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<p>I have been hearing a spike in the use of the term "Metaverse" in
popular media. This article is the first I've read that seemed
to have a broad grasp of the phenomena and it's implications.
Many here are "veterans" of some facet of this experience, so I am
curious what your experiences/thoughts/opinions might be:<br>
</p>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://venturebeat.com/2021/08/15/the-metaverse-will-not-look-the-way-facebook-imagines-it/">https://venturebeat.com/2021/08/15/the-metaverse-will-not-look-the-way-facebook-imagines-it/</a></p>
<p>This concluding aspiration in the article was refreshing albeit
likely to be lost in the 'noise' of egos struggling for money,
attention, control, power:<br>
</p>
<blockquote>
<p><i>We want technology in service of humanity. Privacy as a
virtue. Amplification not emulation. Presence not escapism.
And authenticity over influence.</i></p>
</blockquote>
<p>I was "there" when "cyberspace" (1982) and "metaverse" were
coined (in the sense that I was reading the fiction they came from
(Gibson, Stephenson, et al) and followed the ensuing discussions
in many venues (including the closest things to an extant
cyberspace/metaverse at the time, being UUNET and various BBSs).
These concepts inspired (but not necessarily constrained) my own
engagement in online/virtual presence/experiences up to and
including my participation with this mail list. I could list of
dozens of "phases" in the development/emergence of this
technology-mediated-shared-metaphorical-reality as well as many
more 'islands' of same (e.g. the WELL, USENET, AOL, YAHOO,
MySpace, FaceBook, etc.) that were really archipelagos which have
merged somewhat seamlessly into proto-continents, though the
GoogleVerse and the AppleVerse and the FaceBookVerse have had some
tectonic-like collisions along the way.</p>
<p>I prefer to ground MY apprehension of all this in the older, less
technological precursors as referenced in the work of folks like
Joseph Campbell ( <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Myth">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Myth</a>
) and Teilhard de Chardin ( <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noosphere">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noosphere</a>
). <br>
</p>
<p>As a fan/practitioner in VR/AR, I am jazzed (and alarmed) by the
rate of development (and adoption) of full-sensorium
virtual/augmented/mixed reality technology. I use a $300 Oculus2
headset these days which exceeds the $25K FakeSpace Wide5 of 25
years ago in virtually all respects. SGs work with
Ambient/Surface computing as exemplified in his SimTable product
is a very early example of what will surely emerge in the next few
years (months?) with all the hype-energy behind it.</p>
<p>The widespread use of video chat meetings (e.g. Skype/Zoom/etc)
expanded by the shut-in of COVID has really familiarized many with
the higher-bandwidth/fidelity/sensorial possibilities of virtual
collaboration. I don't indulge often or much in vFriAM but it
seems to have worked well for the hardcore attendees for well over
a year now. I don't expect to see many/any of you/us appear in
spatial.io or vrchat rooms anytime soon, but one never knows...</p>
<p>- Steve<br>
</p>
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