economy that echoed Second Life's Linden Dollar system and content creation tools. As one of the earliest hybrid 2D/3D social spaces, CyberTown's blend of rooms and immersive 3D environments influenced the of subsequent platforms, including block-based worlds like and blockchain-integrated metaverses like . Its emphasis on customizable avatars, social interactions across dimensional interfaces, and virtual property ownership prefigured 's user-built experiences and 's decentralized land parcels, contributing to the evolution of persistent online communities. The revival project, initiated in 2019 and reaching pre-alpha in 2022, exemplifies community-driven preservation efforts, where former users have collaborated to reconstruct the world using original assets and open standards. As of 2025, the platform remains active with ongoing community events and elections, highlighting the enduring value of archival spaces and encouraging broader movements to resurrect defunct online environments through volunteer coding and resource sharing. In the , CyberTown has been cited in discussions as a visionary platform that arrived "20 years too early," anticipating key elements of today's immersive social platforms amid renewed interest in virtual economies and persistent worlds. Furthermore, CyberTown's reliance on for 3D world-building helped popularize web-based 3D standards, laying foundational groundwork for modern technologies like , which enables browser-native virtual and experiences. By demonstrating practical applications of in social virtual spaces, it contributed to the Web3D Consortium's advancements toward and subsequent web graphics APIs.

References

  1. [1]
  2. [2]
    Cybertown | FAQ & Help
    If you are a member of Cybertown you can access 2D and 3D chat and message boards and have a virtual blast buying or trading objects and interacting with other ...
  3. [3]
    CYBERTOWN A REAL HOOT TILL YOU GET BOOT
    ### Cybertown Features Summary
  4. [4]
    VRML - Wikipedia
    VRML is a standard file format for representing 3-dimensional (3D) interactive vector graphics, designed particularly with the World Wide Web in mind. It ...Missing: server infrastructure 1990s
  5. [5]
    Sunset - Virtual Worlds Museum
    The cost was $5.00 per monthor $49.99 a year. Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CyberTown. Archived website: https://web.archive.org/web/20110708215339 ...
  6. [6]
    Three-Dimensional Space Is the Next Frontier for the Internet
    Oct 5, 2000 · Virtual Reality Modeling Language, or VRML (pronounced VUR-mel), was to be the 3-D equivalent of Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML, the ...
  7. [7]
    [PDF] 3-D Collaborative Multiuser Worlds for the Internet
    True 3D multi-user worlds based on VRML became publicly available in 1996 from many different sources including blaxxun interactive, Intel Corporation, and Sony ...Missing: CyberTown | Show results with:CyberTown
  8. [8]
    MASTER PROJECT TITLE
    CHAPTER 3. 3D COLLABORATION ON THE INTERNET. 3D, multi-user collaboration on the internet is currently enabled through five component technologies: 3D world ...
  9. [9]
    Blaxxun 3D | The leader in Real-Time 3D Communication (1998)
    Blaxxun Contact 4.0 is built with VRML (the Virtual Reality Modeling Language). VRML is open, and this means that you can build your own world and avatar ...
  10. [10]
    Colony City - 06/08/98 - Sandy Ressler
    Jun 8, 1998 · Colony City is a new VRML-based, 3D multi-user community, a 3DVR extension of Cybertown, and a joint venture between Cybertown and blaxxun.
  11. [11]
    Visit Cybertown
    You can join Cybertown for a 30-day free trial. No commitment :) After this period, it will cost 5$ a month if you decide to stay :) The only places where you ...
  12. [12]
    Flashback: Larry Rosenthal talks 3D and VR Projects in the 1990s
    Apr 17, 2015 · It was founded by two guys out of LA (Hawk and SFX were their AV names) who also were very important in starting the LAVRMLSIG of which I ...
  13. [13]
    Community and Consumption: The Transformation of Social Space ...
    Individuals visit ActiveWorlds, Cybertown, and Habbo Hotel to play and to meet others. All are advertised as community projects that enable participants to ...
  14. [14]
    IF YOU BUILD A CYBERTOWN, THEY WILL CERTAINLY COME ...
