February 10, 2007
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Internet Island Topic #22.03: Our Internet World: Virtual Reality
22.03: Programs, Games, Virtual Reality, the future.
Email was the first "interconnective" device on the internet. Email and message boards. Then came graphical interfaces and personal websites, refined search engines, and of course, our friend the blog. I can remember downloading both Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator thinking I needed both. I still recall the frustration and difficulty at trying to send photos through the internet as "early" as 1996. People always tell me my websites and blogs crash their old computers, because I've been graphics oriented since I got online. I "predicted" personal streaming video, and my first streams were online in 2001.
What have you purchased for your computer? How new or old is your system? Take a photo, or better yet, create a "video blog" and upload it to your Xanga "video" section and post it for the topic.
Don't Forget to turn off the music player before watching the video!
How many programs do you run?
I mainly use the computer for digital video editing and photo compositing, and my main programs have always been for image manipulation. Since the video end of computers is the fastest growing, this is possibly why I had to upgrade two of my four computers, and why I've had four computers. Programs for video editing were: MGI VideoWave and Ulead VideoStudio. I also installed two video card upgrades on two computers, with video inputs and outputs. I upgraded the MGI software two times. Then I got the Pinnacle Studio which included another video card with inputs and outputs for the latest machine. I have recently downloaded a trial copy of Sony Vegas Platinum, and I 'm seriously thinking of purchasing a cut rate downloadable copy of the full $600.00 pro software for $79.00 Or I might go with Avid's Liquid, another $600.00 program which sells really cheaply if downloaded from a cheap software site. I still have to investigate whether or not sites like Downloadable Software are credible merchants.
Image editing sofware has been second on my most used list. I still have Micrografx Picture Publisher 8.00. The software hasn't been made for years, but I know the program like the back of my hand. I also have a Waco Art Pad and Adobe Photoshop LE came with the hardware. Others are Macromedia Fireworks, which came in my suite with Dreamweaver, which is two versions old, and the only $600.00 software I ever purchased retail. (I might upgrade on a software site to Studio 8, which includes Flash. Dreamweaver is where I construct my website.
I have Homestead software for that website. Then there are five or six clipart packages. I have all the Mad Magazines on CD Rom till 2001. I have about five editions of PrintShop and PrintMaster. I used to use them a lot but haven't installed them on this computer yet, and don't miss them. I get most of my images online now, or from my own photography.
There are programs for optimizing downloading from the internet. I had Microsoft Office on my last computer, which did come with XP, although I thought I upgraded to XP in the attached Video Blog on that machine. Since the discs were "signed" for the other computer, I can't use them on this one, which came with Works, which I don't think I've ever opened.
For music storage, I use Itunes. I have the topmost "free" Windows Media, Divx, RealVideo and Quicktime players. For browsing, there's the SBC (Now back to AT&T Yahoo Browser, which came with my latest DSL service, IE6, which I never open, and Mozilla Firefox. The Yahoo browser was the first I used with "tabbed browsing". Both Firefox and IE have that now.
Screenshot savers, Roxio Media Creator (although I need to upgrade to install the package on this latest version of XP, so right now I can't input analog audio, unless I use 'video capture" in another program, Picasa for photo storage and manipulation, and Micrografx Windows Draw 6 for text insertion into images, and for vector art. I had my a copy of TurboCad 10, which I use at work for electrical schematics, is a great vector drawing tool for 3D graphics, and I had it on my last computer, but never loaded it on the new machine. It's amazing how many programs I thought I used to need that I don't use at all.
What do think about the future of the internet?
