Re: <nettime> “Meta”

[Felix Stalder <felix@openflows.com>]

I agree. While there is ample technical room -- and a distinct social 
need -- to improve the teleconferencing "experience" (sorry, Olia), but 
you don't need a sad metaverse for that.

But what strikes me still is the doggedness with which US IT sector 
persues this vision. I took the occasion to look into Gelertner's 1992 
Mirrorworlds -- which I admit I had only know through Lutz Dambeck's 
film "Das Netz" -- and it's almost the same vision. And I am sure there 
are many more like that, as Michael has pointed out.

I think there is a weird combination of control desire on multiple 
levels (FB to control the metaverse, managers to control their remote 
workers etc) and belief in technical singularity, in the sense that 
computer simulation becomes indistinguishable from physical reality, not 
just in terms of intelligence, but everything else too. Connected to the 
latter, there is also this notion that we are already living inside a 
simulation created by a much higher intelligence. A kind of IT version 
of the many worlds theory, but I don't know if anyone takes that 
seriously or if the discussion of this is more like a Silicon Valley 
parlor game.


all the best. Felix






On 02.11.21 03:26, Brian Holmes wrote:
> Alphabet was realistic. Meta looks desperate. I have the same impression 
> as you, Michael. It will come to nothing.

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