Portals vs Links

ZB Lucas ([email protected])
Thu, 4 May 1995 15:39:49 -0700 (PDT)


Semantics being the key to any conversation, i agree we must define our
terms.

Link: any object that transports the user to another location. this is
analagous to an html link. this way you can create a space that has
buttons to press that will take you where ever, or doors to other
dimensions or possibly even audio cues (my wish list thing coming up
again). repeat; any object may contain a link.

Portal: i was thinking of a portal as any object that allowed the user to
look into another space. the cool part about the portal is that it is
described at the location that the portal leads to (thus making it
possible to change dynamically according to what is going on at the other
end). portals could be doorways or windows.

this way you are walking down the Street, and you see a store (a static
object registered to that location on the Street RC/C) you dont know
whether you are interested in entering that store so you look in the
window (read Portal) and see what is actually in the store. you see
something you want (the one of kind widget!) and decide to go in. open
the door (read Link) and enter (register yourself as a dynamic object
with the Store RC/C and simultaneously unreg with the Street RC/C).
Shopping and window shopping are allowed, voila!

jzbl