I. Chapters 1 – 9
It was confusing at start. The Deliverator’s job is to full fill is mission delivering pizza on time “EPIC-LY”. The story is told in a very surreal way. As the story progressed I realize that Hiro (the Deliverator) is in a virtual world name “Metaverse”. Hiro (part american part korean) ex-pizza delivery guy who worked for the Mafia, freelance hacker, and wears a black leather kimono who carries a katana. The story also speaks of another character named Y.T (Yours Truly) work as a “Kourier”, apparently she helped Hiro delivered his pizza on-time after an epic chase of cat and dog between Y.T and Hiro. From the way Metaverse is explained, this virtual world consists of avatars. Avatars are the simulated characters that people create to represent themselves in Metaverse. There are “ports” located in Metaverse that people can jack in. Hiro and Y.T are curently in two different locations. Somehow I believe that their paths will intertwine. The way Metaverse is quite similar to online MMORPG (Massively multiplayer online role-playing game). It’s layout and functions are similar. Hiro enters Black Sun which seems to be a more advanced virtual world. Meets Ex-grilfriend and a past associate / friend. Previously obtain new drug name “snow crash” and some weird “bug” or “virus” had plague his friend Da5id.
II. Chapters 10 – 12
Y.T. and Hiro’s epik escape to “MR.LEE’S GREATER HONG KONG‘. It seems that government and guns aren’t very welcomed inside HONG KONG, except for civilians. Hiro goes face to face at with and Nipponese businessman. Hiro also is a hacker, breaking the fundaments of the system. I wonder if Hiro was able to “delete the Niponese Businessman piece by piece, was he able to hurt him in the real world? “The Rat Thing” also has come to my attention, they’re are explained in such a way that it is starting to become realistic, if this was mainly computer generated; it could be programmed that these Rat thing should not have such a flaw.
Neal Stephenson has taken virtual reality to the next level by incorporating human senses into the digital realm. Giving virtual the impossible, almost as if the person itself is able to feel the the physics that resides in Metaverse. Just imagine that if this is possible then dying in the virtual world may trigger the feeling of death in the real world, this could be a serious issue if it were to be possible. Reminds me of the movie “Surrogates“, just the exact opposite; in the real world they have a robots (cyborg/avatar) run and do the daily routines for them. This they are able to make the 2nd life, seem as if it was their primary lifestyle. That the time they spend on the second life is much more than their primary life. In society, some people already do put more time and effort in their second life.
II. Chapters 13 – 17
Neal Stephenson was able to portray the “behind the scenes” of what happens when someone’s avatar were to be disconnected from the Metaverse. As it seems, the avatar’s information (data) is basically recycled and taken care of Graveyard Daemons. Who knew that being disconnect from the virtual world; had such guardians, whose job is to take care of an empty host avatar due to the lose of connection. The Metaverse also reminds me of a post “end of the world”, similar to the game “Fall Out“. Reason is because the Metaverse seems to not be managed by people whom are capable of keeping the peace, such as game masters. Next, we have hackers, organizations, mercenaries…etc. Running around with no boundaries, unless when entering a specific region or property. Neal Stephenson was also able to incorporiate a sense of crime scene as well as combining the two world together, sometimes I question if Hiro was still in the Metaverse because Neal Stephenson was able to portray reality in the Metaverse so well . Knowing that this is Metaverse, data was able to play the role of “matter cannot be created or destroyed”; but isn’t this all data? If data was destroyed, it should it scattered and dispersed into thin air? But instead Hiro was able to encounter Lagos “virtual” death.
Lagos is lying on the ground, sprawled across the tire track. He has been slit open like a salmon, with a single smoothed-edged cut that begins at his anus and runs up his belly, through the middle of his sternum, all the way up to the point of his jaw. It’s not just a superficial slash. It appears to go all the way to his spine in some places. The black nylon straps that holds his computer system to his body have been neatly cut where they cross the midline, half of the stuff has fallen off into the dust.” –Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
And I question, “Is Hiro was still in the Metaverse?”
Thus leading to the conclusion that suits the public niche, was to have the projector inside my my instillation so on one will walk away with it. Other alternatives, that I have decided to have my projection be inside the Stair, also known as rear projection. Projection out from the stair may cause that may cause instances where people can assume or predict the incorporation of projection. I would like to keep the works that is working behind the scenes to stay hidden behind the scenes, to keep the instillation towards a simplicity without the distractions of unwanted hanging wires / devices. Also solves the problem of people walking into the projection itself. Next I have to consider, how am I going to build it thus leading to my 3D model which helps me model for my Augmented Reality and how I can virtually see the niche in its place.
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