Back in the Saddle

Last week I got back from vacation, and I am just now getting back into the flow. Thus, a new work blog.

This past Friday I attended a meeting in the IPS to work with Second Life, an online world similar to Sims or Worlds of Warcraft. However, instead of going on missions and killing stuff, the focus in SL is to create things and places and be involved in a virtual community. I am going to try to create an avatar this week and walk around the place to get the real feel.

What I find really facinating is that the origins for this type of alterative universe, or
"meta-verse", has firm roots in science fiction. In 1992, Neal Stephenson wrote a book called Snow Crash that provides a detailed account of just such a meta-verse, and coined the term "avatar" in the sense that it is now known. What science fiction dreams up, scientists create. I love it.

While I find it quite reputable that OCLS is involved in such a new technology, I don't see it being useful for a few years yet. The technology required to run this program sucessfully and the time and effort needed to be a viable part of such a community is significant, and out of reach for most people. What I like about the library is that it welcomes and is accessible to all people, regardless of background or means. At this time, SL users are a small, forward thinking group. Perhaps in time this will change.