Panfu
Encyclopedia
Panfu is a virtual world for kids aged between 6 and 13. After the free registration each player can create their own panda
. With this avatar the players can chat
with each other, play games
, learn in a playful atmosphere and complete quest
s in the different places of the island Panfu.
which is a room they can decorate themselves.
Panda
Panda or Panda bear most often refers to:*Giant panda, an animal in the Bear familyPanda may also refer to:*Red panda, the only living member in the Ailuridae family-In biology:* Species related to the Giant panda...
. With this avatar the players can chat
Online chat
Online chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet, that offers an instantaneous transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver, hence the delay for visual access to the sent message shall not hamper the flow of communications in any of the directions...
with each other, play games
Computer Games
"Computer Games" is a single by New Zealand group, Mi-Sex released in 1979 in Australia and New Zealand and in 1981 throughout Europe. It was the single that launched the band, and was hugely popular, particularly in Australia and New Zealand...
, learn in a playful atmosphere and complete quest
Quest
In mythology and literature, a quest, a journey towards a goal, serves as a plot device and as a symbol. Quests appear in the folklore of every nation and also figure prominently in non-national cultures. In literature, the objects of quests require great exertion on the part of the hero, and...
s in the different places of the island Panfu.
History
The two founders of Young Internet, Kay Kühne and Moritz Hohl, started Panfu in December 2007. Panfu is an artificial term composed of the words "panda" and the Chinese word for happiness, “fu“. In June 2009 the website had 10 million users worldwide and became the biggest children's virtual world in Europe. In the meantime, according to the owners, the amount of users has grown to 15 million and the service has been translated to 12 languages.Security in Panfu
According to the developers, security is the biggest priority in Panfu. A word filter prevents verbal attacks and warns the players when they aren’t following the rules. At the same time the chat is internationally moderated by adults who watch over the chat, proof-read every word and can ban players who aggravate others. With a high-security chat the players can pick pre-written messages. Besides verbal aggravation, asking for or giving private information is also forbidden. Users cannot say the names of other games such as Club Penguin, drawing a lot of criticism.The world
The player can go to different parts of the island of Panfu: the city, harbor, volcano, jungle etc. Hidden all over are minigames which children can play alone or with others. The players can communicate and help each other in the quests through the moderated chat. Players obtain "panda coins" from the minigames with which the members can buy items and clothes. Every avatar has a tree houseTree house
Tree houses, treehouses, or tree forts, are platforms or buildings constructed around, next to or among the trunk or branches of one or more mature trees while above ground level...
which is a room they can decorate themselves.