Re: WEB : Mapping out communal cyberspace

Sam Hunting (sgmlsh@world.std.com)
Mon, 13 Jun 1994 08:55:32 -0400 (EDT)


On Mon, 13 Jun 1994 Roger.Layton.roger@apollo.is.co.za wrote:

> Date: Sunday 12 June 1994
>
> Whereas this approach is suitable for hypertext, and in fact is highly
> desirable, with the introduction of VR as a medium we need to expose the
> underlying geometry, and to treat coordinate space as a shared resource.
> In other words, the coordinates of the worlds we defined, no matter
> whether we choose to use local systems or not, are all mapped onto a
> globally agreed coordination standard.
>
ISO Standard ISO/IEC 10744 (``Information Technology --
HyperMedia/Time-Based Structuring Language'') can supply such a
''globally agreed coordination standard.'' Best of all, it's non-proprietary.

> I recommend the RingWorld approach (a la Niven), with a ring 1,000,000
> units wide, circling at a distance of 100 million units around a central
> point.

The RingWorld idea is (I think) beautiful and elegant; HyTime would allow
you to specify it rigorously.

Ciao!