

Virtual Spaces, Real Data - bane
http://assayviaessay.blogspot.com/2014/03/virtual-spaces-real-data.html

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naterator
I understand why people are upset about Facebook's acquisition of OVR,
especially the hardcore gamers. I was surprised and upset when I first heard
the news, too. However, from Facebook's perspective and the perspective of
anyone who cares about having better long distance social experiences or
virtual reality experiences, it's a great move. I am sure VR will be primarily
used in games, and the tech will be perfected on games, but it has real value
in so many other realms. All these assumptions I keep hearing (and those in
the article) about how it is going to turn into Second Life style "Metaverse"
or whatever is just cynical. Sure, it could turn into that, and be as
pernicious as you can imagine. But alternate possibilities are that I could
replace Skype, which is awkward for my mother to use, and I could actually go
sit in my living room across the ocean and have a conversation with her. That
would be amazing.

If all you can see for VR platforms is games/metaverse, then you aren't
thinking far enough ahead. I think it would be a tremendous shame if VR is
only ever used for games. And Facebook/Oculus won't be the only one pushing
VR. Sony is already doing it, and it wouldn't surprise me if Apple, Google,
etc. are also working on it. The future (with virtual reality) is going to be
awesome. Any privacy concerns can be handled separately, and should be.

------
salmonellaeater
> FB has a well documented habit of arbitrarily changing those [privacy]
> settings without the user knowing.

This is exactly the reason why I am dismayed at the acquisition. FB has
demonstrated repeatedly that it has a very cavalier attitude toward users'
privacy, and wants to insert itself as an intermediary in everyone's
communications so it can keep amassing data. FB also doesn't like people
keeping separate personas, despite the fact that everyone presents a different
version of themselves to their families, their coworkers, their Quake clans,
their political parties, and the public. FB is like the friend who has no
discretion about what secrets they share with whom; you can't tell them
anything truly private, so they can never be a friend at all. Inviting them to
watch everything you do on the Oculus Rift is a bad idea.