I'm planning to write a sci fi novel, "Paradigm Shifiting" set in the future, when the internet is replaced by Virtual Reality, sort of like the "holodeck" on the Star Trek series, where "sites" are "worlds" that you can explore, and your "avatar" or "self" can be whatever you want it to be. I think that VR, represented by online multiplayer games in the present, will evolve into a "Matrix" like cyber world that is indistinguishable, or completely different, depending upon the "destination" than the real world. (Which will be somewhat barren due to global warming)
That's another complete blog. Multiplayer role playing games are the first step towards the Matrix like "virtual" internet of the future. We will be able to "immerse" ourselves in the experience, and we will be able to go anywhere the digital imagineers can take us. Stay tuned for the first chapter to "Paradigm Shifting", my planned new novel about the brave new world of virtual reality, multiple cloned lifetimes, and how mankind deals with conflict when there is none left in the world.
COMING SOON TO THIS VERY BLOG!
EDIT: 2/10/07 8:18 am pst. "Forward into the Past" Longtime readers know that occasionally I will post older entries under the Header "WayBack Posts". The leader image shows Mr. Peabody and Sherman from the "Mr. Peabody's Improbable History" cartoon scooting about in the time machine that appears in the Geo. Pal movie. I was surfing the internet this morning and came upon a website called Archive. org with a "Wayback" function. You type the name of a URL in the locater and it shows you what that site looked like historically. Being the narcissist I am, I of course typed www.allthingsmike.com and here is THE PAGE which "takes you back" to when I instituted the site on my server in 2001. Now I'm going to type in the URL for the original site. I'm discovering things I wrote and created that I don't even remember. And you can do this for any site on the internet. It's like Google cached pages all on one page.!
Comments (16)
there are surprisingly many folks who are very averse to considering themselves "wired". The future will be different, mainly in the fact that there will be many, many more different "factions" that know all about each other and are therefore more adamant about whatever their particular "faction" may be.
If you don't think of it as unethical, you can always get software 100% spyware free from torrents. I've recently downloaded AutoCAD 2007 and Windows Vista Ultimate Edition. They post the entire installation disks and key generators.
I just left this really long post and aaarrrgghhh.... to the internet, it did not post. I think the internet will become more error free in the future, at least I hope. I do worry about security as we launch into the future.
Okay here is what I said in previous post.
I love that you have so many remotes, it IS funny that you are right in front of the computer and you have remotes. That cracked my up. I only have the one basic Dell... I bought it a couple of years ago. Son also bought one, with my money, which is much more advanced, he has all the bells and whistles. I mostly use mine for checking e-mail, surfing the web, and occasional word documents for work. I had a computer almost as soon as the internet became available. I have an early memory of son (five or six at the time) searching for the Nickelodean page, and coming across a very graphic porn site. I was extremely frustrated that a porn site would use a name so close to the name of a children's network.
I understand that there is a saltwater gar, so if you do any deep sea fishing off the coast, perhaps you could catch one. Someone told me the ocean variety was actually pretty good to eat. Not true of the freshwater type.
Have a lovely Saturday Mike and as always... thanks for dropping by.
Hugs, Tricia
Mike, I deleted your comment on my blogsite. Please don't hijack it like that again. I visit sites that I find to be continually interesting to me. There are a lot of them. Sometimes I forget about some of them. You never said anything to me that insulted me. Frankly I think your efforts are an attempt to get as many hits as possible, and that it's possibly an ego thing. No one else has taken my absence on their site as personally. I'll be around.
Neat video Mike. I have a new video camera and have not learned to use it yet but I will also have a lot of other programs I would like to use for editing. Thanks for tell us what you use. Judi
I hate shopping for computers like my husband hates shopping for cars. When we need a new one, I let him do the research and pick it. I don't even want to hear about it until the thing's unpacked, hooked up, and ready for me to use. Consequently, I know absolutely nothing about my computer. Wait, it's a Dell. I can read that on the front, at least.
Mike...when it comes time for you to buy...Please let me know...I would like to refer you to some really good realtors. Then I could get paid on your half million $$ deal!