    IF YOU BUILD A CYBERTOWN, THEY WILL CERTAINLY ... The company boasts 1.8 million members and reports it is the fastest growing Top-10 site among users connecting ...
  15. [15]
    Virtual World History: Part I - Matthew Scott Jones
    Apr 24, 2022 · Virtual world communities have existed for decades, including vibrant economies, self governance, law & order, religion, and even virtual wedding ceremonies.
  16. [16]
    BLAXXUN ACQUIRES CYBERTOWN, PLANS PORTAL TO THE ...
    Nov 9, 1998 · The plan is to integrate Cybertown with blaxxun's Colony City to create the largest 3D community on the web. Displaying a taste for ...Missing: history merger 1999
  17. [17]
    Cybertown archive - charlottebezy
    Colony City made use of the VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language), a standard for displaying 3D content, including virtual worlds and avatars, on the Web.
  18. [18]
    Cybertown - the revival - Virtual Worlds
    Cybertown (formerly called Colony City) was a popular virtual community in the late 90s, with nearly 500,000 members. It's offered to join a futuristic world ...
  19. [19]
    CYBERTOWN A REAL HOOT TILL YOU GET BOOT - Orlando Sentinel
    Jul 1, 2000 · More than 300,000 people have “immigrated” to Cybertown. Citizens here can find jobs, earn money, vote, run the government, attend classes, ...
  20. [20]
    How to join the Cybertown Revival Pre-Alpha - Reddit
    Jan 14, 2022 · Welcome to the official launch of the Cybertown Revival Pre-Alpha! Please visit the following link to Immigrate and Login!Missing: 2019 | Show results with:2019
  21. [21]
    r/Cybertown - Reddit
    Welcome to the official launch of the Cybertown Revival Pre-Alpha! Please visit the following link to Immigrate and Login!
  22. [22]
    Cybertown Revival - Facebook
    Cybertown is back online! Immigrate today at cybertownrevival.com and help rebuild the web's first digital city. Discord: https://discord.gg/ywGBeXP ...
  23. [23]
    The dream of the '90s is alive in Cybertown. | The Verge
    Oct 28, 2025 · The dream of the '90s is alive in Cybertown. A few years ago I wrote about a project to revive the early 3D virtual community Cybertown, and ...
  24. [24]
    Cybertown Revival created an event. - Facebook
    @followers! Come and join us on February 22nd, 2025 in Cybertown Revival Plaza as we're trying to fill the plaza again! It's been a long time since we did so, ...<|separator|>
  25. [25]
    [PDF] Living Space Under the Development of Metaverse
    Cybertown was a free (changed to pay per year in 2002), family friendly, online community. There were places. (chat rooms) available either through a 2D or ...
  26. [26]
    [PDF] brand avatar - National Academic Digital Library of Ethiopia
    jobs to earn CityCash and bank at the Town Bank or invest in the Cybertown Stock Exchange, participate in Cybertown's elaborate political system, and become ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  27. [27]
    Cybertown FAQs | jigi55 - WordPress.com
    The Mayor has veto power in times of deadlock over voting issues. b) THE CITY COUNCIL – Runs the strategic plans and proposes new ones to handle specific areas.
  28. [28]
    VRML And The Dream Of Bringing 3D To The World Wide Web
    Aug 7, 2025 · View of CyberTown's VRML-based Plaza and interface. With an internet-based virtual reality a highly topic concept, David Raggett from Hewlett ...Missing: architecture chat
  29. [29]
    The Keys to an Open, Interoperable Metaverse | Web3D Consortium
    May 25, 2022 · Destinations like CyberTown and Canal+ Virtual Paris grew, supporting real-time 3D interaction of thousands of users through avatars and chat.
  30. [30]
    Habitat for humanity: how a classic MMO got a second life | The Verge
    Apr 19, 2022 · “We do exhibits, we do preservation activities to preserve old systems, old code, and old games,” Alex Handy told The Verge via Zoom. But what's ...
  31. [31]
    None
    Nothing is retrieved...<|separator|>