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What’s the beef with Metaverse and VR chat?

I watched some of the John Carmack Meta Connect 2022 Unscripted Talk live stream and... It looks kinda like ass. Although it’s still early stages and they intend to improve the graphics, this has been going on now for a few years and $10 Billion (with a B) dollars later this is the result. Oof, this isn’t looking so good Metabros. This might just top Star Citizen!

Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve noticed a general cynicism and beef against VR chat technology just about everywhere across the web; specifically, from Reddit. I recall when all of this Meta stuff came about, it seemed like everyone collectively gathered to crap all over it at once. I can understand being pretty miffed if you were an original backer of the Oculus Rift before it was snatched up by the claws of FaceBook, but most of it is really just contempt for FaceBook and the Zuck over superficial reasons. Some people will rightly accuse that it’s attempting to replace real life interactions for a poor alternative or is invasive of privacy, but hasn’t that already occurred with social media and video games? Why the sudden knee jerk reaction over VR? If it’s worth anything, VR can be at least a more intimate experience than role playing in some chatroom or a game.

If it were any other company, people would be singing a different tune right now. Well, maybe besides Microsoft, Oracle, or Amazon... Now if this were Apple or Nintendo, you would see so many slack jawed soy-swilling man-child bugmen simping for it at this very moment.

At present, FaceBook seems to be leading the charge here in terms of controlled media narratives when it comes to VR. PlayStation and Valve haven’t even come close. The tech itself and its range of potential capabilities looks pretty neat, and the “Metaverse” idea isn’t that bad. The advertising, NFT’s, and crypto shit should of been kept out though. They’re also advertising to the wrong demographics (gen X-ers and specifically millennials.) While those two may have accumulated some bank from wage hustling compared to the broke-as-fugg Zoomies and gen-Ack! they’re also well seasoned to the bullshit and jaded as all hell. Just give it time and those crazy little tidepod munching shit-eaters will start earning some wagie points too.

As someone that’s about to turn 30 in the next few months, I couldn’t give a damn about some VR hangout; I don’t even like people or hanging out with people anymore, it’s too exhausting and anyone I know doesnt have the time! I had my kicks back then role playing in WoW on the Moonguard server and I really don’t care to go back to that kind of lifestyle. But if I can use the tech in some way to augment reality and project a bad ass Minority Report multi-monitor setup for my office, then I’m interested!

Now, while I can see the usefulness of this in an office or at home, there’s one big glaring problem that’s typically overlooked here; the technical nature in how all of this is intended to work!

It’s the same old client server model, where everything is controlled down to the most minor of details from an authoritative figure up top. Is this really the sort of governing model you want to abide by to conduct yourself in future social interactions with others? Heaven forbid if this becomes the defacto to replace physical human interaction. Does anyone really think this is a good idea given how authoritative these companies have become?

Some might argue that the implementation of the technology is so impossibly complicated and demanding that it could never operate without adopting such a model. This is only an excuse for what is otherwise a poorly engineered shit-heap. All around us are devices that would have been considered super computers not that long ago given their capabilities, and super computers back then were doing some pretty amazing things! Sad to see how people are so easily tricked into believing that our own personal computers aren’t capable of more than email, porn, or vidya. Hell, even most of that’s now migrated into “cloud” platforms because of made up bullshit reasons while our own devices have become little more than dumb terminals.

If it isn’t obvious enough by now, the hardware is only an afterthought that will be sold at a loss to lure in the serfs and debt slaves, similar to that of gaming consoles or smart phones. It’s all about the services, licensing, and contracts which binds the hardware, and exactly how those services will be used as virtual feedlots to cultivate its user-base into a high yield data-mining cash cow.

As I see it right now, you’ve got a mechanoid billionaire creep and a dredged up has been celebrity cool-kid hacker of the 90‘s trying to pitch to you their experimental radioactive brain scrambling operant conditioning strap on Viewmaster!

If this was just about the hardware, then I should be able to self host my own chat services and my own VR “metaverse” server too. This is what ended online gaming for me, when the publishers migrated to match making systems to maximize their profits thru planned obsolescence and continuous payment schemes. So anything to do with VR or AR that implements the same client server model is dead on arrival in my eyes.

Standing back and just taking it all in, I realize that most of this stuff is a distraction and not good for anyones health either mentally of physically. For myself, the optimism I once held for technology has mostly dissipated seeing that it’s being weaponized to bite you in the ass. Instead of seeing the horizon of a new dawn in a world full of great potential, I see a wall that is being gradually built up brick by brick blocking out that horizon with the intent of one day imprisoning everyone and gatekeeping them from their natural human forms of expression. It's not going to end well for anyone involved!

Thanks for reading my blog!

Date: 2022-10-15


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Comments:

  • Well said all in all. I've been looking for more of these types of personal websites with blogs of their thoughts on things - they provide a more detailed and interesting perspective than Twitter, YouTube,etc because those are for getting views and likes.
    Oct 16, 2022 Permalink Reply
    • Thanks! I have too, so decided to make one.
      Oct 16, 2022 Permalink Reply
      • It' really a cozy page. Having a music player is a nice choice too. It helps making this place feel like a place, if you know what I mean.
        Oct 19, 2022 Permalink Reply
      • It is certainly more pure.
        Oct 19, 2022 Permalink Reply
        • we need more people making sites like these. Cause I'm tired of reading the same or at least similar opinions on them. Right now it seems like the type of person to make a personal site will act in very similar ways.
          Sep 6, 2023 Permalink Reply
          • I wanna read different perspectives and views. not the same or similar stuff I can find not only on youtube/twitter/reddit but on other personal websites
            Sep 6, 2023 Permalink Reply
        • I something like to think about how the world would be if we would be in "the good timeline" where the wonders of technology would lift up the human spirit, not crush it.
          Oct 16, 2022 Permalink Reply
          • It would probably look like those art deco futurism posters.
            Oct 16, 2022 Permalink Reply
        • more interesting than current day media, gud job
          Oct 16, 2022 Permalink Reply
          • Check out Third room
https://thirdroom.io/preview
            Oct 15, 2022 Permalink Reply
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