From: tolman@asylum.cs.utah.edu (Kenneth Tolman)
Subject: Re: INFO?: SURVEY on Virtual Reality
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Utah, CompSci Dept
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 04:16:56 GMT


>1.  Which industry do you think will first integrate VR into regular
>    day to day public use?

>         Entertainment

Definitely, already this could be considered to be "regular day to day use"
of VR.

>         Education

not quite, COMPUTERS are barely being used effectively, and it is doubtful
VR will substantially change the situation for years until computer programs
can handle "comprehension" of the vagueries of human response

>         General Business

Not for a long time, until the systems are very highly sophisticated.  Big
business does not even use color displays effectively.

>2.  To you personally, which industry has the most exciting potential
>    application for VR?

Exciting?  Entertainment, for me.  Medical VR is neat-o, but isn't essential.
Entertainment VR is absolutely key for the future of entertainment.

>3.  Do you as a computer software developer/user have concerns regarding
>    the social impact that VR will have on the public? (yes/no)

Sure, if you didn't you would be totally blind.  The social effects may be
slow to manifest, but they will be stronger than perhaps any previous
new technology.  The written word and reading education put the power of
thought into the masses, VR will put the power of experience into the masses.
Virtual experiences may change the notion of war and other social endeavors.
>
>4.  Do you fell that VR will create an "information gap" between
>    the various social and economic classes? (yes/no)

There already is a huge information gap between the rich and the poor, it 
will surely become worse.

>5. Do corporations and developers have a social responsiblility
>    in bringing Vr to the public domain?  (yes/no)

No.  VR is a luxury item, and it shouldn't be given away or no one will do
anything anymore.  What if liquor were free?  Not a good situation!

>6.  Who should be responsible for monitoring the accuracy of information
>    presented in a VR application?

>         Government
>         audience or user
>         creator/author
>         industry

All of the above.  The media is internally checked and checked from the
outside, VR better be as good at least!

>7.  Do you feel that experiencing VR will enhance or detract from the 
>    learning process of small children?  (enhance/detract)

Considering how weakly we use computers in education, it is probably a
long time before VR is effectively used as an education tool.  How many
classes today are taught on a computer?  What is the quality of programs
for home education?  Until recently, the quality of educational packages
was pretty poor (I know teachers very well who actively search for material
and they are always dissapointed).  Until education becomes a more economical
enterprise to market to it will be a zero game with nothing happening.  Who
is going to market educational material for a select few consumers?  When
VR becomes big, it will be like nintendo.  How many educational packages
are available for the SNES?
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds