From: jew5001@venus.tamu.edu (WILLIAMSON, JOHN EDWARD)
Subject: PHIL: William Safire on Virtual Reality
Date: 13 Sep 1992 11:25:32 -0500
Organization: Texas A&M University, Academic Computing Services



William Safire's syndicated column, _On Language_, tries to make sense
of the term "virtual reality" in Sunday's paper.  He defers to Howard
Rheingold for definitions of virtual reality, artificial reality and
cyberspace.

According to Rheingold, "Virtual reality, the illusion of being in an
artificial world, differs from alternative reality, which could be a
hypnotized state.  [Cyberspace is] a larger, abstract space that
virtual reality allows you to enter, which also includes the
communications field."

Peggy Well makes a plea for a "linguistic referee."  As Safire does
not appear interested in the position, are there any language majors
out there interested in the job?

John W.