This was the introduction to my Senior thesis in Virtual Reality, May 2000.
In the early days of the Internet, there were no audio/video files to download, and there were no pictures and graphics to jazz up a web page. In fact, the Internet was used mainly by military intelligence to communicate highly sensitive text. Virtual Reality started out in a very similar fashion.
The beginning of Virtual Reality was based on text environments called MOOS. Both or these fairly new mediums have changed tremendously since their beginnings. The Internet is a virtual commerce environment. You can practically live in front of your computer, with the exceptions of sleeping and stopping to grab a bite to eat.
Virtual Reality models are now widely being used in educational and military environments. These environments are now realistic looking, 3D worlds, enabling us to experience the world without leaving the computer.
Now that we have entered the new millennium, both the Internet and Virtual Reality are fusing together to make the ultimate world of information. However, with slow connections to the Internet via outdated telephone lines, it is impossible to deliver the full potential of the Internet/Virtual Reality Partnership to most individuals.
I propose that someone viewing a web site, with exciting and informative text, combined with the right amount of graphics, audio, and video, can get so captivated in the virtual environment, that they loose touch with reality.
In order to test this hypothesis, you must view this site from the beginning, in a comfortable environment, with out interruption. If my theory is correct, you, the web surfer, will forget everything that is going on outside of my virtual corner of the web. After you view the site in its entirety, send me an email with your thoughts and tell me if my hypothesis is correct.
Good luck, and enjoy!
Sincerely,
J. Powell
P.S. Follow the link here to start the journey.