From: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu (Bob Jacobson)
Subject: Re: Japanese Symposium on Artificial Reality, 9-10 July 1991, Tokyo
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 1991 05:59:31 GMT
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle




In article <1991Jun21.055051.28165@milton.u.washington.edu> dtj@sumac.cray.
com (Dean Johnson) writes [incorporating my earlier posting, in part]:

>|>         I am sure the domestic VR community would welcome Cray taking a
>|> lead in bringing the North American community together.
>
>I seriously doubt that this a possibility while "Sensory Modalities" and
>other such trivia is all the rage, and nuts-and-bolts discussions like
>"what are the hardware requirements?" are shunted to mailing lists (Hi Alan!).
>If it weren't for the powerglove being so enigmatic, there would be no
>"reality" flowing into this newsgroup, IMHO. Sorry to be so pragmatic.
>
> 
>        Dean Johnson
>        Software Berserker/Rabid-Prototyping Specialist
>        Tools, Libraries, and Commands Group
>        Cray Research Inc.        Eagan,MN      (612) 683-5880
>

Interestingly, it's Fujitsu and Hitachi, names no doubt familiar to many
in the supercomputer business, who are catalyzing the Japanese VR movement.

Just to get one thing straight, no one is "shunting the nuts-and-bolts
discussions to mailing lists."  The person setting up a mailing list
is doing it of his own accord, to achieve a more intensive discussion
on PowerGloves.  So far as I can read the popular mood through Roll
Call etc., many people agree with the mailing-list host that the Power-
Glove is an item of limited interest that merits a more restricted treatment.

As to why "sensory modalities" are trivia, or why Cray won't emulate its
overseas counterparts, I'm afraid I don't understand the response.

But a moderator has to be reasonably discreet, so I'll bow out and let
the Group Mind work its will.

Bob Jacobson
Moderator