:lol::coolman:
Good morning Michael,
It appears that I have offended you by dropping by and not taking the time to read your lengthy blog. I apologize for not having time that particular day as I do have 4 children that require a great deal of attention most days. Originally, I had dropped in via another person's page that you had commented on. If you look in your footprints, you can see where the visitor originates from. I am not positive who's page I was on at the time, but I am pretty sure it was Randy7777. I had wanted to relay something about his blog entry that you had also commented on and felt it rude to not acknowledge the material in yours also, so I wrote that I would read it when I had time so you would understand it was not for lack of interest, but a lack of time. Had I said "I can't make time for this right now" I would have found that to be rude. You, in turn took the time to read through quite a few blog entries of mine and left a long comment responding to several of them. (I truly can't help but wonder if I should take that as subtle way of making me feel bad that I did not read yours)
A question of the day is new to my blog and not something I do on a regular basis, but I do find that it makes for interesting comments, especially when physically I may not be feeling well and don't want everyone to feel the need to focus on well wishes as my condition is chronic. I tend to get angry at myself when I feel I have focused on pain too much.
My blog topics don't seem to be your cup of tea, which is probably why we have never crossed paths before.
Have a lovely day.
Ker
Dear Readers, Subscribers, Islanders, and Friends,
Just when I thought "all is fogiven" in Cyberspace.
This morning, I'm responding to all the gracious comments I received on my "Dead Bodies" Post. for FG. I am still mesmerized by the positive response on a topic I didn't even care to write. Thank you to everyone who might read this to whom I haven't commented. I received Comment #8 for my efforts from one blogger. I don't know the blogger. I'm just responding to a comment. I just went over to her site (for the second time this morning), and told here I was not offended, apologized for any thing negative I must have imparted in my comment.
Do Unto Others as you Would Have them Do Unto You. If You Can't Say Anything Nice, Then Don't Say Anything at All.
I've always attempted to practice the golden rules. Undoubtedly I'm "Doing" something wrong, to recieve two negative comments on the same post. Hopefully some of my regulars will be dropping by to ease my feelings. I've never been criticized for my comments before. (Well, maybe once or twice, but in time I like to erase all negativity from my braincells.) As a writer, I always think I'm making myself clear, and that my intentions are always honorable. But sometimes my efforts backfire or so it seems.
Oh well, no need worrying. I have other comments to write. I don't "delete" anything but duplicate comments, and the "negatives" are there for all to see, with the writers' blog links intact. I just want, at least to attempt to defend myself in a comment on my own blog.
No offense is ever intended in anything I write, and I try to take pains not to sound like I'm offended. (Hurt feelings sometimes, yes, but I'm overemotional)
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
keep me posted on that "Paradigm Shifting" novel, okay? (I love the premise!)
I have a window's XP that I got from the local rent-a-center. It looks a lot like yours except my desk is neater. :giggle:
Hi Mike. I just thought I'd stop by to see how you were doing. I don't get by very often... When I do though it is a long visit. I enjoy the thought provoking blogs you post. Thanks for a pleasent visit.
Hi again!
) Looking introspectively, I suppose it comes from being raised by two parents who simply cannot and will not express themselves, which left me guessing on far too many occasions. It's no excuse, but it complicates my ability to read other's intentions at times.
Just taking a moment to tell you that I have this tendency to read into things a bit too far sometimes. (I am certain my husband would agree whole heartedly about that!
My apologies for all the misunderstanding. You seem like a very thoughtful person and I am sorry for being quick to assume your comment implied anything but friendliness.
After a long day of shopping, We are now geared up with fire logs, hot cocoa and the ingredients for beef stew for when the weather turns foul on us! I'm ready!!
Enjoy what is left of your weekend! Take care.
i think the internet changes every day and we could probably learn something new everyday about it!! great job!!
I enjoyed the video. I look forward to "Paradigm Shifiting."
Lately I've been quite torn between reading & writing blogs and getting away from the computer and doing other things I like to do. At the moment I think the latter is winning. There's not as much to blog about if all I'm doing is on the computer without any other life. I don't know how you manage to write 31 of your comments in one day! (I would never delete one!) Anyway, I don't know if I'll get to the Island topic or not. If I do, I don't think it will be as involved as your entry.
:giggle:
Tipis4hire South East We love talking tipis.