Re: Worlds Chat
Andy Norris ([email protected])
Thu, 04 May 1995 20:41:43 -0400
At 04:52 PM 5/3/95 +0800, Kris Kontos wrote:
>
>> From [email protected] Wed May 3 16:17 PDT 1995
>> From: Eric Olinger <[email protected]>
>> To: "'[email protected]'" <[email protected]>
>> Subject: Worlds Chat
>> Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 12:19:10 -0700
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>>
>> While this isn't directly related to VRML, some of you might be
interested in taking a look at Worlds Chat, a 3D chat environment, including
Avatars. The software requires Windows and is large (3 mb I think) but it
>> provides a 3D space station which you can explore and chat with others.
Worlds Inc. (formerly KA Worlds) is
>> a development partner of ours but I am not working with them on this
specific project so you will have to address any questions to their mailing
lists.
>>
>> The URL for Worlds Inc. is http://www.kaworlds.com
>>
>> PS: VRML is not being used by Worlds in THIS project, in the future
however???
>> --Eric
>>
>> Eric Olinger
>> President
>> Tenet Networks
>> (619) 736-8473
>> FAX: 736-4572
>> [email protected]
>> ftp://ftp.cts.com/pub/eolinger/tenet.html
>>
>> "Someday, someone will quote ME in their .sig file!" -- Anon
>>
>Having gone for a quick browse of http://www.kaworlds.com, they claim it
>to be the world's first Social Computing Application. NOTHING could be
>further from the truth. For those following the Snow Crash thread,
>the concept of avatars in the novel came directly from a program
>originally written for the C-64 called "Habitat". Apparently this
>software made a quick migration to a Japanese network where it has
>been running for years now. More typical marketing hype...
Actually, according to the acknowledgements in my copy of Snow Crash:
"The words 'avatar' (in the sense I used here) and 'Metaverse' are
my inventions, which I came up with when I decided that existing words
(such as 'virtual reality') were simply too awkward to use."
...
"Finally, after the first publication of _Snow Crash_ I learned that
the term 'avatar' has actually been in use for a number of years as
part of a virtual reality system called Habitat, developed by F.
Randall Farmer and Chip Morningstar. ... In addition to avatars,
Habitat includes many of the basic features of the MEtaverse as
described in the book."
>I also recall reading that one of the major consumer service providers
>(possibly CompuServe) was going to start using something called
>CyberWorld (done by I believe SONY) which will also be a 3D world
>where subscribers can interact via "cartoonish" avatars. If I can
>dig up the references to various pointers on this information, I'll
>send them to this alias.
It's called WorldsAway, and you can get info (and a demo for PC or
Mac) at http://www.worldsaway.com. It's a pretty cool concept, and
due in July from CIS and Fujitsu.
--Andy