From: cdshaw@cs.ualberta.ca (Chris Shaw)
Subject: Re: PHIL/INDUSTRY: The Dr. Strange Model %-)
Date: 	Wed, 19 Feb 1992 18:46:31 -0700
Organization: University of Alberta



In article 76130.2225@CompuServe.COM (John Eagan) writes:

>Scott's message, remind me of the questions raised as
>electronics technology worked its way into musical instruments and audio
>processing gear over the last 20-25 years or so. As the first
>systhesizers became available, many people jumped right in and saw them
>as a tool to replace symphonic instruments and other "real"instruments.

This process you describe seems to happen with ALL new technologies.

The car was first the "horseless carriage", radio was first "the wireless 
telegraph", to name two obvious examples.

Since this topic is art related, one might consider the evolution 
of film and film-making as an example of where VR might go in the 
Art/Entertainment realm. For the first 20 years or so of film,
the camera did not move. During this time, movies were "canned stage
performances". The camera was likened to an audience member in a theatre.

D.W. Griffith (I think) was the first to move the camera while filming, and 
suddenly film became much more than simply theatre-in-a-can. The same will
happen with VR. It will go beyond "realism", beyond "simulation" to
become something much more exciting.

The point to remember is that most media go through this process. A new 
medium is first seen as "the same only with one new feature". It then 
slowly evolves a new medium of its own with a language of its own. This
evolutionary process does not happen overnight, and will *certainly* not
happen by simply complaining that "it's too much like the old medium".

With respect to VR, I'm sure that EVERYONE who has thought about the 
future of VR is aware that "realism" is not appropriate in all cases, 
and that "simulation" isn't the only way to think about VR. But until 
people start coming up with NEW models of the VR medium, the old ones 
are here to stay.

Chris Shaw               University of Alberta
cdshaw@cs.UAlberta.ca    CatchPhrase: Bogus as HELL !