Interoperability; was: [sldev] Call for requirements: ISO MPEG-V ...

[Argent Stonecutter]

On 2008-06-03, at 11:03, Mike Monkowski wrote:
> But this leads to a couple more questions:  Why would you want to  
> do the same thing in two worlds if there were a mechanism to travel  
> between the two worlds?

Who said anything about *doing the same thing*?

> And aren't building, tailoring, and dressing the fun parts?

For some people, yes. For others role playing is. And even if  
building is the fun part, building the same thing over and over again  
isn't. Think ahead to when there's a dozen companies with their own  
Grand Universal MMO or VR systems.

> which seems to imply that identity is not just an abstract concept  
> that manifests itself differently in different worlds, but rather  
> something visual, that cannot be extended with approximate  
> recreations.

Sure, it can be extended with approximate recreations... to a point.  
But the capabilities some worlds provide to recreate an avatar are  
simply too crude.

Hell, the Argent who built the lunar base in "Sociopolitical  
Ramifications" in 1994 is still beyond the ability of SL to implement  
as an avatar. Some things, text still works better for.

> Even if WoW allowed ferret avatars, it wouldn't be the same ferret.

Maybe, maybe not. Probably not... pretty much everyone in WoW looks  
the same to me.

Even if WoW added ferret avatars, would it have jerboas? Or  
binturongs, fossas, yapoks, civets, meerkats, or cape hunting dogs?  
Or bearded rastas with dreadlocks down to the ground, like one of my  
neighbors?