[MUD-Dev] Usability and interface

[clawrenc at cup.hp.com]

In <199709211811.6537.hridil.ifi.uio.no at ifi.uio.no>, on 09/21/97 
   at 01:19 PM, Ola Fosheim Gr stad  <olag at ifi.uio.no> said:


>Yeah, but what isn't offtopic is that what consitutes a good book may
>actually become a problem in a virtual world.  A good book (or
>poetry) leaves a lot of ambiguity, there is room for the reader to
>read his own life experience into the book.  I guess you could say
>that each reader is reading a different story, or to rephrase it,
>experiencing a different world.

>In a multiuser virtual world (as well as in the real world) the
>"readers" are going to communicate with eachother as well as interact
>with the world.  To communicate effectivly there has to be some
>common understanding of the world one lives in.

>About the magic part, the language isn't, the associations/fantasies
>we get when reading the symbols is.  But that is also true for a
>painting, a sculpture garden and other ways of expression.

Yes, but your deliniation between were the values are bound and where
they are interpreted is questionable as it ignores the question of
intent.

In principle the purpose of communication is to create an effect on
the one communicated to, be that effect an idea, a picture, a thought,
an emotional reaction, death, whatever.  As such the creator of the
communication crafts his communication in an attempt to create that
specific effect.  If he's using language he may use metaphores,
similies, rhyme, poetry, allusion etc, all in attempt to create the
exact effect desired.

The problem enters in trying to have a mechanical system generate
language to create effects on readers of a similar order.  The level
of value depth and value redefinition is arguably too vast for this to
be done profitably.  Combination games with pre-written language
phrases and components are more successful, but aren't actual language
generation.

--
J C Lawrence                           Internet: claw at null.net
(Contractor)                           Internet: coder at ibm.net
---------------(*)               Internet: clawrenc at cup.hp.com
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