You know, I would use these services if the whole virtual world part was optional.
For example, every day I chat in a chatroom which was written from the ground up by some of my friends, just to get round blocks on javascript and all the other things that didn't make it through firewalls. One client is entirely html, another is html with all kinds of js gubbins to make it look nicer and have extra functionality. But there is a version that runs via some ssh terminal which I have never tried out.
What I want is a virtual world type place that I can also view as a text file. If I want a 3d view, I'll use that client, but if I just want to chat with people in the room I can just use jabber. They'll see other people using the 3d client as avatars, but they'll see me as maybe a speaker phone. Also a 2d gui on a phone would work, and the 3d client people would see me as a 2d ghost. And if a youtube is played, the 3d people see if projected onto a wall, the 2d people see it as window that pops up, and the text people see a link to the youtube page.
It is all about the information exchange. Prettiness is nice, but if it ever gets in the way of information it will only hurt you. Sometimes it is best for some people to turn off the prettiness entirely... but why should that mean they can't join in with the community? That is one of the things I found really dumb about the metaverse in Snow Crash. It was all about the prettiness. Why should Hiro have to use a hack to see where people are in a club before he can talk to them? No, just let him open a chat window with whoever he wants.
Why should Hiro have to use a hack to see where people are in a club before he can talk to them?
Didn't Hiro only use the hack specifically because their avatars were boxed into "private rooms" in the club - Areas where the code wouldn't allow his avatar?And I was wrong.
I like your idea, but goddamn, that'd take some processing muscle, to juggle all that data. Still, being able to throw Youtube videos onto the wall of a chat room would be awesome.
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For example, every day I chat in a chatroom which was written from the ground up by some of my friends, just to get round blocks on javascript and all the other things that didn't make it through firewalls. One client is entirely html, another is html with all kinds of js gubbins to make it look nicer and have extra functionality. But there is a version that runs via some ssh terminal which I have never tried out.
What I want is a virtual world type place that I can also view as a text file. If I want a 3d view, I'll use that client, but if I just want to chat with people in the room I can just use jabber. They'll see other people using the 3d client as avatars, but they'll see me as maybe a speaker phone. Also a 2d gui on a phone would work, and the 3d client people would see me as a 2d ghost. And if a youtube is played, the 3d people see if projected onto a wall, the 2d people see it as window that pops up, and the text people see a link to the youtube page.
It is all about the information exchange. Prettiness is nice, but if it ever gets in the way of information it will only hurt you. Sometimes it is best for some people to turn off the prettiness entirely... but why should that mean they can't join in with the community? That is one of the things I found really dumb about the metaverse in Snow Crash. It was all about the prettiness. Why should Hiro have to use a hack to see where people are in a club before he can talk to them? No, just let him open a chat window with whoever he wants.
I like your idea, but goddamn, that'd take some processing muscle, to juggle all that data. Still, being able to throw Youtube videos onto the wall of a chat room would be awesome.
</shamelessplug> (I did build much of the thing)
edit: (I did all the art for Mesa.)
EDIT: so apparently this isn't actually lively, but a clone of sorts...
So apparently they reverse engineered lively from scratch. Thats pretty cool, but you can definitely see where it needs work.