[Krimel] Gibson, who has been uncannily right about such things, maintains that in the not too distant future people will be unable to distinguish time spent in the virtual world from time spent in the "real" world.
[Arlo] I'm choosing my words deliberately here. I was hanging out in Tanaris the other evening, which lies in the southeast corner of Kalimdor. Some call this world "Azeroth". I wasn't really doing much, indeed, I could have had a more fruitful evening had I been spending my time in Ironforge learning new skills, or trading in the auction house. Or even spending time in Darnassus with other Night Elves. But instead I find myself drawn to the aesthetic of the Tanarian landscape. It reminds me of Cairo, or rather, what Cairo must've been at some point in its long history. In any event, I wasn't doing anything more productive than fishing for Stonescale Eel off a little pier near Steamwheedle Port. Pirate activity to the north has shut down the shipping lanes, and the pier is vacant except for a few other fishermen, and the occasional traveler looking to explore uncharted territories in their personal maps. It was here that I met Lyra, a shaman from Azuremyst. It was with some trepidation she approached me, being somewhat lesser experienced than I, and careful not to appear foolish or naive. Nonetheless, the quandry she faced was overwhelming, and so humbly she introduced herself and asked if I would be willing to lend assistance. Mostly because of her grace, and because I was intrigued by the challenge she was facing, I agreed to do what I could to aid her in her task. As we rode south from the pier into the open stretches of desert, towards the very southern-most coast, I got to know a little about Lyra. She has an alter-ego she calls... well, that's unimportant. This alter-ego lives in a place she calls "Australia", and spends her days doing IT work for a medium sized company. We talk a bit about Midnight Oil, politics, beer and truck-trains. Happily, with my help she is able to complete the task at hand, and recover some goods pilfered by the local pirates. In celebration I offer her a tankard of Dwarven Stout that has been in my pouch so long I wonder if it's still good. She asks how my alter-ego can stand drinking the watery pilsner associated with my alter-ego's homeland. I ask myself the same question. A short while later I am surprised to hear her whisper to me again. She wants to know if she could add me to her list of acquaintances she looks for when things become too hard for her to handle alone. I tell her I would be honored, that finding others who share interests, who have fascinating tales to tell, who can offer me perspectives on the world I am unable to get elsewhere, well that is why I was fishing in Tanaris in the first place. Like other dichotomies, the distinction between "real" and "virtual" may be clearly seen from high above, but as one descends closer and closer to the border, one sees not an absolute line, but a blur, a fractal-line where "apparent" distinctions become problematic. We can attempt, of course, to continually redefine these categories as we move down into more precise ranges of focus. But I think we'd find that this becomes an endless task, as each time we move in from one definition, we'd have to restart the process. Or we can step back and realize that our grand dichotomy is useful for most activity, but that at the heart of the matter, what is virtual is indistinguishable from what is real. Indeed, we ask falling back to the Brain-in-the-Box, how do we know that we are not the virtual reality of a still greater ego? I may never meet the flesh-and-blood alter-ego of Lyra. Indeed, I may never meet the flesh-and-blood alter-ego of "Krimel", or "Ian", or "Craig". But I have fond memories of that night fishing in Tanaris, just as I have fond memories of my days "fishing" in this reality, the World of MOQ-craft. Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
