Re: storing visiblity info. in VRML (fwd)

Kevin Goldsmith (unitcirc@netcom.com)
Thu, 7 Sep 1995 15:14:30 -0700 (PDT)

Sure, I'm not advocating that you have to "walk" everywhere. But what
I'm saying is that it is useful to not be able to teleport instantly so
that you have to "meet your neighbors." It's useful for establishing
community. To have an attachment to your location. Of course, this
assumes a logical organization scheme to cyberspace, which I oppose.
Well, I can just contradict myself everywhere.

Also, I don't think that having a "ground" is necessary everywhere, but
if there is unique way to move around every different space, it will take
people forever to learn how to explore your space. A ground plane is
useful because it provides visual cues that humans are used to. People
are (and always will be) familiar with moving in a 2D space. Allowing
them to move arbitrarily allows brand new freedoms at the cost of the
frustration at learning the new paradigm.

Kevin

> This is my problem with the metaverse conceptualized in Snow Crash- it
> constricts us to an already known paradigm- this reality (TR) The really
> wonderful aspect of VR is that it can trancend some of these paradigms
> (driving down streets with addresses, using trolleys, motorcycles, etc) Why
> should I be forced to drive through a virtual housing development or
> comercial strip? Why couldn't I be able to teleport wherever I wanted? And
> why do I have to be forced into a ground plane and horizon line? It is my
> fear that the more people conceptualize the metaverse as an extension of TR,
> the more it will be corrupted by TR. Let go of the ground and the concept of
> real estate- VR is limitless. Unreal estate is a better description.
> +=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=+
> ---------->looking towards the future
>
> in the reflection of the past<----------
>
> sm3_14
>
>