Mapping the MOOs *- Visualizations of textual Virtuality
On 11.03.2002 our lecture entitled "object #0 or how an operating system and the linguistic means compose the virtual world of the MOOs" was presented in the National Technical University of Athens". The lecture was a collaboration with Agelliki Athanasiadou (student of Architecture NTUA) and professor Andreas Kourkoulas.
In this study we tried to locate and analyze the means by which the perception of space and motion is created in a text based virtual dimension. To better understand and picture this process we tried to map and visualize the geographical and architectural space described in one of such domains, the FurryMUCK
The outcome of this effort was a series of renderings that visualize the spatial metaphors and the very idea of motion through the use of hypertext.
*MOOs stands for Multi-user Domains Object Oriented
Generating the 3-dimensional map
In the 3-dimensional map of the virtual territory, cubes stand for rooms, spheres for central and teleportation areas, straight lines for direct geographical links and curved lines for teleportation links.
Sense of Movement through HyperText
The sense of movement between the diferrent locations and the geographical interelations are produced with the use of hypertext. Moving through is converted to a process of text retrieval from the database of the MOO. The given descriptions and the random order of text, defined by the user create the unique perception of the text based virtual reality.
Analyzing the various spatial metaphors
Having created the virtual map of the wider territory, we focused on the three examples of spatial metaphors created by random users. Analyzing the structure of their rooms and links, in accordance to the context of each unit, we managed to comment on the ways and means used to create these metaphors of space, motion and ambiance.
Information Process-Transmission and the Operating System
The role of the operating system as the structural grid and generator of the virtual experience, was presented through a series of visualized examples. The process and transmission of the textual information to the various users and the different spatial entities, generates the hallucination of conceivable phenomena.