Three simple concepts make this possible. First, each space is hosted independently. Second, we offer a simple linking mechanism: the door. Doors are bi-directional links connecting two spaces. When a user places a door in their space to connect to another user's space, they must obtain approval from the other party before the link becomes fully functional. This is how "neighborhoods" will be built: communities of like-minded space designers can interconnect as they see fit, without having to build on the same "land" or even maintain similar appearances. And third, users will also be able to embed web-style links into their spaces to connect to non-3D content.
Sounds a lot like the Web? Well, that's because Ogoglio is built on top of it! We believe the same principles that made the Web so successful can be applied to online 3D spaces. The key is to let groups of spaces form organically, bottom-up, instead of (fruitlessly) trying to maintain any sense of unity from above. We would love to hear the reactions of users coming from "top down" worlds to this idea.
But Linden Labs isn't a top down design, that isn't the problem. In fact, people are flocking to top down designed spaces in Linden Laboratories. The reality of mainland is that its clutter is "bottom up," as each land owner pursues individual vision without cooperation. And Ogogolio isn't bottom up either, it seeks to be a tier that connects bottom spaces.
We need a different vocabularly as we stand on the gate of worlds.
Now off to rl for me.
You have nailed down the core problem: How do we join a chaotic technology (the web) and online communities and build a city for creative work?
ReplyDeleteThe Ogoglio project is not a technology project, despite most SL'ers focus on it. The core issues are social they and drive the technology decisions.
I agree, the shape of personal space is as important, if not important, than the shape of technical, or physical, space.
ReplyDeleteThe web's richly textured nature is something I see as being both a blessing and a curse. But there is so much muddled thinking.
One key difference between a place like the SL mainland and a web of Ogoglio spaces is that the mainland has one organization, geography, while Ogoglio spaces are dynamically organized through the act of making a doorway from one space to another.
ReplyDeleteDoors can be created manually by friendly agreement, or doors can be automatically created and arranged.
As there are different sorts of organizations on the web (portals, search engines, linkrolls, ...) there are simultaneously different sorts of ogoglio space webs.
This seems much more "bottom up" than One Big Grid, but I agree the terms are fuzzy in this context.