From: smoliar@maclane.iss.nus.sg (stephen smoliar)
Subject: Re: Virtuality as a system of actions
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 1991 09:55:14 GMT
Organization: Institute of Systems Science, NUS, Singapore



In article <1991Oct5.174545.12427@milton.u.washington.edu>
cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu (Bob Jacobson) writes:

>A difficulty with using prior media of communication (eg., theatre or film)
>as a theoretical model for VR is that the "theory" underlying these earlier
>forms is as muddled as the theory claimed as a foundation for VR.

This is a very interesting point, made all the more so for providing yet
another facet of how Virtual Reality seems to be following the path of
Artificial Intelligence.  In the early days of AI, there was not that
much to draw upon by way of psychological theories of intelligence.
However, what happened was that progress in the "artificial" led to
new approaches concerned with understanding the "natural";  and now
the two seem a bit more capable of progressing together, each camp
taking advantage of results from the other.

Bob is quite right in insinuating that "what passes for communication theory"
probably does not deserve to be called "theory."  Indeed, there has been little
need for students of media to formulate hypotheses, since they lacked adequate
resources for testing those hypotheses.  Virtual Reality offers an opportunity
for providing such resources.  The advantage of having theater and film people
around is that Virtual Reality may be the ultimate test of their rules of
thumb;  and when those rules fail, they can get close enough to the failure,
so to speak, to address how those rules should be modified.

The payoff of bringing such media people into a Virtual Reality project may not
be immediate.  However, those communications types DO have rules of thumb which
are better than no rules at all, at least when you are taking your first steps.
I see a potentially for a fruitful and stimulating partnership here, assuming
that the parties involved can get along with each other!
-- 
Stephen W. Smoliar; Institute of Systems Science
National University of Singapore; Heng Mui Keng Terrace
Kent Ridge, SINGAPORE 0511
Internet:  smoliar@iss.nus.sg