SL is the Metaverse

<Insert Rants Below This Line>

I wish Neal Stephenson would weigh in on this, because I think it would be funny.

"Look, the Metaverse was just something I made of for a story. Please, go see John Edwards, have him summon Douglas Adams, and pester him about 42 again. The Metaverse isn't real."

In all honestly, Second Life is the Plexor, so beware. The worm will inact physical violence against you.

** deleted **

metaverse = world. both terms are meaningless. the lindens use them because they're trying desperately to put off having this technology pigeonholed as a "learning tool" or "game" or "protocol" or "chat program" or "development platform" or "money exchange..."

the longer they can promote a nebulous concept of what the "world" is, the longer they will hold our accounts. eventually "worlds" will appear that will focus on, and cater to, educators, gamers, socializers, programmers or business professionals. second life will hopefully have enough people left to continue growing in an area that has been forced on them by the majority of people who stuck around.

is that better than promoting their own direction? i don't know. i've never built a virtual "world."

Using nebulous terms like "Metaverse" is just the system of the world, and used to heap confusion on players so, so like alchemists of old, corporations can sell us quicksilver as cure all.

Hank's just trying to rile me up, talking about the game like this!

*Huggs* Cienna!

SL is a business not only for its employees but for at least part of its customers. (no not me).

Catherine

I would just like to say: "If you dont know what the metaverse is... you are not allowed to post to this thread. Knowing what you are talking about is a requirement before talking, thank you."

SL, if not itself the embryonic form of the "metaverse", is definitely a harbringer of the future of the internet and information exchange in general. If you think SL is a "really complicated chat room" or "simply an economic and business related game" Im laughing at you right now... no seriously I am. Because youre watching the birth of or at very least the dawn of something that is going to alter the internet as you know it, and because of your narrow focus you dont even see it. Oh well... story of the world.

Isn't that what they said about the birth of the internet too? Now who's laughing? Me

It's all good. Hugz Cath

edit added* The birth of the internet was a free exchange of information until some ass decided he/she could exploit it for $$, green backs, the all mighty buck. Reguardless of what you think this "metaverse" maybe the simple fact of the matter is those that can exploit it, ALREADY ARE.

IMO.

Cath

Hmm, I don't think SL is the Metaverse... or ever will be... not in the most literal sense of the statement.

The world depicted in Snow Crash (both real and Metaverse) was so comercialized and not really the safest or greatest place you'd want to be at all times, kinda like our real one, but +10%... however... it also mixed in some great technologies that you wish we had, so Stephenson kinda created (for me atleast) a kind of possible truthfull future, no real flying cars, but suped up technology, but you also get everything including the government and mafia franchised.

This same principle spread to the Metaverse, with ads, and comercializm ever so present.

There are some things about the Metaverse that may not be as good with SL, the death for example, log off and temp ban, the no-avatar-flying (he never addressed this in Snow Crash, but it seemed you needed a plane or something), the phantoming of avatars (may actualy be a good idea for high congested avatar areas, make everyone phantom, less colide math, hmm... would kinda suck but may help).

While SL and the Metaverse have alot of simularities and both seem to have the same goal in mind (basicly an internet in 3D form + real world things added in), I don't believe SL *is* the Metaverse, if it was, it might not be as fun.

You may argue, "well if they are pretty much the same, then they could just be called the same thing", which could be true, but then you have to include There as the Metaverse also and use Metaverse like the term Operating System, there are several things that fall under what an OS is, but they aren't all the same thing or work the same way, but they aim for the same goal.

While it wouldn't really bother me to use Metaverse in this way (as a generalization for a catagory of things, such as MMORPG, MUD, Metaverse) I don't think its respectfull to the idea of what it was or to Stephenson and Snow Crash.

The catagory of OSs is not named after the first ever OS. So I really don't think the catagory of virtual enviornments should be named Metaverses.

So in short, while SL is close to the Metaverse in many ways, it is not the Metaverse completely, and probly shouldn't ever be.

"While SL and the Metaverse have alot of simularities and both seem to have the same goal in mind (basicly an internet in 3D form + real world things added in), I don't believe SL *is* the Metaverse, if it was, it might not be as fun. "

www.3d

just like i said months ago.

I agree with much of what Oz states above.

Cath

i think, as far as this issue is concerned, SL could be considered the/a: Betaverse

a point where a real Metaverse may be traced back to years in the future. supposing the Metaverse becomes a reality someday, i would bet that there will be an essay or two thattraces it back to its' roots.. those roots will include SL as one of the places 'where it all started'.

Welcome to Second Life. Welcome to The Betaverse.

errr yes it is what they said.... and the internet did revolutionize the world... wait, are you agreeing with me or?



again I say errrr. Newsflash... "exploiting things for money is not a new pheonmenon." and actually its exactly the way the metaverse formed...



right.

basically it's this... is SL LITERALLY the metaverse? well duh....

Is SL a sign that something very SIMILAR although not LITERALLY "the metaverse" (considering the metaverse is a work of fiction and thus can never be literal see the definitions for: literal, fact, fiction metaphor simile and similarity for clarification on this)
is starting to form or possibly even the foundation where it IS forming? yes.
Is it stupid to ignore that fact? yes, probably.

Re: as i've mentioned elsewhere...

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Catherine Cotton
Isn't that what they said about the birth of the internet too? Now who's laughing? Me
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[/quote]


In some respects yes, and in some no. SL is a new begining yes. Is it the original begining, no. Not as such that I believe you feel it is; Metaverse, begining.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Catherine Cotton edit added* The birth of the internet was a free exchange of information until some ass decided he/she could exploit it for $$, green backs, the all mighty buck. Reguardless of what you think this "metaverse" maybe the simple fact of the matter is those that can exploit it, ALREADY ARE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



First of all I don't appreciate your condesending tone with me, please work on your attitude.

So what I hear you saying is in order to create this "metaverse" first we must all work together to exploit the money within SL. Well that does not appeal to me what so ever. Is that what your implying we all do or not?

Cath