From: salnick@dejavu.spk.wa.us (Bob Salnick)
Subject: Re: "If not computer science, then what?"  And where on USENET?
Date: 21 Oct 91 04:58:42 GMT


In article <1991Oct19.183230.20571@milton.u.washington.edu>
cyberoid@hitl.washington.edu (Bob Jacobson) writes:

>So where do we go from here?  And as what?  We look forward to your
ideas!
>
>Bob Jacobson
>Moderator

I was one of the people who originally suggested that the glove list readers
join sci.virtual-worlds (I read both groups).  My reasons for this were
functional rather than philosophic...

It is my belief that in USENET, we can gather critical mass for nearly any
project or work.  When I began to see the glove-listers starting to wrestle
with some of the same issues that have been addressed in sci.virtual-worlds,
it struck me that an opportunity had just appeared.  The glove-listers are
solving problems of the same nature and level that were addressed by VPL,
Polhemus, and others to allow the current VR technology to exist.  

I apologize for my efforts to those who feel that the purpose of this group
would be more appropriately served by the title philosophy.virtual-worlds, but
I still think that the best use of the critical mass that is gathering in this
field is to INTEGRATE the workers, not DISintegrate them to separate news
groups.  For REAL progress, we need philosophers to point the way, and do-
ers to make it happen - AND THEY NEED TO BE TALKING TO EACH OTHER!

If we loose sight of the goal: Increasing usage and functionality of VR, in
favor of a bickering about classification, then we have truely missed the
mark.  

(I would be willing to bet that a discussion such as this would never arise in
Japan - we should all be thinking about that...)

bob
--
Bob Salnick, Spokane,WA |  USENET:     oliveb!isc-br!tau-ceti!DejaVu!salnick
  Amiga 1000, WB 1.3    |  INTERNET:   salnick@DejaVu.spk.wa.us
      WA9BVE            |         (FireStorm '91 survivor)