Plausible
I'm going to assume that the Metaverse is not only plausible, but where the future of the internet is heading. Developing a Metaverse and the subsequent software to run it would be an incredibly lucrative business. I could see a large technology based organization like Apple creating a monopoly on it.
With that said, I think that the social affects of the Metaverse shown in Snow Crash are also very plausible. Many people in Snow Crash use the Metaverse to conduct business. Because there are still geographical barriers when doing business, many chose to meet virtually to make very real deals. If the technology is developed where an accurately physically and emotionally representative avatar could be sent in the place of actually having to make travel arrangements to meet, I don't see any reason why it would not become the chief mode of communication in the business world. It would possibly expand the networks of trust that Fukuyama spoke of in Economic Globalization and Culture because it would make it increasingly easier to meet face-to-face, in a very new way, continuously and to form relationships regardless of geographic barriers.
People would of course have to get over the Sims like feel of things but just like the participants of the Metaverse in Snow Crash, as technology improved, so did the legitimacy of the avatars. I can see this hierarchy of avatars being formed based on how much money an individual is willing to spend. Clubs like "The Black Sun" would inevitably pop up in the virtual world as it does in the real world only letting in the select few that made the list or in this case, had the right programming software.
Implausible
I find the privatization of everything, especially the police, highly unlikely and very troubling. The purpose of the police, in theory, is to help stop and prevent crimes from taking place. If multiple police entities are competing for crimes to solve, who is to say that they would not become racketeers creating crime in order to give themselves jobs. I'm aware that a similar thing does exist with private security, but even they have to yield to the police.
I also don't believe that Burbclave like entities could gain enough power to become as autonomous as those seen in Snow Crash. Even the most well connected of gated communities is not completely self sufficient. They have to interact with the rest of the world and follow the laws of the general population. I also think that as brought up in class, it would be very difficult for de jure segregation in housing settlements to happen as Stephenson envisioned with the Apartheid Burbclaves that had a sign stating " WHITE PEOPLE ONLY. NON-CAUCASIANS MUST BE PROCESSED" (Stephenson 32). Of course, this pretty much does happen today but it is more of a hushed process.
I agree that the privatization of law and order is probably the most implausible part of Snow Crash. Since the beginning of civilization, laws existed in the public realm. Conceiving that judgement and law were not a public good is signaling the end of civilization. The results of a anarcho-capitalist society depicted in Snow crash does seem accurate to me. However, I do not think we will ever get to the point in which there are no more public goods or services.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't imagine a world where everything became privatized. Imagine the territorial wars that would ensue along with the massive inability to check and balance different organization because there is no central body that others have to listen to.
DeleteI didn't initially feel that the police privatization was troubling but after reading your post I have to agree. It's a very troubling thought to think that a police force would actually be causing crimes just in order to profit.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment on the Metaverse. We are already seeing developments in the internet to further connect others in business and for leisure. The metaverse seems to definitely be a useful feature that will benefit a lot of people globally and make economic and business transactions and deals a lot easier. A lot of the innovation we have seen in the past have been to create more efficiency and communication in technological advancements. So this is definitely a plausible idea.
ReplyDeleteGrace, I agree with your idea here that we are headed in the direction of the Metaverse. While today these interactions may be limited to chat rooms or social media sites, I think that with the advent of greater technology (ie: Oculus Rift, this could be a really cool way to get to the Metaverse) could offer the potential to conduct global interactions through avatar/simulation.
ReplyDeleteGrace, I agree with your idea here that we are headed in the direction of the Metaverse. While today these interactions may be limited to chat rooms or social media sites, I think that with the advent of greater technology (ie: Oculus Rift, this could be a really cool way to get to the Metaverse) could offer the potential to conduct global interactions through avatar/simulation.
ReplyDelete