Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!hlab From: kilian@poplar (Alan Kilian) Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds Subject: Re: Chris' Ethics Paper: Report from Cybercon 2 Message-ID: <1991Apr29.200959.17885@milton.u.washington.edu> Date: 29 Apr 91 18:33:08 GMT Sender: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu (Human Int. Technology Lab) Organization: University of Washington Lines: 160 Approved: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu >From: seguine@girtab.usc.edu (Christopher Seguine) >SCENARIO I (Adam uses a glove to sign which gets translated into speech) This is the coolest application I have ever heard for VR technology. Very very very cool. Congratulations. Now Do you think that this will EVER get done? I sort of doubt it really. >SCENARIO II (Adam's brother becomes a war monger.) Is this really any different than normal military training? I don't think so. Soldiers have been trained to kill people for a few thousand years. Some things never change. VR is simply another tool to make people do what we want them to. (In my obviously pinko opinion) >Ethics in a Virtual World? >It turns out that most people find it easier to describe the >technology behind how it works, rather than what it is. This is >a bad sign. Sign, sign everywhere a sign. Blocking out new paradigms, gettin' work done. >Many of the people involved with this new medium are very >concerned with preventing its misuse. Way too concerned. Concerned to the point of inaction. "Let's just talk about this and no one will get hurt" because nothing will ever get done. >The problem is not with this >particular technology, it is with the society in which it is >based. Will there be CyberPorn and VirtualViolence? I really hope so. If I had a holodeck I'd be in there all day having sex. >Undoubtably yes, unless we can somehow start a consciousness >raising in society itself. And I'll oppose you all the way. >Who is going to be in control in Cyber Space? Obviously >not politicians, they are too busy in their own little world. >Should anyone have more power than anyone else in Cyber Space or >should it be a collective entity? Who will make the laws, what >will they be based on? How will property ownership work? Can >you own virtual property? Come on. "Can you own virtual property?" Do I own the files I keep on my computer right now? Yes. Are they real or virtual files? Virtual. Big deal. >Real world laws need to be updated to the electronic age. >Currently our judicial system is years behind the times. Law >enforcement has little information about laws in the electronic >community, which makes for great injustices. Currently a search >warrant is needed to tap a phone line, however it is perfectly >legal for a police officer to go to Radio Shack and buy a scanner >and tap into cordless or cellular phone conversations without the >need for a warrant. Sounds like you are suggesting that a search warrant shouldn't be needed to tap a phone like. >Electronic crimes happen day due to the helplessness of the police. More nightsticks will solve the problems. Oh by the way when did we stop talking about VR and get onto solving social problems? >Caution must be taken with these new technologies. These new technologies should be pushed as far and as fast as we can. Don't try to solve all of the possible problems on the first cut. Get this stuff developed. Figure it out later. >With all the information we are now learning about VDTs is it wise to >have these two monitors practically attached to our eyeballs? The monitors in the VPL headset are Liquid Crystal Displays and all of the electromagnetic radiation research is being done with normal cathode ray tubes which are nothing like LCD displays. The magnitude of the electromagnetic fields are tiny in LCD displays. >Also just as in the >beginnings of cinema, audiences were frightened out of their >seats by trains coming right at the screen, what will happen when >a train actually runs you over in virtual reality? You will be scared. >Heart attacks or psychological effects? Oh, psychological effects O.K. You will be scared. >VR is going to lead us to new levels of consciousness. And new paradigms of thought and new sensory modalities. You forgot those. >For example if one is in >VR and is constantly given the ability to see magnetic fields, >once he removes the goggles will his senses pick up on this >ability and be able to see the fields in reality? No. The human eye is not sensitive to normal strength magnetic fields. Sorry. >On the subject of power, the automobile was suppose to >empower everyone way back when that was invented. It did not. Ha. The automobile was for rich dudes and dudettes to get around better than the average Joe. Sounds like VR huh? >Then they told us that television would give power to the average >citizen. It did not. Right. See above. >Then they said that the personal computer would. It did not. Right. See above. >Now they are saying it about VR, I see where you are going with this. The answer is "It won't" >how can we make this vision come true? How can we encourage >people to make use of this technology? 1) Make it work. 2) Make it cheap. >So what does this all mean? Will Cyber Space be a military >brain washing propaganda device? Without a doubt Yes. >Will it be the ultimate arcade game? Yes and I can't wait. >Will it be a new tool for communication? Yes. >The answer is yes to all three. >The virtual worlds of tomorrow are being shaped today. >We must ignore the novelty, and proceed with excitement and intelligence. >Any doubts that there will be a Sony CyberMan in the near future? Now you're making sense. Get on with it. And No, I have no doubt that there will bw a "Sony CyberMan" My only doubt is if there will be a "Good 'ol made in the U.S.A CyberMan" -Alan Kilian kilian@cray.com 612.683.5499 Cray Research, Inc. | Getting up early is an absolute drag, 655 F Lone Oak Drive | at least I should suppose it would be. Eagan MN, 55121 | -James S. Kunen _The Strawberry Statement_